Eliza's eighteen-year marriage had come to an end.The breakup itself was a relief. For years, she and her husband had simply been dragging the relationship along. Obligation was the only thing that had kept them together.The real burden for her, however, was the feeling of having wasted fifteen years of her life — the emptiness of having to start over from scratch. That was the true problem.
It wasn't that everything in their relationship had been bad. They had had their moments, and of course, her children were a product of that relationship. But the overwhelming feeling that she had wasted the best years of her life was impossible to shake.
Life had been turned upside down. They were a middle-class family, living in a nice, spacious house far from the city center. A quiet, peaceful life, though far from rich. To go their separate ways, they had to sell the house. Luckily, they still had a small apartment in the city center, the first place they'd ever lived. Eliza moved there with the kids.
Moving to a place the children already knew made the transition easier. But it was still a fresh start, full of challenges.
Eliza's life felt extremely empty. She hadn't yet found a new purpose — or even a short-term goal. She still called her children "kids," but the truth was, they were already teenagers and far more independent than she would have liked.
Clary, the oldest, was 17 and finishing high school. She was planning to attend medical school. Caleb, the youngest, was 15. He wasn't as focused or goal-oriented as Clary, but he also didn't give Eliza much trouble anymore.
After dropping the children off at school in the mornings, her days had become hollow. The apartment, though cozy, was small. The children helped keep everything organized, so there wasn't much left for her to do.
One afternoon, in the middle of another boring day, Eliza decided to enjoy the building's pool. Sunbathing on a weekday — something she never would have imagined doing just a few months ago.
Their old house had been huge, at least for a family of five. Unlike her children, her husband had always required a lot of attention. If Eliza didn't handle every detail of his day, he wouldn't even be able to leave the house in the morning.
Sometimes, Eliza found herself wondering how he was managing now that she wasn't there to take care of him. Thinking about how chaotic his life must be was oddly comforting.
She put on a bikini, tied a sarong into a dress, grabbed some sunscreen, tanning oil, sunglasses, a sun hat, and a book, and headed down to the pool.She had to admit, she felt ridiculous. Would the nagging feeling that everyone was judging her every step ever go away?
She took the elevator down, praying not to run into anyone. She walked through the building's social area — no one. Phew. But then, when she reached the pool, someone was already there.
He was tall, lean, with fair skin and well-defined muscles. His curly hair was neither too long nor too short. He wore nothing but a pair of swim trunks. Tattoos adorned his chest and broad shoulders. He was young, probably in his early twenties. When he saw Eliza, he flashed a wide smile.
Eliza's marriage had been falling apart for years, but there was one thing her husband had been good at — make her feel pleasure. So, she'd had an active sex life for a long time. And now, well, let's just say she was going through a bit of a dry spell.
When the young man smiled, her knees nearly buckled. Was he flirting with her? Should she flirt back? But they lived in the same building. Things could get complicated. Then again, she was a single woman now. So, what was the problem?
Her little fantasy was quickly interrupted.
— "Aunt Eliza? Long time no see! Mom said you guys had moved back into the building."
Aunt Eliza? Who was this boy calling Aunt? Did he even know her? Of course, he did.
— "Luke? Is that you? Wow, you've grown! You look different."
As soon as Eliza recognized him, she immediately wished she could sink into the floor. Her thoughts from a few moments ago came rushing back to her. How embarrassing.
— "Yeah, it's been five years, right, Auntie? But you haven't changed at all. You look exactly how I remember."
The image of the little troublemaker she used to look after, now standing before her as a grown man, was confusing and disorienting.
— "How's your mom? I haven't seen her since we moved. We've only texted a few times."
Luke was Mary's youngest son. She had been a close friend who had played an important role early in Eliza's marriage. But they had drifted apart after Eliza moved away.
— "She's doing well. She's happy you're back. I think she missed your family."
— "Yeah, I haven't been a great friend to your mom."
— "Sorry, Auntie. I didn't mean to make you feel guilty."
— "Don't worry. I know what you meant. But it's true. I miss our Friday dinners."
— "She'd love to have you back around for sure."
— "But I haven't seen her. We've been back for weeks now."
— "Oh, she's traveling. She'll be back next week. How are the kids? I play online with Caleb sometimes. But i only see Clary's posts on Instagram."
The realization that she had just been fantasizing about a guy who played video games with her son was absolutely mortifying.
— "Clary's been busy studying for med school. You should ask her out sometime. Maybe she'll take a break from her books."
Eliza couldn't believe what she had just said. Why would she throw her own daughter into this?
— "Oh, no thanks, Auntie. Clary's really sweet, but I think we're in different stages of life."
Of course, Luke had just politely rejected her daughter.
— "Well, I've got to go, Auntie. I still have work today. I was just stretching a bit."
— "Of course. I don't want to keep you. Say hi to your mom for me."
— "Will do!"
He left, and Eliza couldn't bring herself to stay at the pool. The awkwardness was too much to bear. She quickly returned to the apartment.
Despite the embarrassment Luke's visit caused, Eliza couldn't stop thinking about him. His smile, the way he said "Aunt Eliza"… it kept replaying in her mind.
She really needed to find something to fill her days. Clary had been insisting that Eliza go back to work. To become independent again — whatever that meant in her daughter's mind. For the first time, Eliza actually considered it. But she had no idea what she could do.
What Eliza didn't know was that the solution would come from the most unlikely place. And the solution itself… would be the most unexpected thing of all.
Later that day, Eliza received a message from Mary. Luke had told her he had run into Eliza. Mary said she was a little jealous that he had seen Eliza first and decided to set up a dinner for next Friday — just like old times.
That dinner would bring with it the job offer that would change Eliza's life forever.