Memories Drift Away with the Wind

During a game of Truth or Dare, my boyfriend lost and had to buy drinks for everyone. Half an hour later, he returned loaded with bags, grinning as he handed them out. "Jake, you've been up for two days. Here's your iced Americano. Lula, you like the mango passionfruit with extra tapioca, right? And your lemon juice, no ice. You've had it like 800 times." He went around the circle until everyone had a cup. But when he reached me, the bag was empty. The room froze. "Where is Harper's drink?" Todd Rossi pushed his cup toward me. "I forgot, but she can just share mine." His friends groaned. "Come on, every single time? If you're gonna rub it in our faces, at least switch up the moves." They laughed and teased him, thinking it was a public display of affection. But I knew the truth: Todd hadn't forgotten the drink; he had forgotten me. After four years together, he still couldn't remember that I was allergic to peaches. I quietly set the cup back on the table. Having put up with it for so long, I finally decided to leave. Chapter 1 Lula Rios slid a straw into her cup, her eyes lighting up. "Wow! I only mentioned wanting extra tapioca once, and you actually remembered?" My boyfriend, Todd Rossi, shrugged. "I remember everything about you." The private room erupted in immediate teasing. "Alright, we get it, big brain!" "Man, I'm so jealous of Harper. With Todd's steel-trap memory, birthdays and anniversaries must be a breeze." Todd turned to me with a smile. I just sipped my mineral water and kept my eyes down, offering no response. "Why aren't you drinking the peach spritzer?" He stuck the straw in, took a few sips, and handed it over. "Here, I tried it. Not cold." The guys across from us made gagging noises like they'd been force-fed PDA. I gripped the cup, staring at the heavy layer of ice floating inside. Lula leaned over. "I haven't tried that flavor yet. Can I have a taste?" "Sure," Todd replied without hesitation, plucking the cup out of my hand. Lula didn't even reach for it. She simply leaned down, wrapped her lips around the straw he was holding, and drank until half the liquid was gone. "Oops, I drank too much," she chirped, pushing her mostly-finished mango drink toward me. "Here, you can have mine." I shook my head. "It's fine." "Come on, I'm totally healthy. No germs, I promise." Her voice was bright as she gave me a playful salute. Everyone else exchanged glances, their lips twitching as they tried to rein in their laughter. Then the whole room exploded into roaring laughter. Todd chuckled, shaking his head helplessly, while Lula doubled over. I had lost count of how many of these gatherings I'd attended, but even now, I had no idea what they were laughing at. When the laughter finally died down, someone caught my blank expression and quickly looked away. Todd's face darkened. "Lula already apologized. What else do you want?" I looked at his furrowed brow, eager to explain that I wasn't angry and that I just didn't get their inside jokes. But before I could speak, he snatched the mango drink, bundled it with the peach spritzer, and dumped both into Lula's arms. "She doesn't want them. You can take both," he told Lula, before turning back to me with pure annoyance. "It's just a drink, Harper. Don't make my friends uncomfortable. Lula didn't do it on purpose." "It's all my fault," Lula groaned. She hugged the two cups and retreated to her seat with her head down. The atmosphere turned awkward. Someone tried to light it up. "Let's keep playing. Something else this time!" But Todd had lost interest. He leaned back on the couch, scrolling through his phone. This was our fourth year together. He remembered that Lula liked double tapioca. He remembered which of his buddies had been pulling all-nighters, but he couldn't remember my allergies. If I had swallowed that peach spritzer to keep the peace, I wouldn't be ruining the mood. I would be in the emergency room, going into anaphylactic shock. Chapter 2 If I had swallowed that drink, Todd would have just labeled me a buzzkill with a weak constitution. Now he stayed silent, and Lula kept her head down. The suffocating tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Thankfully, my phone vibrated, giving me an excuse to step out. The second the door closed behind me, the room burst back to life. I heard them shouting, "Poker time! Lula, draw a card. Let's split into teams." "Todd, have you drawn yet?" Lula sniffled. Todd nodded. "Yeah, hurry up." I leaned against the wall, swallowing the bitter taste in my throat. On the line, the HR director was trying to change my mind. "Are you sure you want to resign, Harper? You're scheduled for a promotion to department supervisor next month." Through the thin wood of the door, I heard Todd and Lula cheering and high-fiving. "Yeah, I'm sure," I whispered, shutting my eyes. The HR director sounded disappointed but walked me through the handover process. When I finally headed back, the private room was empty. A cleaning lady, clearing the table, looked at me in surprise. "Oh, were you with that group? Mr. Rossi said they were heading to the beach for a barbecue. They already paid the bill and left." My clenched fist slowly relaxed. I let out a quiet sigh, realizing Todd had forgotten me again. Already too late, I stood on the curb for a long time before finally getting a cab home. The moment I stepped through the door, Todd's call blasted through my speaker. "Why didn't you come along?" he demanded, his voice furious and accusatory. "Are you seriously throwing a tantrum over a drink? Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?" I quietly changed into my slippers. "When you all left, I was in the restroom taking a call." He paused, his voice tightening. "What could be so important that it took that long?" He still believed it was my fault. "Whatever. We're staying out here by the coast until dawn. Just grab a cab back yourself." The line went dead. He didn't even know I was already home. I stared blankly at my lock screen; it was our college graduation photo. Back then, Todd never made me settle. He memorized my favorite foods, bought clothes that suited me, and planned my birthday months in advance. He was the campus golden boy, legendary for his flawless memory. If I mentioned a craving, it appeared at my door the next morning. If I casually mentioned wanting jasmine tea, he would sprint to the store and present it to me, wiping his brow. "Room temperature. I made sure it wasn't cold." When I said our rented graduation gowns were pretty, he bought them outright, saying we could wear them in our future wedding photoshoot. But last month, he complained they were taking up space and threw them out. In their place sat a giant crate of luxury jewelry. He had spent the last few weeks meticulously collecting pieces for Lula's birthday six months away. His memory wasn't failing at all. Every item in that crate was something Lula loved. In his mind, she was a permanent fixture, while I was just a temporary tenant who had outstayed her welcome. Time was up, and I was supposed to leave quietly. ... The next day at noon, the front door clicked open. Todd and Lula walked in, laughing and chatting. "Remember the sophomore year when we snuck out over the wall for barbecue, and you ripped your pants on the fence?" Lula giggled. "You told the teacher a stray cat clawed you!" "Come on," Todd laughed, nudging her shoulder. "If you hadn't whined for ribs, would I have climbed a barbed fence?" Lula stuck out her tongue and made a face, then cracked up. When she spotted me, her smile grew even wider. "Oh, Harper! You missed out. The beach barbecue was incredible." I shrugged, looking directly at Todd. "Todd, we need to talk." "Later," he dismissed, thrusting a cup into my hands. "Lula mixed some drinks. This one is for you." He was holding another cup—a mango passionfruit drink, already half gone. "I made it just for you, Harper!" Lula chirped, stepping closer. "I added an extra scoop of peach syrup. Try it!" Chapter 3 Lula emphasized the word "peach" with a lingering sweetness, but I simply set the cup down. "Thanks. You guys drink it." Lula shrank back. "I swear I don't have any contagious diseases." Todd's brow furrowed. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out onto the balcony, lowering his voice. "What is wrong with you? Lula made that drink specifically for you. Don't make her feel miserable." "I can't have peaches," I said flatly, unflinching. "Since when?" Todd scoffed, irritated. "You've always loved peach spritzers. Stop targeting her." It was entirely ridiculous. I had told him about my severe peach allergy the year we met. Just inhaling the fuzz could make me wheeze. Yet his memory had somehow twisted it into my favorite flavor. When I stayed silent, Todd sighed heavily. "Is this still about me forgetting your drink yesterday, or because Lula drank yours? You're being way too sensitive. "Lula is just a childhood friend. Don't let your jealousy ruin things." Glancing past me, he noticed my work suits were missing from the balcony. He assumed I had put them away to prepare for my upcoming promotion. He softened, squeezing my wrist. "Alright, don't be petty. You're about to become a supervisor. Once I finish this busy stretch, I'll take you to that rooftop restaurant. Just the two of us, okay?" I pressed my lips together, pulling my wrist free. He paused, stepping closer, but Lula appeared at the balcony door, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Harper!" she sobbed. "I won't make you anything ever again. Please don't fight because of me!" With that, she turned and bolted out. "Happy now?" Todd scowled, grabbing his jacket to give chase. "Todd," I called after him, "do you remember my birthday?" He paused at the door. "When? I've been so swamped lately." "Yesterday," I said evenly. I hadn't wanted to go to his friends' gathering at all. I had foolishly thought he was taking me out to celebrate. A flicker of guilt crossed his face, but the elevator arrived. He rushed over, saying quickly, "Wait for me at home. I'll buy a cake tonight and make it up to you!" The elevator doors shut, and he was gone. I released the hem of my shirt I had been clutching, my