Heart Divided

Nestled in the charming town of Willow Glen, Jack, a young man, made his home among the endless fields of lavender and rolling hills. Jack’s likable personality and charming sense of humor attracted the residents of Willow Glen to him, including the ladies, which lead to dramatic romantic entanglements. He was a good catch. He genuinely wanted a serious relationship. To love too much was his fate. His heart was as fickle as the breeze.

“I don’t want to be fickle. I want to settle down with one woman.” Jack lifted his eyes skyward beseechingly, then he heard from above, “You must have patience, Jack. Remember Mina?”

First there was Mina. A courageous photographer with a contagious laugh. She had traveled to exotic places to capture the greatest photos and had come home to settle down. Jack’s first week with Mina was a whirlwind of attraction and emotions. They explored every hidden corner of Willow Creek, laughing and snapping pictures of their adventures. Then, under starry skies, they explored every inch of each other. They talked about their dreams and it was hard not to get swept away in the excitement. Their chemistry was electric, and Jack confessed, This is it. Mina is the one!

“Yes, I remember Mina.” Jack answered. “She was perfect, Sabrina, and you sent her away.”

“I did it for your own good,” from above him Sabrina defended. “Sure, the chemistry was great, but the two of you had nothing else in common, so Mina had to leave for a photo safari in Africa.”

“Then write me someone with whom I share more interests.” Jack pleaded, knowing he was subject to Sabrina's every whim. He folded his arms across his chest, pretending not to listen.

Sabrina waited, strumming her fingers beside her keyboard. When Jack remained silent, she became impatient. “You are not stubborn, Jack.”

Jack’s arms melted away from his torso, and were lifted skyward. “Your wish is my command.” Jack spat out the words like they were bitter to his tongue. His arms stiffened as he became angry at their betrayal.

“Calm down. That’s a good boy.” Sabrina smiled and wiggled with enthusiasm. “Now where were we….”

“Not so fast.” Jack balked. “Remember Linda? What was wrong with Linda?” he asked.

“Linda?” Sabrina had to think. “Linda. She wasn’t what she appeared to be, remember?”

Linda, an accomplished artist whose paintings captured the nuances of human emotion, she brought a unique magic to Jack’s existence. She had spent time abroad studying at European art schools. Upon returning home, she wanted to settle down. While dating, she and Jack spent afternoons in her art studio, where she painted while he shared stories. Linda’s passion for life was intoxicating and a bit overdramatic. She had a way of seeing right through him that set his soul on fire. On one particular evening, they stood on a hilltop just above a canyon at sunset, gazing into each other’s eyes. Jack swore they had a moment—a spark, a deep connection that made him think, Not Mina, no. Linda is the one! Just as they were about to kiss, Sabrina had once again interfered and swept poor Linda away.

Jack hung his head. “She wasn’t going to push me off that cliff, Sabrina.”

“You don’t know that, Jack.”

“I know she could only do what you made her do.” Jack’s snarky retort wasn’t lost in translation.

“I deleted her just in time.”

Jack remembered that day and still could see the look of surprise on Linda’s face as she faded into the clouds.

Sabrina saw the sorrow on Jack’s face. “Do you trust me, Jack?” She asked.

“What choice do I have?” Jack pouted, then with hope anew, he said. “I’d like to have more input.”

“Like with Sarah?”

Jack winced at the mention of Sarah. A shy bookworm who didn't often speak but when she did, she always seemed to know the right thing to say. Sarah drew him into her world of novels and poetry. They spent cozy evenings cuddling on the couch, sharing favorite passages from books they’d read. Her insights made him see life from a new perspective, and somewhere along the way, he started thinking about children and a dog and a swing set in the backyard. Forget Mina, forget Linda. Sarah is the one!

“I can’t believe you are bringing up Sarah.” Jack spat out the words with increasing animosity.

“I apologized about Sarah, Jack.” Sabrina admitted and remembered she had gone too far that time. Jealous of Jack’s feelings for Sarah, Sabrina had pointed out that Sarah had a split personality. Her alter ego wanted to stick a pin in him and put him on display like all the occupants in the insectarium in her basement entomology lab.

