186 comments/ 145075 views/ 40 favorites Something Out of the Ordinary By: Katmai Chapter 1: Trip "Damn!" I said under my breath. The National Weather Service web page forecasted a big storm with high winds to arrive in southeast Alaska mid-day Friday. A storm that big would probably shut down the Juneau airport for a day or so right exactly when I wanted to leave and travel south to see my wife. Damn, I thought to myself. I had accepted a job with the State of Alaska as an accounting manager about nine months ago. I had been laid off from my position with the State of Washington in Ellensburg when the state decided to consolidate all their eastern Washington functions in Spokane. They didn't need two accounting managers in Spokane. My wife Sara stayed behind to sell the house and to finish out the school year as a high school teacher. I travelled back to Ellensburg every six weeks or so for a long weekend to visit with Sara and to work on our property. With the housing market at an all time low, our house had not sold all summer even though we had dropped the price twice. And it was just not our house; it seemed that hardly any houses were selling in our area. Now the calendar was approaching Labor Day, and we both wondered just how long the separation would continue. I took a break from work, and visited the Alaska Airlines web site and looked for flights. Everything heading south out of Juneau was booked solid for the next 5 days. But using airline miles, I was able to reserve a long-way-around ticket: Juneau to Anchorage, Anchorage to Portland, Portland to Spokane. Usually I just flew to Seattle, rented a car from Sara's sister who worked at Budget, and drove to Ellensburg. I would have to leave today, Wednesday, in the afternoon, and I would probably arrive in Ellensburg around noon Thursday after renting a car in Spokane. I checked with my boss, got my leave request approved, then, went home to pack. I took a cab to the airport about an hour before boarding. Security had just opened, and the line was short. Before long, I was sitting in my airline seat getting settled. I thought about texting Sara and letting her know about the change in plans. I was scheduled to leave Juneau Friday night, rent a car, drive I-90 east, and arrive in Ellensburg about 2 am Saturday. Now I was going to arrive Thursday noon. I decided to surprise Sara. I needed to do something out of the ordinary -- accountants are usually so predictable -- and show Sara how much I loved and cared about her. When I first moved to Juneau, we sent text messages to each other a dozen times a day, and we talked each night on the phone. When high school ended for the summer in June and we had not sold the house, Sara became impatient and depressed. It seemed that school kept her busy, and with nothing to do all summer but sit and wait for the house to sell, Sara became unhappy. Our text messages dwindled to once per day, and we talked only on Tuesday and Friday nights. I had a two hour layover in Anchorage. Checking my smart phone, I saw Sara had sent me a text message: "Hot again today, in the 90s. Had to irrigate the garden twice." "Rain here in Juneau. Looking forward to seeing you!" I replied I managed to secure a window seat for the four hour flight to Portland, and I was able to get some sleep even though the flight was completely full. I slept for about five hours in the Portland airport before catching the early morning flight to Spokane. On the flight, I considered how I could make this trip something out of the ordinary. I remembered that nice bed and breakfast in the Tri-Cities area that we visited and really liked. Once we landed I called and made reservations for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. My entrance needed to be special, too. I sent a text to Sara: "At work. Still raining. Are you busy this afternoon?" A few minutes later she responded: "Sunny and hot here. Grocery store this afternoon 1 -- 3." I called an Ellensburg florist, and ordered a dozen roses to be delivered at 3:30 that afternoon promptly. The card will read: "From your loving husband. You are my life!" I planned to park near the house, wait for the delivery, then make my entrance. I was very excited about these new ideas for surprising Sara! I rented a car, ate breakfast near the airport, then headed west on I-90. At the rest stop near Moses Lake I took a nap. I arrived in Ellensburg at a quarter to one, so I drove to our house and parked about 100 yards down the road. We lived in the country on a 2-acre lot full of pine trees. We both enjoyed working on the property, and I knew that it would feel great to working up a sweat on our land this trip. Chapter 2: Discovery Almost exactly at one o'clock, Sara's red SUV pulled out our driveway and drove down the road. I decided to follow her just for fun. When she arrived at the first stop sign, she turned right instead of left towards town. "That's interesting," I said to myself. Now I was curious. I followed her for about 4 miles over county roads. I realized that she was nearing Molly's place. Molly had worked for me as an accountant in the Ellensburg office for several years, and she had retired about six months before the office closure. Molly's husband had died a few years ago, and the entire office had helped her through her recovery period. She told us all when she retired that she would never forget our kindness. But Sara drove past Molly's driveway, and pulled into the next driveway. The lots