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Walter and Natalie Ch. 01

By: coaster2



I couldn't decide which category best suited this story, so I compromised on Loving Wives. I'm sure there are those that will complain it doesn't belong, but that's life.





Walter and Natalie

Ch. 1 Growing a Set



"Walter, are you going to cut the lawn, or are you just going to sit in front of the TV and do nothing?" 

Fuck! I'd just finished washing both cars, raking the leaves, and cleaning the back deck. Apparently that wasn't enough for my darling Natalie. I grabbed the remote and pushed the power button, turning off the college football game that was about to start the second half. I pushed myself up out of the big chair and stomped off to the garage. I knew better than to resist the irresistible. Do what you're told, Walter. Don't make waves. You'll pay for it if you do. Resistance is futile, sayeth the Borg.

I wonder what other tasks Natalie had contrived to create for me this weekend. Clean the windows? Power-wash the driveway? Tidy up the basement? Muck out the gutters? I was sure they would all be on her list. It was just a matter of timing. Just when I thought I had fulfilled my honey-do obligations, she would pull one of these tasks out of the hat. 

I had a fourteen year-old son and a twelve year old daughter who might have contributed to these efforts, but no. Natalie didn't want them to be bothered with chores during their youth. They were to have fun and socialize in their spare time, she said. I was here to provide them with the funds for their enjoyment. Their allowances were ridiculous in my opinion, but not as far as Natalie was concerned. She saw their weekly stipend as barely above starvation level. At least in that regard I hadn't bent. I did wonder, however, if their mother had been supplementing their income.

Sounds miserable, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't always this way, but lately, or at least during the past couple of years, it had become more and more unpleasant. How did it get that way? Because I let it get that way. I would go along to get along. Don't make waves. Keep peace in the valley. 

The rationalization for this state of affairs was simple. I was a hard-working guy and the only breadwinner in our family. I went to work and was gone from seven in the morning until six at night. An unpleasant commute took up two hours of that time, but the rest was nose-to-the-grindstone hard work, pushing tax forms from one side of my desk to the other. 

I used to look forward to the weekends, but lately, I had been having second thoughts. It seemed that Natalie was dreaming up everything she could think of to keep me occupied rather than resting and relaxing from a taxing week's work, pardon the pun. What's more, I had been accepting it. Not willingly I'll admit, but just the same I'd never said no.

That's me, all right. Never say no. Never stand up on my hind legs and protest. No ... just go along to get along. I'm Walter McGuire. I'm thirty-seven going on seventy. I stand six foot tall, give or take. I weigh about a hundred-and-ninety, give or take. Blonde, thinning hair, blue eyes, reasonable looking, left-handed, and passive.

Natalie, my once beloved wife, is a half-foot shorter than me, maybe a hundred and twenty-five pounds, decent tits, nice ass, brown eyes, reddish-brown hair, and fairly good looking. Even after having our two children, her body wasn't much different than when we were married. 

She was Natalie Pellman when I met her. Her father was the vice principal at our high school, so she had some problems getting dates. I didn't know any better, so I was the one who pursued her ... and in the end ... won her. We dated, had sex after about six months of fooling around, and got married when I finished college.  

At first, everything was just great. We had sex regularly, at least three times a week. Natalie found a job in a retail clothing store and worked there until she became pregnant with Robert. She almost immediately quit her job and stayed home to prepare herself for motherhood. I didn't mind. She didn't make enough to add much to our household income and what she did earn she spent on clothes for herself. Two years later she was pregnant with Karen and the cycle repeated itself.  

I loved our children. They were wonderful additions to our family and they proved to be bright and happy kids. Both of them had little trouble with school and we were proud of their accomplishments as they grew. Robert soon became Rob and proved to be a very good little league second baseman. I don't think I ever missed a game. Now he was in middle school, playing for school team and still doing very well.

Karen was artistic. We recognized her skill almost from the beginning as she began to play with crayons, then graduating to pencil and watercolors. She had an eye for color and composition and it showed in her work. She would spend hours creating drawings and paintings when she wasn't out playing with her friends or in school. She was remarkably talented for a twelve-year-old.

Lately, the children had taken to being with me more than their mother. Perhaps it was because I always expressed an interest in what they were doing, but maybe also because they could see tension between their mother and me. That tension was eating at me as well as the children. Yet I did nothing about it. I was reluctant to create a crisis in the household, so ... I ... did ... nothing.

"Walter, are you going to fix this leaking tap, once and for all?"

"Which tap is that, dear?"

"The kitchen tap! Don't you pay any attention to what I'm saying? That damn tap has been leaking for weeks and you've done nothing about it."

"Well ... to be honest ... I haven't noticed any leak at all. You'd better show me."

"It's not leaking now, you fool. It's when I'm using it to do the dishes that it drips."

"I don't ever remember you saying anything about it leaking," I said, wondering what the fuss was about. Changing a tap washer might take ten minutes, most of that sorting through my box of spares to find the right size and shape.

"Don't give me that! I must have told you a hundred times it was leaking and you do nothing! Sometimes I wonder what I saw in you."

I looked at her. Her face was red and anger was written all over it. What the fuck was this all about, I wondered. 

I was about to say something in reply when she turned and stomped out of the kitchen and off to her private little room in the back of the house. It was supposed to be a fourth bedroom but she had commandeered it when we bought the house and it was her room.

I leaned back on the kitchen counter and wondered just what was going on. Was she suffering from depression? Was she that unhappy with our marriage? Did she want out? I had no way of knowing. I sighed the sigh of the weary. One of these days I was going to have to deal with it. Whatever "it" was.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking she's having an affair. No chance. Why? Because there was no evidence that she had the time. She didn't go out in the evenings. She had a house to clean and meals to prepare and children to look after. On top of that she had her sewing and reading to keep her occupied. I suppose she could have made time for a lover, but it was so unlikely that I had dismissed it as bordering on the absurd. 

I had pretty much made up my mind that we were headed for a show-down over her behavior. It would have to happen when both kids were out of the house and I was already rehearsing my speech to her. Yeah, that's right. I was finally sucking it up and facing the facts. Our marriage was in trouble and neither of us seemed to want to admit that. Well, for once in my life, I would take the initiative. It might all blow up in my face but at least I would have taken the first step.

As it turned out, both Karen and Rob were out one Sunday afternoon and I knew it was time to beard the lion in its den; in this case, Natalie's private room. I knocked on the door to announce my presence and she looked up surprised.

"Yes?"

"Natalie, I think it's time we had a talk."

She looked at me curiously, then asked, "Why?"

"I should think that was obvious. Your leaking tap tantrum the other day was just a symptom. Your attitude in general is very negative, especially toward me. Even the children have noticed it. I'd like to know why you feel that way."

The look she gave me was one of complete astonishment. You'd have thought I had sprouted two heads.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a negative attitude."

"Yes ... you do. And, to be honest, I'm tired of it and I don't intend to go on accepting it any more. If you're not happy with me ... if you want me out of your life ... then say so. I can deal with that. But this constant harping and nagging and the endless list of my shortcomings has got to stop. The one way I can think of accomplishing that is to leave."

She looked completely bewildered.

"Do you have any sense of what you say or how you say it?" I continued.

"I admit, you can be aggravating at times, but to call our marriage into question over a little thing like a leaky faucet is a bit much, Walter."

"It isn't about a leaky faucet. It's about how you treat me and how little affection you show me. This isn't something new, Natalie. It's been building over the last two years. I've made the mistake of not doing something about it until now."

"Do you really feel I don't love you any more?"

"That's the impression you're giving me. I don't know what other conclusion I could draw from your behavior."

She sat there motionless, her mouth open and eyes wide in surprise. After a few moments she looked away and then turned back to me.

"You're wrong, you know. I mean ... I do love you ... I'm sure I do."

"What does that mean?" I asked aggressively.

"I mean ... I can't think of any reason not to love you."

"That makes no sense. I think you need professional help."

"You think I'm crazy?" she asked in complete shock.

"No ... but you need some help in understanding just how you've been behaving. If you're in any doubt about what I'm telling you, I suggest you talk to Karen or Rob. Perhaps they can open your eyes. Apparently you don't believe me."

For the first time I saw a look of fear in her face. My voice had been quite firm and unyielding but not loud. It was a big change from my normal tone and she must have picked up on that. There was a "no nonsense" quality about it.

I didn't expect what came next. "What do you think is wrong with me," she asked in a meek voice.

"I don't know. Perhaps you are suffering from depression. That's treatable and not uncommon in this day and age. One thing is certain, you need help if you are truly unaware of just how you've been acting."

