When We Were 19, My Best Friend and I Promised That If We Were Both Single at 60, We’d Find Each Other – I Turned 60 Last Tuesday, & My Old Landline Rang

Some were good.

One almost became serious.

But whenever people asked why I never settled down, I gave them the easiest answer.

However, that wasn’t entirely true. I had met him at 17.

***

Last Tuesday, I turned 60.

I live in my childhood home now.

After my parents died, I kept the house. I’d spent so many years moving from one apartment to another that coming back felt right.

That evening, I had dinner alone and cut myself a piece of birthday cake.

At 9:17 p.m., the old landline rang.

Almost nobody called on it anymore.

I nearly ignored it, but decided to answer.

“Hello?”

A man said, “Is this Ruth?”

“Yes.”

“My name is Peter. I’m Jeffrey’s son.”

I sat down. For a second, I couldn’t speak.

“Jeffrey’s son?”