Winds Halted

1 During my year-long overseas posting, my husband and son cried on the phone every day, telling me how much they missed me. Ross insisted on scheduled video calls just to get through his workday, and my little boy, Toby, refused to go to sleep unless I sang to him over a cross-ocean call. Then came the day I got distracted during one of those calls and fell into a storm drain. Instead of clinging to me, they suddenly became the ones comforting me. “Honey, focus on your work. It is only a year, and I can wait.” “Mommy, I will be a good boy. I can sleep on my own now.” I pushed myself to the limit, optimizing my workflow to finish a twelve-month assignment two months ahead of schedule. But by then, they hadn’t contacted me in over two weeks. I caught a red-eye flight back home and went straight to Toby’s school essay competition. As I reached the auditorium door, my son’s sweet, high-pitched voice echoed through the speakers. “The title of my essay is, I Love My Mommy.” My heart warmed as I leaned in, eagerly waiting to hear the rest. “My Mommy Tina is a superhero.” To the crowd’s roaring applause, my husband walked onto the stage, his arm wrapped tightly around a woman. The three of them stood close, thanking the audience together. And I froze. The “Mommy Tina” Toby loved, the woman in my husband’s arms, was my best friend. Ross spotted me and froze for a fraction of a second. He tapped his phone quickly. A second later, my phone buzzed in my hand. One text on the screen read, Don’t make a scene. I will explain when we get home. I took a deep breath and sat down in the nearest empty seat. Ross gently rested his left hand on Tina’s shoulder while holding Toby’s hand with his right, sitting directly in front of me. They looked like the perfect family. The whispers of the other parents drifted into my ears. “What a beautiful family. Even with how busy he is, he still makes time to support his kid.” “I know. Remember the school field trip? He was so sweet to his wife. I was so jealous.” “And the parent-teacher conferences. Most kids only have one parent show up, but Toby always has both. He must be so happy.” “I’m used to it by now. They’re always together at every school event.” Ross seemed oblivious to the chatter, whispering softly into Tina’s ear. A sharp, suffocating ache bloomed in my chest. I wanted to scream, to tell them that I was Ross’s wife, that I was Toby’s mother. But the words died in my throat. By the time the event ended and we got home, dusk was falling. Tina made herself comfortable on the far end of our sofa. “Wendy, please don’t get the wrong idea. I only went for Toby’s sake. He said all his friends had both parents there. He felt so left out being the only one with just a dad.” I glanced at Tina’s left ring finger. The ring she wore was identical to mine. Our wedding band. “Does a simple school competition require a matching wedding band?” Ross sat beside me, rubbing my back gently. “We just had to make it believable. If we slipped up, think of what the other parents and kids would say about Toby behind his back. Wendy, you’ve been away too long. You don’t know how cruel schoolyard gossip can be.” I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t. I remembered a school sports day before I left. I had been held up by an emergency meeting. When I finally got home, Toby was curled up on the couch, sobbing. He eventually confessed that his classmates mocked him for having a mother who was never there. I realized then how much pain he had hidden just to keep me from worrying. Tina slid the ring off and tossed it casually onto the coffee table. “Look, don’t be mad. Now that you’re back, you can take over his school events, and I can step back.” Suddenly, Toby ran down the stairs, tears streaming down his face. “You always put work first! My classmates always laughed at me! You never pick me up from school, so I asked Auntie Tina to play the part!” My chest tightened, a burning sensation stinging my eyes. Ross frowned, his voice sharp. “Toby, apologize now!” My son walked up to me, his face red from crying. “I’m sorry, Mommy. But Daddy and Auntie Tina are just friends. They did it for me. Please don’t be mad at them.” Seeing how earnest my son was, my resolve softened. Ross and Tina were people I had loved and trusted for a decade. They always kept their distance around each other, sitting on opposite ends of the couch. They hadn’t even had each other’s contact info until I insisted before leaving the country. Maybe I really was overthinking this. I took a deep breath, smiled, and opened my arms. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Mommy promises she won’t break her word again, okay?” But Toby didn’t run to me like he used to. He hesitated, looking at Tina as if seeking permission. My chest tightened. Tina looked away, a flicker of awkwardness in her eyes. Ross gave Toby a small nod, and only then did my son step forward to hug me. My warmth began to turn cold. Before bed, Toby brought out his piggy bank. “Mommy, here’s all my money. Three thousand five hundred and forty-six dollars.” I remembered how long he’d saved this money for something special. He climbed into my lap with a grin. “I want to buy a gift.” I smiled, assuming he remembered my upcoming birthday. Then he added, “Auntie Tina’s birthday is in a few days. Can you help me buy her the big fireworks display?” My smile froze. “Toby, if Mommy had to go work abroad again, would you want to come with me?” He buried his face in his pillow. “No. Daddy and Auntie Tina are here. I like it here.” I let out a quiet, bitter laugh. Just as I stepped out of Toby’s bedroom, my phone buzzed. It was an email from my contact in London. The message said, Wendy, get your onboarding paperwork sorted as soon as you can. I have managed to push the start date back a few days for you. I walked into our bedroom and