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While You Were Sleeping Pt. 01

By: rnebular



All characters in this story are fictional and any that engage in sexual activity are over the age of 18. I hope you enjoy reading it! 

I wish to send a huge thanks to my editor Guinahart for her guidance on this tale. The story is a much better read because of the editing. Any errors found at this point are solely my own after making changes post-edit. 

This is intended to be a story about what I tried to express as real people with real emotions. I am not a fan of labels such as BTB and RAAC as those don't describe real people, only a theme. There are equal parts of sex, love, betrayal and hopefully some emotion in this story so hang on for the ride! 

******** 

Why does everything seem foggy? I don't remember what happened but it feels like I am more tired than ever before. 

As Matt woke up slowly, his body ached and he was sure he had dreamed about something but couldn't remember anymore. He blinked a few times to clear the fog from his vision, to see he wasn't in his own bed. 

Where am I? 

He looked around and really took stock of where he was. It looked like a hospital room or something like one. There were monitors hooked up to the wall behind him, the bed had those railing sides on them, and he felt like shit. 

One of the monitors on the wall was beeping, and soon enough a nurse opened the door to his room and stopped suddenly when she saw him awake. 

She smiled really big and said, "WOW! Welcome back, Mr. Jordan. I will go fetch the doctor, OK?" 

"Wait...Where AM I?" He yelled the question as the door was already shutting behind her. 

It only took about two minutes but it felt like eternity. The door opened again, and this time an older gentleman in an obvious doctor's white coat came in, followed by the same nurse. 

"Hello, Mr. Jordan... Matt, my name is Doctor Stephens. How do you feel?" 

"To be honest doc, I've been better. I feel like crap and not sure where I am or how the heck I got here." 

"Matt, you were in an auto collision and had a head injury. You had surgery to fix some broken bones, internal bleeding and lacerations on both your arms and face. We did every test and scan possible, as is normal for severe head injuries, and you were extremely lucky with only minor swelling in the brain. After the swelling went down we just had to wait until you decided to join us again, and here you are. I know this is going to be a shock, but you have been in a coma for nearly four months." 

"What??" Matt asked incredulously. "FOUR MONTHS? Where are my wife and my kids?" 

******** 

Jennifer and Matt had met in their sophomore year of college and both had been in relationships before. They both had friends that dated each other and had been together several times for group outings, as well as a few parties. 

Matt's best friend was named Jim, and they had been together since grade school. Jim was more outgoing, but the two balanced each other out well. Jennifer had a few good friends that she hung out with as well, but really had no best friend since Rachael, her neighbor, moved away in 9th grade. 

Matt was a little shy, so Jennifer ended up being the one to ask him out to see a movie together. He really liked her, but was glad when she made the first move. They were quickly monogamous, and come their junior year, they moved in together in an off-campus apartment where they lived until they both graduated two years later. 

When they graduated, Matt got a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Business. Jennifer got her degree in nursing and was in the top 5% of her class. They decided after graduation that they would move to Chicago as it was roughly in the middle of both of their families. 

Jennifer went to work in the Trauma center at the largest hospital in the city, and Matt got a job working for a large corporation. They were both very busy, but always made sure to find time for each other. They were best friends as well as lovers, and it showed. Anyone that knew them could tell that they had eyes only for each other. 

After about a year of their lives together Matt finally worked up the courage to propose to her. They were out to dinner at Jennifer's favorite restaurant and had just finished eating the main course. 

Matt got down on one knee and asked, "Jennifer, you are the love of my life, and you make me complete. Will you marry me?" He opened the box he had hidden behind his back to reveal a stunning diamond ring. She had tears in her eyes as she nodded her head saying, "YES! I love you so much, Matt!" 

There weren't a lot of dry eyes in the place, and a good share of clapping as the couple hugged tightly. They finished the dessert and went home to celebrate. That night was magical for both as they explored each other. If there was a record for number of concurrent orgasms, they likely set it that night. 

So Jennifer and her mom, along with her future mother, went about the details of the wedding planning. Matt helped some for things like the cake tasting and picking out some of the smaller details like placemats, but most of the major items he left to his fiancé and gave advice when it was asked for. 

The day of the wedding both Matt and Jennifer had serious jitters, but it was the best day of their lives. Matt waited anxiously at the altar as Jennifer's dad walked her down the aisle. As she moved he swore she was like an angel on earth, she was that beautiful. 

They exchanged vows and after they were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Jordan. They made their way to the reception hall for a night of fun and celebration. Matt and Jennifer cut out early of course to head off to their honeymoon trip. 

Their parents pooled together and got them a three night trip to an island in the Grand Caymans, in the Bahamas. The hut they had was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. They had nothing but time and each other to celebrate their love. 

The first night they didn't leave the room even for food, they just ordered room service. It was the perfect way to start their married life, and they were so deeply in love that they spent the first hour just exploring each other, undressing, touching and kissing. 

By the time the three days were up, they were both exhausted but very happy with each other. They returned home and began their lives together. 

For the first year, they were inseparable. They would go out every chance they could to see a movie or go to a club. After about a year, she got pregnant, and 9 months later gave birth to their daughter, Sidney. 

They stopped going out as much, but still went out some as their daughter grew up. After about another year, Jennifer got pregnant again, and had their older son Steven. Barely nine months after that she gave birth to their youngest son, Thomas. After his birth Matt had a vasectomy, so there would be no more kids in their future. 

As time went on, they still spent as much time as they could together, although with tough jobs and three kids now, it was not as often as they would have liked. What time they did get together was cherished and they made the most of it. They weren't teenagers anymore but still made passionate love to each other at least once or twice a week, usually shipping the kids off to one of the grandparent's houses for the night. 

By the time Sidney was seventeen she was a junior in high school, and the boys were sixteen and fifteen as sophomore and freshmen respectively. Sydney was involved in some sports but mainly was kind of a nerd. She studied a lot, hung out with a few friends, but mostly stayed in her room. The boys both played sports, but never the same ones. Steven was a football player, and Thomas (his buddies all called him Tommy) was a skinny basketball player on the junior varsity team. 

Jennifer still worked for the hospital, but had been promoted to charge nurse for her shift at the emergency department about two years prior. Matt had changed companies after a few years, due to some females sexually harassing him on the job, so he now worked for a smaller consulting company that helped out larger corporations temporarily. 

Matt had been on the way home from one of his consulting clients in the next town over when he got into the accident. It could have happened to anyone, but luck wasn't on his side that night. He had gotten to a 4-way stop, looked both ways, and saw an approaching truck. It looked to be slowing down, so he went across. 

Apparently the truck driver had been slowing down, but was also falling asleep at the wheel. He never even saw the other car going through the intersection when he plowed into him. The truck pushed Matt and his car a further two-hundred feet down the road, before the car spun off and rolled over a few times landing in the ditch. 

Matt was rushed to the hospital on a back-board and neck brace firmly in place. The trucker was injured but not severely, mostly due to his body already being a bit limp from being a sleep. The police also later found him slightly drunk, so he was arrested for suspicion of DUI and possible vehicular assault charges. 

Matt got to the hospital, and Jennifer had been working that evening shift. She was a mess as she alternated between crying for her injured husband and trying to continue directing the nurses to do their work. Finally she gave up and sat in the waiting room, sniffling and crying. 

Several hours passed, and at this point her kids were waiting with her, along with both sets of grandparents. A doctor came out in scrubs and gave them the mixed news. Matt had made it and would survive, however he was now in a medically induced coma to allow brain swelling to go down. They would let him down from that medication in about two days or so. At that point, it was all on Matt if he was going to come out of the coma or not. 

******** 

Jennifer's side of the story 

I couldn't believe it. I know I was in shock for a long time, but still have trouble processing it to this day. My love, my soulmate was breathing, but wasn't with me. I sat at his bedside for the first few days, even after they removed the coma-inducing medicine. I held his hand and spoke to him, giving him an update on the kids and everyone else. 

After a week I had to return to the kids and home, but came to visit every night for as long as I could, and spent the weekends with him. After a month of this, I still visited, but had to keep up a strong front for the kids at home. They missed their dad as much as I missed my husband. 

Matt's best friend Jim was also a huge help. He came around to help with the kid's events and homework. On the nights that our parents couldn't help, he stayed with them while I went to visit Matt. 

I now recognize that this was the beginning of my downfall. I had no idea what was going on, but at the time, needed any help I could get. With Matt not around, I was on overload pretty much every day with no outlet for my sorrow. 

After about two months, Jim invited me out for dinner on a Friday night. The kids were all going to spend the night with friends, so I thought it might be good to get out for a night. We went somewhere nice that Matt and I both loved. Even now, I recognize that everything revolved around Matt. God did I need him in my life. 

"This is one of Matt and my favorite places," I remember telling him. 

"I have only been here once, but it seems like a great place. I know this is tough, but remember I'm here to listen if you need a shoulder to cry on," he said. 

We talked all through dinner about our past, the things we liked and of course Matt. Jim made me feel a little better by reassuring me that Matt was one of the toughest guys he knew and would pull through. 

After dinner, he dropped me off at home. He walked me to the door and gave me a long comforting hug. When we separated, he gave me a quick chaste kiss on the lips, and said good night. The kiss was awkward to say the least, so I rushed inside and closed the door. 

I didn't know what to make of things, so did my best to ignore Jim the following week and let his calls go to voice mail. He sent me a text apologizing for the awkward kiss and just wanted to let me know he was trying to help during this trying time. 

Eventually, I answered his call later the next week and agreed to meet for lunch. I think it was understood that there would be no funny business, but we did have a nice conversation. It felt good to have an adult to talk to that understood the hurt of missing Matt. 

We left and agreed to meet again a few days later. He took me to another similar lunch at a bistro and we had some sandwiches. Again he kept things friendly and genuinely seemed to care. He invited me out to dinner and a movie with some other friends that Friday night, and I thought it would be good to get out. 

I was still visiting Matt, although not as much as at first. I stopped in to see him that Thursday evening and just sat with him holding his hand. I told him that I missed him terribly and loved him so much. I couldn't survive without him, and that every day was a struggle. 

I told him that Jim was trying to help, but he could never take his place. He lay there breathing, and for a moment I had a flash of extreme anger that he would leave me alone like this. The moment passed and was replaced with a deep sorrow and guilt for those feelings. Here the love of my life was in a coma and might not survive, and I had the nerve to be angry at HIM? 

"Honey, I need you to come back to me. I don't know how much longer I can make it without you," I told him. 

I went home and life went on. The next night, after work, I took the kids over to my parents and got ready to go out. I met Jim at the restaurant where we had made reservations. 

"Where is everyone else?" I asked. 

"They should be coming soon, I hope," Jim answered. 

We sat and had some drinks but no one else showed up. He got a text and said that the others wouldn't be coming due to something coming up with one of their kids. 

"Should we reschedule then?" I asked, getting ready to get up and leave. 

"Well we are already here, we should just enjoy dinner and set something up with them for later in the week," Jim suggested. 

"I guess since we are already here." I knew right after saying it, I should have just left but it was a nice place and I was lonely, so just went with it. 

Dinner was pretty good, although not the same without Matt. I was really feeling lost without him, and Jim was doing his best to be there for me. 

"I miss Matt too, and am so glad that I am not alone right now." Jim was so nice to me. It reminded me of Matt in a way. 

"I think I will skip the movie tonight, ok Jim?" I asked. 

"Ok, no problem. I will walk you out to your car then." 

He followed me to my car and when I turned around to thank him he was right behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and just held me, in a warm embrace. The hug felt so good, and yet I knew it was more than just a hug. 

He separated a little and moved his lips to mine. At that moment, it felt electric, and I still to this day have no idea why I did, but I kissed him back. After a few minutes of passion, I finally broke free. I felt ashamed and hot all at the same time, and thought of my husband. 

"I'm sorry Jim, I shouldn't have done that. I have to get going now." 

"Jenn, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't be taking advantage of you like this." 

He backed away, went to his car, and drove off with a small wave. I got in my car and drove home, ashamed the whole way. How could I kiss my husband's best friend? When I got home I went to bed and made myself a promise to never be alone with him again, and to go spend more time with Matt. 

The next few days I spent as much time as I could with Matt, holding his hand and talking with him again. I went back to work the next week and took the kids to see Matt after school and work. We did our best, but it was really getting hard to balance everything again. 

Sidney's birthday was coming up in two days so we had a huge 18th birthday party that we were going to have, and Matt would miss that too. I was near tears setting everything up for the party, but put on a brave face for the kids. She had a blast, and her friends all enjoyed themselves. My little girl was a woman now, well according to the law anyhow. 

Of course Jim was there at the party, but he kept his distance. He told me about half way through the evening that he was proud of Sidney and that I should be proud too. I told him I was very proud of her. He left shortly after that, and the rest of the guests minus her best friend Mary all left for home. Mary stayed the night, even though it was a school night. I made an exception for her birthday. 

The following Friday, all the kids were home and we had just finished dinner when the doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting anyone so got up to answer the door. It was Jim, so I invited him in. 

"What brings you over tonight Jim?" I asked. 

"Just figured you could use a little time away from everything, and to talk to someone," he replied. 

I thought about it, and decided a little time away from the house might be a good thing tonight. I asked Sidney to make sure the boys stayed out of trouble and that I would be home in a few hours. 

He drove us down to a local pub, and we sat at a table on the side of the place. I had a few more drinks than I should have, but I should still have known better. Jim asked me to dance, so we danced a little to the jukebox along with some other couples. During a slow song he moved in pretty close and wrapped his arms around my waist. 

I should have stopped him, but it felt so good and warm. His contact was making me wet, and for some reason, I wanted him so badly. We finished the dance and went back to the table to get our things. I thought he was going to take me home, but he drove us out to an empty city park, and parked the car in a corner. 

He turned to me and put one hand behind my head, running his fingers through my long hair. His other hand was rubbing my thigh and moved his face towards mine. My brain was screaming for me to stop this and open the door to run away, but I did nothing. 

When his lips reached mine I closed my eyes and kissed him back. Between the buzz and the electricity of his lips, I was getting very hot. His hand moved up from my thigh to unbutton my jeans, and then onto his own to unsnap and unzip his pants. Before I knew what was going on, I had my jeans off, and was sitting in his lap with his cock buried in my pussy. 

Matt was larger than his friend, but what Jim lacked in size he was trying to make up for with his tongue on my nipples. He had my shirt pulled up and his hands on my hips lifting me up and down on him. I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it, but we were just fucking, not making love. 

I bounced on him harder and harder until he grabbed my hips hard and slammed me down on his cock, spewing his cum deep into my pussy. I felt it all, and then he was panting while holding my hips. I still hadn't cum, and now he lifted me up and I slid over to the passenger seat. 

