TITLE    : Happy Birthday
STORYID  : happy-birthday-127
SUMMARY  : Husband gets a surprise birthday present.
AUTHOR   : AnAverageGuy61@lit
DATE     : 2023-05-14
CATEGORY : loving-wives
FLAGS    : 
TAGS     : |husband|wife|lover|cheating|divorce|


<em>A husband gets an unexpected birthday gift.</em>

"Oh my god, I am so sorry." Those were the first words I spoke to my future wife when I clattered into her with a shopping trolley, it was totally my fault for not looking where I was going. As a way of an apology I asked her if I could take her out to dinner.

Marion accepted the offer. I took her to a nice place for dinner the following Saturday. During the course of the evening I learnt that she was a widow with three young children. Recce and Keeley were twins and four years old, Molly was two years old. Their father Ronnie was in the Army, he had been killed in action in Afghanistan six months after Molly was born.

One date led to another and after a few dates I was introduced to the kids. They were great kids, all well behaved and very polite. Marion and I continued to date and eventually we got married, Marion was concerned that I might be bothered that none of the kids were mine. I told her it didn't matter to me, and as I was sterile I had no aspirations of having my own kids. A bicycle accident at fifteen years of age ruined that prospect.

I took to family life quite easily. I remember the night I explained to the kids about their real Dad.

"Ronnie will always be your Dad, nothing can change that. I love you three as if you were my own. I will never try and replace your Dad, but I will be here for you if you need me for anything. Your Mum and I have spoken about this, we have agreed that you can call me Dad, Vince or Vinnie. I don't mind either way."

The three of them gave me a hug and said Dad would be better. Over the next thirteen years we all settled as a family. I worked as a foreman in a truck repair shop, Marion went back to work as a secretary when the kids were old enough to be home from school on their own. The extra money she brought home made life a little easier.

Reece decided that he wanted to be a truck mechanic. I got him a job with a rival firm who offered him a good deal and an apprenticeship. Reece was a very practical person so choosing a career as a mechanic didn't surprise me. Keeley went to college to study childcare, eventually she wanted to get into teaching. I often wondered if that was the right choice as she was a very quiet person, I couldn't see her in charge of a classroom full of kids.

Molly didn't know what she wanted to do yet. Given her boundless energy and quick-fire temper I couldn't even guess at her career choice. Molly showed no fear and took no crap either, if you crossed her then god help you. On many occasions she defended Keeley at school, the other kids soon learned to leave both of them alone.

So here I was on a Friday night heading home from work. I wondered what the family had planned as this weekend it was my fortieth birthday. When I walked in the door Marion was sitting at the table as if she was waiting for me.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Sit down Vince. We need to talk!" I sat and waited for Marion to get started. "I'll get straight to the point Vince. I have met someone else and I want a divorce. I'm sorry Vince but I want to enjoy the finer things in life, we do okay but we will never be rich and able to afford to fund my dreams."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "So you have met someone who is rich and now I am no longer needed? Thanks Marion and fuck you too!" I was stunned as I never knew she felt this way. "I had better go and start packing. If the kids get home before I finish we can explain it to them, if not then it's your problem."

"There's no need for that Vince. I am the one who is leaving. I have packed some things to see me over a few days, I will collect the rest some other time." With that Marion got up and left the house, she didn't even turn and look at me before she closed the door. "What about the kids?" I called out, i got no answer.

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

I was sitting reading the divorce papers and feeling sorry for myself when the kids arrived home, straight away they knew something was wrong.

"Hey, what's up Dad?"

"You kids had better sit down."

The three of them sat and listened as I explained what their mother had said, Reece was the first to speak.

"So what happens now? Do we have to move house or what?"

"Apparently not. From what your Mum said and reading the papers she is letting me have the house, as well as all of our savings. All she wants is her clothes and a few personal items."

"What about the three of us? Where are we supposed to go?" Molly asked.

