The August 8th Dinner

Jackie’s Memory Vortex (1)

I was still annoyed and flipping my long hair as I climbed into Roger's car. It didn't take long for the car to start and pull out of the parking lot, along the smoothly paved Dandelion Highway.

As Roger turned the car onto the relatively quieter Reading Street, I began to speculate about our destination. Wait, I know a restaurant on Reading Street. But that place was... pretty fancy, wasn't it?

Apparently, my guess was right.

"Come on," Roger said, extending his hand to help me out.

"B...but... This is an expensive restaurant. Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly.

"Absolutely. Don't worry, it's a two-Michelin-star restaurant. So it's not as expensive as a three-star restaurant."

"This... isn't just food, Rogie. This is fine dining," I corrected him desperately.

"That's right," Roger replied lightly. "It's okay to try fine dining once in a while, right? I have a reservation."

I couldn't help but smile nervously. Like a chick with its mother, I followed Roger's long steps as he led me to the thirtieth floor. As we entered the grand, classically decorated area, I could still feel my heart throbbing.

Before I knew it, we were seated at a table, being offered menus. I couldn't imagine enjoying an a la carte dinner at a restaurant that required reservations.

"Uh... Uhm... for the appetizer, I want a vegetable salad, f-for the main course... balsamic roasted lamb, and for dessert, passion fruit soufflé. T-thank you."

My sweaty, shaky hands quickly returned the menu to the waiter, who then asked Roger about the dishes.

"Just relax," Roger said. "Eating can relieve tense nerves and get rid of bad feelings."

“Rogie,” I said immediately, confronting him, “Just being here is enough to make me feel out of place, because this isn’t the usual restaurant we visit. Do you... have a reason for bringing me here?” I swallowed. “You… aren’t planning on breaking up with us, are you? Why… why so suddenly?”

Roger froze, confused, then burst out laughing. “I guess I’d better do it now, huh? Instead of you thinking about it all the time.”

“Huh?”

Roger Wright suddenly rose from his chair and knelt before me.

“Jacqueline Chase, will you marry me?” he said softly, presenting me with a diamond ring from a box.

I was completely taken aback. I was so conscious of nodding in agreement with Rogie’s request, but the excitement of the moment was drowned out by the emotion in my chest. Everyone applauded, including the waiters, while I hugged Roger tightly.

The rest of the evening passed easily, without any further nervousness. The spiced lamb I was eating was tender and delicious.

“Jackie,” Roger called suddenly as he, too, was enjoying his own steak. “What do you think you want your marriage to look like?”

I smiled. “Rogie, we still have plenty of time to discuss that.”

“Yes, I know,” Roger replied softly. “But I don’t want to be an irresponsible head of the household in your eyes. I want to shoulder the burdens that are rightfully mine. If possible, I’ll help shoulder your responsibilities as well.”

I continued listening intently to Roger.. He continued. “Maintaining employee status after becoming a wife isn’t easy. You’ll have two burdens to bear.”

My eyebrow raised. “What do you mean? I can’t be a good employee after getting married? I can’t maintain my good performance?”

Roger looked at me with a gentle smile, quenching the anger that was threatening to flare up in my chest in the blink of an eye.

“No, it’s not like that. I know you’re a hard worker, and your team even has better KPIs than mine,” Roger chuckled. “I meant the physical burden. I don’t want to see you exhausted. We can do the housework together. But marriage isn’t just about that, right? Well, I’d rather be greeted home by Jackie’s happy, beaming face than Jackie’s tired, stressed face. You certainly won’t dispute my point, that our jobs are quite stressful. If we both come home exhausted, plus we have to deal with the housework, do you think we’ll have any romantic time together?”

I understood Roger’s point. Marriage isn’t just about living together and taking care of a household; it’s also about loving each other.

“I understand what you mean,” I nodded. “But before I say yes or no, I’ll ask you one thing.”

“Yes dear, you may.”

“Are you planning on having children as soon as possible?”