"Yes ... yes ... I suppose you're right," she said, looking completely lost and confused. "What should I do?"

"Nothing. I'll call our doctor and get an appointment for both of us. I want to make sure I know what he's suggesting."

She nodded, saying nothing. I wasn't giving her any room for discussion or argument with my attitude towards her. I was taking over if she hadn't figured it out. It was past due.

Dinner was a quiet affair that evening. I think the children had sensed a change in the mood and hadn't decided just what that change meant. I had a talk with them before they went to bed.

"I guess it's no surprise that your mother and I haven't been getting along," I began.

"Are you going to get a divorce?" Karen asked, her eyes immediately brimming with tears.

"No. At least, not now. I've had a talk with her and she and I will be visiting Doctor Holmes to see what we can do about her problems."

"What kind of problems?" Rob asked, looking gloomy as well.

"I'm sure you've noticed how unhappy she has been lately."

"She's been a real bitch," Karen said quickly.

"Enough of that language, young lady. I know what you mean, but that kind of talk isn't necessary."

She nodded, looking contrite. In the meantime Rob was smirking, obviously agreeing with his sister's assessment.

"She may be suffering from depression. It's a treatable problem so that's why we're going to get professional help. Doctor Holmes can recommend someone who can provide counseling and then we can get started helping your mother get better."

"Is she going to have to go to the hospital?" Karen asked.

I shook my head. "Usually, these kinds of problems are dealt with by medication and behavior therapy. We'll just have to wait and see what he says."

Both our children looked relieved at that and moments later we hugged and they went off to their rooms. I stood and watched them go. I hadn't relieved all their worries but they seemed happy that I had told them what was going on. There had been precious little of that in this household in the past while.

Natalie and I lay in bed not touching each other. She was emotionally fragile and I didn't want to create any new problems. I know she was awake as I could hear the occasional sigh and even a sob now and then. It was going to be a long night for both of us.

I called my office to advise them I would be late and would let them know when to expect me. Shortly after eight I called Doctor Bryce Holmes' office and requested an appointment for both Natalie and me. After a brief pause the receptionist said there was an opening at four o'clock that afternoon. I took it and thanked her.

"I've got an appointment with Bryce at four this afternoon," I announced as I returned to the kitchen. The children had left for school and Natalie was cleaning the kitchen counters after doing the breakfast dishes. She wasn't looking very bright that morning, a lack of sleep undoubtedly the cause.

"I don't want to go, Walter. I don't think there's anything wrong with me despite what you say."

She had reverted to her previous persona although not quite so confident.

"I don't think you understand," I said in my sternest voice. "You and I are going to see the doctor this afternoon. This is not a request or a suggestion. It ... will ... happen!"

Once again I saw the look of complete surprise come over her. It was out of character for me. I wasn't acting the way she had come to expect. 



"I thought I made myself clear yesterday afternoon, Natalie. We have a problem and it needs to be dealt with. The doctor is expecting us and we will be there."

Again, I was giving her no maneuvering room. I was getting used to being in charge and to tell the truth I was rather enjoying it.

"All right," she said haltingly. It looked like she wanted to say more but didn't. Perhaps it was the look on my face or the tone of my voice. I was leaving her no doubt about my feelings. 

"Come in, you two," Bryce Holmes smiled, welcoming us into his office.

Bryce Holmes had been our family doctor since we moved into our current house and Natalie had become pregnant with Robert. Good GPs were hard to come by and we lucked out with Bryce. We both thought of him as a friend as well as our doctor.

"How can I help you today?" the good doctor smiled looking at us both.

"It's a difficult situation to explain, Bryce, but I'll try and give you the short version."

I went on to explain the deterioration of Natalie's attitude toward me as well as things in general. I gave him a few examples and suggested it was getting worse and threatened the well-being of our family. All the while my wife had been looking everywhere but at the doctor. She seemed embarrassed and once in a while I got the impression she wanted to dispute some of my assertions but didn't. I found that to be somewhat strange ... not what I expected.

Bryce sat back in his chair as I concluded my synopsis of what had been happening in our home. Both he and Natalie looked surprised when I had told them what our children had said to me about the mood in our home. But other than that he didn't interrupt.

He looked at Natalie and asked, "Do you think Walter has been accurate in his description?"

Natalie didn't answer right away. She looked at me before looking back to the doctor. "I ... I think Walter believes it is accurate."

"And you?" he asked quickly as he saw me start to say something.

"I'm not sure, but ... no ... I don't think I'm like that."

I was about to interject when Bryce's hand went up to stop me as he concentrated on Natalie. "Why do you think Walter believes it is so?"

"I don't know. He's very angry with me right now. He's changed. He's not like he used to be ... always willing to do what I wanted him to."

Bryce sat back in his chair and made a tent of his hands in front of his mouth, obviously thinking. I saw his eyebrows rise as he put his hands on the desk and sat up straight.

"I'm going to suggest you both visit another doctor who's more familiar with this type of situation. I'm very reluctant to make a diagnosis because it's outside my expertise. Doctor DeVire is a clinical psychologist and I've come to rely on her for dealing with difficult behavioral problems. In the meantime, before you see her I want you both to make an appointment for a complete physical. Let's make sure there isn't a medical problem."

I nodded but I didn't see any acknowledgement from Natalie. We all rose and Bryce asked his receptionist to make appointments for both of us. She did and handed us each a card with the date and time of the physical. I made a note of Natalie's appointment. She wasn't going to opt out if I could help it.

"That was embarrassing," Natalie said finally as we drove home. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of loony."

"I did no such thing. I merely stated the facts as I see them. You're still in denial. You can't bring yourself to admit you are unhappy. I told you before, if I'm the one making you miserable then say so. I'll leave," I snapped, leaving no room for doubt.

"I don't want any such thing. You're exaggerating this whole situation."

"Let's let Doctor DeVire decide that, shall we?" I said, closing off discussion for the moment.

"Did the children really say that about me?" she asked after a few minutes silence.

"Actually, your daughter used a quite vulgar word to describe you lately."

For the first time, I sensed I was getting through to her. She put her hands to her face and was sobbing lightly as we drove toward our home. By the time we had arrived the tears had stopped and we entered the house to find Rob and Karen at the kitchen table. We had left a note explaining the doctor's appointment and that dinner would be a little late that evening.

I looked up at the clock and saw it was almost six o'clock and made a snap decision.

"Rob, call Perfect Pizza and order two specials for delivery. Karen, would you make a tossed salad, please."

If I had any doubt about the wisdom of my decision it was erased by the high-fives my children gave each other and the look of relief on Natalie's face. It was my choice and it had met with unanimous agreement.  

This meal was a little livelier as Rob recounted his surprise at getting a very good mark on a math quiz and Karen relayed the latest gossip about one of her girlfriends and her new boyfriend who was categorized as a "dweeb." Natalie was quiet but smiled and even chuckled at the children's stories.

My wife and I were tap-dancing around each other over the next week. We had both gone for our physicals with Doctor Holmes and were awaiting the results. When they came back with no negative indications, I made the appointment with Doctor DeVire for the following Tuesday and arranged with my office for a day off.

I was getting some flak from my boss about being away a couple of days even though it was October and far from the mad rush that March and early April would produce. Once again I was a victim of my own reticence about standing my ground. I was a long-serving well-respected employee. I'm probably the most knowledgeable of all the people in the office but certainly one of the least recognized. 


Walter and Natalie Ch. 01



I had been passed over for promotion twice and I knew exactly why. I seemed more valuable to the company in my present position and I didn't kick up a stink when I was passed over either time. I was beginning to think about alternatives for my fifteen years of service and one of them was to go out on my own. I had clients that asked for me by name based on my past ability to look after them. I took pride in having the lowest incidence of audit in the firm and my clients knew that. So did my employer.

But first, I needed to deal with my personal life. If my boss didn't like it, too bad. I had plenty of accumulated time-off that hadn't been used so they could just squat if they didn't like me taking a few personal days to look after my family.

Our first visit with Doctor DeVire was a disaster. To begin with, the good doctor was primarily interested in Natalie's story rather than the reason for my concern in the first place. She had either pre-diagnosed my wife or hadn't been paying attention to Bryce's notes from our interview the previous week. I listened to this for about ten minutes before I interrupted.

"Doctor DeVire, I'm not sure you understand why we are here. My wife has been exhibiting signs of depression or something else equally as disturbing. Her behavior has deteriorated in the past two years and I was the one to insist on her getting treatment. Am I making myself clear?"