Realization of what had happened set in, and I knew immediately that I had just made the worst mistake of my life. I got my clothes back to somewhat normal and meekly asked him to take me home. When he parked in front of my house, I asked him to not come back, ever. He looked hurt, but said he would try. 

As I walked towards my front door, a sense of dread like no other filled my soul. How could I face my kids, let alone my husband when he woke up after what I had just done? I decided I was going to be the best mother I could, and just live with the shame of this night somehow. I would have to keep this horrible secret until my last breath. 


While You Were Sleeping Pt. 01



I was tired. When I got inside the kids noticed it right away. 

"You look tired mom, party a little too much?" asked my daughter. 

"Yeah honey, I had a few too many drinks, but thankfully Jim was driving so I was safe. I think I am going to clean up and go to bed. Thanks for watching over your brothers," I told her. I felt like shit lying to her, but there was no way I could face the truth. 

After showering, I went to bed and got up the next morning. I did my best to get through the day at work, and have dinner ready by the time the kids got home from practice or their friends' houses. We were eating dinner when the phone rang. 

"Hello, this is Jennifer." 

"Mrs. Jordan, this is Dr. Stephens, and your husband, is awake." 

I dropped the phone and slid against the wall crying. The question is, were they tears of joy for his recovery, or fear and sadness about my horrible mistake? 

******** 

Matt's side of things... 

I was awake, but still very tired. The doctor said they had contacted my family, and they were on their way now. I still had no idea what happened to me, other than what I had been told, something about a car accident? I would have to ask Jennifer when she got here. 

The door opened and my kids came running in, my wife right behind them. They all hugged me on the bed almost to the point I couldn't breathe. 

"Easy guys, your dad is ok, but not if you keep hugging me like that," I joked. 

My wife was at the bedside holding my hand, tears in her eyes. 

"Oh my god I am so glad you are ok, Matt," she said as a fresh set of tears made their way down her cheeks. She looked so beautiful, as beautiful to me as the day I met her all those years ago. 

She held my hand as the kids got off me, and the doctor came into the room. He explained that I would need some therapy after four months of not using my muscles, but otherwise should make a complete recovery. There were no signs of any head injury at this point, so in a day or two, I would be allowed to go home. He explained that I would need some help moving around until my strength was back to what it used to be. 

Our parents got to the room by this point and were standing towards the back. They all came forward with big smiles on their faces. Obviously, they were all happy to see me awake. I still didn't really remember the collision, but knew that I was lucky to have survived. 

Jenn asked if the kids could stay the night with her parents so she could stay in the room with me. I guess she really missed having me around. Afterwards, they all left and promised to check in on me over the next few days. Jenn sat beside me and held my hand as if we were the last two people on earth. She looked like she hadn't slept since I arrived at the hospital, and I told her so. 

"Honey when was the last time you got any sleep?" 

She sniffled a little and smiled. "Every night, but it's not the same without you beside me. I slept here the first week or so, but had to go home for the kids' sake." 

"Well, as soon as they let me out of here we can all go home together. I am sorry that I wasn't around for you..." was all I got out before she shushed me with a finger on my lips. 

"You have nothing to apologize for..." She said. It looked like she was going to say more but stopped. She had a sad look on her face but she looked at me and leaned in to kiss me. After the kiss she was smiling again. 

"I love you, Matt. God I missed you so much, and will make sure you know how much every day of the rest of your life...once you get better that is," she said with a sexy smile. I was still a little bothered by her mood swing, but let it go. She had been through hell, I am sure. 

"Hey, have you seen Jim while I was asleep? Did he come by to visit?" I asked. 

A dark look came over her, and she replied, "Yes he did. I haven't seen him recently though." With that she laid her head on my arm and whispered, "Good night honey. I love you." 

"Good night, Jenn. I love you more." 

We fell asleep and awoke to the sun rising outside the window. It looked like it was going to be a great day, and I hoped they would let me go home today as well. 

After the nurse checked on me, and the doctor came back to check on me, they said I could go home but would require several therapy appointments and a wheel chair until some of my strength returned before I could walk unassisted again. 

I was wheeled out to the car, where my wife was waiting to take me home. We got there, and she told me the kids were at school, but would be home after. She had taken the day off to be with me. 

"Let me know if you need anything at all, ok honey? I am going to take a shower, but will be out in a few minutes," she said. 

"No problem, I am pretty tired, so I think I would like to just lie down anyhow." 

She took me into the bedroom and helped me into bed. She pulled the blinds in the room so it was pretty dark, and then got undressed to get into the shower. She looked as angelic as ever, even after having three kids. I would never get tired of seeing her beautiful body, and let her know. 

"Honey, if you don't get in that shower soon, I may have to hurt myself some to make sure to please that heavenly body of yours." 

She laughed a little and said, "I might take you up on that offer later." 

She went into the bathroom and got in the shower. I wanted to stay awake for that possible therapy session, but was dead tired and fell asleep right away. I awoke to her light snoring as her head was lying on my chest. I didn't want to wake her up but had to go to the bathroom, so I nudged her awake. 

She awoke with a jump and looked at me funny, then said, "Sorry, was having a bad dream. Need something, honey?" 

"Yeah, I need to pee," I told her with a laugh. 

She got up and helped me into the bathroom, holding me up as I peed. We had been married a long time, so this didn't really bother me. 

We returned to bed after washing our hands. The kids would be home in about two hours, so I thought I might at least test out my physical limits before they did. 

I rolled over to face my bride and put my hand on the side of her face. I leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss, which led to several more, increasing in intensity until we were trying to suck each other's tongues out. 

She was still naked from her shower, so I tried my best to slide off my boxers and t-shirt but she had to help me. I really couldn't move around like I wanted to, so she slid herself on top of me, and lowered down until she was completely impaled on my hard cock. At least that one part of me seemed to function at full strength. 

She leaned down and kissed me and started rocking her hips back and forth. She put her hands on my chest and pushed herself up into a sitting position to ride me harder. I reached up and pinched her nipple with my left hand, as my right was massaging her ass cheek. She rode me faster until she was panting and then she stopped suddenly while yelling out her climax in an unintelligible mumble. 

"OOOHMYGOD...UGGHGHGGGG," she panted. She flopped down on my chest, and it felt so good having her breasts mashed against me, that I started bucking my hips up and down as much as I could until I felt the tingling of my own climax on the way. I pumped into her harder, and she was moaning again as she sounded like she was having another mini-orgasm. I gave her a few final thrusts and blew into her so hard I thought I was going to pass out. 

We both flopped down onto the bed and just lay, exhausted. I felt so good, I could probably have died right then. She was shaking a little, and it took me a minute to realize that she was quietly crying. 

I pushed her head up and look into her wet eyes. "What's the matter, baby? That was incredible." 

"I know, that was great, and I love you so much. Matt, I thought I was going to lose you..." At this she broke down, sobbing again. 

I tried to scoot back and up to sitting a little, as she still sat in my lap, still impaled on my semi-hard cock. 

I pushed the hair out of her face and told her, "It's going to be ok now, honey, I'm home." I smiled and gave her a kiss. When she didn't return the kiss, I pulled back to stare into her eyes. Something definitely wasn't right and it started to worry me. 

"What? Honey you are scaring me..." I said. 

She sat looking down for a minute, still sniffling, and then spoke barely above a whisper. "I am so afraid to lose you...Matt..." She got up off me and slid back down by my feet and sat still for a minute. "I had sex with Jim...I am so sorry that I ever did it!!" At this she put her head in her hands and started bawling as hard as I have ever seen. 

What do you say to that? I had no idea. I just sat for a minute and replayed what she had said to make sure I heard correctly. Suddenly the questions started rolling through my head and out of my mouth, "When? ...How the hell? ...You FUCKED JIM????" A minute passed with no answer so I started getting more pissed. "ANSWER ME!" I yelled at her. 

This shocked her a little, and she looked up at me, fear combining with the tears in her eyes. "It was the lowest point in my life. I have no excuses that matter but it was a couple nights ago in his car. OH MY GOD!" 

She broke down again. This was going to be a long sad process, if she kept up the bawling. Obviously if you didn't already realize it my wife was a crier. She cries at everything. My anger at the moment slipped just a fraction watching the love of my life in such pain. Too bad my pain was growing worse. 

I would have gotten up to leave the room, but was still way too weak, so I just grunted and rolled over to face the wall away from my wife. I don't think she knew what to do so she got up and cleaned up in the bathroom, then grabbed her pillow and left the bedroom, whispering "I love you" on the way out. It felt very empty after she left, and I had one of the most fitful nights of sleep ever. 

When I awoke, I rolled over and found my wife sitting on the edge of the bed on her side, head in hands and just shaking in quiet sobs. I had no words to comfort her this time, so just kept quiet myself. After a few minutes I moved around to let her know I was awake, and moved my legs to the side of the bed. 

She got up too, and made her way around to my side of the bed to help me get up. Awkward or not, I needed help yet getting around until I had more therapy, so I allowed her to help me. She got me into the bathroom and ran the bathwater so I could clean up. She left me in the tub of hot water and went out to get dressed. 

I had no idea what I was going to tell the kids. How do you tell them that their mother had betrayed their father in the worst way, while he was in a coma, no less? How do you tell them that the woman I loved more than any other person on the planet might not be my wife anymore? 

I had no answers for my own questions, so just soaked up the warmth and washed myself off. When I was done I tried to get up on my own, and managed to get up onto the edge of the tub and dry off. I got mostly dressed but couldn't get my socks on without help. 

"Jenn, could you help me?" I asked. I held up my socks to her when she entered, and she gave me a very faint smile before kneeling to help get them on. After they were on, she helped me into the kitchen to sit at the table while she served up breakfast to the kids and I. They all ate in a hurry and ran out the door to catch the bus. 

After they had left, the house was quiet for a few minutes, neither of us knowing what to say to the other. She eventually lay her head down on her arms at the table, and just started bawling. I did my best to get up at that point and head back to the bedroom. I was able to make it somewhat down the hall holding the wall as I went, but had to stop and rest a few times. Along the wall were our family photos taken so many different times throughout the years, I too started to cry a little as I pushed on. 

I finally made it to the bedroom and almost fell onto it on my back. I sat up eventually, but didn't know what to do after that. I just blankly stared at a family photo on the wall. I knew logically that I would have to do something about the situation with my wife. The only problem was I didn't want to. 

******** 

Jennifer is undone. 

I don't know how long I sat crying at that table. I had been doing that a lot lately, but it hasn't really helped me cope. It could have been a few minutes or a couple of hours. All I knew was that I had lost him. The one person that I had spent my life with, that I loved more than anyone else was gone, and it was entirely my fault. 

How in the world could I recover from this, or make it up to him? 

I heard him move down the hallway on his own, and he started crying a little, too, half-way down the hall. How in the world could I hurt that man? ME? The dependable, loving wife and mother of three...HOW COULD I? 

If I was going to go, I would do my very best to at least show him that I loved him and that none of what happened was his fault. I stood to go help him out but he had made it into the bedroom at that point. I went down the hallway to see if he was alright. I made it to the bedroom, and he was sitting on the edge, just staring at the wall where we had a family photo hung. 

"How could you do this to us?" he asked, in an almost ghostly whisper. 

"Matt, I am a terrible person. I still don't understand, but I want you to know that it had nothing to do with you. I love you so very much...GOD!" This was going to be hard, as I knew it would. "I can't take it back, but I desperately wish that I could." 

He didn't respond, just kept staring at the picture. I think he was in shock. I moved to sit on the edge of the bed with him and put my arms around him from behind, resting my head on his back. I was still crying, so his shirt started getting wet. I decided to try to own up to this as best I could, so I sat up a little and started talking again. 

"I will talk to the kids when they get home. None of this was your fault so you shouldn't have to deal with it." I had to sniffle a lot, but thankfully wasn't full blown crying anymore. "Matt, please believe me when I say that I love you more than anything, more than myself even." 

"How can I? I used to think that you loved me more than anything, and I want to believe that now but how can I? I know that I love you so much it hurts, and now, I just hurt." 

He was quiet for a while after that, and then asked me to leave him in the room so he could sleep. I left the room, but not before saying one last "I Love you" to him, and then shut the door. I went out and cleaned up the kitchen as much as I could. I would keep trying to be the best wife and mother I could, regardless of my horrible behavior. 

When the kids got home later after school, I told them that I needed to speak with them, and it was important. At first, I wanted to talk with Sidney alone and then with all three as a group. I followed Sidney to her room, and after shutting the door behind me, I told her an abridged version of what happened with Jim, without too many details, and that I had told her father this morning. 

By the time I finished telling her, she was beat red and looked about to explode. 

"HOW COULD YOU? Mom, what the hell made you think that was OK? You just killed our family, how COULD YOU?" at this she broke down sitting on her bed and started crying, whimpering "how could you" over and over again. 

"I screwed up. I know that. I am more sorry than you will ever know. There is nothing I can do to take away the hurt I caused your father." 

"Yeah NO SHIT MOM! What are you going to tell Steve and Tommy?" 

She was still venting, which I guess was a good thing. I had no idea how I could begin to fix things with my family, but I wasn't going to give up yet. 

"Honey, I know that I have made a huge mess of things, and will try to be as honest as I can to the boys but will try to spare them as much of the detail as I can. Please understand that I love you all very much and will be doing whatever I can to try to fix this, if it's possible." 

She just harrumphed and stood up, walked to her door, and opened it for me. I left her room and she slammed the door behind me, obviously still very upset. I felt like a death-row inmate heading towards the death chamber as I walked down the hallway to the living room where the boys were watching TV, waiting for me. 

"Hey mom, where is Sidney?" asked Steven. "I thought you wanted to talk to all three of us?" 

"I don't think she needs to be here for this. We already said everything we need to each other for right now." At this point, I took a deep breath for the inevitable fallout that was about to occur. 

"Boys...There's no easy way to say this other than to tell the truth. I made a huge mistake and cheated on your father, and now I am hoping to..." 

"WHAT?!" they both yelled almost in unison, cutting me off. 

"You cheated on Dad? Why in the world would you do that mom, I thought you loved him?" asked my oldest. 

"Yeah mom, I thought you always said that you loved dad more than you loved yourself?" asked Tommy. 

I started tearing up at this point, knowing that the pain that was just beginning in my family was all my fault, well mine and that asshole Jim's, but it was my fault for not stopping him. I was starting to pay the piper. 

"Yes, and I will regret it for the rest of my life. I am truly sorry that you guys will get affected by this even though you did nothing wrong. I just hope one day, you guys can forgive me for being so selfish, and that one day, your dad and I can find a way to work things out." 

With that, I couldn't contain the tears, so I just got up and hugged the boys and went to the guest room. I shut the door and curled up in a ball on the bed, not even getting under the covers. Why? Why did I have to be such a weak person? The shame of what I had done would haunt me forever, but I would have to try to be brave for my children, if nothing else. 