Roger shrugged. “Actually, I want to spend time with you before deciding to have children. What about you?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “So do I. Well, if we're on the same page, you don't have to worry about my exhaustion. I can handle it without ruining our relationship. You have my word.”

Roger took my hand and held it tightly. “Okay, honey. As long as you're happy with what you're doing, okay?”

I nodded in agreement. We spent the rest of the time eating dinner. I sat comfortably, enjoying the twinkling city night view, while Roger went straight to the restroom after finishing his meal.

My sleepy eyes were awakened by Roger's phone ringing.

A message.

I took his phone and checked it, just in case it was important. There was no secrecy between us. I knew his password, and so did he: he could easily access mine. It turned out to be just a message from an unknown number offering cleaning products. I briefly scrolled through the other messages, but there was nothing unusual. Just messages from his uncle—his only living relative—and a coworker. When Roger returned and I told him about the message, he simply told me to delete it.

"I already have too much spam on my phone," he said nonchalantly. I complied without much consideration. I also deleted the other spam messages without further reading. It was clear from the number listed and the few words in the message folder that none of them were important.

Yes, that's how certain I was of Roger when I accepted his proposal that night—as certain as the messages I'd deleted were just sales messages.

Certainty:100%.

***

Jackie's eyelids were still open, but they stared blankly up at the ceiling of the execution room. She could still see flashes of her memories, hazy and hazy.

Jackie was an intelligent woman with a remarkable memory. Everything she saw now was a sequence of events, a time and space she had experienced.

October 12, 2022. Her wedding day.

On October 12, she officially changed her name from Jacqueline Chase to Jacqueline Wright. White-clothed tables served with drinks and food, a five-foot-high wedding cake, gold and silver-trimmed wall hangings, and a polished white marble floor with a jade-green hue. Neither Jackie nor Roger had many family members. Jackie was adopted by a couple who were both only children. Roger, meanwhile, stated that his uncle was his only surviving relative. However, that didn't diminish the festive atmosphere of the reception. Because Roger and Jackie worked at the same company, the party was packed with their coworkers. Plus close friends.

Jackie remembered her conversation with Wright was at a lively dance party that day, when all the guests were dancing happily to Alison Moyet's song, Only You.

Looking from the window above, it's like a story of love

Can you hear me?

Came back only yesterday, moving farther away.

Want you near me

All I needed was the love you gave

All I need for another day

And all I ever knew, only you.

“Jackie darling?” Roger said to Jackie with a sweet smile.

"Yes?" Jackie replied no less sweetly. It's hard not to smile on a happy day when everything goes smoothly, your makeup was beautiful, and you married the person you love.

“Am I your only you?” Roger asked.

"Yes, you're my only one," answered Jackie.

"Will you love me as long as you live?"

"Sure, Rogie. I promise. You?"

Roger raised his ring finger which was encircled by a ring. His right hand also lifted Jackie's left ring finger. "Aren't these rings enough proof of my sincerity?"

Jackie nodded gently. "That's enough for me."

Roger hugged Jackie closer, then kissed his lover's forehead affectionately. As soon as they let go of the hug, Roger tilted his head. "Hey, I thought of something."

"What is it?"

“How about we set up a joint account? A joint account as a married couple, you know?”

Jackie chuckled. “Rogie, there’s still plenty of time to think about that.”

“Yes, you’re right. But even though we’re still in the post-wedding and honeymoon period, it wouldn’t hurt to start thinking about the realistic aspects of our lives going forward. One of them is finances. Haven’t we already planned to buy a house and various assets together?”

Jackie stroked Roger’s cleanly shaven cheek. “Okay. But we’ll discuss the rest after today’s event is over, okay? If you want to get to it as quickly as possible, we can start tomorrow.”

Roger didn’t answer, but got up and pulled Jackie’s hand down to the dance floor. “Come on, Jackie, we need to stretch some more here,” Roger said, just as Alison Moyet’s song switched to The Beatles’ “If I Fell.”

Once again, Jackie’s memories shifted.