Page 7 of Someone I Chose

“Basically, anything outdoors?” So that might be part of the reason he put little effort into creating a home.

After walking silently for a while, Jay asked, “Is there something you do to chill? Back in Atlanta?”

“I live near Buckhead and Swan House is close. They’ve got wonderful gardens and I sometimes take a stroll there. Plus, there’s a café and I like it there. I get myself a coffee and just stare out of the window. When he’s not busy, the barista sometimes sits next to me. We don’t talk much, as he’s got a speech impediment, but it is nice.”

“You could have married him.”

So Jay resented the marriage. Neha shrugged and hid the unexpected pain by grinning. “He wasn’t around when that idea popped up. Besides, that wouldn’t have been credible. He’s gay.” Kicking a stone, she added, “I used to do photography. That was great to get my mind off things.”

“What happened?”

“Life happened. College, law school, work.”

“Don’t let that happen. It’s more important than work.”

“You don’t even know what I do. Did.”

“All work and no play won’t sustain you long.” After a few steps, Jay added, “You work for a big law firm specializing in family law. I got as much. Isn’t it depressing to deal with divorce and child custody all the time?”

“No, of course not. Our clients need help to get through trying times. It feels good to be there for them.”

They came to a small wooden bridge that crossed a creek. Neha stopped and put her forearms on the railing. She watched the white water gurgling down the side of the mountain. The water had cut deeply into the ground and to the sides, and lush green grass covered the brookside. “Will there be forget-me-nots later in the year?” Neha asked.

“Not here, but there are other places. You like them?”

“I’ve always loved them.” Neha nodded emphatically. After a pause, she added in a low voice, “My dadi loved them. She had wallpaper with forget-me-nots, teacups, stationery—anything. She used to say, ‘They might not look like anything much, but they are resilient. Be a forget-me-not, don’t strive to be a lily.’”

Jay nodded. “They’re nice.” He turned to look at Neha directly. “Your grandmother sounds like a wise woman.”

“That she was.” Neha sighed. “I miss her like crazy.” She looked at the valley that spread for miles. Aspen woods and oak, interspersed with meadows that were sprinkled with red dots, flowers probably. Far away, the summits’ white caps reflected the sunlight brightly. “I thought I’d make partner this year.” She sighed again. “I don’t want to take any legal action. And I for sure don’t want the old job back. Even though I would win the case easily, I’d be tainted. ‘The little girl whose baba quit for her.’”

Jay nodded. “What now?”

Neha shrugged. “Start over again. In a way, starting out for the first time. I never thought much about what I wanted to do. I went to law school, took the bar exam, and started in a company that is under the same holding as my father’s. This time around, there is no set path.”

“Get a machete, cut your own.”

Neha giggled. She pretended to yield a machete and chopped at imaginary vines blocking their way.

Jay smiled at her antics. He pointed to a narrow path. “Let’s go down these twenty feet, and it will take us right below my house again.”

What looked easy with him was more of a scramble for Neha. The last few feet she skidded on the pebbles, clinging to Jay’s outstretched hand. Once she was down on firm ground again, Jay quickly pulled his hand back.

Neha couldn’t help thinking that it would have been nice to hold hands with him. She kicked a small rock. There she was, going on thirty and thinking like a teenager.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Jay said.

Neha looked up, scared. “I didn’t think anything at all,” she was quick to answer.

He looked at her with squinted eyes. Neha’s heart beat fast and she picked one of the small flowers by the trail, just to have an excuse not to look at him.

CHAPTER SIX

Later that day, Neha followed the narrow, winding road in her small rental car to what Jay had referred to as “downtown.” And actually, it wasn’t half bad. The businesses shared a big parking lot and people did their shopping on foot. Neha milled around to get to know Hallow Falls before she bought groceries at the general store.

The first store she came by was a lingerie shop aptly named Underneath. She was fascinated by the display in the windows: classy, sophisticated, and yet a little raunchy. Somebody had good taste here. Not that she would ever wear anything like that. She always wore plain cotton panties and sports bras. Out of nowhere, the thought popped up about what Jay would think of her wearing lingerie. That was not a thought she wanted to entertain. Straightening her back, she quickly walked on.

At the bakery, Neha bought a loaf of artisan bread that smelled so good, she could not resist breaking off a tiny bit and eating it, while she went further down the road. It was as good as it smelled. Her spirits rose even further when she noticed a small bookstore. She ambled aimlessly through the aisles, with no intention of buying, and yet, when she made it to the check-out, she had three books in her hands. One of them was a slim hiking guide for the mountains around Hallow Falls that had a section on wildlife and plants, too. If she stayed a little longer, she wanted to learn something about this place.