Chapter 8 - The New Normal
A month after the incident at the barbecue, my floral shop, Petals & Peace, was bustling with activity. It was the peak of the autumn wedding season, and the shop was filled with the rich scents of eucalyptus, dahlias, and deep red roses.
I was behind the counter, carefully weaving a bridal arch bouquet, when the bell above the front door chimed.
I looked up expecting a customer, but froze.
It was Vanessa, Derek’s wife.
She stood in the doorway, holding a leather handbag tightly against her stomach. She looked nervous, her eyes darting around the flower-filled room as if expecting an ambush. She wore no makeup, and the haughty, arrogant posture she usually wore at family gatherings was entirely gone.
"Maya," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the soft jazz playing from the shop speakers.
I laid my floral shears down on the counter slowly, keeping my hands visible and my posture neutral. "Vanessa. What are you doing here?"
"I... I came to talk to you," she stammered, taking a cautious step into the shop. "Without Derek. Without Arthur or Evelyn."
I pointed to a small wooden chair near the display window. "Sit down, Vanessa."
She sat down quickly, her hands trembling as she set her purse in her lap. She looked at me—really looked at me—not as the quiet girl who used to bring potato salad to family dinners, but as someone who commanded complete respect.
"I came to say thank you," Vanessa whispered, tears welling in her eyes.
I raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Thank you? I put your husband in the hospital."
"And he deserved it," Vanessa said, a tear spilling over her cheek. "Derek has been a bully his entire life, Maya. To Leo, to his friends, and... behind closed doors, to me. He used his size and his temper to control everyone around him. Nobody ever stood up to him. Arthur always made excuses for him, and Evelyn treated him like a saint."
She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.
"When you threw him across that patio," Vanessa continued, her voice gaining strength, "you broke something in him that needed to be broken. For the first time in ten years, he realized he isn't invincible. He's been going to counseling. He’s listening to me. He’s actually trying to be a father to our kids instead of just drinking in the garage."
May you like
I stood behind the counter, listening quietly, letting her words settle in the air.
"I’m not asking you to forgive him," Vanessa added quickly. "I know what he did to Leo was unforgivable. But you saved my marriage, Maya. Or at least, you gave Derek a chance to become human."