Tonight, I would let it all out though. I fell asleep somehow while crying into the pillow, having fitful sleep at best. Tomorrow would probably be much harder than today had been and I wasn't looking forward to the rest of my life anymore. 

***** 

Thanks for reading and part 2 should be out soon after I finish the draft and get it over to my editor. I welcome any comments or suggestions you may have, but will likely remove any seriously derogatory remarks if they do not pertain to the story or characters.



While You Were Sleeping Pt. 02



All characters in this story are fictional and any that engage in sexual activity are over the age of 18. I hope you enjoy reading it! 

This is a continuation of While You Were Sleeping, a tale of a loving family possibly torn apart by a coma and an unfaithful wife. The wife has just confessed to her family and is now going to be paying the price for her betrayal. The whole family will now have to deal with this huge problem, and will they survive? 

A huge thank you to my new editor Guinahart for graciously spending time working over my stories. Without her efforts, this work would be a much more difficult read. 

******** 

Matt wakes up to a new, nightmarish reality. 

Reality really sucks, at least mine does. What the hell am I supposed to do now? The woman that I love more than anything, and that I thought loved me the same, fucked my former best friend Jim. How the hell do we get past this? Can I get past this? 

First thing I need to do is get healthy again, then go kick Jim's ass. How dare that asshole? He was supposed to be my best friend. Instead, he takes the first chance he can while I was in a coma to nail my woman. 

How am I supposed to get better when I can't stand to be near the woman who SHOULD be the one helping me? I tried to get up the best I could, but only managed to sit up against the headboard. I probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed and walk without falling down, so I had no choice but to ask for help. This shit was getting old fast. 

"Jenn! Sidney! Could one of you come help me please?" I yelled out to the house. At first no one responded, and then I heard a muffled response from the hallway. 

"Yeah, dad, I will be there in a second," my daughter replied. 

She came into the room, and I put my arm around her shoulders so she could help me up to go into my bathroom. As we were walking through the doorway, I looked to the hallway and saw my wife in tears, holding her hand over her mouth. I would have felt bad for her, but that was her damn fault. 

My daughter helped me get onto the toilet and then left the room for a minute to let me finish up. When I was done, I pulled up my pants the best I could and flushed the toilet. Sidney came back in and helped me to the sink to wash my hands and face. 

We walked together out to the living room where she helped me sit at the table, and went into the kitchen. Today was the first day of the rest of my screwed up life, and damn was I still tired. 

"Honey could you brew me some...oh, never mind." I was going to ask her to brew some coffee but she was already putting the grounds in the filter. "Thank you," I said. 

Once she got the pot going, she came in and sat down across from me. I could tell she wanted to say something but looked very uncomfortable. 

"Sidney, yesterday must have been a tough day on you. Do you want to talk about it?" 

She sat for a second looking at her hands on the table, and then looked up at me. "Dad, I want to stay with you. If you and mom split up, I want to stay here, with you." 

I didn't know what to say. My heart filled up with some much needed love at that moment, and my eyes started to water a little. Hers did too. 

"I really don't know what is going to happen, but I will do whatever I can for you kids. You guys are my life." 

About that time my boys came into the room, and started getting cereal for breakfast. I sat drinking my coffee and my wife came out, dressed for work already. She still looked miserable, but smiled for the kids' sake. She looked like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. She finally sputtered out a quick, "I love you guys," and then left the house. 

As her car drove off, the kids all got ready for school, and Sidney helped me get situated back in my room. My mom was going to stop by, and help out during the day while the kids were at school. 

While I lay in bed watching some movie, I started thinking about how shitty my life has been lately. I had nothing but time on my hands to get stuck in my own thoughts. I thought that I had a pretty good life up until that accident. I was married to the love of my life, and had three wonderful kids. Where did I go wrong? 

Before I could get too wrapped up in things, I heard the front door shut and my mom yell out, "Matt, where are you? I'm here!" 

"Back here mom, in bed." I yelled back. 

She came back and sat on the edge of the bed. "Honey, I know you are going through a tough time right now, but you will get better. I am here to help you too!" 

She still didn't know about Jennifer and what she did to me. When I didn't respond right away she looked at me closer, like mom always does. She squinted a little, then asked, "What's really bothering you? You look like someone just died." 

"My marriage probably did," I managed to get out, before getting a little choked up. I wasn't big into tears, but the pain was almost too much to bear. 

"Jennifer cheated on me, mom. She confessed last night. I have no idea what I am going to do, but she broke my heart. The boys seem to be handling it ok, but Sidney is a mess. How could she do this to us?" 

Mom took a minute and then said, "I'm so sorry honey. I never would have thought she would do something like this. I know you two love each other very much. You can see it when you look at each other. Honey, I don't know what advice to give you, other than no matter what happens, your father and I will be here for you and the kids." 

She got up and kissed my forehead, then left the room for a bit. She told me she would make me some hot soup for lunch. Why is it that all mothers think a hot bowl of noodle soup will fix everything? I guess it can be a remedy for just about anything, including colds, comas, and a broken heart. She ended up making a really good soup actually, nice and warm. It made me feel better, even if only for a few minutes. 

She came back to the room to get the bowl a bit later, and told me she would sit out in the living room watching some TV while I rest. I put my head on my pillow and before I knew it, I woke up to hear the front door shut. 

I heard my mom talking, and I had to guess it was my wife home from work. "My son told me. I am very disappointed in you, Jennifer. Now, I have to get home to start dinner for my husband, but will be back at the same time tomorrow. Good night." 

The whole time, I hadn't heard a peep out of my wife. The door shut as my mom left, and my wife came back to check on me. She still looked like death warmed over, and I felt like she looked. Man, if I could move around better, I would probably choke her out right now. 

She must have seen the scowl on my face as she set her purse down on the dresser. She sat on the edge of the bed, but didn't say anything immediately. She looked up at me, and I asked her, "What? What do you want?" I knew I was being a dick, but there wasn't a lot of compassion in me right then. She just stared at me for a minute longer, then sighed and started talking. 

"How are you feeling?" she asked. "Your first therapy appointment is tomorrow. The kids have spring break coming up next week, so will be home from school." 

"I feel like shit. Why do you care anyway?" I asked. 

"Matt," she started, sniffling a little. "I have cried a lot lately, and you're right and wrong. I care very much, but obviously that didn't stop me from failing. How can I prove to you that I still love you with all my heart?" 

"Jenn, I don't know, but right now I can't think straight about anything. I need time to think, and get better. It might be better if you weren't around so much right now." I know the words had to sting, but at the moment, I really didn't care much. 

She got up and went to the closet to change out of her work clothes. As she got down to her bra and panties, I started getting aroused. My cock was betraying me, with no regard for my emotions at all. I looked down at it, and thought, traitor. 

As she was standing there looking in the closet, it reminded me of the first year we were married. Before we had the kids, we lived in a small two bedroom apartment. She used to walk around almost every night with just her bra and panties on. 

Jenn had always been the more relaxed one of the two of us. I'm not saying she was a party animal back then, but she initiated sex almost as often as I did. Of course, we used to have sex almost every night back then, but after our daughter was born we cut back a lot. I am sure it is pretty common for most parents, but still wasn't great. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. 

I really couldn't think straight with her in the room, in the house for that matter. I really wasn't sure what to do, but definitely still mad at her for betraying me with my shitty-ass supposed friend Jim. I will kill that fucker when I get better; that much is for sure. 

Honestly if I had to make a decision right this moment, I was seriously considering killing my cheating-ass wife too, love or no love. Then I thought of the kids and what that would do to them. If they lost their mom, and their dad was sent to prison, where would that leave them? 

I audibly sighed, and my wife looked at me before finishing getting dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She left the room without a word. About this time my daughter Sidney came in to check on me. Funny how I never even heard the kids get home. 

"How are you feeling dad? Can I get you anything?" she asked. 

"Man, I am glad to see you. Yeah, could you help get me up to go out into the living room? I would rather spend the evening with you guys than laying here in bed." 

"Sure dad." She helped me get up and walk down the hallway. I was starting to feel that I could walk a little on my own, but still would probably fall down unassisted. It was a miracle I made it last night by myself. 

I spent the night in the living room with my kids watching TV, and listening to them explain some of what they did during the day. My wife stayed in the kitchen busy cleaning up. I still wanted to both choke her and hug her. After turning my attention back to the kids, they all wished me good luck tomorrow for my therapy, and then went to their rooms to do homework. 

I sat and watched TV for an hour or two, until I got hungry and thought about dinner. My wife was our main cook, but I didn't smell anything cooking. Regardless of the past few days, I wondered what was going on. I called out for her, "Jenn!" 

She came in from the kitchen and stood in front of me. She had a different look on her face than I had been seeing since she admitted her cheating. She almost looked sad but determined. I really wondered what was up now. 

"I called my parents, and told them that we were having some problems. I decided it would be best if I went to stay with them for a little while. I know you need help, now more than ever, but right now I don't think you want me to be that person." 

You could see she had watery eyes but was holding in the tears this time. I had no comforting response for her, so just said, "That might be best, actually. I have never been as uncomfortable as I have been since yesterday around here. You should still call, and come by to see the kids." 

She just kind of nodded, turned, and walked off towards the bedroom. After a couple of minutes, she came out with a suitcase packed, and said she would go talk to the kids and say goodnight to them. After she came out of each kid's room, she came over to me and leaned down to give my forehead a quick kiss before I could complain. She said, "I love you Matt, please remember that. Good night." 

With that, she left the house and drove off. I was still in turmoil as she left, but decided that this would give me the time that I needed to cool off and think about things. I really didn't know if I would ever forgive her, let alone stay married to her. 

****** 

Jennifer goes home 

It was one of the hardest things for me to do, but I knew that I had to give him some space. I could clearly see that my being in the house was just going to constantly remind him, and cloud his judgement. 

I had been crying a lot lately, but at this point might have been all cried out. I guess I had a little left as I got to my parents' house, and cried when my mom came out to hug me on the porch. My dad came out and got my suitcase and purse, and we all went inside. 

We didn't talk much that first night, but it was probably the worst night of sleep I had since the accident. I had nightmares about Matt and a funeral, about Jim and that horrible night. I woke up before my alarm went off in a sweat, and couldn't get back to sleep. 

I sat thinking about the last few days, and where I went wrong. Obviously having sex with Jim was something that should have never happened, but how did it get to that point? I started thinking about the time that I had been spending with him, and it slowly dawned on me that he had played me from the start. Why did I let that snake near me? How was I so blind to see that he wasn't really trying to be my friend? Instead of helping me deal with things, he wanted to take advantage of me. 

At that moment I had no answers, but felt I should start writing these questions down so that I could try to explore them further. I wanted...no, I needed to have these answers, if there was any hope of saving my marriage and family. 

I got out of bed and got ready for the day. If I was to be awake early, I may as well get to work to get my mind off of things. If there is any place on earth that can keep a person busy, it's a hospital. After getting myself a cup of coffee at Starbucks, I drove to work and went to the trauma center. I told the out-going charge nurse that I would take over early for her, and she could go home early. 

I sat at the desk, reviewed all the current patients and my nurse roster for the day. I didn't often get to work with the third shift nurses, but the early hours of the day are usually quiet and pleasant. Today there were quite a few patients in rooms, but nothing that spelled out a crazy shift. 

One thing most people don't seem to understand is that the Emergency department is a very difficult place to keep organized. Most of the time is spent reacting to the types of patients that show up at our door. I'm not complaining here, I just wish every day could be more structured. Maybe it was time to start thinking about finding a job in a normal doctor's office, with normal business hours only. 

As the sun came up and the morning progressed, I hadn't stopped to think about my home situation much, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. I talked with Donna towards the end of my shift. She was a somewhat larger, older woman, but one of the nicest people I knew. She was one of the nurses that I had worked with for the last few years, and I valued her friendship. 

"I suggest if you are having trouble, you could get some counseling or something? I know that when Doug and I had some problems early on in our relationship, we saw a marriage counselor. You never know, it couldn't hurt to try right?" 

"Thank you for listening and being a good friend, Donna. I might just look into that." 

I gave her a quick hug, and we both left for the day to get in our cars. As I walked from the building to the parking garage, I heard someone yell out from behind me, "Jennifer! Wait!" 

I turned around and it was that asshole, Jim. What the hell did he want? 

"Jim what the fuck do you want? Haven't you caused enough damage already?" 

"I'm sorry Jenn, but I just couldn't stay away. I know Matt is awake now, but you have to know that I have wanted you for a very long time." 

"I don't give a shit. Leave me alone, or I will call the cops on you and file for a protection order." With that, I ran the last few steps to my car and got in. He was yelling how much he needed me as I sped off. That guy had a lot of damn nerve to try to come back to me after what happened. The first thing I thought to do was call Matt, but what would I tell him? 

I knew he deserved the truth, but would he want to talk to me right now? Would he even believe me, or would he just assume that I fucked him again? I decided to go back to my parents' house, and call to talk to him and the kids. I got home and told mom and dad that if Matt's buddy, Jim, ever came over or called for me, to tell him to go to hell. Without any further explanation, I went into my bedroom and mom followed me in. It was time to come clean to my parents. 

"Mom, I did something terrible. I cheated on my husband." 

"With that Jim fellow, I'm guessing?" she asked in terse reply. 

I simply nodded. I could see the disappointment in her eyes as she sat down on the bed next to me and put her arm around me. Regardless of how badly they screw up, mothers will always take care of their children, I guess. 

"I won't go into detail about it, but I told him afterwards that it was the worst mistake I had ever made and to stay away from me, forever. As I was leaving work tonight, he tried to confront me in the parking garage, so I told him to go to hell and leave me alone. What should I do?" 

"Jennifer I can't tell you what to do. You have to determine that for yourself. I will suggest that you never lie or keep anything from Matt. The key to my marriage has always been to communicate. We haven't had a perfect life, lord knows that, but we have stayed together because we love each other, and we talk everything out." 

Mom's words made me want to cry again, but I held it in. Everything she said was like more weight on my back, just piling up. I hugged her, then asked if I could be alone for a bit. I took out my cell phone, and pulled up the number for the house. I stared at that number for at least ten minutes, debating whether to hit the call button or not. Finally, I hit the green button and it started ringing. My daughter Sidney picked up on the second ring. 

"Hello, Jordan residence." 

"Hey honey, its mom. How are you doing?" I was trying to keep it together and sound positive. 

There was a pause, and then she answered, "I'm ok mom. What do you want?" 

"How is your dad doing? Did he get back from therapy yet?" 

"Grandma took him earlier today while I was at school, but he is home back, in the bedroom now. Mom..." She paused for a long time, "GOD I HATE YOU!" and hung up on her mother. 

