The Voice Behind the Curtains

Ann opened her eyes, startled by the abrupt sound of the drawn curtains. Then, footsteps and the gentle murmur of a woman leading someone to their seat followed. Another victim, Ann thought and shut her eyes again as the nurse went through her usual spiel while starting an IV. 

She must have dozed off while reading her book, which was still in her hands. She flipped through the pages, trying to block the nurse's voice behind the curtains and remember where she stopped to be interrupted by her daughter, Leah, this time. 

"Why can't you just read it on your iPad? The tablet will save it for you, so you don't have to keep looking," she asked as she sat beside her. 

"Would you please let me do this alone as requested? You have better things to do than to be here." 

"Mom, there is nothing more important than you. "

"That is very sweet of you, honey. I know you are trying to be there for me, and I appreciate it, baby. But I am fine alone, I promise."

"I know you are fine, Mom. But I know I can't be anywhere else when you are going through this. Even if I were, my mind wouldn't let me. You already know this. Anyways, who is the hottie next door? Let's hear the tea." 

Ann shook her head, unapproving of her daughter's stubbornness, and decided to accept the topic switch. 

"I don't know. I nodded off for a second and didn't see him coming, but he just came right before you did. At least this one is quiet, not like Tina from last week." Leah chuckled as she remembered last week's debacle between her mother and this sweet lady who would not shut up. She lowered her voice to a whisper. 

"Well, let me tell you, he is a fine-looking old man. I don't know what it is, but the curly silver-white hair, the beard, that amazing subtle yet masculine cologne, and the gray sweater are definitely refined. What's the story, you think?"  

"Oh yeah? I need a better look to know the story." 

"Okay, I will go to the bathroom and snap a picture on my way back."

Ann smiled as she watched her daughter leave the room. She truly appreciated Leah's presence, which provided a calmness that no other person could, at least for a long time. Within just a couple of minutes, she was able to draw a smile on her face. Ann looked at the soft glow of sunlight streaming in through the room's blinds and settled back into her recliner when the voice behind the curtains broke the silence. 

"They grow up so fast, don't they?"  

Ann froze. Her heart quickened in her chest, and for a fleeting moment, she felt a flutter of anxiety, unsure if she was hearing things or if something magical was unfolding before her. It couldn't be. 

Then, the voice spoke again. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." 

Ann's eyes widened in realization. The floodgates of her memories opened, and she recognized the timbre and cadence of the voice that had lingered in her heart for decades—the voice of the man who had left an indelible mark on her soul long ago.

As the realization settled in, a tornado of emotions erupted within her—a tumultuous mix of joy, longing, regret, and hope. Her hands trembled as she clutched her book, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to find words that seemed to elude her in the face of such a miraculous reunion. The past and present merged in her mind, painting a vivid portrait of a love that had weathered time and space to find its way back to her side and in here out of all places. 

How could it be? After all these years, it did not make sense. But then again, their bond never made sense. Tears gleamed in her eyes, unshed emotions cascading down her weathered cheeks, as she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, "Gene, is it really you? "

There was no response. The room seemed to hold its breath as it suddenly became quiet except for the hum of machines and a soft murmur of nurses' conversations in the hallway.  

"Yes," the voice behind the curtains trembled with a raw sense of vulnerability, like a haunting symphony of deeply buried emotions rising to the surface. Gene barely said a word, but a deep undercurrent of sorrow resonated in those three simple letters. 

With hesitant hands, Ann reached out, as if guided by an invisible force, toward the only barrier she could remove between them. They sat a few inches apart, separated by curtains and years of estrangement. Before she could reach the curtains, Leah walked in. 

"Mom, what's wrong? Do you need something?" 

Ann looked at her but did not know what to say. Leah looked back at her mother before realizing the handsome senior was looking right at her. A look that puzzled her even more. Why was this man looking at her as if he knew her? His eyes held such sadness and tenderness that she almost wanted to hug him. 

"What's going on?" Leah asked her mother. 

Once again, Ann did not respond and just avoided looking at her daughter. The older gentleman looked away and pressed the nurse call button. Leah walked in, sat beside her mom, and looked at her mother with big eyes that Ann could never hide from. 

"Mom, what is going on? What's happening, and who is this man?" 

Before her mother could answer, the nurse popped into the room. 

"Is everything okay, Mr. Navré?"

"Can I move to a different room?" Gene asked the nurse. Though his voice cracked with emotion, his tone was quiet and dignified. 