in this part of the County were five acres with a dense pine tree forest. I pulled into Molly's driveway, and there was Molly sitting on her porch drinking ice tea. I looked over at the adjacent lot, and I could barely make out the house; Sara couldn't see me. I heard her car door close. Molly came down off the porch to greet me. "Mike, it is great to see you," Molly started. She gave me a big hug. "What brings you out here? Come up the porch out of the sun and have some ice tea!" As we walked to the porch, I explained that I had been following Sara to the house next door. "I'm sorry, Mike," Molly started. "Why," I asked. "Whose house is that, anyhow?" "It belongs to Reverend Grayson. He's the pastor at one of the local churches. Molly has been visiting him every Monday, Thursday and Saturday for the past 2 month." "Why?" I asked. "You had best just see for yourself. They generally go out on the back patio on warm days like this," Molly answered. I was getting a sinking feeling in my stomach. "Wait a minute," Molly said and she went into her house, only to emerge a minute later with a digital camera. "Here, use this. You should take some pictures. Otherwise you won't believe it. It has a 10x zoom and it has a video capture mode." I had a similar camera, so I was familiar with the controls. Molly walked me around the side of the house, and pointed to the trail. "Follow the trail for about 150 feet. You will be able to see the Reverend's back yard clearly. Set the camera up on the stump. You will be in the shadows, so they won't see you. Sound travels far in these woods, so you'll be able to hear really well. I'm sorry, Mike." I followed Molly's directions and found the clearing. I checked the camera, turned on the video mode, zoomed in to the back patio, placed it on the stump and pushed "record". I rechecked the viewfinder to be sure it was positioned correctly. I sat down. About a minute later Sara emerged from the house with a man. They were both naked. I watched as they began to kiss, caress each other and make out. Soon Sara was sucking his cock. I took out my smart phone and began to take pictures. They spent the next 45 minutes making love on the back patio. I just sat there and watched, first with disbelief, then with mounting anger. The worst part occurred after they finished fucking. Sara gave him a hug, and said, "Tom, you are an amazing lover. My husband just can't satisfy me the way you can. Thank you, thank you." Then they walked into the house. I sat there and began to cry, just letting it all out. When I finished, I collected Molly's camera and slowly followed the tail back to Molly's house. She was still sitting on the porch. "Sorry, Mike, come over here and sit with me." Molly handed me an iced tea, and took the camera. "Wait a minute or two. I'll transfer these files to a flash drive for you." She went into the house, leaving me alone on the porch. I felt empty. My whole life was upside down. I just didn't know what to do. I just sat there looking off into the distance until Molly returned. She handed me a flash drive, and sat down to sip her iced tea. "What are you going to do now, Mike?" "I really don't know, Molly. I'm shocked and angry. My life will never be the same again." I sat with Molly for over an hour. We talked. She helped me formulate a plan to get my life back together. She asked me tough questions, and some of those questions, I really couldn't answer. Part way through our talk Sara's red SUV drove past heading back to our house. No, I thought, not our house -- her house. Chapter 3: The Meeting Molly and I finished our talk, and I gave her a hug. "Come back and visit when this is all over, Mike. I have a spare bedroom, and I'd like to find out how this turns out," Molly said. "It's a promise, Molly," I answered. "I'll be back to see you. Thanks again for all your help." With the plan that Molly helped me develop, I drove into town. I checked the time: almost 3:30. The flowers would be delivered soon. I drove to the Yellow Church Café, and asked for a private table in the back. When I was seated, I checked my smart phone. Sara had sent me a text message: "Flowers are lovely! What a thoughtful husband you are! Is there anything I can do for you?" I looked though the pictures I had taken with my phone and found one with Sara sucking his cock. You could see both of their faces clearly. I sent the picture with the caption: "Wash your lover's semen and sweat off your body and meet me at the Yellow Church Café in 30 minutes. If you are late, I will be gone." I ordered coffee and waited. I called the bed and breakfast and cancelled the reservations. Sara walked into the café about 20 minutes later. She looked around, saw me and almost ran to my table. "Oh, God, you are still here. I was afraid you would leave," she blurted out. "Shut up and sit down, Sara," I said quietly. She sat down across from me. "Here's how it's going to work, Sara." I put my watch on the table. "When I finish explaining, you will have 15 minutes to talk. You may say anything, and I will not interrupt. You can ask me questions, and I will answer, but my answers are part of your 15 minutes. When you finish, I will have 15 minutes to talk, and you will not interrupt me or talk at all except to answer questions if you so choose. Do you understand these rules?" She nodded yes. "You may begin." "I love you, Mike. You are a devoted husband, and a great lover. This past nine months has been difficult for me," Sara