"Do you have a PhD in psychology, Mr. McGuire?" she asked, a detectible sneer in her voice.

"No, I do not."

"Then kindly leave this process in my hands. I know full well why you think you are here but I'm trying to determine if your assessment is accurate. There's no point in my trying to prescribe a method of treatment until I've satisfied myself that I understand what the problem is."

That shut me up. She was right of course, but I still didn't like how this was progressing. For the time being I would remain quiet until I was convinced the doctor was getting at the cause of Natalie's problem or had some other strategy in mind.

"Now, Mrs. McGuire, lets talk about your relationship with your family ... specifically with your children."

"What do you want to know?"

"Well ... let's start with how you manage the household. Your husband is away at work each day so you have almost a half day that you are entirely in charge. Tell me about a typical day."

Natalie went on to describe a normal weekday from getting up in the morning right through until I got home in the evening. I noticed her voice was quite mechanical, displaying no particular emotion.

"Does your husband help you with the children when he's home?"

"Not really. At their age they're pretty self sufficient. He goes to the school events when he can. He helps with their homework if they ask him to."

"Do you help with their homework?"

"Sometimes. Most of their classes are on subjects I don't know much about. Biology, physics, algebra. It's been too long since I took those things in school and I've never really used them since."

"Yes ... of course," the doctor paused. "How would you describe your relationship with your children?"

"Fine! We get along just fine. They're old enough to look after themselves for the most part. I just have to remind them once in a while if they forget to do something."

"Do your children hug or kiss you often?"

"I suppose so. I haven't really thought about it. I usually get a kiss on the cheek from my daughter when she leaves for school."

"Has that been happening lately?"

"I guess so. I haven't really noticed."

"And what about your husband? Does he hug or kiss you when he leaves for work or when he comes home."

Natalie looked at me and blinked, then back at the doctor. "I don't think so. Not for some time. I guess he hasn't felt like it lately."

I almost rose out of my seat to protest when a quick hand-wave from the doctor told me to sit down and keep silent. Inside I was boiling. This whole line of questioning was surreal. Natalie made out that everything was just fine when I knew bloody well it wasn't. Worse, I wasn't being given the opportunity to dispute her opinions.

I sat listening to her questions and Natalie's answers for the remainder of the session. As I listened to the conversation I began to think of what I could do to check up on this doctor. I couldn't understand why I was there if my input wasn't wanted. I decided to have a personal conversation with Bryce. I was hoping he could give me some insight on her without violating a confidence. It was worth a try.

Our trip back to the house was virtually silent that morning. Natalie had gradually opened up to the doctor but I didn't hear any admission from her that she had been unhappy or frustrated with either her life in general or me in particular. It was almost surrealistic in content. It was as if both the children and I were imagining the whole scenario. My only hope was that the doctor was trying to get a handle on her view of things before she got around to my view. 

When we got home, Natalie went about her normal routine other than preparing a lunch for me as well as herself. She was either distracted or keeping her emotions hidden. I didn't detect that she was angry or frustrated. I didn't detect anything at all. 

After lunch I used my cell phone to call Doctor Holmes' office and left a message requesting he call me on my cell to discuss a personal matter. I didn't want Natalie to know I was checking up on Doctor DeVire.

I went back to work for the afternoon and found I had missed little if anything in my absence. As I sat at my desk, I began to think more seriously about starting my own practice and to that end I began to make a list of the clients who contacted me directly to handle their tax affairs. There would be no guarantee that they would all follow me to my business but I felt at least two thirds of them might. That gave me at least a start on developing a budget.

Bryce phoned me just after eight that evening and I moved to the workshop to talk to him. Natalie was busy in her room and I don't think she heard me take the call.

"Bryce, I need an opinion on Doctor DeVire. I know you think she is very good at what she does, but I was concerned about her point of view during our first session."

I began to describe the one-way conversation that excluded me and also her retort when I interrupted her to ask about the direction her session was taking.

"I realize it's improper for you to comment on another doctor, but I'm not comfortable with what took place today. I'm almost convinced she has an already formed opinion and isn't listening to my side of the story. Do I have options if I'm not satisfied with the way things are going?"

"Of course. You're not bound to use any doctor you're not happy or confident with. Is this going on your company medical insurance?" 

"Yes. They accepted your referral."

"Okay, then contact your insurer and see who the alternative doctors in this area are. They always have several that are approved. If worse comes to worst you can drop Doctor DeVire and chose another. I would suggest you give her a chance to develop her method before you do that. Perhaps she's just using an unorthodox procedure."

"Thanks, Bryce. I'll give it a bit of time but I have to tell you I'm uncomfortable with what I see and hear so far. I'm going to keep a tight rein on it. Thank you for your help."

I flipped the phone closed and leaned back against my work bench. I had to admit I was maybe jumping the gun on this doctor but she was giving me a very uneasy feeling during that hour we spent with her. If I couldn't shake that feeling in the next one or two sessions I would pull the pin on her and look for someone else. I didn't want to do that. It was hard enough to convince Natalie that this was necessary. Starting again would be even harder.

I hadn't said anything to Natalie yet about starting my own business. Since we weren't speaking to each other very civilly over the past two years, I kept my thinking to myself. The other factor was my lack of commitment to making a move. I wanted to. I thought I could, but ... it was easier to just leave things with the status quo. That was me ... think about it but don't do anything. 

My recent episodes with Natalie had given me a new outlook and I was beginning to think I should take advantage of my new-found confidence. 

I considered asking Natalie for her view on today's session but changed my mind. I would wait for next week before voicing my opinion. If she wanted to talk about it, fine, but I would be careful to be non-committal. I didn't want to poison the well before I'd made a decision about Doctor DeVire.

The week passed and by the weekend I could see a distinct change in Natalie. She wasn't demanding and she wasn't projecting a bad mood. However, I didn't get any sense that she was happy. She just ... was. Neither up nor down. It was disconcerting but at least I took comfort in the fact that it wasn't the "old" Natalie. 

"She's awful quiet," Karen said to me on the weekend. "She doesn't say much but at least she's not pissed off all the time."

"What have I told you about your language, young lady?" I said sternly.

"Sorry ... but you know what I mean. It's kind of creepy the way she is now. I can't tell what she's going to say."

"Just give it some time, Karen. We've just started the counseling sessions so it's too soon to expect results. I think your mother has had a real shock since this all happened. She's probably trying to figure out what's going on herself."

"I hope she gets better, Dad. I want my old Mom back," she said, tearing up.

I gave her a hug and told her to hang in there. I had to admit, I wasn't any more sure of what the future would bring than Karen was. 

We were a little less tentative around each other on the weekend. Natalie still wasn't very talkative or demonstrative but we did talk and didn't try to avoid being together. I did my usual weekend chores without any prompting from my wife. I would have anyway but it was nice to just do them as I planned, when I planned.

All the while I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't relaxed. I was tense and only the physical exertion of my chores brought some temporary relief. I'm sure it was the uncertainty about what was to come with Natalie. Were we going to be able to save this marriage? I hoped so. I was betting on it. 

I couldn't conceive of what I would do if we divorced and I couldn't have Karen and Rob with me every day. Divorce would be the very last resort. I would fight for our marriage with every ounce of energy I could assemble. I would not give up until the last chance was gone. I was not going to surrender. That was yesterday's Walter, not today's.

If I was upset with the tenor of the first session with Doctor DeVire, I was mystified by the second. It was almost a repeat of the first hour except the doctor spent the entire time questioning me. I found myself trying to second-guess the point of her questions. What was she trying to learn? Did she believe what I was telling her about my wife's behavior? I really couldn't tell. Some of the questions seemed irrelevant to our situation but I answered them as directly as I could. I had nothing to hide so there was no need to mask or distort my answers.

I did notice that the doctor was watching Natalie's reactions to my answers. I wasn't sure but I thought she might be making notes about them rather than my answers.  At the end of the session, the doctor gave us her overview.

"I believe we will need to meet individually once every week. After several sessions, I will suggest we meet together to review where I think we are. I'm not a big believer in dragging this process on indefinitely so I'll try and make my assessment as soon as I feel confident of my findings."

I felt a little more positive than I had a week earlier and decided to continue with Doctor DeVire.

"Do you think these visits are doing any good?" Natalie asked as we drove home.

"To be honest, I can't tell. I'm not sure what her method is. I didn't understand the reason for some of the questions but I gave her honest answers. Maybe our next session will tell us more."

"Are you still angry with me?"