"Uh, I will check. Your medications haven't arrived yet, so it is possible. Is everything okay? Do you want me to bring you anything in the meantime?"  

"Everything is fine as can be. I want to be in a different room, please."

"Okay, I will check for a room and double-check on those meds. Be right back." 

"Mom, what is happening?"

"Just tell her," Gene said, still unseen behind the curtains. 

"I. . . this is. . . Gene. He was. . uh .. well, I don't know how to say this. Do you remember your first trip out of the country with your grandma?" 

"Yes. What does this have to do with anything?"

"Okay, well, remember I gave you some letters for you to read when I wasn't there. There were a few of them. . .I am trying to remember how many. I think . . . "

"There were ten of them, Mom. I still read them." Leah cut her off to remind her. 

"You do?"

"Yes, don't sidetrack me. Who is he?"

"Well, Gene is the one who made them."

"Okay, why?"

"Oh, for God's sake, just tell her, Ann," Gene interrupted again. 

"Remember Richard?"

Gene snickered while Ann rolled her eyes.

"Well, Gene was someone I met before Richard, but it kept going while I dated Richard. I loved Gene and Richard, too, but they were so different. Everything was just so simple with Gene, and we were so simpatico. We understood each other without talking. We thought the same thing. We did the same things sometimes, even though we were miles apart." 

"Okay, I don't understand. If things were so great with Gene. . . why date Richard?" 

"Well, Gene was uh. . . married . . ."

"Wow, Mom, what a plot twist." 

"Honestly, I don't know what was going through my mind. I didn't think I would fall for Gene so quickly. He was just amazing to be around." 

Gene snickered again, louder than before. Leah rolled her eyes this time before standing up and yanking the curtains back.  

"If you are going to keep snickering, you might as well be part of this conversation."  

Ann gasped as she struggled to comprehend the surreal sight before her. Gene looked older, much older. He kept his longish hair, which she always enjoyed looking at and playing with. His sense of style was still there, if not more refined. Without warning, years of longing and whispers of regret surged within her. Gene, on the other hand, turned his head the other way. 

"Okay, so you picked Richard over Gene because he is married. Am I getting this right?" 

"No"

"Okay, then what happened?"

"You can ask him." 

"Guys, can someone just tell me what happened?" Leah pleaded.

Eva just looked at her daughter without saying a word. Finally, Gene spoke.

"Fine. . . I was in love with your Mother, Leah. Just like her, I didn't anticipate that I would fall for her so quickly. When I met her, I was in a tough place. Meeting her was a complete miracle because I was as good as dead. But, she. . . she gave me a reason to live. She made me feel things I never felt. She made me smile again. She made me want to be a better person. I fell hard, and the more we spent time together, the more difficult it became to separate. I would fall apart sometimes and cry in my car, just watching her leave me. So, I told her that I couldn't do this anymore and that I wanted out of my marriage because it was not fair to anyone to continue these lies. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I told her everything. I was terrified that she would laugh at my face or refuse me, but she did not. So, I thought maybe this could work. Maybe we can have a shot at this life together. But, after spending a few magical days together, she jumped on a plane with her boyfriend, and I didn't hear from her. Then, one day, your mother messaged me, complaining that every time she asked for something more serious from him, he seemed hesitant and didn't seem to want her that bad and that she would take the love and care she could get. So, of course, I got upset and asked her what she wanted because I couldn't figure it out, and she told me she did not know." 

Emotionally charged words escaped from Gene's mouth as he spoke about this for the first time in years. In the tremor of his words and the soft tremble of his breath, there was a deep well of love that had never faded, even in the face of the years that had passed between them.

"You said that? Jesus, Mom! What's wrong with you? And how did I not know any of this?"

"He was married! I was by myself raising you, working, and going to school. I was tired of doing everything alone. I was tired of worrying about everything alone. I was tired of seeing him leave. I did not know how long it would take him to be free. I did not want him to regret leaving his family to be with me. I did not want him to blame me later. It was just a lot to deal with. It was just a lot. . . " 

Eva's composure crumbled, revealing the vulnerability beneath the surface. Her shoulders shook with her remorse as her tears fell freely. Leah took her mother into her arms to console her as the room grew darker and the air became heavier with the weight of this tragic love story. The nurse returned and paused momentarily at the sight she couldn't comprehend. Everyone seemed to be grieving something that had happened in the past few minutes. 