began. "From the photo you texted me, you know about my affair with Reverend Grayson. I want you to know that I ended that affair this afternoon. It's over, Mike. I made a terrible mistake, I know that. I couldn't live with the guilt and deception any more. I'm asking you to forgive me. I'll be the best, most devoted wife. Just don't leave me!" Sara went on for the full fifteen minutes repeating herself over and over. She loves me. She made a mistake. She wants me to forgive her. Her expression became more worried as I sat stone-faced listening. "Your time is up," I said at the end of fifteen minutes. "Now it is my turn." "I have only three things to say to you, Sara," I started. "First, I love you. I will probably always love you. The past twelve years have been some of the happiest and best years of my life. You have been a good wife, and we made a fine life together." Sara smiled at me, and reached out to take my hand. I did not offer my hand. "Second, I don't believe anything you said. You have shown yourself to be a deceitful, lying person, Sara. You planned and executed an affair behind my back, even involving your own sister." Sara's eyes widened in surprise. Yes, I figured out that her sister was calling her to let her know when I rented a car in Seattle and left for Ellensburg. "You have broken your wedding vows, betrayed my trust in you and made a mockery of our marriage. I feel that I don't really know you anymore. "I have to wonder how many other affairs you have had in the past twelve years. But I don't want to know. Whatever you said, I wouldn't believe you, anyhow. And I would rather keep my happy memories intact." Sara was crying now. "Third, I cannot be married to someone that I do not trust. And I do not trust you anymore, Sara. Our marriage ceased to exist when you began your affair. I could not stay married to you because I would always wonder if you were cheating again behind my back. I would worry when I went on a business trip if you were fucking someone else. No husband should have to live with a constant doubt about his wife's faithfulness. "I intend to start the divorce process tomorrow." Sara put her head down on the table and began to sob. "I want a quick and easy divorce, splitting the assets 50/50. You can keep the Ellensburg house, and I will keep the Juneau condo. I will not mention your affair in the divorce proceedings unless I am forced by you. I hope we can stay friends. "That's all I have to say." Sara raised her head off the table and sobbed, 'You are throwing away a twelve year marriage, Mike. You just can't do that!" "No, Sara," I replied. "You are the one who threw away our marriage. I can't believe you would do that, but you did. And I am sorry. "I'll let you know the contact information for my attorney. I suggest that you get an attorney for yourself." I prepared to leave the table, when I noticed out of the corner of my eye someone approaching our table. Chapter 4: A Wrinkle in the Plan "Hello, Mike. I'm Reverend Tom Grayson. You can call me Tom," he said smiling and offering his hand to me. I just looked at him for a moment, and I didn't shake his hand. "Excuse me, Reverend. I didn't recognize you with your clothes on," I replied in a loud voice. Several café patrons turned and looked at our table. He turned red and withdrew his hand. "May I sit down, please?" "Be my guest, Reverend. I'm just leaving. And I have good news for you: I'm divorcing Sara, so you can have her full time now. You can move in with her, if you like. I have no objections." The Reverend sat down, looked at Sara and held her hand. "Mike, you are making a big mistake. Sara loves you, and she does not want a divorce. You two can make this work, I know you can. You have twelve years to build on. Your marriage can weather this minor incident, Mike. I know it can." "Well, Reverend, you are wrong. Sara will never be satisfied with me anymore. According to her, you are a much better lover than me. I heard her say so herself." Sara put her head down on the table and returned to sobbing. "And besides," I said standing up, "I really don't think I should be taking any advice on my marriage from my wife's lover." I walked away from the table, paid for my coffee and walked out the door. I drove back to Spokane. I found a room in the Best Western motel near I-90, and I crashed into bed. I slept soundly for ten hours. I got up, showered, and ate breakfast at the Denney's across the motel parking lot. I returned to my room, set up my laptop, and searched the internet for an office supply store and for a list of divorce attorneys. At the office supply store, I purchased six flash drives and mailing envelopes. I returned to the room, transferred the video and my camera stills to the six flash drives. Then I placed five drives into envelopes, addressed the envelopes, and drove two blocks to a post office and mailed them. Returning to my room, I called divorce attorneys. After five calls, I found one that could see me this morning. I drove to downtown Spokane and spoke with the attorney. Sixty days for a "no fault" divorce, he said. I paid him a retainer and gave him the sixth flash drive for safe keeping. He gave me a list of information he needed to file the paperwork. I checked the list; most of these items I had in Juneau and would have to email them to him. Next I visited the teacher's credit union main office. I opened accounts in my name only and transferred exactly half of all balances into the new accounts. That