Paul looked out the window. He could see a party cloudy sky right above a quiet suburban neighborhood. He opened the window to feel the cool ocean breeze infiltrating his bedroom. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. The late Mediterranean spring offered him an almost perfect mood. Southern California was blessed with cool temperatures in the first week of May. Everyone living in the city of Cerritos would most certainly enjoy the pride that originated from both climate and culture.
Unfortunately, Paul's positive attitude would only last for a few minutes. He still couldn't forget the note that his own wife had left behind. He had found it on the nightstand. His wife's wedding ring had been set right on top of the note. This would be the last time he would see her extravagant handwriting, seeing as how what she wrote on that piece of paper showed her true colors. Paul shook his head in disgust. He should have known what would have happened before even marrying a woman like her.
He turned around to see the note still on the nightstand. He didn't know what to do with it for a long time. He showed it to his family, and then to his wife's own parents. Even THEY told him that she would stay true to her word, and that there would be nothing for them to do. Without hesitation, Paul took the note and tore it up before sending them into the wastebasket. He stared at his wife's wedding ring, but he didn't throw it away. Instead, he returned to the window to let the breeze soothe his mental stability.
The thirty-six-year-old man wanted to forget about his wife. Ever since she ran off with her ex-boyfriend two weeks ago, Paul couldn't decide whether to trust another woman again or not. He ultimately decided that not all women would dare break their man's trust, but he would still need time to cope before forming another relationship in the future. He rubbed his palms together. His wife's betrayal must have been the absolute worst thing to have ever happened to him.
He looked down to see a recognizable face. His eighteen-year-old neighbor took a stroll on the sidewalk. Justin, a Japanese-American, came from one of the houses across the street. He looked up and waved at Paul. Paul could see a CD case in Justin's hand, and he knew right away what he had to do. He left his bedroom and went down the stairs. He opened the front door and smiled at Justin.
"How's it going?"
Justin replied, "I'm doing okay."
He handed Paul the CD case. "I'm finished with it. It's pretty good."
Paul had let him borrow one of his own CD's, which contained a performance of Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. This would be the first time Justin had ever listened to it from beginning to end.
"Well, I'm glad you liked it."
He expected Justin to leave, but the young man stayed standing in front of him.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?"
Justin had a genuine look of concern. "Have you heard from your wife yet?"
Paul shook his head. "I doubt that she'll ever come back. She must be having a fun time on the other side of the country."
"I'm sorry."
They usually participated in only small talk, and even then, Justin had already known about Paul's wife a few days ago. Paul wanted to show off his optimistic side, but the agony originating from his wife's absence prevented him from expressing any sort of happy feeling.
He added, "I'll just have to find someone else to share this house with."
Justin still didn't leave just yet. "I can stay around if you need some company."
"No, thanks. I'm sure you've got plans for the rest of the day."
Justin stepped a little closer. "Actually, I've got nothing to do."
He gave Paul a little smile. "I'm willing to stick around."
Paul began to appreciate Justin's presence even more. "Now that I think of it, it wouldn't be such a bad idea."
He let his young neighbor inside the house.
* * *
It only took Paul a few minutes to give Justin the full story by explaining the end result of his wife's treacherous behavior. He and Justin sat in the living room as he described how he found the note upstairs. He read it twice to be certain of what he had just read. It just came out of nowhere. At first, he denied the fact that his wife ran off to the East Coast with her ex-boyfriend. But later on, he couldn't deny it any longer. The next two weeks had been complete torture as he kept asking himself why she would just leave everything behind just like that. And no matter what happened, he kept his wedding ring on his finger. He kept hoping that she would return. But now, the ring was just an inanimate object on his finger that would have signified nothing from the past.
"I'm beginning to think that it's best for me to take this off my finger."
Justin, saddened by his neighbor's misfortune, sat a little closer. "I hate to see you like this."
"Don't worry. I may no longer have a woman to live with me, but I still have a life to live."
"It still sucks that she'd treat you like this after all these years. You stayed faithful to her, and this is what you get in return? You deserve better."
"You're right about that."
Justin's look of concern stayed the same. "You're a good man."
Paul couldn't stop staring at him. Justin was a handsome young man. Ever since they first met one month ago, they continued to make a more unbreakable connection. Their bond was never interrupted by outside forces, and they managed to trust each other in a short amount of time. Paul couldn't help but smile at his neighbor. He was always comforted by Justin's appearance and personality. Such an innocent individual would be good company at all times.