“Do you have any idea how scared I was?” Jack shuttered as he recalled the searing pain of the pin when Sarah stuck him to a foam block and set him inside the case alongside her crickets and flies and beetles.

“I admit,” Sabrina said with a chuckle, “I got a little carried away, but I got you out of it, Jack.” Sabrina huffed. “I had to teach you a lesson.”

Each girl held a distinct piece of Jack’s heart. This, Sabrina knew. Even so, she left him torn between them. She, with her superior knowledge, knew none of them were good enough for him.

“Let’s pick up the story at the park.” Sabrina gathered her thoughts.

One summer afternoon during a community festival in the park, Jack sat on a blanket with a picnic spread out. Surrounded by friends, he was asking advice about his love life when the idea struck him. He would date each of the three girls for a week, one after the other, to see which one was right. Once he figured it out, he would become a changed man. He was certain it would all be clear. No more second-guessing, no more past regrets. He was going to choose.

Jack started his quest for love but was in over his head with the weight of his emotions. By the end of the month, he was still dating them all at the same time. He felt completely lost. His affection for all three remarkable girls had grown. Each had left a lasting impression on him, and the certainty he hoped to find lay shattered in fragments like broken glass on a sidewalk.

Living in fear of each girlfriend finding out about the others, he stood at the old oak tree—a special place where he had spent time with each of them. It was a beautiful spot marred now by the conflicting memories. Jack thought long and hard, grappling with his divided heart, tormented by his muddy mind. An echoing laughter filled his ears: Mina’s carefree chortle, Linda’s thoughtful humming, Sarah’s delighted giggles.

Interrupted by yet another set of lungs expelling air in puffs, Jack heard Sabrina laughing from above. “It’s not so easy, is it?” She said.

“I’m not done yet, Sabrina.” Jack held her off.

“Here,” Sabrina typed. “Let’s try this…”

Struck by another brilliant idea, Jack decided he didn’t have to choose one over the others. Each of them had brought out distinct qualities within him. Each had given him different ways of seeing the world. Maybe love wasn’t about finding a single “one,” but about celebrating the unique relationships he had built with many.

Finding the clarity he sought, Jack gathered the girls for a picnic. Nervously, he readied himself to speak, his heart racing. He took a deep breath and confessed everything—the confusion in his heart, his affection for each of them, and the realization that he wanted to keep them all in his life. When he finished his speech, he leaned back and squinted, preparing for the worst.

Instead of the outrage he expected, the girls met him with sympathy and understanding. The girls shared their own tales of love and heartache, their dreams and aspirations, realizing that they, too, cherished their friendships with one another. They decided that instead of competing for his affection, they would all support each other. By working together, they could form a bond that would elevate their connections to something beyond beautiful and unique.

“Sabrina,” Jack called. “Sabrina…?” he called again. “You know this is not how the story can end, right?”

Sabrina allowed the voice in her head to creep into her consciousness. “No,” she protested. “Let me be. I want it this way. I just want everyone to be happy.”

“Of course it is your choice,” Jack said, “but no one will ever read another Sabrina Cone romance novel again if you trick them with this dopey ending.”

“You’re right, Jack.” Sabrina shook the cobwebs from her mind and went back to work.

As the leaves fell from the tree and winter drew nearer, Jack smiled. The three girls draped themselves around him in a comforting embrace, then with the swirling magic of Sabrina’s words, they flurried and intertwined and became a patchwork quilt. Wrapping himself in the blanket of love now woven around him, Jack knew that life would be okay. He no longer had to choose, and it was up to someone else. He would navigate this social web of life’s friendships, grateful for the love of each relationship. Treasuring the growth they sparked within him, his heart once divided, would heal and love would blossom.

“Thanks, Sabrina.” Jack sent the words skyward as he walked hand in hand with Melissa, his new love. With the quilt of protection around his heart, he finally had his one true love, an amalgamation of all the girls he’d started out with.

“You’re welcome, Jack.” Sabrina winked and blinked the tears from her eyes as she penned the last words of Jack's story. Like all the protagonists from each novel before, Sabrina felt the hallow in her heart as she said goodbye. “I will miss you.”