Background
'The Products of Love' is the story of Jenny and Ron. Their love affair started out so sweet, and then life stepped in and things got rocky. Can this deep connection ever be broken?
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Sitting at her unusually messy desk, Jenny tried to keep her mind on her work. She couldn't stop thinking about the loss of love. She hurt more than she ever had after a break-up. Missing him on a constant basis, her usual tidy life was turned upside down. Her mood complimented the grey walls of the warehouse and her pallor wasn't much brighter.
Interestingly, Ron continued to call. Fresh flowers were delivered to her every few days at work. Not bearing to be able to throw them away, she was forced to look at them. While her days were uncomfortable, the nights were worse. She longed for his kisses and the feel of his hands on her body.
After a few weeks, the flowers stopped coming. There were no longer any messages on the machine at home. He finally got the message that she was done. Conflicted with the emotions of relief and alarm, Jenny continued to mourn the loss. She had given her whole heart to him.
Seeing the bags under her eyes, the women in the office were somewhat concerned. After telling her, "I told you so," for the first few days, they realized she was truly hurting, and they regretted giving her such a hard time.
"Hey, Jenny. Why don't we all go to lunch?" one woman suggested.
Everyone started to chime in and plans were made to head down to the cafeteria together. Since the shipyard closed for lunchtime, they could all leave together for the allotted forty-two minutes. Jenny felt a bit light-hearted for the first time in a while.
Stepping out into the sun, Jenny took a breath of fresh air. Truly thankful for the women she worked with for the first time in almost ever, she rejoiced in their offer of friendship. Looking over at Patty, her constant friend, they shared a secret smile. Neither of them had a great deal of love for the other women in the office, but they acknowledged everyone was really trying.
The bus was crowded and the women weren't all able to get seats together. They still managed to carry on a conversation over the heads of the other passengers.
"Oh, this really is lovely. Why don't we do this more often?"
"Because you're too cheap to go out to lunch!" This comment was met by raucous laughter and the mood was set for the outing.
Jenny's stomach tightened as they walked into the cafeteria. She lost track of her companions' conversation as her eyes settled on Ron. It was the first time they'd seen each other in weeks.
He was sitting by himself, and his eyes met hers from across the room. He raised his eyebrows questioning if she would come and talk, but she averted her eyes. Swirling emotions spun through her head and she suddenly felt dizzy. Why did he have to be here now?
"Uh, guys. I, uh, need to get out of here. I think I'm going to be sick."
The women turned to look at Jenny's pale face and quickly turned around to head outside. They barely made it before Jenny vomited just outside the door. Napkins and tissues were pushed towards her and one of the women rushed back to the cafeteria to get her some cold water.
Patty, kneeled beside her. "Are you okay? Do you think you need to go home?"
"No, I actually feel better now that I've puked."
Both women suddenly looked at one another as a horrible idea popped into both their heads.
"You don't think you might be…"
"No. It's totally out of the question. I was taking care of things."
The subject was dropped and they didn't talk about it…for now.
to be continued...
Author Notes
thank you Susan F.M.T. for the use of your photo, ILV Granuaile.
I wrote this story based on a friend's recollections. I've known her for over thirty years and I was there at the beginning. Through the magic of the internet and free long distance, I've could hear the whole story.
With her permission, I've developed a story line based on what happened between her and her lover. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty.
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