"I guess you all stay here. I mean your Mum has left so I don't see any reason for you to move out, unless you want to."

Molly stood up and dialled a number on her phone, I knew she would call Marion. I watched as Molly stood there impatiently waiting for her mother to answer her phone.

"Don't you hello me dear, you bitch!"

"I'll talk to you how I like. You selfish cow!"

Reece looked at me and shook his head, he had a wry grin on his face.

"So you fall out of love with Dad and take off with some arsehole who has money?"

"Meet him. I have no intention of meeting him. I would piss on the prick if he caught fire!" Molly shut the call off and flopped down on the sofa before bursting into tears.

I gave Reece some cash to go and get pizza or something for dinner, clearly none of us were in the mood to cook. Dinner was a quiet affair tonight, the older two looked sad, Molly just looked pissed off. After dinner we talked and discussed what we would do. The kids were adamant they were not moving out.

"Look kids, she is your mother. Despite what she has done you need to have some sort of relationship with her." I knew right now my advice was falling on deaf ears.

"Shit!" Molly exclaimed. "It's your birthday tomorrow Dad. Perfect timing on Mum's part."

I woke up on Saturday to find Keeley cooking breakfast. Molly had several packages laid out on the table. "Happy Birthday Dad." She jumped up and hugged me.

It was surreal. For a minute I forgot all about Marion and the divorce. We all sat and ate breakfast then I set about opening my presents. The kids didn't have a great amount of money so anything was going to be appreciated. The final haul was some tee shirts, a few cd's along with an engraved pint glass. It said "<em>To the World's greatest 40 year old. Happy Birthday Dad love Reece, Keeley &amp; Molly."</em>

After hugging and thanking all three of them I excused myself to get dressed. I had shopping to do and errands to run. "Don't make any plans for tonight Dad. We are taking you out, whether you like it or not!" Molly informed me with a smile. That kid was as tough as nails but she could reduce me to tears, I walked to the bathroom hoping they couldn't see the tears in my eyes.

On Monday I called into work and explained the situation to my boss, he gave me the week off to sort things out. I signed the divorce papers and returned them, as I was getting everything I didn't see the point in arguing.

To their credit the kids carried on as normal, or as normal as things can be in a situation like this. I was holding it together for their sake, privately I was pissed off and somewhat more than upset. I had given Marion everything over the years. I didn't even know who she had left me for.

Keeley said she knew the guy, it was one of the senior people where her Mum worked. "I think his name is Joshua Middleton or something, I know that because there are some pictures of the two of them at a function on her Facebook page."

On Tuesday Molly answered the phone to her mother. "Yes Mother!"

I couldn't hear what Marion said, I got the gist of it soon enough.

"No Mother. You want your clothes; we will bring them over to you." There was a pause. "Yeah whatever!"

Molly grabbed a few black rubbish sacks and called out to Keeley to help her pack their mother's clothes, twenty minutes later they had everything in bags. "Can we borrow your car Dad?"

I handed Keeley the keys as she had a driver's licence. I watched as Molly threw the bags into the back of the car. They drove off with a wave, I couldn't be sure but I think Molly had a sly grin on her face.

It was about forty minutes after the girls left the phone started ringing, I answered it hoping they were both okay.

"What the hell did you do to my clothes Vince?" Marion practically yelled down the phone at me.

"Oh hello Marion, nice to hear from you. I didn't do anything to your clothes."

"I thought better of you. I didn't realise you would start acting like a child over the divorce."

"For the last time Marion I did nothing to your clothes. Molly and Keeley packed them up for you."

"Lying bastard!" Then she slammed the phone down. Just then the girls walked indoors.

"Okay you two spill the beans. What did you do to your mother's clothes?"

Molly laughed and looked at her sister. "On the way over to fat wallets house we stopped at the garage and sprayed water on Mum's clothes. Before I tied the bags I threw in some talcum powder just for a laugh."