palm cold. By 8:00 PM, the apartment was pitch-black. My phone rang, and Todd's voice buzzed with excitement. "Lula mentioned missing our high school teacher, and he happened to be in town. I called Jake and the others. We're having a reunion!" I looked at the dining table. The ice cream on the cake had melted into a sad puddle. "But you said..." I started. The line went dead. A text followed: [Too loud here. I'll head back after dinner. Go to bed early.] My fingers hovered over the screen, but I had no energy left to reply. After a while, I checked out Lula's social media. Her latest post was a video of Todd placing food onto her plate. Lula giggled behind the camera. "You still remember I love this after all these years?" Todd winked. "Of course. How could I ever forget anything about you?" I closed my eyes, but my phone chimed again, this time with an email notification. [Dear Ms. Reed, congratulations! You have been hired. Please report for onboarding at 8 a.m. the day after tomorrow.] I stood up, calmly dumping the untouched dinner and the cake into the trash. Afraid Todd might get the cake wrong, I had ordered one myself. Now the "Happy Birthday" chocolate was melting on top, looking pathetic. The cake couldn't wait for him, and neither would I. Todd finally stumbled home late. "You're still awake?" he mumbled, tossing a bakery box onto the counter. "Sorry, I forgot the cake, but Lula picked this one out as an apology." Without turning, I knew it was a peach crepe cake. "Have it yourself." Todd's patience evaporated. "Enough already! There is a limit to your tantrums. Lula went out of her way..." Chapter 4 I cut him off. "I'm allergic to peaches." Todd froze. "What? Since when?" "Since I was born." "Then why didn't you tell me earlier? Lula picked it out specially. You're wasting her kindness!" I turned to see him holding a fork, looking irritated. He noticed my expression, then let out a heavy, dramatic sigh, as though he were making a grand concession. "Fine. No more peach flavors for you from now on, okay?" he said, his tone still condescending. He genuinely believed that I was just throwing a tantrum and that a minor compromise would make everything go away. "Yeah." I didn't bother correcting him. I just turned around and tucked my documents into my handbag. Todd sat at the table, eating the cake. "Going on a business trip?" I shrugged. "Back to my hometown." He nodded thoughtlessly. "You haven't been back in a while. Oh, Lula mentioned she loved the yogurt from your hometown, and she really liked the local chili sauce, too. "Bring some back for her. Make sure to check the ingredients carefully, though. She can't eat peanuts." He took my silence as agreement. Reaching into a kitchen drawer, he tossed a clear plastic bag onto my suitcase. "For the road." Inside was a crumpled, half-empty bag of chips and a stale bar of chocolate. A few days ago, Lula had come over, and Todd had bought her lots of snacks. This was what she had left behind. I walked past him and grabbed a pack of tissues. Todd's voice cooled. "Are you seriously still acting up? I brought the cake and apologized. What else do you want? Fine, go home and cool off for a few days. "When you get back, we'll have a nice talk at the rooftop restaurant. Lula already made the reservation." "No thanks," I said, my back to him. "I'm afraid of heights." He lunged forward, grabbing my arm and spinning me around. "When did you suddenly become afraid of heights? Do you even see me as your boyfriend?" He paused. "You never told me about your allergies or phobias. How am I supposed to know? And then, you punish me when I make a mistake." I looked up into his angry eyes. Back when we first dated, he always said that I couldn't hide anything and that he could read every emotion on my face. Now he saw nothing and remembered nothing. His phone rang on the table. He let go of me and answered the call. Lula's crisp voice came through. "How was it, Todd? Did Harper like the cake? Did you guys make up?" Todd rubbed his temples, frustrated. "No. She claims she's allergic to peaches." "I'm so sorry," Lula whimpered. "I didn't know. Did you fight again? It's all my fault." Todd sighed deeply into the receiver. "It's not your fault. She never told me. She only has herself to blame." So, no matter what I did, it was always my fault. As I bent down to tie my shoes, he continued, "Why are you crying? You did nothing wrong. Even I didn't know about her allergies." I pulled my suitcase toward the front door. "Three years ago, at your first childhood friend group gathering, you announced to everyone that I had a severe peach allergy so they wouldn't accidentally order it. "And when Jake wanted to go bungee jumping for his birthday, you told everyone I couldn't go because I was terrified of heights." I looked at his back and added, "Even Lula remembers my boundaries better than you do." His lips parted, but no words came out. I stepped into the elevator, looking back into the apartment one last time. He was still holding the phone, but I couldn't hear Lula anymore. "I'm not coming back," I muttered. "We're done."