"Okay, Mr. Navré, so your medications should be here any minute; unfortunately, no rooms are available to switch. I am sorry. Also, I tried to contact the number you gave me for your caregiver, but I was not able to reach him. Is there another number you have?" 

This day couldn't get any better, thought Gene before responding. 

"No, I do not have any other numbers. He will pick up at some point."

"Okay, I will be back with your medications then." 

She then checked Ann's IV and the computer screen before lowering her voice to a whisper: "Is everything okay? Is there anything I can get you? "

Ann shook her head, and Leah just smiled courtesyly at the nurse. The nurse left as quietly as she came, and the room returned to its awkward silence again. 

"So then what happened, Gene?" Leah broke the silence.

Gene continued to look away and carried on with his story. Each word he spoke felt like a dagger to his soul, reopening old wounds that had long since scarred over but had never truly healed. 

"Nothing. I loved your mother too much to watch her ask someone to treat her how she should. I told her how I felt, that this guy was not the one for her, and what I intended to do. I did not want to be the person waiting to see her relationship fail so she could return to me. I felt that I was putting her first, and she was putting me second, and that hurt me deeply. I loved her and wanted to spend every second with her, which when we were together, she made me feel like she did. But when we were away, her actions and words showed something else. So, I. . . walked away."

It was difficult for Gene to hold back his tears. Leah tried to hold back her tears as well, but it was almost impossible to hear this incredible love story that she did not even know existed and not feel all these emotions coming from her mother and Gene. Once everyone was calmer, Leah asked what happened after that. 

"I knew I could not stay in town anymore, so I left everything and everyone behind. I was utterly devastated and couldn't function. I didn't even know where to go. I wrote a note to my wife and son, left for Europe, and went to a rehab center that an old friend worked at and stayed there for a couple of years, where I also worked. Then, I volunteered in a few African countries for another year before returning when my ex-wife was sick. She passed away a month after I returned, and I have been trying to heal my relationship with my son since. "

"And so you have no idea what happened with my mother? And sorry to hear about your wife." 

"No" 

"And you are not curious? She. . . "

"Leah! That's enough." This time, Eva interrupted her daughter. 

"Mom, this is crazy. . . " 

"It is enough, Leah, please." 

"Is nobody going to say it? After all these years, you both moved to different places. He moved to two other continents! But you both return to the same spot at the same time to do the same thing?! Guys, you are meant to be together. What other sign can you possibly need? Enough of your pride and ego, and talk to each other! I hate to be the one to point this out, but you are both in this chemotherapy room, so time is not on your side!" 

"Sign? Our whole relationship was a sign!" Gene laughed bitterly. 

"She loves you. You love her. She never stayed with Richard; now that I know the story, I can understand why. She was single this entire time. There is not one reason why you shouldn't be together. " 

Before anyone could speak, the nurse returned with a cocktail of IVs. As she hooked up the new IVs, she asked if Gene was hot. He looked a bit flustered, and his temperature had increased. Gene nodded and stood up to take his sweater. As he was about to sit back down, Leah gasped as she noticed his arm. 

The nurse looked at her disapprovingly, but Leah ignored her and just yelled: 

"Oh my God! You have the same tattoo! Mom, he has the tattoo!" and motioned her mother to look at Gene. 

Gene had an infinity tattoo on his right arm, similar to that of Leah, that included mountains and a forest in its outline. Suddenly, Gene felt a wellspring of empathy rise within him, and the walls of his heart began to crumble, giving way to a hesitant flicker of compassion that illuminated the darkness of his past grievances. For the first time, Gene looked at Eva before addressing her. 

"You got the tattoo?" 

With tears in her eyes, Eva smiled and nodded. Leah quietly stood up, gently grabbed the nurse, and motioned her outside, whispering that they needed some alone time. Gene, however, did not see any of that as he was laser-focused on Eva.    

"When?" 

"The day I got back."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were breaking up with me. You think I was going to stop you to tell you I got a tattoo?" 

Gene nodded and smiled in agreement. 

"I am sorry," Eva whispered. 

"Me too." 

He gently offered her his hand, which she gladly took. They both smiled, and tears streamed down their faces. As they locked eyes for the first time, the world around them seemed to fade. 

"Normally, I would say let's go for some Ramen, but I don't think I can after this chemo." He laughed before finishing the sentence. 

"You are crazy," she said while laughing with him. 

"We always were."