Slow Burn: A Multi-generational Second Chance Romance by Cara Malone

Author:Cara Malone [Malone, Cara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lisbon Press
Published: 2022-04-18T16:00:00+00:00

They made it to the zoo by noon, and it had taken a little bit of prodding, but Rose opened up about her life in between the Galapagos and Sunnyside during the drive.

Dee now knew that Rose’s parents had taken it upon themselves to find a husband for her after grad school. They’d been worried about how studious she was, and how she prioritized her career over romance.

“My mother was from the generation that believed if women went to college at all, the sole purpose was to find a man,” she said. “She was horrified that I’d made it all the way through my bachelor’s degree without getting married, The fact that I went on to graduate school was incomprehensible to her.”

“I trained my parents pretty early on that they shouldn’t expect me to get married,” Dee said. “But I got the same kinds of questions from my mother. So you let her matchmake for you?”

Rose nodded. “To her credit, she knew me well – she found someone who was just as dedicated to his career as I was, and who didn’t expect me to become a housewife. It worked on that level, so I kept dating him, and we got lucky – we fell in love.”

Dee felt her heart clenching in her chest. She couldn’t begrudge Rose the life she’d lived for the past sixty years, when they’d been apart. But the emotional side of her raged with jealousy that Rose could love anyone who wasn’t her. At least it had been a man – that somehow made the knowledge sting a little less.

When Lauren pulled up in front of the zoo entrance, Dee was reminding herself that she’d slept with other women in her life, and even loved a few of them. None as deeply or frantically or profoundly as Rose, but loved them nonetheless. Maybe the same was true for Rose – she loved her husband, but not in the same way.

The two young whippersnappers of their group helped Dee and Rose into their wheelchairs, and Grace stayed with them while Lauren found a parking spot for the van they’d borrowed from Sunnyside. Then they went inside the zoo, and Rose was quiet while they made their way to the tortoise enclosure. Her eyes were wide, though, taking it all in with a smile on her face.

“This is wonderful,” Dee said, enjoying the soft breeze on her face as Grace pushed her chair. “One day, we should have an outing with everyone – except Opal, of course.”

Grace laughed. “Why do you hate her so much?”

“She broke my hip.”

Rose gasped. “She did?”

Dee grumbled. “Well, she scared me and I fell out of bed and broke my own hip… but I would not have fallen if she wasn’t there. And to this day, she’s never apologized.”

She looked over at Rose, gauging her reaction. She’d meant her quip about excluding Opal to be a joke, but now she just sounded hateful. That was not the version of herself she wanted to present to Rose – and today of all days.

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