It was a question I didn't expect. "No ... no ... not angry. Maybe I was a month ago ... even a couple of weeks ago, but not now. I'm just hoping and praying that this doctor can get to the bottom of whatever is bothering you. I want to know why you are unhappy. Once we know that maybe we can make some progress."

I expected her to argue that she wasn't unhappy at all but that didn't happen. Maybe she was beginning to understand and believe what I was telling her. Our morning session with Doctor DeVire was at least somewhat more on-point. The rest of the ride home was in silence.

To be continued

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.




Walter and Natalie Ch. 02



Chapter 2: Walk Like a Man

We continued to meet weekly with the doctor. I was taking a half-day off work each time. Five weeks later I went into work in the afternoon following a session and immediately had my boss, Peter Minshull, in my face.

"Look here, Walter. This business of coming in when it suits you doesn't cut it. I expect you to put in a full day's work for a full day's pay."

"And I told you I was using my sick days for personal reasons. That should be good enough. What do you want, a note from my doctor?"

"Yes ... if that's what it takes. I have to justify how this department spends its money and that includes insured compensation."

"So ... what you're saying is ... you don't trust me?" I was getting more and more pissed at the fat little man.

"We aren't running a charity operation here, McGuire."

"Do you know how many sick days before this situation that I've taken in the fifteen years I've worked here?"

"No ... I don't."

"I'm surprised. You micro-manage everything and everyone. Well let me tell you. It's been less than ten, and four of those I was in hospital after being in a car accident. Does that sound like abuse of the system to you?" I was snarling at him now.

"You better change your attitude, Mr. McGuire, or you'll find yourself on the outside looking in," he said, pumping himself up to his full five-foot-six stature.

"Go ahead. You don't worry me, Peter. I can find another position like that!" I spat, snapping my fingers.

"I could fire you for insubordination. Maybe I will!" He was getting very red in the face and I could tell his blood pressure had risen dramatically. 

Somehow or other it all seemed comical to me. I didn't feel the slightest bit of concern about my job. If he fired me I'd sue for wrongful dismissal. I was also pretty sure that my boast about finding alternative employment quickly was probably accurate. I was surprised at just how cool I felt. This definitely wasn't the old Walter McGuire. 

"Get back to work, McGuire. You're on thin ice here," he threatened again. At that moment I knew he couldn't fire me. Either he didn't have the authority or he knew there would be hell to pay for his pathetic power play. One way or the other, I had him by the balls and I was beginning to enjoy it. I would take particular delight in squeezing them every once in a while ... at least as long as I was here. When young Melanie Kiniski walked by my office a couple of minutes later, she gave me the "thumbs up" signal. I was sure most of the office staff had heard our heated conversation.

I drove home that evening feeling better than I had in a long time. I had stood up to my sniveling little boss and stared him down. I was getting to enjoy the feeling of being my own man. I was taking control of my life and I was receiving positive feedback as I did.

When I walked in from the garage, Natalie was standing at the kitchen counter peeling potatoes. I looked at her and realized that lately I hadn't appreciated the fact that she was a good-looking woman. Then I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I smacked her butt, wrapped my arms around her waist, and kissed her cheek. Once upon a time I did that almost every night when I came home from the office.

The look on her face was priceless. She didn't know what to think but she blinked, then gave me a half smile. Well, half is better than none. At least I didn't get an earful for it. 

"What was that all about?" she asked, watching me carefully.

"Oh nothing much. I just hadn't done it in a long time. I was overdue," I smirked.

Her brow furrowed, but again, I didn't see any sign of upset.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked as she returned to her potatoes.

"Peter Peckerhead tried to give me shit about the time off I've been taking and I gave it right back to him."

"You did? Do think that's wise? Couldn't he cause you trouble?"

"You know, Natalie, I don't think he can. I think he's in a position where he can't fire me unless I commit an axe murder or something similar. I'm the best he's got and he knows it. He's screwed me out of promotions twice now because he didn't want to lose me. I make him look good. So ... now I'm going to mess with his mind. It started today."

Natalie looked at me, once again unable to grasp the changes that I was exhibiting. This was not the Walter McGuire that she had married and whom she had once ruled with an iron hand. 

"So tell me, oh wife of mine. What's it going to take to get you in the mood for a romp in the sack tonight?"

Now I'd really flustered her. She stared at me as if I was a different person than her husband. Well ... in a way ... I was.

"You mean ... you want to ... you know ... have sex?" She seemed completely flummoxed by the idea.

"No ... I want to make love to my wife. I want to show you that I still love you and I'm not angry with you. It's been a long time since we did that, you know."

She was speechless. My little surprise had completely baffled her.

"Yes ... if you want to," she finally managed.

"I want to if you want to," I said in a much more serious tone.

She nodded, a small smile on her lips.

"Good ... then it's a date," I grinned.

I gave her another slap on the butt then stroked it a couple of times. She turned and looked at me once more and again the smile was there. My good mood was being reinforced.

Natalie and I aren't what you would call adventuresome in the bedroom. She enjoyed sex for the first ten years of our marriage and then things tapered off to nothing in past year or so. I expected it was the kids and maybe we had fallen into a rut, but for whatever the reason, we weren't as frisky and loving as we had been. One of my thoughts lately was to see what we could do about restoring our love life -- if we were going to have one.

She was very tentative when we went to bed that night. I reached for her and she came to me, holding me close but no more. She was trembling with nervousness, which surprised me. It wasn't like this was a first time. However, it was a warning signal for me to go slow. It was going to be up to me to initiate the action. 

For a few minutes I just held her and stroked her back and her lovely, round butt. She had matured in the past ten years and the enhanced curves she added had made her more desirable in my view. I willed myself to be patient and at length, it began to pay off. Her trembling lessened then ceased altogether. Then, her hand slipped down between us and she gently grasped my partial erection. My response was to fill her hand with my now growing cock while I squeezed her butt cheeks and pulled her to me.

We stayed in that position for a few minutes until I moved my free hand slowly over her tummy and toward her center. She had been softly squeezing my erection and I felt she was beginning to drift toward the moment when she would welcome my attentions.  

I began by stroking her labia slowly and gently with the pad of my index finger. She responded almost immediately, pushing her pelvis toward my touch. I took that signal to mean I could progress and I carefully pushed my finger inside her, curling it upward in hopes of touching her G spot. I continued to force myself not to rush and let things develop at Natalie's pace.

Her response became more pronounced. I could hear her groaning in my ear and her hips were moving more forcefully as I continued to move my finger inside her. I searched with my thumb for her clitoris and finding it, began to stroke it as well. That move was the catalyst that set her off.

Her grip tightened on my cock and she rolled onto her back, her hips thrusting toward my stroking. Her free hand grabbed my wrist and tried to pull my finger even further into her. Her voice was a mixture of groans and whimpers as she responded to her growing arousal. Then she began to thrash as she experienced her orgasm.

It seemed to last minutes but it was really only a few seconds until she collapsed back on the bed, gasping for breath and lying lifeless, her eyes closed. I rolled over to her and kissed her softly on her lips, then took a nipple into my mouth and teased it with my tongue. 

"Fuck me, Walter. Please ... now!"

I'd never heard her use that kind of language ever before. It caught me completely by surprise but there was a desperate plea that came with it and I moved to fill her appeal. Before I could mount her, she took the hand that I had been using to arouse her and put that very finger in her mouth, sucking it and licking it as she did.

I'd never had anything remotely more stimulating than that single act. I was so hard it was painful. I held my cock at her entrance until Natalie took it from my hand and proceeded to pull me into her. I had no chance to last for more than a few seconds. It had been too long since we had made love and I was too wound up to even attempt to prolong our joining. I might have made four or five strokes before I exploded into her with a force that I could never remember feeling before.

"I'm sorry, girl. I just couldn't help it." I was really upset with myself. I wanted this to be perfect for her. I wanted this to be something she would remember with fondness. A way to start us back toward a loving relationship. Instead, I blew my load like a fifteen-year-old kid getting his first hand job. 

"Don't worry, darling. I'm sure you've got another one in you. We'll just wait a bit," she cooed.

Jesus ... this was a turn of events I couldn't have predicted. First the language, now expecting me to finish what I had started. No complaint either. Maybe we were making progress.

She rolled out of bed and holding her hand over her pussy, she almost ran to the bathroom. She pushed the door closed and I heard the tap running, then the toilet flush, then the tap again. I guessed what she was doing. I wasn't going to be subjected to "sloppy seconds." It also gave me an idea.

She came back to our bed with a smile and a skip in her step. Her exhibiting all the signs of euphoria was a tremendous lift for me. She almost jumped onto the bed, rolling quickly over to me, grabbing and kissing me forcefully, rubbing her lovely, big breasts over my chest. 

