The end

You look fine. Don’t worry. Michelle and you have not seen each other through college. She went to Paris for the past five years. How could she have kept in touch with people from our school. You were even her roommate and didn’t stay in touch. This is going to be fine. You will know no one. Just open up the door and look happy. Wow giving myself a pep talk about a dinner. While going to meetings with higher up Execs you don’t worry. Coming to a fun dinner with friends concerns me. Goodness. Joy pulls open the door and walks into the room with confidence. She looks for Michelle. Spots her. Freezes. No fucking way. Wes? It had to be Adam’s best friend Wes didn’t it. Okay maybe no one has seen me yet. I can turn and r--

“Joy! Hey I am so happy you made it.”

“Michelle you look beautiful!” They embrace and Joy tries to keep her eyes off of Wes so when the infinite introduction comes she can pretend as if she never saw him.

“Joy, this is Wes who I have told you so much about. Wes this is Joy.” Wes turns to face Joy with a face of pure amazement and shock. “We were in the same pledge class. I told you I had run into her a few weeks ago and been catching up.”

“Yes. I remember. It’s good to see you again Joy.” Michelle gets a very confused face.

“Same. How have you been?”

Wes embraces Michelle. “Could never be happier.” You truly do look happy. It’s nice. Wes deserves someone special. Oh God. Adam. Please God do not say he is here.

“You two know each other?”

“From growing up but didn’t really know each other till after college, we had a mutual friend.” Joy says as if it is a normal thing to say. As if she was going to add they went to the Hamptons and sailed together while sipping mamosha’s. Joy’s Connecticut upbringing had a way of coming out every so often.

“Sadly they are not here. When I moved to Paris I lost contact with a lot of people, so I mainly have childhood friends and family here.” Wes thank you! He knew I clearly looked uncomfortable it probably looks like someone just pulled all the weight I have been holding on to off. 

“Oh what a shame. Michelle had told me she gave you a personal tour of Paris.”

“That she did. Michelle would you excuse us for a second I just want to do some of my own catching up with Joy,”

“Yes, I saw some more guest come in, I will go greet them.”

“Always being the great hostess.” They give each other a kiss then Joy and Wes head into a separate room. Wes closes the door behind him and just pauses. “Joy what are you doing here.” Joy could barely here because it was such a soft whisper. 

“Wes I truly had no idea that you were the Wes that was Michelle fiance.”

“He’s not here. After breaking off the engagement with you, he’s life went really bad. He started drinking a lot, he just stayed in hotels, he even went to California to get away. After doing that for almost a year, he came back to New York. He came to see you again Joy. He was so disgusted with what he did. He couldn’t even talk to you.”

“What are you talking about, he never came to see me.”

“He was going to. But he saw you before you say him. You were leaving the gym, it was two months after you had given birth, he came to sign the adoption papers. However instead of signing them he put a petition to get custody.”

What?

“He saw how broken you looked. The family he found out had moved away so he went to seek them out. He meet with them, and they said if he truly wanted custody they could not stop him. He filed to get custody and he won.”

“He won?”

“Yes. He lives with Noelle, your daughter, back in Connecticut. His home town.”

“I need to go. I wish you and Michelle the best but I truly cannot be here.” How could he do that? He left me! Why would he do such a thing? Just get me home. I want to be home now. Oh God. Why did no one tell me.

“Joy he did what he thought was best.”

He abonded me. He doesn’t get to have my daughter. I had nine months with her, to hold her once. He’s had two years of holding her.

_ _ _  _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

“Franky can you take care of things at the office. I am going to be working from home today. If any of the bosses call tell them I am taking down my carbon foot print. They will take it as a solid answer.”

“Okay Joy. Did everything go okay last night?”

“Yeah it went well. I just had a little bit too much you know?”

“Take it easy. Don’t forget though tomorrow about the conferences and would you like me to call and cancel your conference call with the unknown author?”

“Cancel it. Make it tomorrow. I brought a lot home with me yesterday so I don’t believe I will be calling again.”

“Okay.”

“Alright bye.”

He has my baby. 

Joy starts dialing the phone, with a suitcase in hand.

“Hey Mom. Yes, I know I haven’t called in a while. I was thinking of coming back home for the day. Yes I remember how to get there. I’ll see you soon.”