She Let Go of Her Old Love and Found a New Life

"In the sixth year of my secret relationship with Kirk, I broke up with him.

He leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window in his office as if he'd just heard a joke.

""All because I didn't approve your Thanksgiving leave?""

""Olive, your annual review is coming up. You're seriously thinking about taking time off now?""

""First of all, it's not a vacation,"" I said, looking at him. ""I'm going home to take my mom to see a doctor.""

""And I wasn't even scheduled to work over Thanksgiving in the first place.""

I'd told him all of this on the way to work, over lunch, and again after work.