I slapped her butt and rolled her over onto her back, attaching my mouth to one of her nipples. Natalie had fairly large breasts, now showing a bit of sag but nothing that would turn off any healthy male. Until she had children, her nipples were quite sensitive but afterward, less so. Just the same she seemed quite happy to let me play with them, using my lips, tongue, fingers, and once, my teeth. 

I couldn't remember the last time we had such an uninhibited romp in our bedroom and I wanted to take every advantage of the opportunity. I began to work my way down across her lovely, rounded tummy toward my ultimate destination -- her now-puffy nether lips. It had been a long time since I had given her oral gratification and there wouldn't be a better moment than now.

Natalie knew what was coming and spread her legs invitingly. I knelt between them and kissed her inner thighs several times before I moved to my final goal. She put her hands on the back of my head as I began to slowly draw my tongue up her lovely slit. The scent and taste of her was always an aphrodisiac to me and this time was no exception. My cock was responding to all the stimuli and her encouragement.

In just a few moments her hips began moving upward, seeking my tongue and demanding more. This time I slipped two fingers into her and hooked them upward to her G spot. Within seconds she was off again, her vocal bursts underscoring her rush to another orgasm. She had been as deprived of erotic release as I had been. What we had hidden away for so many months was now being released like a starving tiger from its cage.

Her cry of liberation was a desperate call as the waves of pleasure washed over her. Again, she fell back on the bed from her arched, rigid form during the final moments of her climax. I thought for a moment it had drained all the energy in her body but I was wrong.

"Now ... my love. Fill me now. I need you, Walter," she moaned.

I moved over her, then entered her easily, not needing any assistance from her. As I moved completely within her I stopped, then gently rolled her over to place her body on top of me. I wrapped my arms around her and began slowly, deliberately stroking into her. I heard her sigh as I began to establish my rhythm. This was perfect, I thought. I could last much longer now and after the two violent orgasms she had already experienced, I didn't think there would be any rush on her part.

I lost track of how long we made love like that. Once in a while she would raise her head from my shoulder and look at me, then dip down and kiss me passionately. I'm not sure we had ever made love with this intensity or this satisfaction in our married lives. Was this the rebirth of us?

I'm sure Natalie didn't have another orgasm, at least not of a magnitude that I could detect. But she was content and when I turned my head to look at the clock-radio it was nearly one am. It didn't seem possible we had been in this bed for almost two hours. I gently rolled her onto her side, continuing to hold her closely to me. I was still inside her but that wouldn't last long as I had begun to shrink. It didn't matter. Within seconds she was asleep, breathing softly in my arms.

It took me a little longer to fall asleep. I was still trying to understand just what had happened between us that set off this amazing night. As I lay there, I tried to recall every little detail of what we had done and how she had reacted. At some point I lost the thread and fell into a dreamless, sound sleep.

I would be late to work the next morning. I had slept past my normal six o'clock wake-up time and I didn't for a second worry about it. When I finally rose just after the children did it was almost eight am and I hustled to use the bathroom.

Karen and Rob were almost ready to leave for school when I finally appeared in the kitchen. As usual, they had made their own breakfasts. Natalie had prepared their lunches the night before, so they were almost ready to go.

"How come you're still here?" Rob asked.

"I slept in. I guess I needed the extra rest."

"What were you guys doing last night?" Karen asked without preamble. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Rob smirk. I didn't think this question was quite as innocent as she would have me believe.

I stopped for a moment to consider my answer. They were becoming young adults and maybe it was time for me to treat them that way.

"Your mother and I were making love," I said with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh." She was silent for a moment while Rob held his hand over his mouth, trying hard not to laugh.

"That's good," Karen said, then picked up her lunch, dropped it in her backpack and kissed me goodbye. No smart comment, just a kiss, a smile and she was gone.

I looked at Rob and saw the same smile and figured out that he'd let Karen take the heat if she asked the wrong question.

"Dad ... I'm glad you and Mom are ... feeling better."

I nodded. "Me too." 

Within a minute, he'd finished his breakfast, picked up his lunch and pack and turned back to me.

"Have a good day, Dad." And with a departing wave, he was gone.

Natalie wandered into the kitchen a couple of minutes later as I was pouring my first cup of coffee to go with the toast I had already made. She looked sleepy-eyed and her hair was tousled, likely having just got out of bed. She shuffled along in her slippers and robe behind me before wrapping her arms around me in a lovely, scented hug. The scent was last night's scent and I loved it. 

"Mornin', babe," I said brightly.

"Mornin', Walter," she mumbled. She was struggling to pull herself into a fully awakened state. She didn't release her hug, but just stood there behind me, bent at the waist, her breath whispering in my ear. 

"Sleep well?" I asked, putting down my half-eaten piece of toast and my coffee cup.

"Hmmmm ... very well. Best in a long time."

I reached back and ran the fingers of one hand through her hair. I heard her hum of approval.

"It's almost a shame to spoil it by getting up, isn't it," I murmured.

"Too bad you have to go to work. We could go back to bed," she said softly as she kissed my cheek and nipped at my ear.

"What's stopping us? I'm already late ... so what the hell."

She stood and waited as I turned and rose from the kitchen chair. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her deeply. She responded as she had the evening before. All that pent-up passion was bursting to be released. I wanted that to happen. I wanted her to let go and just surrender to it. I wanted my wife back.

We spend most of the morning in bed, now and then murmuring words of love and happiness to each other. I'd already called the switchboard before I had breakfast to let them know I'd be late, taking another "sick day" if necessary. I wasn't about to get an argument from Susan the receptionist.

We were in the middle of another lovely session when the phone rang.

"Let it go to the machine," Natalie groaned. I did.

That was just before ten-thirty. A half-hour later, it rang again, and again I let it go to the answering machine.

When we finally crawled out of bed and headed for the shower it was almost noon. We had made love to the point where I wasn't sure when I'd be able to make love again. Natalie was walking awkwardly as she led me to the bathroom and I knew that must mean she was pretty sore down there. I felt for her. We didn't even consider anything but quenching that fire of lust we had both been saving. I had a feeling it would be a couple of days or more before we could resume our marital activities. A damn small price to pay for the reconnection we had made in the last few hours.

While Natalie made lunch, I checked the two messages on the answering machine. The first was from Peter Minshull, and it was typically full of bluster and threats about my not being in to work for the second day. I erased it before he had finished with his diatribe and waited for the second message. Surprise! It was from Doctor DeVire. 

"Mr. or Mrs. McGuire, would you please contact my office regarding next week's appointment. I'd like to discuss how I would want to co-ordinate it. Please call before the weekend. Thank you."

Hmmmm ... wonder what that's about. I'll call her back after lunch. 

Caroline DeVire was in her fifties, I guessed. Not an attractive woman at all. A shade over five feet with a figure like a fire hydrant, and a face like she'd been in a few prize fights in her youth. That may sound unkind, but you get the picture I'm sure. She wore severely cut dark pant suits with low heeled black shoes. No rings, no jewelry, and not much make up. Does that description bring anything to mind about her likely sexual orientation?

Do I sound like I'm stereotyping? I suppose so, but when you're dealing with marital problems, wouldn't it be best to be working with someone who has some inkling of what the relationship between men and women was all about? I certainly thought so. Hence my decision to be the one to talk to the good doctor.

"Thank you for calling, Mr. McGuire. You've been very patient during the first sessions and that's been very helpful to me. I haven't had to referee any outbursts between your wife and you. I know we didn't get off to a very good start but I wanted to suggest how we might proceed with our next sessions."

Well, that little speech had pretty much disarmed me. I waited for her to continue.

"For our session next week I'd like to talk to the children. I want their perspective. I'll see them together so that they don't feel they're being interrogated. Do you have a problem with that?"




Walter and Natalie Ch. 02



"No ... no, absolutely not. I think that's a very good idea. We'll have to arrange for them to be absent from school. When would you want to see them?"

"Same day and time as your regular appointments will be fine. Please let me know if anything comes up that would interfere with that."

"Yes, of course."

"The following week, I'd like to see both you and Mrs. McGuire. I hope that meets with your approval."

"Yes, that will be fine. Thank you, Doctor."

I hung up and sat thinking about the doctor and my opinion of her. Maybe she was listening after all.

I told the kids about the appointment and wrote a note to their teachers and principal explaining their absence for that morning. 

"Is she going to ask us a lot of questions?" Karen queried, looking a bit nervous.

