My Fiancé Taught Me How To Cut My Losses

My fiancé, Ethan Calder, hosted a late-night relationship advice show. Every day, he told listeners to talk things out instead of giving up on a relationship too easily. Yet whenever we fought, all he ever said was, "Can't you be a little more mature?" Before our wedding, I left our names out and sent the story of our 7-year relationship to his listener inbox. When he read my letter live on air, he had an answer almost immediately. "This man doesn't love you anymore. He missed your birthday and left you sick and alone to keep a female coworker company. He wasn't busy. Someone else simply mattered more." I sat frozen in front of the radio for a long moment. That was when it hit me: he understood everything. His co-host asked, "Then why hasn't she left him?" Ethan laughed. "Because those 7 years mean too much to her. She can't bear to admit she chose the wrong man. She's easy to win back. Ignore her for a few days, then buy her flowers. She'll come back on her own." After the show, Ethan messaged me. Ethan: Still mad? I bought you flowers. I'm on my way back. I'll go with you to your wedding dress fitting tomorrow morning. He had no idea the man he'd just picked apart line by line was himself. And I'd already taken his advice. After all, 7 years was a long time, but I wasn't going to throw the rest of my life away too. Not long afterward, I heard the lock turn. Ethan walked in with a bouquet of white lilies and held them straight out to me. My nose started itching almost at once. I turned my head and sneezed, and within seconds, my throat began to itch too. I immediately pushed the flowers away. When we'd first started dating, we walked past a flower shop once. I sneezed a few times near the entrance, and Ethan immediately took my hand and led me across the street. He was more nervous than I was, asking over and over if I felt all right. And now, somehow, he'd forgotten. "I'm allergic to lilies." Ethan froze for a few seconds and looked down at the bouquet. "Sorry. I've been busy with the listener meetup lately. It slipped my mind." He carried the lilies out to the balcony, dug an antihistamine out of the medicine cabinet, poured me a glass of water, and set both in front of me. A card slipped from the wrapping. Wishing Ethan and Quinn a lifetime of happiness. - Tessa I stared at the card as the warmth slowly drained from my fingertips. "Did Tessa pick the flowers?" "We finished the show late. I asked her to pick out a bouquet for me." He bent down and picked up the card. "She didn't know you're allergic to lilies. She meant well." "You even had her pick the flowers for you?" His brows drew together. "I paid for them, and I brought them home. Does it really matter who picked them?" I looked at him and managed a bitter smile. Only a few hours earlier, he had laughed on air and called me easy to win back. "Ignore her for a few days, then buy her flowers. She'll come back on her own." Now, even when he was trying to placate me, he couldn't be bothered to make the slightest effort. I set the card back on the table without answering. He nudged the glass of water closer. "Take the antihistamine. We still have your wedding dress fitting tomorrow morning." I had just picked up the pill when his phone rang. Tessa Greer's tearful voice came through the phone. "Ethan, a pipe just burst in my apartment. My living room is flooded. I can't get through to building maintenance, and I can't find the main shutoff valve." He grabbed his car keys immediately. "Don't step in the water. Go wait outside. I'm coming." He ended the call and hurried toward the entryway. "We still have the wedding dress fitting tomorrow morning," I said. "I know." He bent down to change his shoes. "I'll go shut off the main valve and come back once it's handled." "Building maintenance has to be on the way already." He paused for a moment. "By the time they get there, the apartment downstairs will be flooded too." He opened the door, then looked back at me. "Don't forget the antihistamine. Get some sleep." The moment the door closed, my chest clenched hard enough to hurt. I forced down the pill with the water. By morning, Ethan had messaged me again. Ethan: I'm still dealing with this. Go to the fitting without me. Just send me pictures. My throat felt stuffed with wet cotton. Just then, the bridal boutique called. "Ms. Kessler, are you still coming in today to try on the wedding dress after the latest alterations?" The dress was still only halfway through its alterations. We'd already had it adjusted three times, and it still needed one final adjustment at the waist. I stared at Ethan's message and wiped at my tears. When I answered, my voice was unexpectedly calm. "Don't wait for me. Please cancel it." After I hung up, I threw the lilies and the card into the trash downstairs. Then I packed my laptop and documents and checked into a nearby hotel. I opened my chat with the Ravenport documentary team lead and sent a message. Quinn: Hello. Is the story producer position you mentioned earlier still open?