It silenced all my dissatisfaction with our lukewarm relationship. Then, I saw a USB drive in the drawer of the TV cabinet. It read, in bold, bold letters: [Michael Reynolds x Samantha Hayes].
I inserted the USB drive into the projector and saw that the timeline was last year.
Thanksgiving.
My parents and I sat in the old house, waiting for Michael all day. Finally, he arrived, carrying pumpkin pie, apologizing for being too busy and hoping our family wouldn’t be angry.
Now, looking at the contents projected on the USB drive, I feel like I’m sinking into an icy cave.
In the video.
Michael Reynolds knelt before Samantha Hayes, holding flowers in his hands. With tears in his eyes, he said, “What I didn’t give you back then, I’ll give you today.”
“This house is the best proof of my love for you.”
The background was this house, surrounded by Michael’s family.
Everyone was saying, “Michael finally saw the light after waiting for the clouds to clear.”
“That’s right.”
“Michael has been living with that woman for the past few years, trying to give Samantha a home. It’s been tough on Michael.”