"I'm sure she will want to know what your mother was like and how you felt about it. Just be honest. Don't try and exaggerate, just tell it like it was. Rob will be there with you so don't feel you have to answer if you're uncomfortable with a question. Okay?"

Rob nodded and Karen gave me her "okay."

When they came out of Doctor DeVire's office that morning, I saw smiles on their faces and that really helped me. I had been nervous about how they might respond to the questions. They didn't need any more pressure at this point.

"Mr. McGuire, can I see you for a moment, please."

I stepped into her office and she closed the door but didn't move to her desk.

"Those are two very fine children you have," she smiled. "They remind me of my own at that age. I think we had a very helpful session and I believe they think so too. I just wanted to put your mind at ease and talk about next week.

"For our next session, I'd like to split the time between you and Natalie. I'll begin with you, then after no more than a half-hour, I'll talk to your wife alone. With any luck, that session may be our last for a while. I'm not a big believer in dragging this process out when I don't see the need for it. I have plenty of clients and I don't need to pad my bills to the insurance companies."

Another surprise! Only eight sessions in total? What was she suggesting?

"Uh, sure, no problem. I should tell you, Doctor, that my wife and I are getting along much better recently. You've probably noticed that when you talk to us."

"Yes I have, Mr. McGuire ... but I'm not surprised. I have a pretty good idea of what's been happening but I'll keep that to myself until I'm satisfied I'm right in my assumption. I'll look forward to seeing both of you next Wednesday."

"Yes ... and thanks," I said, still a bit baffled by her comments.

When we arrived home, I had a pretty good idea of what had happened during the meeting with our children. They were upbeat about it, thinking that their mother's improved behavior was a consequence of the doctor's intervention. I left it to them to tell their mother what had gone on.

Before I left for work, I told Natalie about the change in procedure for the following week.

"Doctor DeVire wants to change the format of next week's meeting. I'll meet with her for a few minutes and then you'll go in and I'll wait outside. I am kind of wondering why she would want to do that."

"Oh. Are you okay with her now?" she asked.

"Actually, I was pretty down on her in the beginning. I thought she might have some feminist agenda and I'd be made out to be the bad guy. Just her appearance is enough to get me thinking in that direction. It looks like I was wrong. Despite appearances, she has grown children and I suppose is or was married.

"Anyway, I'm changing my mind. I'm going to let her do her 'thing' and see what she has to say. After this past week, I get the feeling we're on our way back. I hope you do too?"

"Yes," she smiled as she hugged me once more. 

I wrapped my arms around her again and squeezed her tight. "We may have to take a night off now and then. We might overdo it a bit," I grinned.

"I am a bit sore but it's worth it. I don't think I've ever felt as loved as I do right now. Do you think we're going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm not sure we know what happened but maybe the doctor will help us find out so that we don't fall into the same pattern twice."

"That's the only thing that scares me, Walter. I don't want to go back to where I was. I hated that place."

As I thought about it later, I felt we had made a breakthrough. I wasn't sure it was permanent but I could sense an enormous shift in our relationship. We were talking ... really talking ... meaningfully communicating. I was no wiser as to the reasons we had got to this stage, but for the first time in a long time I had some hope that we would survive this ... whatever it was.

When we had been lying in bed between our lovemaking on Sunday, the morning sun had illuminated the room and I could once again see just how physically lovely my wife was. It wasn't like I didn't know it. I just hadn't seen it in so long that I had lost contact with her. We weren't that old. This shouldn't be the passage into a passive, comfortable life. I didn't want that, and now, I was pretty sure Natalie didn't want that either.

"The kids heard us that first night," I said.

"Oh ... oh, my. Did they say something?"

"Yeah. Karen was the designated interrogator. She wanted to know what all the noise was about."

"Oh, no. What did you say?"

"I told them the truth. I told them I was making love to their mother."

"You didn't!"

"Yes, I did. And ... you might be surprised that they were happy that we were 'feeling better.'"

"Oh, my. I don't know how I'm going to look them in the eye this afternoon. I'll be so embarrassed."

"Don't be. They're happy that we're happy. I think when we were unhappy, they felt a lot of pressure and it couldn't have been good for them. I thought that if they knew that maybe those days were over it would help them. I think it was the right thing to do."

"Did Karen really call me a name?"

"Yes. But I think you're making that all go away now. She was reacting with a bit of anger added to her frustration. The two of them couldn't do anything about us. They just had to live with it. I think you'll find things are different now. They are, aren't they?"

I was revealing my lingering doubts about us. As much as this past week was a wonderful change from the past months, I still wasn't certain it was permanent.

Natalie walked to me and once more held me closely, tilting her head up for a kiss. I understood what she wanted me to believe and I truly wanted to believe it. I didn't think I could handle her falling backward into that persona she had been.

To be concluded...

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.



Walter and Natalie Ch. 03



Chapter 3: A Different Life

Our next session was fascinating. As requested, I went into Doctor DeVire's office first while Natalie waited in the reception area.

"You mentioned that things were much improved between your wife and you. Can you tell me about it?"

"Yes. I came home the other night in a good mood and I suggested to her that I would like to make love to her. I told her I wasn't angry and wanted her to know that I loved her."

"How did she respond?"

"I don't think she quite believed it at first, but with very little persuasion she agreed. The aftermath was quite amazing. It was like turning back the clock ten years. No one is more surprised than me."

"Humph. That is quite interesting, but as I said, not as surprising as you might think," she paused. "I believe the root of your wife's unhappiness was you, Walter. No ... don't get all upset now. I don't mean that in an accusatory way. The reason I say that isn't that you don't love her or treat her well. In a way, you treated her too well."

I must have looked both surprised and confused.

"Have you always tried to do what your wife wanted you to do?"

"Yes ... I suppose so. I always wanted to make her happy."

"And over time, did this translate into your willingness to do whatever to please her?"

"I guess so."

"And the more you did what she wanted, the more she asked of you?"

"Probably so."

"Then, the asking became demands?"

I nodded. I could see where she was going with this.

"And then, in the last two years, despite your attempts to do everything she asked, she exhibited signs of dissatisfaction and even anger?"

"I get what you're suggesting, Doctor. All this developed because I let it happen."

"Well, that's the simplified version, but yes ... that's pretty much what's been happening. You became her servant, not her husband."

"So ... she lost respect for me?"

She nodded. "Her frustration and anger was a manifestation of her inability to get you to resist. To put a stop to her demands. To say no to her. She didn't want a slave, she wanted a husband. Someone to lead, not to follow."

"And you figured this out in just a few hours with each of us? That's a pretty quick diagnosis, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, but I'm fairly certain I'm right. One of the reasons that I had both of you together for the first two hours was I wanted to see how each of you reacted with the other. Your aggressive questioning in the first few minutes was quite revealing. You weren't happy with the way I was isolating you from Natalie. In the past you might have just accepted that, but that's not what happened. You reacted and Natalie's reaction to your reaction was quite revealing."

"So you think my taking a stronger role in our family life is the answer?"

"I think it will be a big part of it. That doesn't mean you should become the flip side of the coin ... selfish and domineering. But Natalie responded almost immediately when you pushed her into realizing how fragile your marriage was. Tell me how life has been around your house in the past weeks."

"Better. I mean, she is a little more verbal, involved ... I'd say happier. Having sex was just a natural extension of the way we were both feeling. Now ... it seems like she's another woman. As if the past couple of years didn't exist."

"Oh, they existed all right," she said with a stern look. "But this new, restored Natalie comes with a warning."

"A warning?"

"Yes. Natalie is by nature a submissive personality. It isn't difficult to dominate her, as you have recently proven. Did you not wonder why she put up so little resistance to your unequivocal insistence that she seek professional help?"

"No ... but ... I didn't give her any option."

"True, but just the same, you might have thought that with her belligerent attitude in the past months she would simply refuse to cooperate. That didn't happen, did it?"

"No. In fact, if anything, she was passive. Any idea that she wouldn't do what I wanted I quickly stomped on. I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

"Yes ... and that's the dangerous part. A submissive personality can be persuaded to follow the instructions of a dominant personality. You have become a dominant personality in her mind. You're going to have to learn to temper your leadership. I'm sure you don't want Natalie becoming the servant that you once were, do you?"

"No ... you're right ... I don't."

"I'd like to talk to Natalie now and then, when we've finished, I'll see both of you. All right?"

I nodded my agreement and stood as she went to the door.

"Natalie, would you come in now please."

My wife stood, looked at me for confirmation, then timidly walked into the doctor's office, the door closing behind her.

