Invisible Love Read Free Page B

flaunt it. They felt no shame, but nor did they protest. Live and let live, summed up their position. Nevertheless, influenced by libertarian ideals, society was becoming more tolerant, and the government responded to militant pressure by outlawing discrimination against those who loved their own sex. Although Jean and Laurent appreciated this relaxing of attitudes, their own viewpoint hadn’t changed. Existing on the sidelines, out of sight of prying eyes, contributed to their happiness. They were still those illicit spouses who had married in the shadows, concealed behind a pillar in the cathedral.
    Made all the sharper by this lack of outward show, their physical passion for each other was as strong as ever.
    Eddy and Geneviève were launched on quite a different path. Johnny’s screaming and whining and illnesses had provided Eddy with an excuse to grow more distant. After his day’s work at the garage, he would spend hours with his buddies, drinking or playing cards, and only come home to sleep. Geneviève had noticed this, but instead of complaining she blamed herself: the reason Eddy was turning away from her was because she was too exhausted to take care of herself, because she was breastfeeding, because the only things she ever talked about were diapers, washing, and baby food.
    A daughter was born.
    Eddy suggested calling her Minnie, like Mickey Mouse’s girlfriend! Excited by the idea, he loved to whisper this name to her every time he lifted her in his arms and would laugh until he was breathless. Horrified as she was, Geneviève, fearing that Eddy’s fragile love for his children might turn to hate if she objected, accepted the name in the hope that it would help Minnie to capture her father’s affection.
    Jean and Laurent were traveling abroad at the time and were unaware that there had been a second baby. Although Geneviève was disappointed not to receive a gift from social services as she had the previous time, she consoled herself by using the sophisticated baby carriage she already owned.
    Â 
    *
    Â 
    Ten years passed.
    Jean and Laurent thought about Eddy and Geneviève from time to time, but vaguely, with a kind of languid nostalgia. Those faces were part of their youth, and their youth was slowly receding. They made no attempt to find out anything about that other couple that existed only within the gilded frame of their happy memories.
    Once again it was chance that moved things along.
    Jean had hired a cleaning woman for his shop, an Italian named Angela, a big, honest, forthright woman who lived in the working class neighborhood of the Marolles. Angela was a real chatterbox. When, feather duster in hand, she mentioned during one of her daily monologues that her neighbors were called Grenier—which she pronounced with four “r”s instead of two—Jean gave a start.
    Claiming an interest in her stories, he shrewdly questioned her.
    What he found out upset him.
    Eddy Grenier had been fired from the garage where he had worked—his boss had finally tired of his laziness and poor timekeeping—and Geneviève had had to find a job. Being good with her hands, she had established herself as a dressmaker, working from home, which allowed her to keep an eye on her children. Not that Eddy was grateful in any way. Complaining endlessly, he would grab a few banknotes from her then leave to roam the streets.
    That evening, claiming that he had a delivery to make, Jean offered to give Angela a lift home.
    When they got to Rue Haute, he saw a man in a polo shirt swaggering along the sidewalk and stroking the buttocks of the redhead by his side.
    â€œ
Che miseria!
” Angela muttered. “
Ecco il mio vicino
.”
    Jean found it hard to connect this strutting figure with the image of the slim, nervous, awkward bridegroom in front of the altar in the cathedral, an image that had remained engraved in his brain. Eddy had filled out a lot, his features had