took over an hour. We had separate credit card accounts, so I didn't change them. I ate lunch downtown. After eating I called Carol, Sara's sister who worked at the SeaTac Airport Budget car rental. "Hi Carol. This is Mike." "Mike, good to hear from you. I have your car ready to go. What flight are you on?" "Carol, I have four things to say to you. You might want to take notes," I started. "First, I will not be needing a rental car today. I took an earlier flight to Spokane. "Second, I know all about Sara's affair. I came home early and caught them fucking. "Third, I started divorce proceedings today. You may want to let your parents know. You may also want to call Sara, as she will need some support. "And fourth, I know that you were part of Sara's plan to deceive me. You called and let her know that I was on my way to Ellensburg so she wouldn't get caught. I never want to see or hear from you again! Good bye!" I hung up without giving her a chance to speak. Somehow that was quite satisfying. Chapter 5: Meeting -- the Sequel I drove back to the motel and entered the motel lobby about 2:30 pm. A busy, but productive Friday, I thought to myself. I needed to go online and see if I could book an earlier flight back to Juneau. I waved to the motel staff as I walked through the lobby. They motioned me to come over to the counter. "Anything wrong?" I asked. "No, sir. I just wanted to let you know that your Ellensburg friends have arrived, and they are waiting for you over at the Denney's." "Which friends are those?" "Ah, let me see," he said checking the computer. "Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Grayson. They were given room 319." "Thank you," I responded as I headed to my room. Somehow they had found me, but that would not have been all that difficult to do. Time to pack and check out of here, I thought to myself. My cell phone chimed: a text message. "I'm at Denney's. Please come talk with me," Sara texted "Is your lover with you?" I responded. "No," she answered. "Be over in 5," I texted. I needed to give her the attorney information anyhow. I walked into the Denney's. Sara was in a booth in the back. I also saw the Reverend sitting alone at a table at the opposite end of the restaurant facing away from me. I strode over to Sara's table and sat down. "You said lover-boy wasn't with you," I accused. "He isn't sitting with me! That's what I said," she said forcefully. "Same rules as yesterday, then?" I said taking off my watch. "No, damn it," she answered. "No more of your games. I was in shock yesterday. I'm your wife, and you will listen to what I have to say!" "Okay," I leaned back in my seat. "Go ahead. Talk." "I know that you are very upset about my affair with Tom. I never meant to hurt you. It was just a summer love affair, and it was over this week. You were not supposed to find out. I never at any time stopped loving you, and I never, ever wanted to stop being your wife." "Well, it seems that you are Tom Grayson's wife, now," I replied. "At least that's how you two are signed into the motel. Room 319, I believe. So what was your plan? Make up with me this afternoon, then, spend all night fucking your lover? After all he is a better lover than me, right? Why settle for second best?" Something Out of the Ordinary "I know nothing about room 319," Sara hissed angrily. "Tom signed in to the motel when we arrived, and I came straight to Denney's so I could watch for your car to arrive. My intention is to spend tonight in your room with you!" "That won't happen," I said quietly. "Why not? We are man and wife. I want to make love to my husband." "For two reasons," I replied. "First, after seeing you have sex with your lover, I really have no interest in ever making love to you. The very thought of it makes my stomach churn. Second, I don't want to pick up any venereal disease that you may have. Since you were fucking him the last time I was down here, I intend to get checked for VD when I return to Juneau." Sara's eyes began to tear. But she wouldn't give up. She talked for thirty minutes straight. We need to be in counseling. She always loved me. We were meant for each other. We can make this work. She never wanted to hurt me. I'm a great husband. Twelve years of marriage is worth saving. She will be absolutely faithful from now on. She was under so much stress that she temporarily lost her good judgment. On and on and on she went. She's been coached, I thought to myself. Probably her lover gave her tips on what to say. I wonder if she understands that coming here with her lover undermines everything she is saying. "So, what do you say? Let's face this problem together, Mike," she concluded reaching her hand towards me. I kept my hand to myself. "Sara, everything I said yesterday remains true today. Except," I reached into my shirt packet and handed her card, "I now have an attorney. That is his card. The initial paperwork will be filed by the end of next week. If you don't fight it, the divorce will be final in 60 days. I also separated our credit union accounts 50/50 today." Sara just stared at the card. I stood up to leave. "As I said yesterday, I do love you, Sara," I said in conclusion. "I hope you have a great, happy rest of your life. In my mind we are no longer husband and wife, and we never again will be. The divorce just makes that fact legal. I do hope we remain friends. Good luck." I turned and walked away. Just outside the restaurant, the Reverend caught up with me. "You're a