I sat in the waiting room, lost in thought about what the doctor had said about Natalie and her personality. It made sense but I wasn't sure I understood just what it meant for us in the future. I could understand the warning she gave me about abusing my ability to control my wife. 

Natalie and the doctor were only alone for about fifteen minutes when the door opened and the doctor asked me to return. I sat down beside my wife, but she didn't turn to look at me. Instead, she was facing directly ahead. I assumed she was deep in thought about something.

"Well, this has been a fruitful process I believe," the doctor began. "I'm very pleased to see that the attitude towards each other has changed for the better. I would like to meet and talk with you a couple of months from now to get a progress report. That should give each of you enough time to settle into a routine and be able to fully understand your feelings toward each other and your life in general.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked.

"Do you really think we are okay now?" Natalie asked.

"I think you're both on the road back but you're not all the way there yet. Both of you need to work at this to make sure what you've recovered is permanent. What happened to you didn't happen overnight and it won't be solved overnight. I think Walter knows what he has to do for his part. Do you understand what you have to do on yours, Natalie?"

"Yes. I have to speak out when I'm not happy, but not in an angry way. I have to make my feelings known to Walter. You said that it's all right to argue as long as we don't make it personal, and as long as we both work to a solution."

I was surprised at my wife's comments. Doctor DeVire had said nothing to me about her role. I was to be the leader without becoming a dictator. But she mentioned nothing to me about what Natalie must do.

"Yes ... exactly, Natalie. Each of you is an equal partner in your marriage. You must always understand that principle if you are going to make a long-term success of it."

I was reasonably satisfied with the doctor's comments. There was nothing contradictory in them, just common sense. I didn't feel the need to add anything.

Having decided there were no more questions, we rose and walked back to the waiting room where the doctor asked the receptionist to make an appointment for two months from now. We were given a single card with the time and date before we left.

"Well, what do you think?" I asked Natalie as we drove home.

She shook her head, a solemn look on her face. "I wish I knew how it got so bad, Walter. I never wanted it to." Her voice expressed her sadness.

"It's nothing we can't fix, dear." I saw her nod out of the corner of my eye as I concentrated on the late morning traffic.

"What she said at the last about an equal partnership," I paused. "That wasn't exactly what she said to me."

I saw her head turn toward me, but she didn't respond.

"It's important that each partner feels they are on an equal footing with the other, but in reality, someone has to be the leader. Can you understand that?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't mean that person gets to make all the decisions, but when it comes to the important things in a family, one of the two has to be the final arbiter. The doctor says that's my role," I said, casting a glance at Natalie.

She didn't react right away but after a few moments I heard, "Yes, that makes sense." 

"Are you all right with that?"

"Yes," she answered immediately. "I trust you. You'll do the right thing."

I was pleased and turned to smile at her. "I think we should stop at Mallory's for lunch. Maybe we have something to celebrate and there's another thing I want to discuss with you."

She nodded her agreement as I turned right toward the restaurant I had chosen.

We were seated immediately and I ordered a glass of wine for each of us. Once again, I was aware of the tension that we had been under in these sessions and it was time to unwind and talk.

We reviewed the menu specials and ordered our lunch, making inconsequential small talk for a few minutes.

"There was something else you said you wanted to talk about," Natalie said.

"Yeah. Here's something I want you to give some thought to. I'm not happy in my job. I do it very well and I'm rewarded reasonably well for that, but I have an obnoxious boss and no real long-term future. I think we need to discuss a change."

"What would you do? You're the only source of income in our household," she said, looking a bit alarmed.

"I've been thinking about going out on my own. I've been doing some calculations and estimates for what I could pull from my existing client base. I know what our company charges for my services and even if we got three-quarters of that from two-thirds of my customers it would make the business viable." I sat back and waited for Natalie to react.

"What would you be doing? Would it still be tax accounting?"

"To start with, but I have an idea that I could expand into tax avoidance strategy for some of the key clients. Get them out of problems before they get into them. Make it a package service. Other private firms do it, but not in our area."

"Can you do that all by yourself?"

"To start with, but I had an idea that you could help too with general office management. To begin with, I'll operate out of our home until we can establish enough customers to support a proper office."

"You want me to help? But I don't know anything about taxes."

"What you can help me with is administration. Filing, mailing, scheduling appointments, keeping track of billing and payables. Basic things that would save me valuable time and give you something to contribute."

"Do you think you can make this work? I mean, will we be able to keep our lifestyle like it is now?"

"I think if we plan this right we can double our income, if not more. It will be our own business. No one to answer to but us. Yes ... I think we can make this work," I finished emphatically.

She looked at me without expression, thinking long and hard about my proposal.

"You really want to do this, don't you," she said at last.

"Yes ... I really want to do this," I smiled in return.

"Then let's do it," she said immediately, raising her wine glass in salute. 

We touched glasses just as our lunch arrived. Suddenly, I was hungry and judging by Natalie's actions, she was too. I took that as a good sign.

Natalie watched me compose my letter of resignation that evening, then sat with me as we told the children what the plan was. There were some unknowns but the smiles on their faces told us that they supported what we wanted to do. Just as importantly, I learned how much more they appreciated our bringing them into the discussion. It was another step in rebuilding our family and an important one for our future.

When I delivered my letter to Peter Minshull three weeks later, I was anticipating a rather unpleasant response. I had given myself plenty of time to make sure I was doing the right thing for the right reasons. I had also used the time to prepare myself for this change.

Instead of exploding as I expected, he seemed to be in a daze, not knowing what to say.

"You're really resigning, Walter?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. I plan to start my own consulting business. I don't feel I have any future beyond where I am now in this firm, so I'm going out on my own."

"But ... but ... you're a valuable employee. You're at the top of your salary scale. We really respect what you do here."

"Then why have I been passed over for promotion twice? If I'm so respected, why has no one ever had the courtesy to tell me just what my shortcomings are?"

"You're too valuable where you are," Peter blurted out in unintended confession.

"Yeah, I figured that out. So ... you can easily understand why I would want to try my luck on my own."

"Look, Walter, maybe I can get them to waive the salary ceiling for you. Perhaps a dedicated assistant." The little man was getting desperate.

"Those are all things you might have done some time ago, but didn't. I let you take advantage of me so don't feel too bad, Peter. It's as much my fault as yours. Oh, and don't bother with getting me to sign a non-compete clause, because I won't. Goodbye."

And with that I turned and left the office, picking up the box of personal possessions that I would take with me. I knew my former employer wouldn't want me to stay knowing that I was going to be in competition with one of their divisions. I suspected I might get a call from the legal department, but I would deal with that when it happened.

They would deposit my pay, my vacation allowance and my unclaimed sick days in my account and I would be set for almost two months. On top of that, I had our savings, the children's college fund, and if worse came to worst, my 401K. I could get by for several months without any income, but I had no intention of letting that happen.

That night, Natalie and I e-mailed all the clients who asked for me by name, announcing the formation of McGuire Tax Services, Inc. There would be a much wider broadcast of the introduction but for now, I wanted the response from my regular clients. We would be following up by telephone for that. Let them try and stop that. The horse was already out of the barn.

In preparation for my resignation, I had sat with my wife and devised our strategy and timetable for execution. To my surprise and delight, Natalie contributed several good ideas and suggestions for improvements to my plan. She was immersed in this all the way with me and it felt very, very good.

The letters of incorporation and the printing of stationery and business cards had been done in two days, thanks to modern printing and computer systems. I had cards made specifically for Natalie, and I noticed the look on her face when she first saw them; happy and grateful. There were a myriad of details, forms, and arrangements that needed to be done and she took responsibility for many of them.

My calculations for the business proved to be both conservative and optimistic at the same time. More than two thirds of my clients signed on within the first month. We were over the first big hurdle. I was expecting that there would be periods of inactivity that would give my wife and me some time together. I was sure starting up a business would be stressful. In fact, by the third week both of us had more than enough work to keep us busy.

One of my specialties was business tax law; both state and federal. I circulated a number of flyers showing my résumé, soliciting corporate clients. They didn't come immediately, but one-by-one we gained support and by the end of the third month I had five corporate accounts. We were now at the stage of development I expected to be after six months. We were billing clients and developing an accounts receivable.

I had received a few threats from the legal department of my former employer, particularly when some of their clients asked for me by name, then finding I had left the firm, came looking for me. But that's all they were ... threats. In the end, no action was taken. The big corporation moved on with its business, probably never missing a beat.

As promised, we visited with Doctor DeVire two months after our last appointment and discussed how we were making out.