I stared at my phone for a minute, and then set it down. I knew that I deserved that, but it still hurt a lot. My own kids hated me. My husband hated me. I am sure on, some level, my parents were pretty mad at me. I just wish this nightmare would end, and I would wake up to the way things were before Matt's accident. 

I went to bed crying again, wishing that I could just give up. 

***** 

Matt starts therapy hoping to get better soon. 

After the kids left for school, my mom showed up to get me ready and take me to my therapy appointment. She was great, helping me out when I needed it the most. We got to the hospital and went into the physical therapy clinic to check in. They rolled out a wheelchair so that I wouldn't have to try to walk all the way into the clinic. 

While we were waiting, I thought of my wife. She was somewhere in this building, at that big desk in the E.R., doing her thing. I wonder if she even thought of me while she was here. I sat in the wheelchair thinking about my kids. Thank god for my daughter. Right now she was helping out more than any kid should have to. I know she is almost an adult, but it still bothered me that she might have to grow up a lot in a very short time. 

The nurse came out and called us back. We had to go sit in one of the exam rooms and wait for a few minutes before the doctor that had operated on me came in. 

"Hi Matt, I am very glad to see you doing so well. I just stopped in to talk with you about your head injury, as well as check on how you are doing. The therapy specialists will come in after we are done to get you examined and setup on your program. 




While You Were Sleeping Pt. 02



"So first off, the bad news. You had some frontal lobe inflammation when you first came into the hospital, which is why we had to keep you under with medicine, to let the swelling go down. To be honest, you healed up from that in near record time, but still took a long time to wake up on your own. Every case is different, when it comes to head injuries, so I will give you the best information I can in general terms. There is a chance you could have issues with some of your short term memory functions for a while, or none at all. This could mean that some things that have happened in the last few days, or even the weeks leading up to your accident, might be harder for you to retrieve than older memories. 

"That said, the good news is that you had virtually no rear lobe or spinal injuries to speak of. Your brain functions were pretty normal after your swelling went down so there should be no major damage to your brain. You might have some scarring on that frontal section, but only time will tell how severe the damage is. Do you have any questions of me so far?" 

Wow, that was a lot to process. I thought about it for a minute, and then asked, "So, basically, it could have been worse, but my short term memory might be messed up. How long could that take to heal?" 

"Well, Matt, it depends on the amount of loss, if any, you have. Have you had any troubles remembering things lately or from before the accident?" 

"Doc, I remember everything from after waking up, but have only flashes of images from the accident. I am pretty sure the last thing I had remembered was earlier that day." 

"That's great to hear, Matt. If you start having any trouble in the next few weeks remembering little things, let me know right away. I will go out now and let the physical therapist get you going." 

He got up and shook my hand, and waved by to my mom as he closed the door behind him. 

Well, that was somewhat of a relief. I was a bit worried about my head, but from his information, it sounded like I was the luckiest man alive. I would have to do some of my own research at home about head injuries when I got bored. Lord knows I would have enough time on my hands. 

"Well, that sounded positive, don't you think?" asked mom. 

"Yeah, it did. Now we have to see what they say about the rest of me." 

After a few minutes of waiting, and mom filling me in on how loud my dad snored last night, the door opened again. Thank god for small miracles. 

A rather tall and striking woman came in and sat at the little desk. She had to be at least 5' 10" tall, and about as athletic a body as I had ever seen. She didn't have an ounce of fat hiding anywhere on her, and her arms and legs looked like she belonged on a track team or something. She had on what looked like a version of workout clothes, or maybe a biker's outfit. 

She introduced herself as Doctor Swinson, and she would be handling my care for the coming weeks. 

"Matt let me start off by saying this is not a quick process. While you seem to be in a little better shape than most for being asleep for four months, you still have a lot of work ahead of you. Do you have any questions for me before we get started?" 

"I am sure you get this a lot, but how soon do you think I will be able to walk on my own?" I asked. 

"Well it all depends on how hard you work at it, and how quickly your muscles respond to the treatment. Hopefully, be up and walking on your own without assistance in a few weeks, but there are no guarantees. I have found that most of the time, the speed of recovery is determined by the will power of the patient. This recovery is as much a mental recovery as it is a physical one, so we need to make sure you give it your all." 

"I guess that sounds good, thanks Doc. Let's get started?" 

"Sure, so first we need to examine your current abilities to see where we need to work on the most, as well as where to start." 

With that she got up, opened the door and asked my mom to wheel me out to the main therapy area. There were all sorts of bars on the wall, ropes hanging, weight lifting machines, and even a table in one corner that looked like a massage table or something. 

We got to an area where there were some mats on the floor, and she asked if I could get up on my own. I tried to get up on my own, but needed mom's help to fully get out of the chair. She asked if I could stand up without help, but I knew that I probably couldn't. She asked if I could try, and I did try to stand there for a minute before wobbling and having mom reach out to help me stay steady. 

She asked me to get down on the mats on the floor, on my back. Mom helped me down onto my back, and the doctor began running all sorts of motion and feedback tests, at least that's what she called them. Basically, she had me push against her hands with my legs and arms, neck, and so forth. 

This took almost an hour, but by the time we were done, I was exhausted. She asked mom to help her lift me up into the chair, and together they got me sitting back up. She asked mom to wheel me back into the exam room and wait while she wrote up some quick notes. 

She came into the room a few minutes later with a big smile on her face. 

"I have some good news for you, Mr. Jordan. You are actually doing quite well and should recovery nicely after some intense therapy. It will require a lot of effort on your part, but I couldn't find any evidence of nerve damage or possible motor control problems. 

"Your main problem is atrophy. Your muscles were sitting still for long enough that they need exercise to get back to what they used to be. Thankfully, your coma, while it seems long, was relatively short. If you had been out for a lot longer, you would likely need years of therapy just to walk again." 

She paused for a minute to let the news sink in, and then went on. "You will need rigorous therapy at least three days a week, with continued exercises at home as well. Here are some basics you can get started on today when you get home, and we will train you in the coming days on some more advanced stuff you can do at home." She handed me a packet of papers stapled together, and asked "Any questions?" 

"No I don't think so, but if I do, I will call your office, ok?" 

"Sure, that sounds good. It was a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to working with you on your recovery." 

With that she stood up, shook our hands, and then opened the door. She walked out to the receptionist, and asked her to schedule me for three times a week for the next month. 

After we left, I went home feeling a little better. At least my health was on the mend, unlike my marriage. Thankfully I hadn't thought about my problems at home the whole time I was in with the doctor. 

We got home, and I got settled in at the house. I was reading over the pamphlet and was pretty sure I could do most of these things, so I found a few that I could do while sitting in bed. I started with my legs, with some simple leg lifts and knee bends. I was at it for a few minutes, but got sore pretty quickly. I did the same types of exercise meant for the arms until they, too, were screaming to my brain in pain. 

After, I lay down and took a nap. After a while, mom came in to let me know she was taking off and the kids should be home pretty soon. I just nodded and went back to sleep. I woke up later to the sound of the phone ringing, and my daughter answered it. 

I guess it was Jenn, because at the end of the call she yelled that she hated her and slammed down the phone. I would need to talk with my daughter about her anger, even if I, too, felt the same right now. 

She came in to check on me, and then went out to the kitchen to make some food. She wasn't an executive chef yet, but she knew how to cook a lot more than I ever knew. She told me she learned from cooking channel shows and from mom. 

She helped me into the chair at our dining room table, and then went to finish up dinner. I asked the boys if they needed any help with their homework, but they said that Sidney already helped them with it. 

That brought a tear to my eye. My little girl had to grow up too quickly because of all this, and it hurt that I couldn't do much about it. The kids all sat at the table, and we ate a very nice hamburger casserole that Sidney had made. 

The conversation was light, but I think we all needed that right then. Steven mentioned that he got into trouble at school, but nothing major. He said his second period math teacher gave him a warning for talking during a test. Tommy said he had tryouts for the baseball team coming up the week after spring break. Sidney just asked how I was doing and how therapy went. 

"Guys, it sounds like I will still be out of it and needing help for a while. The good news is that I hope to be up and walking around without help soon. As for everything going on around here at the house, all I can tell you is that we will take things one day at a time." 

"Well dad, you have our support. You can count on us." Sidney said with a smile. 

"Thanks hon, that means a lot, really. Ok, let's clean up this mess, well could you guys? Then maybe we could watch a movie on-demand?" I asked. 

They all stood up and started clearing the table. I was so proud of them at that moment. If there was anything to get me through this, it would be them. After they cleaned up, they helped me get comfortable on the recliner, and we all sat and watched a new action movie about an earthquake that had just come out. 

After the movie, Sidney helped me get to my room, turned around while I got into PJ's, and then helped me to the bathroom again. Thank god she didn't seem too embarrassed, because I sure was. I slept ok that night, but still had a lot of unresolved thoughts circling around in my head. 

For the rest of the week it was pretty much the same. Jenn came by twice to spend some time with the kids, and you could tell she wanted to talk with me, but there just wasn't much to say right then. I did tell her that perhaps we should try talking sometime soon, but to be honest, I was dreading it. Mom got me to my therapy appointments, and that hot doctor worked my ass off. I hurt so badly, but she said I was making great progress. 

That weekend when Jenn came by, she took the boys out to a nice lunch and some shopping. Sidney said she didn't feel like going with, and I could tell that it hurt Jenn. Part of me felt really good about that, and part of me now just felt sad. She was learning the price of her weakness. I still had to figure out what I was going to do about my asshole ex-friend, but wanted to get better first before handling him. 

After Jenn brought the kids back, she asked if we could talk. The kids went outside for a bit to give us a chance to talk. Sidney asked one last time if I was ok, then said she would be back to check on me. She was going to make a great mom someday. 

"Matt, I miss you so much. You have to know that, and that I love you so much." 

"Jenn, do you think I don't miss you too? We were supposed to grow old together. We were so good together, and I thought you would be by my side forever. Where did I go wrong?" 

"You didn't Matt, god! How could you think this was your fault?" 

"I just don't understand. Was Jim that good or ..." 

"No, HELL NO!" she interrupted me. "Sorry, just you are the only man I have ever loved. You are the only man I ever want to be with, and I am so ashamed that I let him make me question myself." She paused for a minute, so I just waited her out. "Matt I am going to be completely honest with you, and hope that you believe me. Jim stopped by the hospital again, and I told him to leave me alone or I would call the cops on him." 

"What did he want from you, another good fucking?" I said with some spite. Just hearing his name made my stomach churn. 

"He made it sound like he has been in love with me for a long time, and was hoping I felt the same. I told him to go to hell, and never come near me again. I just wanted you to know." 

Another pause, and then she started talking again. "What about us, Matt? Is there a chance for you and me? Do you think we could talk to a counselor or something? I am at the end of my rope here, and have no idea how to live without you." 

I was starting to get a little pissed off at her, and seriously wanted to kill Jim now. "Jenn, if you want to go see a counselor, then go for it. It might help you sort out why you let another man put his dick in you. As for me going, I will think about it. It might help me out, but then again it could just be a waste of time. As for Jim, if you see him again you tell him that I am going to fucking kill him if he doesn't leave you the hell alone." 

I half expected her to start crying right then. She was getting better about it, but she had always been a very wet-eyed woman. She did have some tears, but wasn't bawling. My rage didn't last too long, so I figured we better wrap this up. 

"If you set something up, I will try it out, OK?" 

She looked up with a little hope. "OK, honey." She grabbed her purse, turned to me as she was walking out the door and said, "I love you, bye." I heard her get in her car and drive off, as the kids came back in the house. 

"So dad, when is mom going to be coming home?" asked Tommy. 

"I am not sure guys, but we might be going to see a counselor, to see if that helps. I just don't know," I said. 

The next week was spring break, so the kids were home with me most of the time. Steven went to his buddy's house one night, and Tommy said he wanted to go out on a date with a girl on another. Mom came by to take me to therapy still, and I still hurt after every one of my sessions. I think it was starting to help some though, as I was able to stand up to go pee, instead of having to sit now. It's sad that I was marking my healing progress by that measure. I think my next major goal should be to jerk off with my left hand instead of my right. I chuckled at that a little. 

On Thursday of that week, my wife called me to tell me that she started seeing someone, and wondered if I would be willing to meet with them the following Tuesday. I told her I would, but made it clear that if I didn't like it, I would not be going back. 

I had a lot of time on my hands, so began to think about what I was going to do to Jim. He really does deserve to get his ass kicked, or something. I still can't believe he would do that. He must really have it bad for my wife, to ruin a life-long friendship that I thought we had. 

The next week I went to the counselor, and wasn't shocked when it was a woman. She looked to be in her mid-fifties and had a very professional look about her. Her name was Doctor McGregor, but preferred to be called Rose. I was a bit apprehensive to be in her office, but she was not aggressive in any way. Sidney came with me and waited out in the lobby while I talked with the doctor alone. 

"Mr. Jordan I asked your wife to sit out this one time, so that I could talk with you alone first. Do you mind if we jump right in? Good. Your wife told me her side of things, but I am interested in talking about you and your marriage before your accident. Can you tell me more about how you two met?" 

"I guess. Jenn and I met in college, which I am sure she already told you. She and I had some of the same friends, and we ended up dating. At the time, I thought she was the most beautiful woman ever. She still is, but as you can guess I am not very happy with her right now. 

"After we dated for a while, I just knew she would be my wife. We got along great, and had so much in common. I had never felt so alive with anyone before, and had never been with a woman as easy going as her." 

She wrote a few notes as I talked, and looked up when I finished. "So, how was your love life back then? Did you two have sex often?" 

"Well, yeah, we did. We were both young and in love. She wasn't wild or anything like that, but we both really made sure the other was taken care of." 

More notes. I get it, she was a shrink, but the note-taking was going to get old fast. "Mr. Jordan..." 

"Please, call me Matt." I said. 

"Ok, Matt. Could you tell me more about your life after college and your wedding?" 

"Well after we graduated... no... take that back. We got engaged while we were both seniors, but decided to wait until we graduated to get married. We had a big church wedding, and it was probably one of the best days of my life. After a great island getaway honeymoon, we came back here to be together." 

"Thank you for being open with me, Matt. I am sure this isn't easy for you, especially with everything going on. We are nearing the end of the session time but would you be willing to come back with your wife in about two weeks? I have a few more one-on-one sessions with her before I want to bring you both together." 

"I would be ok with that. Doc, be honest with me. Do you think we have a chance to work this out?" 

"That depends entirely on the two of you. I will do my best to foster a good place for you both to communicate your problems, but ultimately, any decision has to happen between you and your wife." 

I thanked her and left with my mom. At this point I was able to walk most of the way without help, but still, she held my arm. 