I roared out laughing. I know I shouldn't have but I couldn't help myself. The girls were still giggling when they went upstairs to their rooms. After that every time Marion called the kids refused to speak to her, if she called their mobile phones they rejected the call. Eventually Marion called me on my mobile phone, she demanded to see her children. At the time all four of us were in the car. Molly whispered in my ear then told her brother to drive to where Marion worked. I was told to stay in the car.

When Marion left the office the kids were standing in front of her nice shiny new BMW, she approached them smiling with her arms open wide for a hug. The smile disappeared quickly as Molly stepped forward and slapped her mother across the face. She then proceeded to yell at Marion. I couldn't hear it properly but the word bitch was used several times. Molly and Keeley turned away and walked back to our car.

Reece was staring at his mother as she sobbed and held her face. A man in a suit approached, I presumed he was the boyfriend. After looking at Marion he stepped forward and swung a punch at Reece. He missed, Reece didn't. As Reece walked back to the car I saw Marion still crying and her boyfriend sitting on the ground rubbing his jaw.

We didn't hear from Marion after that. I did try and get the kids to meet with her, they just didn't want to bother. The divorce was final several months later.

<strong>Two years later.</strong>

Recce was now working at the same place as me, his previous employer hit financial problems and had to lay him off. My boss offered to pay for the last year of his apprenticeship, the deal was Reece would work for him for two years to pay it back.

Keeley was now working in a local school as a teaching assistant. Molly was at college training to be a dental nurse.

I was home alone one evening when the doorbell rang, I opened it to see Marion standing there.

"May I come in Vince?" I gestured for her to enter.

"I want to see my children Vince. I know they are avoiding me but I need to see them. Will you please speak to them for me?"

I looked at Marion and saw the sadness in her eyes. "I will try Marion. But I am making no promises. You have to understand that they feel that you abandoned them."

"It did not abandon them!"

"You did Marion. Or at least they think you did. I know you left me for a rich guy and I get it. It pissed me off, but I am over that now. Those kids are your flesh and blood, you chose to leave them behind with me, their stepdad. How do you think they fucking feel, Marion?"

"I didn't abandon them Vince. I left them with you as Joshua didn't want the kids around."

"Joshua didn't want them around! For god sake Marion they are your kids. You drive a car that uses more fuel in a week than any other car you have owned. You live in a house with six bedrooms and probably only use one. You left your kids with me while you went off and lived the good life on Joshua's money. If I had been in your shoes I would have told him to fuck off, the kids come with or nobody goes. You couldn't even do that. You put your lust for money before your kids, that's what hurt them Marion."

Marion started to cry. "I'll speak to them but as I said I am making no promises. They are all adults now and can make their own decisions. Marion was still sobbing when she left.

<strong>EPILOGUE</strong>

I did sit with the kids one night and explained that their mother wanted to see them, they didn't seem too bothered. I made it clear that it was their choice, as adults I couldn't force them to go and see her.

What I didn't know at the time was Keeley had already been to see her mother, unfortunately Marion was out at the time. Joshua told her never to bother calling again and to tell her brother and sister the same thing.

When Marion and Joshua got married the kids never attended, they were invited but tossed the invites in the bin. I got the phone call accusing me again of turning them against their Mum, that was until I explained what Joshua said to Keeley.

Reece and Keeley are both married now, Keeley is expecting her first child in 3 months. Reece and his wife have decided to wait and fix their house up a bit first.

Molly is in a same sex relationship with another dental nurse. It didn't bother me and I gave them my blessing, if they were happy then so be it.

I didn't start dating until I met Laura, we met at Reece's wedding. She was a relative of Reece's wife. Laura got divorced after she caught her husband screwing around. Initially we spent a lot of time between two houses, after two years I asked Laura to move in with me.

Seven years after Marion left me for Joshua, he died suddenly. The post mortem revealed he had an undiscovered heart defect. Marion now has all the money she wants and nobody to share it with. In some ways I think it's sad that she is alone, then again she wanted to trade up so let her get on with it.