"I'm very busy with Walter's ... I mean ... our business, Doctor. Our life has changed a lot since Walter quit his job and we started McGuire Tax. It's been very helpful to me. I'm not dwelling on the past. I'm too busy with the present and the future," she smiled, passing her business card to the doctor. "Perhaps we can be of assistance to you?" she smiled.

Doctor DeVire chuckled and waved the card at us. "I'm a candidate all right. I'm sure I'm paying too much tax, but don't we all say that."

"I'm confident my husband can save you some money, but the proof will be when you decide to give our firm a try," Natalie said brightly. She was becoming quite adept at sales, I thought.

We continued our general conversation and how our home life was progressing. Both of us expressed satisfaction, and that was what the doctor wanted to hear. We weren't harboring any doubts and I for one was now confident we were back where I wanted us to be. I think the doctor agreed.

I remember the day when our first check came in. I could tell by the sender and the window in the envelope what it was. I called Natalie over.

"Since you're in charge of billing, you can do the honors," I said, passing the envelope to her.

The look on her face was one of enormous satisfaction as she slit the top and pulled out the check. It was for slightly less than a thousand dollars, but it was payment in full for services rendered. We hugged each other and whirled around in glee.

"This is going to work, isn't it?" she said as we calmed down.

"Yes, ma'am. It's definitely going to work."

We were both right. The volume built during the winter and by March we were awash in new business. So much so that I worried whether we could handle it all by the April 15th deadline. We were now working evenings and weekends to keep up. It would drop off at the end of April, but not completely. We needed to make it through until then.

"You didn't count on this, did you?" Natalie said late one evening as we finished up and got ready for bed.

"No. I had no idea we'd be this successful in the first six months. Once we get through April we've got to plan how to cope with this growth. It looks like McGuire Tax Services is going to have to hire its third employee."

"Can we afford that already?"

"Check our receivables, love. See what we have outstanding."

She opened the book and looked at her latest posting. "Is this right? It can't be. It says our current receivables are almost what you earned all of last year."

"Well, dear, you're the one who posted the billings and crossed off the numbers when the money came in. Is it right?" I grinned. I had an idea it was definitely right.

"Walter, I paid back what we borrowed from the savings account. We're ahead of where we were when we started and we have all this still to come, plus whatever new billings in the next two months. I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, babe. We've been so busy with the day-to-day that we haven't stopped to see where we are. It looks like we are in pretty good shape, wouldn't you say?"

She shook her head in wonder, smiling as she did so. "I'd never have believed it was possible. But, God Walter, it's a lot of work. We're going to be exhausted when tax season is done. How are we ever going to get a vacation?" 

"Well, we could shut down the office for two or three weeks. We know when the peak business time is, so we could probably plan for a summer vacation when the kids are out of school. On the other hand, if we had another employee we could just take off and leave him or her to hold the fort. If things piled up a bit, we'd be back to clear up the backlog."

"You make it sound so easy. How are we going to afford someone who knows what you know?"




Walter and Natalie Ch. 03



"We aren't, but we can find someone who knows how I want the work done and understands the law and our ethics."

"You sound like you already have someone in mind."

"Yeah. You guessed it. I think Mel Kiniski would be perfect for us."

"Who's he? I don't remember hearing his name before."

"He's a she. Melanie Kiniski. She's a very bright young lady who's been laboring in obscurity at my old office. I'm just hoping I can get to her before she quits in frustration with Peter's chickenshit antics."

"Do you think she'll come? I mean, what will we pay her?"

"Yeah. I think she will. She and I got along very well, and I think she looked at me as a mentor. She was pretty upset when I told her I was leaving, but off the record I told her not to go too far and to keep in touch. She knew what I meant.

"As for paying her, we can easily afford her current salary if my income projections are anywhere close. On top of that, we can give her a piece of the business or maybe profit sharing. That's something we'll have to figure out. If I know Mel, she'll want a piece of the business. She has a lot of faith in me."

"Do I have to worry about this young lady?" Natalie asked, poking me in the shoulder.

"Nah. She doesn't go for old goats like me. I think her boyfriend is a pro hockey player. Anyway, I'm not going to mess with her when I've got you," I grinned, grabbing and pulling her in tight.

"Isn't it time for our weekly roll in the hay?" Natalie giggled.

"I thought that was last night. This must be our third supplemental weekly roll in the hay."

"I'll race you to the bedroom," she taunted.

"Save your energy, babe. You're going to need it."

That's the way it had been going. We were working hard but having fun. Things were going our way and I could see that whatever our past had been, it was much brighter in the future. The smartest thing I did was to involve her in the business up to her neck. It gave her an understanding of just how much work I did when I went to my old office every day. But the rewards were now beginning to accumulate and with that came confidence in ourselves and our future. 

We made love frequently and enthusiastically. We quit worrying whether the children heard us or not. It was much more important that we connected so well now and with genuine love and affection. I could see that Natalie was getting tired with having to keep house, cook, and work with me at the business. I never heard a word of complaint from her but it would wear her out if I let it continue. I had no intention of letting that happen. 

We hired Mel in early May when the furor had died down and the smoke had cleared. When we tallied the billings, we were no longer a start-up business. We were moving quickly along as an established firm. Mel was pumped to be invited to join the firm as an employee with ownership options. 

We tried to continue to work out of the house, but it was quickly becoming evident that we needed a proper office. We contacted a commercial realty firm and they found us a small office in a nice area with a reasonable lease. The downturn in the economy had made several units available and we chose the one we liked the best.

The children would be on their own until we arrived home, but since the office closed at five and we were only a few minutes from there to home, dinner would be on the table shortly after six with a group effort. The kids were growing up and we were confident that they would be responsible with the new freedom they were given. 

We had added three more corporate clients and our tax-avoidance strategies was now a big segment of our business. We needed more staff and I set about looking for an additional person I could be confident would do a good job. I shouldn't have bothered. Mel knew someone who would be interested. I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be hiring an ex-professional hockey player with a fully accredited accounting degree. 

One look at the face of Carl "Rocky" Belland and you knew he had been either a prize fighter or a hockey player. The traces of scars and his mangled septum told the tale. But he was bright, knowledgeable, and willing. Mel would be his tutor in the ways of tax law and she assured me that Rocky would be a great addition to the team. She turned out to be correct on all counts.

Money was never going to be an issue with Rocky. He had been paid handsomely during his career, and wisely invested in real estate and other sound securities. Just the same, he was offered profit sharing and some ownership in McGuire Tax, just as Mel had been.

Looking back on it all, I shook my head at everything that had happened in the past five years. From the moment of the leaking faucet drama until now, everything I touched seemed to turn to gold. Good luck? I suppose some of it was, but in the end, when I knew I couldn't let my life go on as it had, that's when it turned.

There are five franchised McGuire Tax Services outlets now in three cities. Mel runs one, Rocky runs another, I look after "Head Office," while two bright young people are operating the newest shopping center kiosks. Natalie works only part-time these days. She's still the overseer of all operations when it comes to public profile. Despite the fact that she isn't an accountant, she watches the bottom line like a hawk.

I'm telling you this story from the deck of a cruise ship somewhere between Crete and Rhodes. It's our special vacation celebrating five wildly successful years. Yes, Karen and Rob are with us. Rob just finished his first year of college, while Karen will be starting her senior year of high school. Both of them are enjoying the spoils of our success, but it hasn't changed them. 

Oh sure, we bought Rob a car, and Karen knows her tuition at art school is already looked after but they've kept a level head on their shoulders. Maybe that's because their mother made sure of it. We still live in the same house and Natalie still makes the family meals, often with Karen's help.

It's far too early to think of retirement, besides the fact that I'm truly enjoying the business, even in March and April. Yes, it can be hectic, but I'm used to it and we made a pact early on when we first rented that small office. If we had to work late we took it home with us. Being with our family was more important than staying at the office.

I'm not the guy I used to be. Circumstances forced me to change and that change was for the better. It took a near tragedy to shake me up enough to realize I was responsible for my own happiness. The tragedy? Losing the love of my wife and my self respect. That's all in the past now. I don't have to act like I'm some kind of hard-ass, but if I feel strongly about something, I'll speak my mind. And Natalie isn't so cowed that she's afraid to speak up when she doesn't agree. Hell, that's what makes our marriage work. 

END

Editing by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks for their thoroughness and helpful suggestions. Any errors are mine.

As I said at the beginning of Chapter 1, I was of mixed opinion in which category to fit this story. You may rightfully argue that I chose poorly, but I hope that doesn't lessen the enjoyment of it.

Cheers,

Coaster2