The next two weeks were spent doing a lot of the same. I was going to my therapy sessions, talking with the kids and my mom, and Jenn came over several times a week to see the kids. Sidney was still helping me out a lot, and still gave her mother the cold shoulder. I told her that she should try not to let the issues between Jenn and I get in the way of her bond with her mother. I think she felt almost as betrayed as I did, most of the time. 

We had a few of the joint sessions together, but sadly, I was getting no closer to forgiving my wife than I had when we started. Maybe this wasn't going to work out after all? 

A few more weeks of therapy, and I would be scaled back to just a weekly office visit to see how I was doing. I couldn't wait to be done with all those exercises, even though the therapist told me that I would need to continue with the home work-outs for a while after she was done with me. All I know is that day couldn't come soon enough, so I could get back to work. 

******* 

Jennifer is trying 

So after a few of the sessions with Doctor McGregor, I was starting to realize that maybe I had always been weak willed. She asked me a lot of questions about my past, before I dated Matt, and even before I went to college. 

I told her that my parents were both caring people, and I thought I had a pretty good childhood. My best friend at the time was like my protector. She was a tougher girl named Rachael, and she always had my back. I was heart-broken when she moved away in the 9th grade. High School was tough, but I made it through. 

I had dated a few boys in my Junior and Senior years, but only had sex with two. Both were pretty lousy, but I had always just chalked that up to age and lack of experience. I had never been a loose or easy woman in college, even before meeting Matt. I will say that my friend Tammy did drag me out to a lot of parties, but I thought I fended off the guys pretty well most of the time. I am going to be honest, I wasn't a nun either though, and did have sex with a few of them. None just seemed to really do it for me. 

When I met Matt, we just clicked. Unlike most of the other guys that I knew, he wasn't very pushy to try to get into my pants. Maybe that's one of the things I liked about him most at the time. He truly seemed to be a nice guy. I had to make the first move and ask him out. 

I had always just thought of myself as a "go with the flow" kind of gal, but maybe part of my problem was that I was easily persuaded. I had always thought I was good about turning down the guys that didn't interest me, or after I was married, but perhaps it was only because I knew what the guy was after. 




While You Were Sleeping Pt. 02



With Jim, I thought I had done ok with stopping him after the first time he kissed me. I missed all the signs after that of his intentions. How could I? I like to think of myself as intelligent, but somehow I just went along with what Jim wanted right up to that fateful night. 

After another week of sessions, I had another scare. I was two days late for my period, and was paranoid as hell until I got back to my parents' house with the pregnancy test kit. I had been off birth control since Matt had the vasectomy, and would absolutely die if Jim had gotten me pregnant. After ten excruciating minutes of waiting, the test came back as negative. Just to be sure, I made an appointment with my OB the next day to confirm that I wasn't. 

After the results came back as negative, I was happy for the first time in a long time. There would have been no hope for my marriage if I had gotten pregnant. I wouldn't abort the baby if I had, and I knew that Matt would never raise the baby knowing who the father was and how it got there. I wouldn't blame him for it either. 

I still had no intention of sleeping with any other man, so had no need to get on birth control. I told my mom what happened and she just hugged me. I went by our house to visit the kids as often as I could, but dearly wished I could move back in and be with my family. 

After a few joint sessions with Matt, I felt we were no closer to getting back together. I was really starting to get depressed, and thought about ending my life. The only thing that stopped me was the kids. I couldn't put them through any more pain than I already had. 

I had to cancel on one joint session, because I was stuck at the hospital. There had been a bus crash, and we were swamped with a lot of really hurt people. By the time I got to my parents and called the doctor, it was past our time slot. I tried to call Matt to explain what happened, but Sidney said that he didn't want to talk to me. 

The next day I went to the house to see the kids and try to explain again, but Matt barely heard me. He told me that he wanted to believe me that I was at work, but felt he had to check out my story anyhow. Things were really not going well, so I went back to my parents' house. 

A week later my world came crumbling down. A process server showed up at my parents' house to serve me with divorce papers. 

******** 

Comments are welcome and appreciated. Stay tuned for the third and final chapter, which I should have up in a week or two.



While You Were Sleeping Pt. 03



All characters in this story are fictional and any that engage in sexual activity are over the age of 18. I hope you enjoy reading it! 

This is the final chapter of While You Were Sleeping, a tale of a loving family possibly torn apart by a coma and an unfaithful wife. Thank you for sticking with me to the end of this tale. Regardless of voting, so many people have weighed in with their opinions of my characters that I feel flattered. My reward for doing this is to know that people have an opinion about my work. To all those that spent time reading and commenting, I say a heartfelt THANK YOU. 

Also a huge thank you to my editor Guinahart for graciously spending time working over my stories. Without her efforts, this work would be a much more difficult read. 

************* 

Hi, I am Jim. By now, you probably want to find me and kick my ass. Believe me, I am starting to realize that you're right, and I deserve it. Let me try to explain myself a little before you get out the Louisville Slugger. 

Matt and I had been friends since grade school. If he went somewhere or did something, I was with him. We went to Prom together in high school. Hah, well not together, but we double-dated. That night, we both lost our virginity to our girlfriends. We even had a joint graduation party together. We were inseparable. We weren't related, but I truly felt we were like brothers. 

After graduation, we both got accepted to go to the same university, and we even roomed up together. I used to party with him all the time, and eventually settled down a bit with the same group of friends towards the end of college. It was during this time that he started seeing Jennifer. I was a little jealous of her, as she was taking all of Matt's time. 

As time went on, and I got to know her better, I started to have feelings for her, too. Of course nothing could happen as she was taken, but dang she was a great catch. Life went on and they got married after our college graduation. I thought I had moved on but never could get her out of my head. 

I went into business with my uncle selling insurance. His agency sold mostly to businesses, but he did carry a few personal policies. I told him with me on board, we could really branch out that side of the market. He agreed, so we worked to get more involved with homeowners, auto, and life policies. 

Anyhow, I did date some women, but never seemed to find the right one. I should have accepted the fact that Jennifer was off-limits forever, but I just kept comparing all my dates to her. Looking back on it, I think I was a little obsessed. You might be saying, "DUH!" at this point. 

I met a pretty decent woman named Margaret, but she preferred Maggie. She said her name sounded too formal, and in her words, "Like an old woman name." We dated a few times until one night, we went back to her house, and had some hot sex. I'm talking the kind that requires you to burn the sheets afterwards hot. 

While we were sitting there in the bed, just cuddling, the door busts in, and a huge guy is standing there looking VERY pissed! I was at a loss for words, so just jumped up and tried to grab for my clothes. Something was obviously not right, and I needed to get out of there pronto. 

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?" the big guy yelled. "WHY ARE YOU FUCKING MY WIFE, ASSHOLE?" 

I quickly turned to Maggie, "WIFE?! YOU'RE MARRIED? WHAT THE FUCK?" After that, I was going to try to run past him really quick, but he grabbed my arm and tossed me down to the floor. He kicked me in the stomach and chest a few times, and then stomped on my groin so hard I almost blacked out. That shit hurt, a lot. 

Maggie was screaming at him to stop, "DON'T KILL HIM, YOU'LL GO TO JAIL! PLEASE STOP!" 

He backed up a step, and I took my chance to get up and run for it. Thank god for adrenaline, because otherwise, I would have been a dead man. I got outside to my car, mostly naked still, and drove to the hospital. 

I told them I had been mugged and beaten, and then got checked out by the E.R. After several hours, I was told I had a broken rib, bruised torso and probably ruined testicles. Of course, I yelled at them but they told me that the damage was too severe and they might even need to operate. Thankfully, they didn't need to operate, but they did some tests and confirmed it was highly likely that I would never father children. That suits me as I didn't really want any, but that's beside the point. 

Needless to say, after that episode, I was going to be VERY picky about my dating. Several years went by, but no matter how hard I tried, I never got Jennifer out of my head. Fast forward a few years, and my friend Matt got into his accident, and of course I went to help out as much as I could. 

At this point I did not intend to do anything with Jennifer, other than help her out. After the first few weeks of being around her and their family, I continued to get really jealous of what Matt had, and how lucky he was. I really wanted what he had. 

I took her out to get her mind off things, and was so intoxicated, just being around her, that I kissed her. That night, I realized that I wanted to be with her. I really wanted Matt to recover, but if he never woke up, I would try my best to get her to love me like she did him. She did kiss me back, but right afterwards told me to never do it again and to take her home. When I dropped her off, she told me not to call for a few days and to never try that again. 

After a few more weeks, I got her to agree to go out again. I really didn't lie to her about the other couple that was supposed to be with us, but it worked out in my favor, big time, when they canceled. She and I had a nice dinner and movie without them, and after that, well, you know. She was everything I ever imagined and more. 

Right after, she must have suddenly felt guilty, because she quietly asked me to take her home. I dropped her off and hadn't heard from her since. I heard that Matt had woken back up, but wasn't sure how I could be around him now. If he found out, I am sure he would kill me. 

A week later I had to see Jennifer. I just couldn't get her out of my mind. I thought I loved her, so I went to see her at work. I waited near the parking garage for her to come out and confronted her. She got very angry with me and told me to leave her alone and never come back. She said she would call the cops on me, even! I was yelling that I needed her, as she drove away. 

After that rejection, I went back to my job and life. I was not really sure what else to do but avoid them both and hope for the best. See, told you that you wanted to kick my ass. After all that, I pretty much deserved it. 

************** 

Matt goes back to work 

So, after all that intense therapy, I am still not one hundred percent, but feel a LOT better than before. I called my old boss, and asked him if I could start back up soon. He told me that my job was waiting for me when I felt up to going back, but to take my time. I would be glad to get back to work, to give myself something to do besides sit and think. 

Monday, my mom came over again after the kids had left for school, and took me to therapy. This would, hopefully, be my last week of regular visits, to be followed up with check-up visits once a month. Doctor Swinson told me that I had recovered very quickly, and that I was a very lucky man. 

I stopped and thought about that statement when I got home. I had three of the world's best children, who loved being with me, and had helped me out during my time of need. I had great parents who backed me up, and loved their grandkids almost as much as I did. I had a wife, that until recently was the best thing that ever happened to me. 

I finally decided to move forward with a divorce, but hated it. I had her served at her parent's house, instead of at her work. I really wasn't out to ruin her life; I just wanted to get on with mine. We were supposed to grow old together, spending time with our grandkids, and even great-grandkids if we were lucky enough. I still wanted that, but couldn't get over the fact that she fell for Jim's bullshit. 

I always knew he was kind of a ladies' man, but we swore to each other, a long time ago, not to mess with each other's women. I know he had it rough with that married lady a few years ago, but I had told him at the time that the right one would come along eventually. I never meant for that to be MY WIFE! 

I finally reasoned if I was going to have any kind of chance at closure, I would have to confront him. He and I would never be friends again after what happened. Being honest with myself, I needed to know if it was his fault or if Jennifer was more into it than she had told me. It's sad what cheating will do to your trust in someone. 

Jim worked for his uncle, so I thought it might be safest to visit him at work instead of a bar or something. After my mom left for the day, reminding me of a family dinner on Saturday, I got changed and had a sandwich. 

There were only a few questions I needed answered, but I still sat and tried to think about what I was going to say when I saw him. I didn't want to get there and clam up or something. Honestly I wasn't even sure if he knew that I knew yet. I figured I could play dumb at first, and then go from there. 

The drive took a few minutes, but seemed to pass by in about ten seconds. I parked at his agency, and gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles were turning white. Preparation or not, this was going to be harder than I thought. 

I got out of the car and walked over to the door, letting myself in. The receptionist didn't really know me that well but knew that I was a friend of Jim's. She buzzed him, "Jim, you have a visitor." 

He opened the door and stopped for a second, looking at me. I tried my best to pretend I didn't know about him screwing my wife, but wasn't sure how well I pulled it off. I smiled and said, "Hey buddy, you have a minute to talk?" 

"Sure Matt, just give me a second and we can go get some coffee?" 

"Ok, I will wait outside then," I told him. 

At this point I was starting to see red just looking at him, and wasn't too sure how long I could maintain my pretend ignorance. He came outside a minute later, and we walked over to a small corner coffee stand. We both got our coffee and walked back towards the agency. 

They had a break area with a picnic table in back of the building, so we sat there to talk. It was a little satisfying to see him look so pale. He was squirming somewhat, but didn't come right out and say anything. I had to try to keep my cool as I started talking. 

"I just wanted to thank you for helping out my family. I heard you came by to visit while I was in the hospital. Why haven't you been back around since I woke up?" 

He looked at me, straight faced, and said, "You're welcome, Matt. I tried to help out any way that I could. Since you have been awake, I have just been swamped, and keep meaning to stop by." 

I lost it then and stood up, tossed my hot coffee in his face, and yelled at him. "YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! HOW COULD YOU?" 

Before he knew it, I was swinging my right fist and hit him on his left temple. I swung with my left and connected with his nose, hearing a cracking noise. I hope I broke it. He fell backwards so I ran around the table and kicked him in the stomach. I reached down and grabbed him by the hair with my left hand, and yelled in his face, "IF I EVER SEE YOU AGAIN, I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!!" I punctuated it with another right fist to the side of his head before letting go and standing up. While he was still down I kicked him in the stomach again, in the legs a few times, and his arms as he held them up trying to protect his head. 

The rage was tapering off, but I was also just getting tired from the exertion. I needed to get out of there before I actually did follow-through with my promise to kill him. I kicked him in the groin pretty hard to emphasize my point, and then ran to my car to drive home. I have to say that kicking his ass made me feel good, but by the time I got home it was only a small victory. What I really needed was my wife back, but that didn't seem to be in the cards for me. 

*********** 

Jennifer gives up 

After I got the divorce petition, I was crushed. I had really hoped the counseling would have helped, but apparently not. My parents tried to console me, but they knew that this was a possibility. That night, I looked very hard at a bottle of sleeping pills I had. All I would have to do is get a handful and a glass of water, and it would all end. 

Thankfully, my dad came in at that point, and kissed me goodnight like he used to when I was a little girl. His goodnight kiss was a shocking reminder to me that I had three kids that I had kissed goodnight to. What if they ran into a mess like mine in the future? Would I be there to kiss them goodnight again if they needed me to? How selfish could I be, to consider killing myself? 

I made a promise to myself that night that I would survive, no matter what. If Matt and I were done with, I would have to find a way to live with it. I talked to the kids on the phone the next night, telling them how proud I was of how they were handling everything, especially Sidney. I told them I would come by the house to visit with them the next day. 

Sidney was being nicer to me, and even told me that she and her boyfriend Jarred were starting to get serious. It helped shock me out of my depression some, to try to be there for my daughter. We talked on the phone for a bit, and I promised that we could spend some time just the two of us tomorrow. 