winced, shielding my eyes. The warm, soft lighting had been replaced by a harsh, clinical cool light. Ross noticed and quickly dimmed it, looking apologetic. “I’m so sorry, honey. Tina said the cool tones would give the room a modern, high-end feel. I completely forgot your eyes are sensitive to it.” He pulled me close, whispering, “Don’t be mad at me for a stupid mistake, okay?” A stupid mistake? I wanted to laugh. When we first renovated this house, Ross had been obsessed with the lighting, terrified of anything hurting my sensitive eyes. He had traveled to light markets across the country, running himself ragged until he fell ill. I remembered crying by his hospital bed, and him wiping my tears, saying that anything affecting me was his absolute top priority. He had visited thirteen cities just to find the perfect warm lights. Now, Tina’s casual suggestion made my comfort a stupid mistake not worth mentioning. I reached for the glass on my nightstand. It was ice-cold juice. Cold liquids gave me stomach cramps, so Ross always left a glass of warm water for me. Now, it was replaced by iced juice. I couldn’t drink cold things, and I hated juice. But iced juice was Tina’s favorite. I set it down without a word. Ross didn’t notice. He kissed my cheek like he always did, but the touch felt like a thorn pricking my heart. My phone buzzed, saving me from having to speak. It was an invitation to our ten-year college reunion. I typed a quick reply confirming I’d be there. Ross looked surprised. “I thought you hated these events.” “I do, but ten years is a milestone. It’s worth going to.” Ten years ago, on graduation day, Ross had proposed to me in front of everyone. He had organized our entire class to hand me flowers, appearing at the end with a massive bouquet, getting down on one knee. He had promised me that his heart would never change. Girls in the crowd had wept. I had cried in his arms. I looked at myself in the mirror now, wondering if human hearts ever truly stayed the same. The next day, after dropping Toby off at school, we prepared to leave. But Ross stopped me. “Tina is coming with us. Let’s wait for her.” I didn’t say anything and climbed into the passenger seat. Half an hour later, Tina showed up. She reached for the front passenger door, only to freeze when she saw me sitting there. Her face paled. “Oh, sorry, Wendy. I get carsick easily, so I instinctively go for the front.” I merely nodded. She awkwardly got into the back seat. We arrived late. The others teased us, making Ross drink three penalty cups. He drank them easily, then took my cup and drank that too. The other women sighed in envy. “Ten years and you two are still like newlyweds.” “You actually proved your vows true.” Ross grinned. “I keep my promises. Of course I am going to spoil my wife.” When it was Tina’s turn, she pleaded with the group. “Spare me, guys. It’s that time of the month. I can’t drink cold alcohol today.” The men teased her. “Don’t ruin the fun, Tina. Find a boyfriend to drink for you.” Tina’s smile faltered. I was about to stand up to help her out, but Ross beat me to it. He snatched her glass and downed it in one go. “Stop teasing her. She said she is not feeling well.” His voice was light, but his eyes were serious. Eyes darted between the three of us. I clenched my fists under the table. The air grew cold. Then, someone piped up, “You two are still as close as ever.” The tension dissipated as the others began reminiscing. “Everyone knew Tina was crazy about Ross back then. Who knew he’d fall head over heels for Wendy at first sight?” “It’s amazing how Wendy and Tina ended up best friends anyway.” I forced a smile. Tina had chased Ross for a year, but Ross had fallen for me during a debate competition. When I finally agreed to date him, Tina had gracefully stepped aside. Later, I saved her from some thugs, and we became fast friends. My phone vibrated violently. It was my assistant, sounding frantic. “Wendy, you need to come back right now! Something went wrong!” I stood up abruptly. I stared at Tina, my face cold. “Did you actually review the proposal before submitting it?” Tina flinched. “Of course I did. This project is huge. I checked it several times. Ross can vouch for me.” Ross nodded. “Tina worked late for days. I remember clearly.” My assistant met me at the door. “Wendy, the submitted project budget has an extra zero. A forty-two million dollar proposal was inflated tenfold. There are two approval signatures on it. Tina’s, and Ross’s.” Tina and Ross followed me back. I threw the documents on the desk. Tina’s face turned white. “I didn’t mean to, Wendy! It was an accident!” “An accident that will cost the company nearly three hundred million? You are fired. The company will be filing a lawsuit.” “That’s enough, Wendy!” Ross yelled. “It’s not just her mistake. I’ll handle the financial fallout. But you don’t have the right to fire a shareholder.” “What do you mean?” Ross helped Tina up and draped his coat over her shoulders. “I transferred my ten percent share to her.” “Wendy, you’re being too harsh. Tina is Toby’s godmother. How is she supposed to face anyone if you humiliate her like this? She took amazing care of Toby while you were away. Consider the shares her reward.” “You are in love with her, aren’t you?” Silence filled the office. “We didn’t do anything, I swear,” Ross said after a long pause. I couldn’t even summon the energy to argue. I placed my resignation letter on the desk. “People should pay for their own choices, shouldn’t they?” I went home, packed a bag, and headed to the airport. At the security gate, Ross called. “We picked up Toby. He wants to celebrate Tina’s birthday.” He paused. “Just this once. After this, she and I are done.” I smiled quietly. “Sure. Have fun.” “Ma’am, you are cleared through security. Your gate is on the left.”

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