At 69, I Went on Vacation Alone and Fell in Love With a 72-Year-Old Man. For Seven Days, I Felt Like the Happiest Woman in the World. But on Our Final Evening, I Overheard a Woman Saying, “You Can’t Keep Deceiving Her. She’s Going Home Tomorrow, and You Still Don’t Know How You’re Going to Get Rid of Her.”

He nodded.

“It did.”

“Then why did you make the decision for me?”

David remained silent.

I continued.

“For six years, I’ve woken up every morning in an empty bed. For six years, I’ve eaten dinner alone. For six years, on my birthday, I’ve waited to hear a voice I knew I would never hear again.”

Tears streamed down my face.

“But do you know what hurts the most? I was so afraid of losing someone again that I almost forgot what it meant to be alive.”

David looked at me.

“Mary, I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did. You made me believe that something beautiful was beginning between us, and then you decided to end it without even asking me how I felt.”

Sarah stood up.

“I’ll leave you two alone.”

This time, I didn’t object.

After she left, David remained silent for a long time.