I went over the next day to visit with the kids, and to have that talk with Sidney. Matt had left with his mother for a bit while I spent time with the kids, but what I wouldn't give to see him right now. The boys both told me about their day at school, and what they did over the weekend. It was great spending time with them, but I wish it would have been longer. 

I told them I needed to talk with their sister for a bit, and we went into her room. She shut the door and sat on her bed next to me. She looked at me and smiled, so I reached out and took her hands in mine. 

"Sidney, I am so very sorry for the pain you have gone through lately. I want you to know that I will always be here for you, and will love you, no matter what happens. Also, I am so sorry that you had to help your dad out, when it really should have been my job the whole time. You are a very strong young woman." 

"Mom, I was really mad at you for a long time. I realize now that sometimes I might still get mad at you, but that I love and miss you a lot more. I don't want to hate you anymore..." She started crying at this and we both leaned in for a much needed hug. I would be lying if I said I didn't have tears flowing, as well. After a minute, we separated and just smiled at each other. It was a pretty good start for us. 

"So honey, you said things with your boyfriend are getting serious? I am not going to pry, but I know that you are old enough now to have become sexually active. How serious are we talking here?" 

"Well, mom, we all graduate in a few months, so we were talking about what we were going to do afterwards. Jarred told me he wasn't planning on college, but that he might join the military." She paused like she had more to say. 

"Go on Sid, you can tell me anything, and I promise not to get mad at you." 

She looked up into my eyes, "Mom, he asked me to marry him." 

I was stunned, to say the least. Part of me was overjoyed at the idea of her getting married, and part of me was shocked that she was talking about marriage at such a young age. This was uncharted water, and I needed to tread carefully. 

"And your answer was?" I asked. 

"I SAID YES! I know that we are really young but love him, very much. I hope you aren't going to get mad at me, mom, but I know he is the one for me!" she said very rapidly. 

"You aren't pregnant, are you? I'm sorry this is just such a shock to me. Oh my god, I can't believe it. Have you told your father yet?" My brain hadn't caught up with my mouth yet apparently. 

She gave me that look as if to say, yeah right. "No, I am not pregnant, mom. I haven't told dad yet either. I have no idea how to tell him. I am surprised that I was able to get it out with you." 

"Well I can't say I am thrilled with you doing this at such a young age, but if you truly love him, then I will support you, however I can. I hope you're waiting until after you graduate, right?" 

"Of course, mom, we figured it would be pretty awkward if we were married while still in high school. He suggested we wait until June or July to have a nice summer wedding. Could you help me plan it out, mom?" 

What could I do? I knew that she was getting into this too young, but also that my daughter was smart enough to know what she was doing. It helped that I trusted her to do the right thing. If I said no, I could permanently damage my already fragile relationship with her. If I said yes, I would be approving her marriage at such a young age. Rock, meet hard place, I thought. 

"I will help you, but I have conditions. You have to promise me that you are going to still go to college, like you planned on, to get your education. I don't want you throwing that away. Also, I want to be with you when you tell your father. I am sure he won't like it much, so I can help give you some moral support. I know I am not his favorite person right now, but I will have to get used to that." 

"What do you mean, mom?" 

She didn't know about the divorce petition. "Sidney, your father is asking for a divorce. I am going to give it to him, even though I don't want to. He and I just can't seem to move forward from this, so I will have to accept it, and try to just be here for you kids." 

I teared up, again. I thought I was getting better about crying, but just couldn't help it. I was overwhelmed with her news of marriage, while mine was on the way to ending. Sidney leaned in to hug me again, and it was comforting to know that things were getting better between us. 

"Mom, I love you," she said, with her head on my shoulder. 

"I love you, too." 

We got up, dried our eyes, and laughed a little at being silly girls for crying. God, it was good to hear her laugh again. I felt better about my small victory, as I knew my daughter didn't hate me, after all. 

I left them all, saying I loved them and would see them in a few days. Sidney promised that she was going to wait until I got there to tell her dad about the wedding. I promised her I wouldn't say anything until then either. 

Matt called the next day, but only to speak with my parents about something. He didn't want to talk to me. It still hurt that I couldn't be with him, but life would have to go on. If only I could just show him how badly I missed and needed him, maybe I could still change his mind. I guess forgiveness just wasn't going to happen. 

The following day, I went over to the house after work, and Matt was still around. Apparently, Sidney had asked him to hang around until I got there, so she could talk to us both. I was pretty sure what she was going to say to him, so was a little nervous for her. 

Before she could start talking, I noticed that Matt's knuckles were bruised pretty heavily. Having worked in the E.R., I knew it looked like he had hit someone, or something, pretty hard. 

"Matt, are you OK?" I asked with concern. 

"I'm fine. My hands ran into some jerk who stole something from me. He deserved it." 

I had a pretty good idea who he was talking about. If we weren't headed for a divorce, I would have laughed. "Are you in any trouble? Do you want me to look at your hands?" 




While You Were Sleeping Pt. 03



"No I'm fine. As for trouble, I haven't heard anything, so I don't know what he is telling people." He paused, gave me a look, as if wondering why I still cared. Didn't he get it? I still loved him so much; it hurt me to see him hurt. 

He went on, "Anyhow, Sidney said she needed to speak with us, so here we are. What's going on Sid?" 

"Well, dad, I graduate in a little over a month. Jarred asked me to marry him after we do, and I said yes!" 

"WHAT?" he asked. He sat, looking stunned. Welcome to the club, I thought. At least I wasn't the only one shocked by this news. 

"Dad, I know you probably think we are too young, but I love him and he loves me. He treats me right and would never do anything to hurt me." 

I could see the gears turning in his head for a minute. "Are you pregnant?" he asked. 

She started laughing at that, "No, dad, I am not pregnant. That's funny though, because mom asked me the same thing two nights ago." 

He turned to me with a glare. "You KNEW about this?" 

"Yes, Matt, I did. She told me two days ago when I came to visit, but we haven't talked lately, so how was I supposed to tell you? Besides, she asked me to wait so she could tell you herself. She loves you so much, and wanted to make sure you wouldn't be disappointed with her." 

"Well I'm not really ok with it, but don't have much choice, do I? She is eighteen and can do whatever she wants, right?" 

"Daddy, don't be mad at me. I really want you to walk me down the aisle. If you can't accept us, I guess I will have to do it without you." 

"Sidney, I never said I wouldn't. I'm shocked, and really think you should wait, but still love you very much. If you say you are in love with him, I believe you and wish you both a lot of happiness. Of course I will walk you down the aisle. Have you set a date yet? You are waiting until you graduate, right?" 

"Yes, dad, we are waiting until June or July, I think." 

He was smiling at her now. I truly wished it was me he was happy about. After our discussion, he went outside to play some football with the boys, while I spent some more time talking with my daughter about her upcoming wedding. 

For a while, it felt like we were a family again. I wish it could last, but knew that it was only temporary. 

****** 

Matt comes to terms with things. 

So my eighteen year old daughter is getting married, damn did that make me feel old. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of her getting married so young, but had to trust that she was making the right choice. She said she loved him, and I believed her. I trusted her, so told her that I would support her choice. She wanted me to walk her down the aisle, and I knew I could never let my little girl down. 

As far as my life was concerned, things were moving along, but that was about it. I felt I got my revenge on Jim, but still felt empty inside. The lawyer told me that if Jennifer didn't fight the divorce, it could be official in about three to four months. Deep down, I really didn't want to divorce her, but felt I had no choice. Call me stubborn, but I thought a lot about it, and just didn't see any other way. 

The next day, mom took me to my first therapy monthly check-up. The first few minutes of the ride were silent, until I guess she couldn't take it anymore. 

"So, are you really going to get a divorce? Matthew, I really hoped you two could work it out." 

Uh-oh, she used my full first name. She was getting serious on me, now. "Mom, I love her, but still feel betrayed. How do I know she won't do something like this again? I know she loves me, but is it enough? Sorry if I sound rude, I'm just trying to tell you how I feel right now." 

"Ok, that's fair," she replied. "Consider this, your uncle Larry has dealt with something similar. You may want to chat with him about it." 

"Uncle Larry? Didn't he get a divorce from Aunt Sue? Did she cheat on him too?" 

"You will have to ask him, but I think so. He might be able to give you some advice. I know he is still in a lot of pain, and it's been three years since his divorce was final." Mom had a point. It might be a good idea to talk with someone who had been in similar shoes. 

"Ok, I will call him when we get home. Thanks for the advice." 

The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we got to my appointment a few minutes early. After dropping me off, mom said she was going to run an errand. She said she would be back at the end of my therapy to pick me up. 

I sat in the lobby waiting, reading some email on my phone. My old boss sent me one, saying that my request to start working from home the next week was approved. He went on to say that he hoped I would be able to return to the office soon, as everyone really missed me around. 

About that time, Doctor Swinson came out to take me back to the therapy area. The place was unusually quiet, with only one other person getting therapy. The guy and his therapist were working on some leg machine. 

"Today we are just going to do a little check-up on progress, and if need be, make adjustments to your home regimen. How do you feel today Matt?" she asked. 

"Pretty good, thanks. I am moving around on my own now, with almost no help from my family." 

"Good to hear. I must say that you don't look like you were in a coma. Your body has recovered very well. Let's get going, shall we?" 

Was it my imagination or was my therapist hitting on me? Maybe it had just been too long since I had gotten any. I was taken over to the parallel bars, and we worked on walking back and forth for a bit. After that, she had me lay on the mat and do some leg lifts and crunches. Let me tell you, those hurt, no matter what shape you are in. 

She had me roll over onto my front, and was doing some leg lifts in reverse. If I didn't know any better, I would say her hands were a little lower on my thighs than they needed to be. Of course, my damn traitor of a dick started getting really hard. In this position, it wasn't too hard to hide, but when I eventually turned over, it would be. 

I finished the leg lifts, and told her I needed a minute before I got up. She gave me a minute, and then had me roll over and sit up. Thankfully I was down to just a half hard-on. She might have looked at it, but never said anything about it. She smiled a little, got up and walked away for a minute. She came back to help me up, and handed me a card. It had a phone number and an address on it. 

"We are about done here. I will expect to see you back in another month for a check-up. This is my home number and address, should you need anything until then. Please, call me anytime, for anything." 

She had a very curious smile on her face, and I really did feel she was trying to hit on me. Honestly, she was gorgeous, and a very nice person. I could see falling for a woman like her under different circumstances, or given time. As I was going into the lobby, there sat my mom. Seeing her made me snap out of it. She got up and we walked out to her car, not really saying anything to each other. 

When we got in, she let me have it. "You aren't even divorced yet, and you are already putting the moves on another woman. Your therapist, Matthew, REALLY?" 

I was stunned. "Mom what are you talking about? I haven't done anything with that woman. She is very good looking, but I have never cheated on Jennifer. What would give you the idea that I have something going on with her?" 

"I can tell. I saw it in her eyes when you were walking towards me. That woman WANTS you." 

"Mom, trust me. Nothing has, or will happen with that woman." 

She didn't say much more, and just drove me home. When I got out, she said goodbye, and I went in the house. I felt really bad now, thinking about another woman while I was still married. What kind of man did that make me? We weren't divorced yet. I mean, every guy checks out other women, but I still felt guilty. My mom knew me too well. 

I needed to get my mind off of self-destruct mode for a bit, so fired up my laptop. I got connected to the office network, and checked email. They had de-activated my account after a few weeks in the coma, but had reconnected it again. I had a few emails from the last few days, and several from before my account was locked out. 

I decided to read the email from before my coma first, to see if anything important had happened. As I went through them, there were a few from co-workers hoping I would get better soon. There were a few from some vendors that we worked with occasionally, and a few more from some of our clients. 

I saw one that shocked me some, and made me wonder why I hadn't thought about it already. It was from a lawyer, stating they wanted to talk to me or my family about a settlement offer. Why had my wife or family not talked to me about the truck driver that caused my accident yet? Were they even contacted during my coma? I would have to ask my mom and dad about that. 

I read all the most recent, and found that there were a few new possible clients that needed our consulting services. Two were from larger corporations that needed an "honest opinion of our network", or so they said. Apparently we came highly recommended from some former clients. There was one from a small business that need our help setting up a new POS (Point of Sale) system, and the last one was from an accountant that we helped out from time to time. He, in turn, did our books for us at a reduced fee. 

I replied to a few of the email messages, and sent a few to my co-workers about working on a few of these cases from home over the next week or two. I got one response from my boss that he sent to everyone, stating that he was thrilled that I was back on the job and feeling better. 

I logged off, and got up to go do my daily workout routine. I really pushed myself, and felt very sore afterwards. I got in the bath and laid there in the hot water, soaking up the lavender I had added. As I lay there, I thought about my situation, and my family. 

In a few short years, all my kids would probably be out of the house. My sons were both talking about their college plans, and my daughter was getting married AND going to college next year. I thought about Jennifer, and the plans we had made for after the kids moved out. 

We were going to travel more, and visit all of our "bucket list" places we wanted to see. Most everyone has a list, but we were serious about ours. We had actually a written list, still hanging on the side of the fridge. We were going to stay in this house until we both retired, then move out to the country in a little cottage style house. We had even gone online a few times to see what some looked like, picking our favorites. 

She used to laugh at me, always picking ones that had big windows, and a pond or lake nearby. She used to say, "You know, with windows that large we can't hide our love-making as well right?" 

My joking response had always been, "But honey, who will see us out in the middle of nowhere?" 

I noticed that the water was getting a little cold, so figured I should get up. My muscles felt a lot better, but I still didn't want to get out. I got up, dried off, and got into some sweats. About that time, my kids came in the door from school, excited to tell me about their day. Jennifer called a few minutes later. I almost didn't answer it, but I wasn't going to deny her a chance to talk to the kids, so decided to deal with the awkwardness. 

"I just wanted to let you know I will be there in about an hour. I was wondering if I could stay for a bit longer than normal, and we could try to have a family dinner together?" she asked. She never mentioned the divorce papers. I was a bit conflicted, but figured it would do the kids some good to have her around for the meal. 

"Sure, I guess that would be ok. I will let the kids know you are on the way, bye." 

"Bye, Matt." 

With that, I hung up, wondering what the hell I was getting myself into. Hadn't I just served her with divorce papers, and yet was letting her come over for dinner? It felt really odd, talking to her on the phone and NOT saying "I love you," as we had done ever since we started dating seriously. Deep down, I missed it. I felt more confused now than ever before. 

I guess we were both trying to deal with things, and it would be good for the kids to see us acting like adults around each other. The last thing I wanted was any more negativity that could affect the children. 