fool, Mike!" he shouted at me. "She loves you." "If you were so concerned with our marriage, Reverend, you shouldn't have been fucking her for the past two months." I continued walking, but he caught up with me. "What are you going to do with the pictures?" he asked. "You mean the one hundred twenty-three digital pictures and the forty-five minute video with sound?" I replied His eyes got very wide. "Shit!" he shouted. "Nothing," I stated. "What?" he asked. "I intend to do nothing with the pictures and video. If I need to use them in the divorce proceedings, I will. Otherwise, I have no use for them. So talk to your girlfriend and have her agree to the no-fault divorce." He just looked at me. "Reverend, you are nothing to me. Zero. Zip. Nothing. I'm an accountant. There is no positive return on revenge, vengeance, or payback." The Reverend look relieved. "However," I continued, "I have made several copies of everything on flash drives, and I have mailed them to trusted friends. They have very specific directions to follow if anything happens to me in the next two years. Do we understand each other?" He nodded with relief. Now I know why he was here. He just wanted to protect his job and reputation. Sad, really. I went back to my room and packed. I didn't want Sara pounding on my door demanding to be let in. I needed to find another motel. I checked out with the front desk, and walked to my rental car. Sara was waiting by my car with a travel bag. "I knew you would check out," she announced. "After twelve years, I know you pretty well." I didn't say anything. I unlocked the car and put my bag in the back seat. Chapter 6: Road Trip "Where are you going?" she asked. "I want to go with you." "You know," I said turning to face her, "bringing your lover to both of these meetings undermined any chance you had of convincing me of anything. It was insensitive, thoughtless and mean, Sara." "Yeah, I realize that now," she responded. "I just told Tom never to see me or talk with me again. If he tries, I told him I would tell his congregation about the affair and file a restraining order." I just stared at her. Too little, too late I thought. "Tom drove me here. I have no way to get back to Ellensburg," she said looking at me. "Get in. I'll take you to your house in Ellensburg." Sara quickly entered the passenger front seat. I used my cell phone, called Molly, and received permission to spend the night in her spare room. As soon as I sat down in the car, Sara began talking. "Thank you for not abandoning me, Mike. I really appreciate this ride." "Sara, I don't hate you. I have no wish to harm you or have you come to any harm, even though you have caused me an incredible amount of pain." I started the car, and drove towards the I-90 entrance. "Sara, it's my turn to talk," I announced. "Just sit back and listen." For the next hour I talked in a slow measured voice to Sara. I told her the separation had been difficult for me. What sustained me was the absolute certainty in our marriage, our love and our commitment to each other. I talked about the hopes I had for a new life in Alaska. I described the new friends I had made, and how they were so much looking forward to meeting my wonderful wife. I described my discussions with the Juneau school district about the possibility of her teaching there. I shared my thoughts about our relationship. I knew her first marriage ended in divorce after a few years because her husband regularly cheated on her. It was one thing she told me that she would not tolerate: a cheating husband. I told her of my promises of faithfulness to her and how I had kept those promises. "The one thing I never considered," I explained, "was that you would cheat on me. I figured that if you loved me as much as you said, that you would never want to inflict on me the pain, shame, betrayal, and anger that you had experienced. I just never considered you would cheat on me. I was wrong." Sara said nothing and listened with tears dripping from her closed eyes. I told her about watching her and her lover having sex. How shocked I was when I saw them, then the anger and pain that overwhelmed me. I shared how I had sat and sobbed after they had finished. "When you said that he was a much better lover than me," I said quietly, "it was as if you had cut out my heart, threw it on the ground, and crushed it with your heel. I knew at that moment we could never be married or even sexually intimate again. It was over." I explained that I learned from the Reverend's neighbor that she had been carrying on her affair for two months, three times a week. It was not a one-time fling, but a planned and scheduled affair. A one-time indiscretion I might forgive. But a long-term affair was unacceptable. "I simply will not stay married to a wife," I stated, "who has a lover." I stopped in Ritzville for gas. Sara had not said anything since I began talking about an hour ago. She went into the convenience store and emerged in a few minutes with a box of tissue and bottled water. I pulled back on to I-90 heading west. Two more hours to Ellensburg. We drove in silence for a while. "I'd like to talk now. Is that okay?" Sara asked. "Sure." She shared how the separation had been bearable while she was busy in school. But during summer break she quickly spiraled down into deep depressions. She was afraid that I was having affairs just like her first husband. She went to her pastor for counseling, and the first few sessions helped. Soon he was fueling