Finding her VOICE

Rosa feared going back to her first love – what if she made a fool of herself?

- Sue McVerry

It all feels very final.’ Rosa handed the solicitor’s letter to Mary. ‘I think it’s the way they word it. ‘The marriage is hereby dissolved.’

Mary laid the letter to one side, sipping her coffee.

‘I see what you mean,’ she said gently. ‘You were married to Charles for a long time, but you know this was the right decision. You’ve wanted the divorce to be finalised for ages. It’s now time to move on with the rest of your life.’

Mary was an avid reader of self-help books and tended to come out with somewhat hackneyed advice. But, Rosa thought, this time she was right. It was just that she had no idea what the rest of her life was going to consist of. The divorce had been complicated, leaving her with little emotional energy to plan her future.

‘I suppose Charles will be free to marry the woman named after a grape now.’

Mary was unfailingly scornful about Charles’ new love. Chardonnay was 25 years his junior and was, in Mary’s eyes, the living embodiment of the clichéd foolishness that could overtake men of a certain age when they realised their youth was long gone. Mary didn’t expect the relationship to last beyond the first couple of years. Once Charles started to express a liking for crosswords, rather than cocktails, she reckoned Chardonnay would be gone as fast as her red stilettos would allow.

‘I expect so,’ Rosa sighed.