After hanging up, I called my uncle Larry like I promised my mom I would, and arranged to go meet him for coffee the next day. Then I called the lawyer from the email, and left him a voice mail to call me the next day, when he was in the office. Lastly, I called my mom to ask her about the lawyer and settlement offer, but she said she had no idea what I was talking about. No lawyer had reached out to her, only a few insurance people from my work. 

Jenn did come over later that night, and we had a great spaghetti dinner that Sidney prepared. The boys were telling us both about their up-coming games they had, and we both promised to be there to cheer them on. Sidney talked about Jarred some, and also about how excited she was to be graduating so soon. 

When Jennifer got to the house, I did ask her about the lawyer and settlement offer. She said that they had contacted her once, but never returned her calls. She had left a letter from them in our office somewhere. 

I was really happy that we had that dinner, it felt like old times. When it was over, and Jennifer prepared to leave, I felt conflicted again. We all said goodbye to her as she left, and the kids all gave me a huge hug when she was gone. Damn, will it ever get any easier? 

************** 

Jennifer helps plan a wedding 

Today was going to be the first day of the rest of my life. I woke up feeling positive. To help kick off my new attitude, I was going to help my daughter plan her wedding. I was going to pick her up after school every weekday so we could plan, and we were going to spend every weekend going shopping, or at least browsing. 

Aside from work, and helping my daughter, I still had counseling to go to. Even if our joint sessions hadn't worked very well, I thought I should continue seeing Rose. Perhaps she could help me figure out my weaknesses, so I could work on becoming a stronger person. I would still be in Matt's life, even if not married, and I wanted him to see that I wasn't giving up. He might find it in his heart to forgive me, yet. 

Sidney and I spent the next several nights discussing the big items first. We would go over the smaller details as they came up. First up, was to pick a date and place for the wedding and reception. She said they wanted it to be outside, expecting the weather to cooperate. We could always have tents or pavilions set up in case it started raining. She said they hadn't decided on an exact date, so we pulled out a calendar. 

We looked to the month of June, and looked at all the dates available. She decided that June 11th sounded right. It was a week after their graduation, and she said they didn't need to wait any longer than that. She later told me that it fell between Memorial Day and Father's day. She didn't want to share her day with any other important day! 

I said that day would be perfect. June would hopefully be better weather, and not as hot as a July or August wedding. It was also near my anniversary date, which was June 14th. We went on to talk about the place to hold it. Choosing the place took two whole days of reviewing and discussing. On the end of the second night with her, she decided that she wanted it to be at the lake. She had spent a lot of her childhood there, and had such fond memories of the place. It didn't hurt that it was also a beautiful location, with a lot of natural wonder and color nearby. 

At the end of the first week of planning we had the guest list started. We had the date and place picked out, and had looked up a few caterers for food service. That weekend I took her out to a pizza place for dinner, and sat down with her fiancé. We had met a few times when she brought him over, but never for more than a few minutes at a time. 

It was nice, and it gave Matt time to be alone with the boys for the evening, as well. I wanted more than anything to spend it as a family, but would settle for being closer with my daughter. She really was back to her old self, and had forgiven me. I was so thankful that I had raised such a great kid. 

We would start up the planning again that following Tuesday, as Monday I had another appointment with Rose. I still wanted to work out how I could have cheated on my husband in the first place. I know I had rationalized it in my head, but there had to be SOME reason for it to have happened so quickly. 

When I went in that Monday, she was friendly as always, but started asking me some pretty tough questions. This session was tougher than any other I had been to with her. 

"Jennifer, the last few sessions we have tried to explore the build-up to your actions. I want to start working on some other facets of your life and personality. I think it could really help you feel some sort of accomplishment, as you have expressed a deep desire to understand yourself better." 

"Ok, Rose. I really do want to figure things out. I know Matt might never forgive me, but I think for me to move on, I will need to forgive myself. I haven't done that, yet." 

She ran me through questions about my former boyfriends, past jobs, even some about my married life before the kids were born. She asked me about what Matt really meant to me, as well as some questions about my current job. We went over a few other things about my life, and at the end of the session, she gave me her opinion. 

"Jennifer, I can't say for certain yet, but I am starting to think that part of your problem stems from your reliance on others. You work in an emergency department, where everyone counts on you. In every other facet of your life, you depend on others. You seem to depend heavily on your husband, not only for love and support, but also for making decisions and plans for you. When you were younger, it sounded like you depended on whatever boy you were dating at the time, and had a similar pattern of letting them choose and speak for you. 

"I am not saying that any of this is negative, just that it could have a lot to do with why you behaved the way that you did with Jim. Most women are very used to being hit on, and can usually handle it without much difficulty. I think part of the problem is that you see your husband as a suit of armor, in effect, and without him around those four months, you were not trying to protect yourself." 

I sat absorbing what she was saying. Did I really let the men in my life choose things for me? Did I really depend on others in my private life, to basically shield me from harm? 

"God, do I really rely on other people THAT much? I have never really thought about it, but I guess it makes sense. I like to do what everyone else is doing most times, and usually don't speak up or take charge, unless I have to. About the only time I really tell everyone else what to do is at the hospital." 

"OK I think this is a good stopping point, Jennifer. You are going to have to take a look at things you do every day, and decide if you feel the need to change or not. There is nothing wrong with letting others be your guide in life, but sometimes you may want to be able to think for yourself more. I will see you next week, ok?" 

"Yes, and thank you, Rose." 

She walked me to the door and I left, thinking very hard about things that she had said. If I truly depended on others too much, could that be affecting my judgement? 

By the time I got to the house, Sidney was waiting for me. We had to continue discussing the dinner choices for the reception, as well as finalize the guest list. We needed to send out invitations soon or there wouldn't be very many people at the wedding. 




While You Were Sleeping Pt. 03



While sitting there, I thought about my own situation again. If I really was that drawn to let others think for me, I needed to figure out how to better assert myself. I decided to start better analyzing the interactions I was having with people, and see where it might lead me. 

I went back to my parents' house for the night, and saw the divorce packet sitting on the desk again. I decided right then, if Matt really wanted to go through with it, then I would give it to him. I had been the one that screwed up, even though I still wished I could take it back. I just wished he could find it in his heart to forgive me, and see that he was supposed to be in my life. 

The next night, I brought the signed papers with me, and left them at his house when I went home. I had to start thinking of my old house as his place now, if I was going to have any hope of moving on. I would still go visit the kids and be friendly to Matt, but had to be prepared for the hammer to fall when the divorce would be final. According to the letter from the lawyer, it would be likely about three to four months until it was final, if I didn't fight the terms. I did get in my bed that night and cry. 

After a few more sessions with Rose, I was starting to feel more in control of things again. About the time I felt like things were getting better, the Police stopped by my parents' house. I had no idea what to think, now. 

"Ma'am, my name is Officer Smith, and this here is my partner, Officer Dunleavey. May we come in?" asked the taller of the two. 

"Yes of course. Officer what's this all about, anyhow? Is something wrong?" My mom came in from the kitchen to find out who was at the door. She looked as confused as I was, about the police being there. 

"We would like to ask you some questions. First, when was the last time you saw Mr. Jim Harding?" 

I was immediately thinking in overdrive. What could have happened now? I hated Jim more now than ever, but worried for Matt and what might have happened. I didn't want to lie, but I wouldn't want to help get him into trouble either. 

"Officer, the last time I saw Jim was at the hospital, a few weeks ago, now. He stopped me in the parking garage, and we had a very brief conversation before heading home. Is something wrong?" I asked again. 

"We will get to that in a minute, if you could just finish answering our questions first. When was the last time you saw your husband?" 

"I saw him yesterday, when I was over at my house. You see, we are separated, but I have been there at the house every day after work. I have to help my daughter plan her wedding, so I have been over there most nights until late. Then I drive back here to my parents' house and go to bed." 

"What time did you get to your house yesterday? You said after work right? About what time was that? Was your husband there the entire time?" 

"Well I got off around four PM like usual, stopped for some gas on the way home and got to the house around four thirty or so. Yes, Matt was at the house the whole time. I was there through dinner and left about ten o'clock in the evening, to come here. Now, can you tell me what the heck is going on?" 

"Mrs. Jordan, we found Jim in a hotel room, dead. He died of multiple gun-shot wounds, at approximately five PM yesterday afternoon. We have already talked with your husband, and he stated that he was home all night, and you were there as well. Thank you for confirming his alibi." 

************** 

Things come together for Matt 

How can I begin to describe my Uncle Larry? He was a shorter fellow, probably just an inch or two above five feet tall. He wasn't exactly a huge guy, but he was a little overweight, and balding. He was very nice to everyone, in the family, but he did tend to be hard to hold a conversation with. 

I went to see him, to ask him about his ex-wife and why they got divorced. No one in the family knew any of the details other than they split, and he filed for divorce. We had all been told it was "Irreconcilable differences", and no one knew more than that. If my mom recommended that I go see him, he must know something about my situation. 

When I got to his house, he was already out front mowing his yard. He invited me inside so we could talk. 

"Hey Uncle Larry, thanks for agreeing to see me." 

"No problem. So what can I do for you?" 

"Well, I am struggling with some issues with my wife, and my mom suggested I come see you. I honestly just want to know what really happened between you and Aunt Sue." 

He sat back, got a slight frown on his face and replied. "She cheated on me. It's pretty simple, really. I came home early one day and found her in bed with a neighbor. I was so pissed I threw her out and divorced her. She tried to tell me how sorry she was, and how he had been coming on to her. At the time I didn't listen to her, and told her to fuck off." 

He paused, to wipe a tear from his eyes. "It has been almost four years now, and I still miss her. I think about her, and wonder what if I had forgiven her? What if I had chosen to talk with her more about it, and try to move on? She said she made a mistake, and I know that everyone makes mistakes. I just couldn't get over her cheating. Now, looking back, I wish I could have a do-over. 

"You see, after trying to reason with me, and begging me to take her back, she finally gave up. About a year ago she got remarried to a very nice guy, and they are very happy together. I still get mad thinking about what I saw that day, but I regret not trying to work it out with her, every day." 

"Wow, I had no idea. Did you ever get even with the asshole that caused it all?" I asked. 

"Well, sort of. I ended up getting him fired from his job, due to the lawsuit I filed against him. He also got divorced from his wife, who couldn't stand his ass, anyhow. He was a terrible neighbor, even before I caught them together. His ex-wife and I are now friends, but nothing more." 

He got up, went into the kitchen, and came back with a picture of the two of them together. They looked so happy in the picture, it made me think of Jenn and me. 

"You see, I still miss everything we had together. I don't think everyone deserves a second chance, but I truly wish I had given Sue a second chance. I would be a lot happier right now with her, than without her. I guess you have to ask yourself the question, 'Are you happier without her in your life?' and go from there. If she hurt you so bad that you can't find a way out, then you need to move on." 

I was still thinking of that picture, and realized I had some serious thinking to do, yet. My family was the most important thing in my life. Did I really want to see it all come to an end? Did she deserve a second chance? Did we deserve a second chance? 

"Thank you, Uncle Larry. I am very glad I came to see you." 

"Anytime," He said. 

I left with more questions than I came to him with, but at least he could understand my situation a little. Perhaps, I should go back to see that counselor, Rose? If not her, perhaps I could go see someone to help me deal with all the crap that I have been through. Jennifer said she was still seeing Rose, maybe it's helping her out? 

The other thing I had to handle that day, was visiting the lawyer I had called. He was supposedly representing the trucking company for the guy that ran into me. I would have figured that my insurance would have reached out to me about it by now, seeing as they were covering the costs for my medical treatment. That couldn't have been cheap. 

I got to the lawyers office, and had to wait in the lobby for about ten minutes, until a very slick looking man came walking out from one of the offices. He identified himself as Derrick Montrose, and asked me to follow him back to his office. 

After we got seated he jumped right in, "Thanks for coming, Mr. Jordan. I represent United Trucking, the company that Mr. Worth used to work for. He was the man that fell asleep at the wheel and hit you." 

"Forgive me for asking, but why didn't my family hear from you before? All I know was that I had an email at my work address. My parents said that they never got even a phone call from you or your office, and my wife said you never returned her calls." 

"Sir, we did send a few letters to your house, and I personally visited your house but no one was home at the time." 

Gee, it sounded like he tried REALLY hard to get in touch. "Ok, whatever, I'm here now. What sort of settlement are you offering us?" 

"I would suggest you have an attorney review this with you, but here is a summary. United Trucking is offering to repay all of your medical expenses, as well as a one-time cash settlement in the amount of seven-hundred and fifty thousand dollars. On top of that, any on-going therapy or injury related loss of income is also being offered as compensation." 

"Ok I will take this settlement offer and consider it. When do you need an answer by?" I asked. 

"Contact my office anytime in the next week or two, no rush. Here is a copy of the offer, and my card with my number on it," he said as he handed me a small binder of paper, with his business card affixed to the top corner. 

I left the office and went home. That night, when Jenn came over to talk with Sidney, I tried to be nice to her. She smiled, but otherwise, was wrapped up pretty well with the wedding planning. She had such a beautiful smile. Funny, but I don't get mad when I look at her now, just a little sad. I wish things could be the way they were before. 

The next morning, I called Rose's office to make an appointment. I am sure they weren't expecting me to come back, but she didn't turn me away either. I set it up for two that afternoon, so I would have time to get home before the kids did. 

I spent the rest of morning cleaning up around the house, and even did a little research for the accountant that had emailed me. He was looking to update some of the tax software that he used to help do other peoples' taxes. I sent him some information about different products and options we had, and what they would cost. Of course, he would get a discount seeing as he did work for us as well. 

That afternoon, I went to see Rose. She smiled warmly as she welcomed me back into her office. Once we got settled in, she asked why I wanted to see her. 

"So Matt, what can I do for you? You know I have been seeing your wife regularly after the last joint session you came to, right?" 

"Yes, she told me. I'm actually here for me, if that's ok?" 

"Sure, I can try to help you out. What do you want to talk to me about? Does it have to do with your situation with your wife?" She was asking a very obvious question, but the discussion had to start somewhere. 

"I...I...I mean, I wish we could roll time back, and avoid that crash, but that's not my real struggle right now. I really don't want a divorce. I want to be able to forgive her, but just can't seem to get over it." 

"Hmm, do you realize that you just said 'I' several times in that sentence, but only said 'we' once? You might be putting too much of this on yourself, or you might need to take a step back and think in a broader sense. Why do you think this blockage is solely YOUR problem?" 

"To be honest, I have no idea. I guess, I just don't know what it is that seems unforgivable to me. I talked with an uncle of mine, and he gave me some perspective. He had a similar situation with his ex-wife, and now regrets not forgiving her, and staying married. I don't want to be like him, unhappy and alone." 

"Matt, I still think you are thinking only about yourself here. I don't mean that in a negative way, other than to point out you are talking only about yourself. Think about this from your wife's perspective, or even from an eagle's perspective. Look at you and your wife from the outside, looking in. Now, what do you see?" 