her fears about my "affairs" in Juneau. When she was very vulnerable, he seduced her. "He told me that if you were having an affair, that it was okay for me to have one, too," she explained. "After all, why should you be having all the fun while I was stuck here all summer in Ellensburg? It was fair exchange, a balancing of the books." She related how she convinced her sister Carol to help her by describing my affairs in Juneau. She enlisted the help of her neighbors by telling them the same lie. Anyone who found out about the affair, she would just tell them that I was having affairs in Juneau and we now had an open marriage. Over time she convinced herself that I really was having an affair in Juneau. She was no longer depressed, but she felt guilty all the time. "That's why I stopped talking to you every night on the phone," she offered. "I couldn't keep up my act while talking to you in person. I felt so guilty." She explained that the only time the guilt would go away was during her love-making sessions with the Reverend. It became an addiction. The guilt from the previous sexual encounter was temporarily relieved during the next session. She admitted that he was a very skillful lover, and she enjoyed her sexual encounters with him. But the guilt afterwards was terrible. She talked for another twenty minutes. She admitted that she planned to end the affair before school started right after Labor Day. She didn't want to deal with other teachers or the school district finding out about the affair. But she didn't know if she was strong enough to break it off. "Then you found out about it," she stated. "And that was that." We drove the last hour to Ellensburg in silence. I finally felt like she had told me the truth about the affair. Chapter 7: Molly's House I pulled into the driveway in front of Sara's house. It wasn't my house anymore. "I would like you to come in and spend the night. You can have the guest room." "No, thanks," I replied. "I've made other arrangements." Sara paused, then asked, "Who is she?" "An old friend who offered me a place to stay tonight." "Are you going back to Spokane tomorrow?" "Yes," I answered. "I'm going to try to return to Juneau earlier than planned. No reason to stay down here. My home and my new life are in Alaska. There is nothing down here anymore for me." "Would you have breakfast with me tomorrow morning?" Sara asked hopefully. "Just for old time's sake?" I considered it. She had opened up and told me the truth during the drive. I appreciated that. "Sure," I replied. "What about the Yellow Church Café at nine o'clock?" "Great!" she responded. "I'll be there. Thanks." Sara left the car, and I drove to Molly's house. Molly was sitting on the porch drinking iced tea. "Hi Mike," she said as I walked up the porch steps. "Sit down and rest. Have some iced tea." She poured me a glass. She and I just sat there in silence for a while. Molly broke the silence, "Are you hungry? Dinner's in the oven." "Yes, as a matter of fact I am very hungry," I replied. We ate in silence. The meal was simple, yet very delicious. Afterwards, I helped her in the kitchen cleaning up and washing dishes. "Go get your bags, Mike. I'll show you the spare room." I settled in the room, then found Molly sitting on the front porch watching the sun set. "Come sit with me, Mike, and tell me what's been going on these past two days." I told her the stories about the meetings with Sara and the Reverend showing up. I explained about the divorce lawyer, split accounts, and trying to get back to Juneau early. I described the recent drive back to Ellensburg and meeting Sara for breakfast tomorrow morning. When I finished, we just sat in silence, looking out into the early evening darkness. "You still love her, don't you, Mike?" "Yes, I do," I admitted. "I can't just turn that off. But I just don't trust her anymore, and I can't stay married to someone I don't trust. It just won't work." We sat in silence for a while. Then, my cell phone rang. I checked the caller ID: it was Paul, Sara's father. When my parents died suddenly in a car accident about five years ago, Sara's parents helped me with my loss and grief. I adopted them as my parents, even calling them Mom and Dad. They were generous and loving people. I was incredibly fond of them. "I need to take this, Molly." "I understand, Mike," Molly said as she went into the house. "Hi, Dad." "Mike, what's going on between you and Sara? Carol called us tonight, and she was very upset." "I came back to Ellensburg early yesterday. I caught Sara and her lover having sex. Sara has been having an affair for at least two months." "Oh, my God! What was she doing? That doesn't sound like her!" "You probably ought to talk with her yourself, Dad. I don't really understand it myself." "What are you going to do, Mike?" "I hired an attorney today in Spokane. The divorce papers will be filed next week. I'm sorry, Dad." "Carol said that you were having affairs in Juneau? Mike, divorce is mighty final. Don't you think that you and Sara can work this out?" "Sara made up my affairs in Juneau to convince Carol to help her keep track of me so she wouldn't be discovered. Dad, I have been completely faithful to my wedding vows. I'd never cheat on Sara." "Damn!" "Dad, I have a favor to ask. You and Mom are the closest thing to family I have, and I would really appreciate staying connected with you, maybe talking now and again. I love you both dearly." "Mike, I'd be honored. You're like a