Tasha had always been a fan of farmers’ markets. There was something particularly special about shopping at one on a winter afternoon. She breathed in the crisp, cold air and smiled as she stepped down from her car.
She strolled around through the market at first, admiring the beautiful array of winter produce. There were vibrant red and orange carrots, fingerling potatoes in various shades of brown, and radishes with their bright pink and white stripes. The colors were so rich and vibrant; it felt like a painting coming to life.
She noticed a bakery set-up at the back and quickly walked there. She was so intoxicated by the aroma of freshly baked goodies as she got to the stall. She was particularly drawn to the crusty sourdough which the printing under it clarified that it was made with rosemary and garlic.
“Can I have two loaves of those?” She pointed at it.
“Of course,” the woman selling said with a bright smile. And wrapped two loaves into brown paper. “What else would you like to have?”
“Hmm,” Tasha looked around and asked for a dozen of chocolate cupcakes, they were Tyson’s favorite. She also got some chicken hand pies, both the pies and cupcakes would be good for Tyson to be taken as evening snacks along with milk. She eagerly handed over her money and made her way to the next stall where there were homemade jams and preserves for sale.
The flavors were unique and tempting, ranging from sweet fig and orange marmalade to tangy raspberry and lemon curd. Tasha decided on a jar of the spiced pear and vanilla preserves, knowing it would be the perfect addition to their morning toast. She also got a lot of pecan and almond nuts for Tyson.
With her shopping bags filled with fresh goodies, Tasha strolled back to her car after an hour. She made a mental note to find a way to break the news about her breakup with Grant to Tyson over the following week. Tasha had been lying to him that Grant traveled for work. She knew he would take it hard, but she had to tell him the truth.
When she got home into her kitchen later, she found four shopping bags full of all of Tyson’s favorites. She heaved a deep sigh of frustration, knowing no one but Grant brought it.
“I have to change the locks,” she told herself as she pushed the bags to a side on the kitchen island to create space for the thing she just bought.
She went to pick up her phone and called Duncan, her sixty-three years old handy man about changing the front and back door locks as soon as possible. The man agreed to come over with new locks the following day in the evening to fix it.
“Thanks so much Duncan,” Tasha said in relief. “You are a lifesaver. I will be expecting you tomorrow.” That
settled, she dropped her phone on the couch and returned to the kitchen to start sorting out her purchases.
Tasha’s phone started ringing in the living room, she left what she was doing to pick it up. It was Grant again, she hissed and swiped across the screen to receive the call.
“What?”
“Hi, sweetie,” Grant greeted from the other end.
“What do you want, Grant?” She bellowed into the phone.
“I dropped in earlier with something for Tyson’s. “I miss him so much.”
“Yes, I saw the groceries,” she told him angrily. “Please don’t buy anything for Tyson anymore. I will not appreciate you using him as an excuse to sneak into my house behind my back.”
“I miss him.” he took a deep breath. “I miss you, sweetie, please.”
“Grant stop it!” Her nose flared in annoyance. “Just stop it, will you?”
“Tasha Harrison, I am sorry,” he begged. “Please forgive me, let me come back into your life. Let’s continue with our wedding plans. I love you.”
“I don’t love you anymore, Grant.” She started pacing the floor of the living room. “Don’t you get it. I’m done with you!”
“My life is in shambles without you,” he pleaded with a voice full of contrite. “I…I can’t seem to function without you.”
“Go to Freda,” she smirked. “She’s the one carrying your baby. She’s the one you need. Not me.”
“There is no relationship between Freda and I. There was never one.”
“Grant I am going to cut the line.”
“Tasha , it’s you I love, you are the love of my life, darling.”
“Go and tell that to the marines,” Tasha snickered and cut off the line. With her back set against the wall, she fought back the tears gathering in her eye. In as much as she would like to continue with her wedding preparations and get married in April to Grant. She knew it would be a big mistake to continue on that path. If she were to be sincere with herself, she was feeling a kind of relief after she ended things with Grant.
“Maybe I didn’t even love him before,” she reasoned within herself.
“God I am so fucked up right now,” she muttered. “I think he’s not the one, God!”She went upstairs to change into a more comfortable dress. Tears welled up in her eyes and they spilled out, she couldn’t control it anymore. She went to the bathroom to splash water on her face. Looking into the mirror, her reflection staring back at her, a ghost of the woman she had been just hours earlier. “How could love be so cruel?” She muttered loudly and plopped down on her bed.
In an attempt to cope with her emotions and distract herself, Tasha decided to focus on cleaning up the house. She started by doing the laundry, which helped her feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Next, she moved on to the dishes. She was so tired by the time she felt satisfied with the chores she had done. She made a mug of hot cocoa and sat by the fireplace to enjoy her drink.