I thought about what she said for a minute. How DOES this look from someone who might be watching us, like my kids for instance? Am I doing the right thing? How does it look to examine my wife's story? I sat silently thinking about this for a minute, and decided I would need to re-evaluate how I viewed the whole problem. 

"Rose, I think you are on the right track here. I have been so hyper-focused on my own issues that I haven't taken into account anyone else. I still don't know how to look at this from Jennifer's perspective, but perhaps sitting down with her and talking it out might help." 

"That would be a great start. Communication is one of the primary pillars to any successful relationship, and it sounds like you and your wife need to work on that. Well, I think our time is about up. Would you like to come back next week?" 

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I can call in tomorrow to setup the appointment." I said. 

I left with more questions than answers, again. At least I felt I was making some progress towards SOME goal. She made me think more about how I had been behaving. Sure, I was hurt after her confession, but did I really listen to her? Jenn and I had so many great years, I thought, that I should have at least talked to her more. Only time will tell if opening up to her will help. 

I got home just before the kids got home from school, and they all came in and said their usual "Hello," and ran up to their rooms. I was sitting in my home office doing some light research about one of my projects when there was a knock on the door. It was rather loud and demanding, so I got up and answered it. What I saw was not what I expected. I saw two uniformed police officers, and thought, oh shit, Jim must have filed assault charges against me or something. 

"Mr. Jordan, I am Officer Smith, and this here is my partner, Officer Dunleavey. We have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind. May we come in for a minute?" 

The shorter one, Dunleavey, just stared at me. "Sure Officers, come on in." 

I waved them in and over to the couch. "Would you gentlemen like some coffee?" 

"No, thank you, sir. We really just need to ask you a few questions," Smith said. 

"Ok, I will help in any way that I can. What's this all about?" I asked. 

"Yesterday afternoon, where were you?" Smith asked. 

"I was home, of course. I am still recovering from a coma I was in, but am feeling much better now, than when I first woke up. I should be returning to work next week, if everything checks out with my therapist." 

"Did you ever leave the house, during the day or afternoon?" 

"I left the house to go to get some things from the store, but that was about ten AM. After that I came back here, did my exercise routine, and then took a nap. I woke up around two-thirty PM, did some remote work from my home office, and then the kids got home from school. Am I in trouble? Do I need a lawyer or something?" 

"Sir, you could request one, but at this time, we are just asking some questions to establish what happened yesterday. Do you want to call a lawyer?" When I shook my head, he continued. "So, where were you at approximately five PM yesterday?" 

"Hmm, five o'clock would have put us having dinner. My wife came over, to help my daughter plan her up-coming wedding, and we had a family dinner around that time. Once the dinner was done, I watched some TV and then went to bed." 

"You said your wife came over, does she not live here?" This was Dunleavey asking a question. 

I turned to him, "Well yes, but we are separated at the moment, so she is living with her parents. What's this all about, anyhow?" 

Smith looked at his partner, who nodded his head and started to explain a little. "Sir, we found your friend, Mr. Jim Harding was found dead last night in a motel room, with several GSW's to the chest. That's Gun Shot Wounds to you. We questioned everyone at the motel, and at his work, and his receptionist mentioned that you had stopped by to see him a few days ago. Is that right?" 

"Yes, I did, to catch up on old times. I wanted to catch up on what I missed, while I was in the coma." 

"Was there any argument or disagreement during that meeting?" Dunleavey asked this one again. 

"No, we talked over coffee, and afterwards I left and came home. I had a physical therapy appointment that afternoon that I didn't want to miss." I didn't kill him, but there was no way I was going to admit fighting with him, either. I just hoped they didn't know the truth. 

"Ok, well you have answered everything we have for you at the moment, but please don't leave town until we can get this mess figured out." Smith said. 

"No problem, I will be here." 

With that, they left and shut the door on the way out. What the hell? Jim was dead? What the fuck did he do now to get shot up in a motel room? Did he get caught with some other man's wife, too? I had no answers other than my ex-best friend was now gone. I definitely had mixed feelings about his death. Regardless of what he had done with my wife, before that, he was the best friend I ever had. 

The next night, when Jennifer came over to help with the planning again, she asked me about it. She said the cops visited her, as well. I told her I had nothing to do with it. I wasn't too sad that he was gone, but would never have done anything like that. I didn't even own a gun. 

I had gone to see Rose two more times, both going down the same path as I had the first visit. I was starting to realize, that maybe, I was part of the problem. I was starting to think I had a selfish streak, and was doing a lot of things in my life ONLY for me. My family meant more to me than anything, but if I was worrying more about myself than others too much, it could be hurting them. I would have to work on that. 

The last few weeks of school flew by, and, before we knew it, Sidney's graduation was upon us. Of course Jennifer came, as well as both of our sets of parents. They wouldn't miss such a big event, even if the world was coming to an end. We sat and watched Sidney march across the stage to receive her Diploma, and alternated between clapping and hooting as she shook hands with the Principal. I think there were a few tears in folk's eyes at that sight. 

As I sat next to my boys on my left, Jenn was sitting on my right side. As we watched her graduate, Jenn slipped her hand into mine at one point. The contact felt good, so I just left it for a bit, until it was time for us to stand up and cheer for her. 

We sat back down but she didn't reach for my hand again. After the ceremony, she came over to us and we all hugged her. A few of her friends came over, and we congratulated them. After we all left, we went home, where we had a small party in her honor. I cooked on the barbeque, and both sets of Sidney's grandparents were there to help with the rest of the food. Jenn had made a dish too, so we were more than covered to feed everyone. 

It was a great afternoon. Sidney was the real gem of the party, floating around talking with everyone. You could just tell she was on cloud nine after graduating. Jarred was also with her most of the time, so that could have had something to do with her happiness, too. All I know was when I looked around, I saw my family. The people who mattered the most to me were all there, and enjoying the celebration. It truly was a happy day. 

After everyone pitched in to help cleanup, the guests all left for home. Jenn stuck around to work with Sidney on a few last minute wedding details, then left for the night herself. When I went to bed, I felt both happy and sad. The day was great. It had truly felt like things were as they should be. 

I woke up the next morning, and life moved on. My little girl just graduated, and in about a week would be getting married. I still couldn't believe that. It was only just yesterday that she was learning to ride a bike, and playing with a tea set in her room with Jenn. I was invited to a few of those tea parties too. I smiled, thinking about those good times. 




While You Were Sleeping Pt. 03



Before I knew it, the week flew by, and it was the day before the wedding. During rehearsal, I think I got my line right. When the minister asked, "Who gives this woman to be married?" I answered properly. 

"Her mother and I do." Now I just had to get it right during the real thing. 

We all had a great dinner that night, at a local steakhouse. They had a side room for groups that was reserved for the occasion, and the meal was excellent. There was a lot of laughter during the meal, and before too long, we were heading for home. 

Sidney had arranged to spend that night with her mother, so she could get ready the next morning for the big day. I was a nervous wreck, and all I had was one simple job. Walk down the aisle, say a few words. I just hoped that the practice from the rehearsal would be enough. 

It's funny, but after I thought about it, the only reason I was doing it was for my daughters' sake. I loved her so much, and this was all about her, not me. I was being selfish again. After I realized that, I decided that I would get it right, just for her. 

The next morning, the boys and I all got ready in our rented tuxedoes, and drove over to the park. It was a gorgeous morning with the sun shining, and not a cloud in the sky. The day couldn't have been more perfect for this wedding. 

There were already quite a few guests there, sitting in the little lawn chairs, or milling about at the coffee and snack table. As it got closer to the time to start, everyone sat down. My wife was already seated in the front row, so I knew that my darling daughter had to be ready. I waited for her to come out as the rest of the wedding party started their walk down the middle aisle. 

When she came out of the little prep tent, I almost fell over. She was radiant. There is no other way to describe her. The last time I remembered seeing anything so beautiful, was when my wife walked down the aisle at our own wedding. I know by this point I was choked up a bit, and just smiled from ear to ear at her. 

"You ready for this, Dad?" she asked. 

No, of course I wasn't ready for my daughter to grow up and move on with her life, what dad ever is? "Yes honey, I am. I love you so much," I said instead. 

They started playing the wedding march, and we turned and walked down the aisle. We got to the front, and the minister asked his question. 

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" 

"Her mother and I do," I said. Thank god for small miracles, I got it right. 

I sat down and she joined her fiancé in front of the minister to begin. The minister spoke some very elegant words, had them both repeat the traditional wedding vows to each other, and then pronounced them, "Husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." 

Through the whole thing, Jenn was sniffling and holding my hand. This was a wonderful moment for all of us, and it felt good to be by her side. At the end, we stood in the greeting line to shake hands and hug the guests, as they congratulated Sidney and Jarred. 

Afterwards, we all drove to the rented hall for the reception, and it was packed. There were a lot of toasts to the newlyweds, wishing them a great future together. My wife got up and gave a short speech as her toast. 

"There were a lot of people that doubted this marriage, mainly because these two wonderful people are still so young. What I see are two people in love, and to me that is all that matters. Sidney, I love you both and wish you a great future together. To Sidney and Jarred!" 

Everyone clapped and drank some of their Champaign. Of course there was clinking of the glasses prompting them to kiss, and they did. I remembered this part from my wedding, and how both great it was, and embarrassing every time someone decided it was time for us to kiss in front of the crowd. 

I decided it was my turn to toast them, and got up. My speech wasn't prepared, other than speaking from the heart. It had sounded to me like Jennifer had used the same approach. 

"No father ever wants to see their little girl grow up, but they do, anyhow. When Sidney first told me that she was getting married, well, it definitely came as a shock. I thought, 'how could she be in love, she's only eighteen'. She has her whole life ahead of her yet. Well, after seeing her with Jarred, I can tell that she made the right decision. She will be spending the rest of her life with someone she loves, and who loves her just as much in return. Jarred, you better take VERY good care of my little girl. I wish you both the best life together possible! Here is to the lucky couple!" There was a huge chorus of "CHEERS" to the couple. 

After the dinner, there was a DJ that had set up. The bride and groom shared their first dance together as husband and wife, and they truly looked like they would be together forever. The next song was for the parents. It was the song "This Kiss" by Faith Hill. It was one of our favorite songs together. 

I don't want another heart break 

I don't need another turn to cry, no 

I don't want to learn the hard way 

Baby hello, oh no, goodbye 

But you got me like a rocket 

Shooting straight across the sky! 

It's the way you love me 

It's a feeling like this 

It's centrifugal motion 

It's perpetual bliss 

It's that pivotal moment 

It's, AH, impossible 

THIS KISS, THIS KISS 

Unstoppable 

THIS KISS, THIS KISS 

We both had tears in our eyes. We were so close, it just felt right. If only this song and dance would last forever. 

Cinderella said to snow white 

How does love get so off course? 

All I wanted was a White Knight 

With a good heart, soft touch, fast horse 

Ride me off to the sunset 

Baby I'm forever yours! 

She had her head on my shoulder, and it was starting to get a little moist. At this point I can freely admit that I was getting her shoulder wet too. 

It's the way you love me 

It's a feeling like this 

It's centrifugal motion 

It's perpetual bliss 

It's that pivotal moment 

It's, AH, unthinkable 

THIS KISS, THIS KISS 

Unsinkable 

THIS KISS, THIS KISS 

The song played on as we danced, and much too quickly, the song was over and had changed to a fast tune. We were still holding tight and slowly moving together as if we were the only two in the room. I leaned to her ear and told her, "We need to talk. I have something I want to show you." 

She just nodded her head on my shoulder, and wiped her eyes as we left the dance floor. She ran off to the bathroom as I went out to my car. I came back in and waited outside the ladies room, until she came back out. 

She started, "You said you had something to show me?" 

"Yes, I do. Here," as I handed her a packet. 

She opened it, and put her other hand to her mouth as she cried out. 

"That is the divorce packet. I never signed it, and never filed it with the court. I told the lawyer that I would no longer need his services," I said. 

She looked up at me, "Is this for real? Matt, what does this mean?" 

"Just what you think it does. Jennifer, you are, and have always been, my whole life. I had to do a lot of soul searching, but realized that there was no way I could give you up." 

She was still crying, and ran to give me the warmest embrace I had ever felt. We hugged for what seemed like eternity, until we heard some coughing. We turned to see the kids, all smiling at us, from the doorway. 

Epilogue: 

It has been three years since that day, and I am still the luckiest guy on earth. If I have any regrets at all, it's that I almost gave up the best thing in my life. I have learned that we all make mistakes, some bigger than others. 

After talking with our own lawyer, we got a settlement from that trucking company for nearly two million dollars. After all was said and done, we had a lot of extra money left over. We eventually planned to use it to help all the kids and grandkids, with things like college funds and houses when the time came. We also did buy that cottage out in the country, selling our big house in the city. 

Jim's murder was never solved, as far as I know. We sent his family a sympathy card, but mostly because his parents were nice people. I will always wonder if someone we knew had anything to do with it. 

My daughter is due to graduate from college next year, with a nursing degree, and her husband just got back from his last tour in Afghanistan. He was honorably discharged, and with the training he got in the military, was able to get a great job working at a major airline fixing planes. Sidney promised us, that after they got better established, they would start working on some Grandkids for us. 

My sons both went on to college, and are making us proud every day. Both are dating, so we will see where that leads them in the future. For now, they just say that they are very happy. 

As for Jennifer and I, we still make passionate love to each other as often as we can. After that wedding, we took a cruise, ourselves, to start over. It was one of the most romantic times of our lives, and we enjoyed every minute of it. 

We both continued seeing Rose for a while, making sure that we were able to keep talking to each other about everything, no matter what. We made a promise to each other to always communicate, no matter how bad things got. We also both re-affirmed that we were only meant for each other, and I truly believed Jenn. She is such a great and caring woman, how could I not love her? 

All-in-all, things are going well for us, and I have to say my uncle was right. My life is much better with her in it, than without her. 

************* 

I truly hope that you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. I welcome comments and suggestions, and look forward to moving on to my next adventure! Also, I need to extend a huge thank you again to my editor Guinahart for spending her precious time editing these chapters. 

RNebular 

***** 

Characters: 

Matt Jordan - Coma victim 

Jennifer (Swenson) Jordan - Wife 

Jim - Matt's best friend 

Sidney - The daughter 

Steven - Older son 

Tommy - Younger son 

Rachael - Jennifer's childhood best friend 

Doctor Stephens - Matt's Doctor 

Mary - Sidney's best friend 

Donna - Nurse friend of Jenn (black woman) 

Doctor Swinson - Matt's therapist (woman) 

Doctor McGregor - Counselor 

Tammy - Jennifer's college friend 

Jarred - Sidney's fiancé