son to me. That means a lot to a man who just has daughters." "I have to go now, Dad. I love you." "I love you, too, son." I hung up and went into the house to find Molly. She was sitting at the kitchen table. "That was Sara's father." "Yeah, I know. I overhead your call," Molly admitted. Molly reached out and held my hand. "Mike you are a good man. Eighty percent of the women in this county would divorce their husbands in a second to marry you. You are kind, moral, just, fair and faithful. Your wife is an incredible fool to cheat on you." Molly waited for the words to sink in, then, she continued. "I see that you still love your wife, Mike, despite the affair. That's a measure of the deep love you have for her and for the kind of man you are. Don't think that her affair is about you. It's not. It's about her: her fears, her pleasures, her desires. She doesn't really deserve a fine man such as you." She stood up, and gave me a big, long hug. "Mike, I know that I am twenty years older than you, but I had planned to invite you to my bed tonight. I see now that you are still in love with your wife, so it wouldn't be right. When you return to Spokane to finalize the divorce, consider spending the weekend with me no strings attached. I'll give you a weekend you will never forget! Now, get off to bed," she pushed me towards the guest room. "You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow." Now I was really confused! I walked to the guest room in a daze. On top of everything else, Molly wanted to sleep with me! I lay down on the bed, my mind going around and around. Too much had happened today. I finally dropped off to sleep. Chapter 8: Final Meeting I awakened to the smell of coffee, delicious coffee. I opened my eyes and was immediately disoriented. Where was I? I started to panic. Then, I remembered and calmed down. I was at Molly's place. I looked at the clock: six-thirty. I lay in bed going over the events of the past two days. So much had happened. My life was completely changed. I heard Molly in the kitchen, and I got out of bed and joined her. "Go! Take a shower. Towels in the bathroom," she turned me around and pointed me towards the bathroom door. "Coffee on the front porch when you are done!" The shower felt really good. I let the hot water pound on my back, washing away everything. I cried a little. I had lost so much in the past two days, and I had been so focused on doing things that I left myself little time to feel the pain and loss. I finished the shower, packed my bag, and joined Molly on the front porch. She poured me a cup of coffee. We just sat for a while in silence. I noticed how comfortable I was with Molly. No matter what we did, she made me feel appreciated, welcomed and valued. Molly spoke first. "What do you plan to do at this breakfast meeting," she asked. "I don't know," I replied. "Just, listen, I suppose. I don't think I'm going to hear anything different." "That could be," Molly offered. "But if she asks you to make a decision or a choice at this meeting, don't make a quick response. Don't be reactive. I know that you are hurt, in pain and you just want this marriage and Sara to go away. That might be the best for you. But on the other hand, maybe not. I want you to carefully consider any proposal she offers, okay? No quick decisions!" We talked for another hour or so. Molly was an easy person for me to be with. It was time to go. I put my bag in the car, then came back up to the porch to say goodbye to Molly. She stood up to give me a hug, and her terry cloth robe fell open. I tried not to look, but I couldn't help myself. She was completely naked under the robe, and she had a nice body. She pulled me towards her and gave me a long passionate kiss. My head was spinning when it was over. "Go forth and do good, Mike," she said with a grin. She stood on the porch and watched me leave. Her robe was wide open the whole time. On the drive over to the café, I thought about what Molly said. Letting the words percolate through my mind. I arrived a few minutes early, but Sara was already there. She was seated at a table near the back, and she was alone. I looked around for the Reverend, and I didn't see him. I walked to Sara's table and took a seat. "Thank you, for coming," Sara started as I sat down. "I'm glad you are here. Did you have a good time at your friend's house?" She smiled at me. "I didn't sleep with her, Sara," I snapped back. "I'm still married, you know." I regretted saying it as soon as I said it. It looked like Sara was about to cry. "I apologize for my remark," I offered. "It was uncalled for. Yes, I did have a good time at Molly's house. She is a good friend." Sara tried to smile back. "I understand. You must be very angry with me." The waitress visited our table. I asked for coffee, and we ordered breakfast. After a few minutes of silence, Sara spoke again. "Carol called me last night. She is upset about that phone call you made to her yesterday. She doesn't feel like she deserved to be treated like that. She's quite fond of you, you know?" I didn't say anything. "I explained to Carol that I had lied to her. I told her that you were not having an affair. I was the one having an affair, and I tricked her into helping me. I apologized to her, but she is really pissed at me right now." I continued my silence. "I do have a request. When you feel up to it, please call Carol and let her know that we talked. She really likes you. I tricked you both, and I'm really sorry." "I will consider your request," I said. "Thank you. That's all I can expect right now." The waitress came back with our food. We began to eat. I didn't realize how hungry I was. Part way through eating, Sara spoke again. "Dad called me last night." I looked at her with questioning eyes. "He had just talked with you, and he had a lot of things to say." "What did you tell him?" I asked. "I told him the truth," she said. "At least, as much as he could stand to hear. He started to cry, and he handed the phone to Mom. I told Mom the same thing, everything that I had done." I nodded. "When I was done, Mom told me that she loved me, but that I was a complete fool," she reported. "She also said that if I didn't do everything in my power to keep a fine man like you in my life that I was just plain stupid." Something Out of the Ordinary Sara looked at me, and our eyes met. I looked down and kept eating. I said nothing. We finished our meal, and I asked for more coffee. "One more person called me," Sara said. "This morning." "Who?" "Molly called me while you were in the shower." "What? Why would she do that?" I asked, remembering Molly's goodbye kiss. "She told me something that I really needed to know," Sara said, then she paused, composing herself. "She told me that you still really loved me." She had to stop talking, as she was crying. "I told you that. Several times, in fact." I stated. "Yes," she said blowing her nose. "I really didn't believe you. I believe it now." "What else did Molly say?" I asked. "She told me basically the same thing as my Mom. If I let you walk out right now, I will regret it the rest of my life. She said the only result would be that some other lucky woman would end up with a great husband." We sat in silence for a few minutes. Then, I spoke. "Thank you for sharing your phone calls. I appreciate the information you told me. Is there anything else you want to discuss? I need to drive to Spokane this morning." "Yes, one more thing," she said reaching into her purse. "I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget anything." "Okay, what is it?" "It's a proposal for you to consider," she responded. She looked down and began to read. "I will fully cooperate with the divorce proceedings you have started. You are right: I don't deserve to be your wife anymore. "In return, I want to be your girlfriend in Juneau for twelve months. You will give me 3 months from the end of the divorce to move to Juneau, then twelve months as your girlfriend. The only requirement is that you not marry anyone until the twelve months are over. All I'm asking for is an opportunity, a chance to earn back your respect, your trust and your confidence. That's all. Please give me a chance." "Can I have other girlfriends?" "Yes, you can." How about you? Can you have other boyfriends?" "No. The only one I want is you." I thought for a minute. I had one more question. "What happens at the end of the twelve months and you have not been successful?" I asked. "That will be up to you. You can extend the girlfriend period another twelve months. Or, we shake hands and part as friends. Your choice; it is entirely up to you. All I want is a chance, not a guarantee." "Okay. I will consider your proposal, and I will let you know either way within two days." "Thank you. At least you didn't say "no" immediately." We said our goodbyes outside the café. She moved to hug me, but I stepped aside. She didn't pursue it. She thanked me again for having breakfast with her. The drive back to Spokane was uneventful, and it gave me plenty of time to think. I weighed the implications of Sara's proposal, and I found very few negatives. It was weighted significantly in my favor. I wanted the divorce over quickly, and I didn't want to get married right after the divorce anyhow. I stopped for gas in Moses Lake. By the time I had reached the Sprague rest stop, I had made my decision. I turned off the car in the rest stop parking lot, and sent a short text message to Sara: "Proposal accepted." Immediately there was a response: "Thank you." She must have been waiting right by the phone. Chapter 9: Two Months Later I was back in Spokane to complete the final divorce paperwork. The past two months had passed quickly. It turns out that I did have VD, a very early case and easily treatable. I told Sara, and she was afraid that I would cancel the proposal. I did something out of the ordinary: I didn't. I just told her to get treatment. I didn't want my girlfriend to have VD. I started therapy, twice a week. I'm feeling much better about myself now. Sara also is seeing a counselor. Evidently she has a lot of unresolved issues around her first husband who cheated on her, and she had projected some of that on to me. That does explain some of her actions, but not all. We talk now, once a week for about fifteen minutes. That's about the right amount of time for a girlfriend. I did call Carol about a week after I returned to Juneau. We had a good chat, and we parted as friends. We were both deceived by Sara. It took an entire day to process the paperwork in Spokane, file the documents, and complete the divorce. The lawyer shook my hand and sent me on my way a single man. The past two months had been very intense, so I decided to take a long weekend while I was in eastern Washington. I just started driving west on I-90. I wanted to do something out of the ordinary. It was a very educational weekend. For starters, I discovered that Molly makes a great breakfast.