TITLE    : If Only...
STORYID  : if-only-13
SUMMARY  : Never assume.
AUTHOR   : slow_n_gentle@lit
DATE     : 2010-01-01
CATEGORY : non-erotic-stories
FLAGS    : 
TAGS     : |cheating|divorce|


<i>A special thanks to Only By Moonlight for editing.</i>



*~*~*~*~*



"Village Inn."



"Hey Mike, let me speak to my wife for a minute."



Mike chuckled. "Nate, you're the most pussy whipped husband I know. Let me get one of the girls to tell her."



He set the phone down; I could hear the banter going on between the waitresses and the kitchen.



What Mike said hurt, but I've been through hell once and never want to do it again.



*~*~*~*~*



It was six years ago, I was working second shift then. The kids were still in school; Sean was twelve and Kelli just turned fifteen. I work in maintenance. We had a rush at work to put in the two production lines corporate decided to move from the Tulsa plant. What made it bad was the maintenance supervisor had already had us begin to refurbish our three existing lines. To finish both projects on time, we would be working twelve hour shifts plus eight hours on Saturday for the foreseeable future.



I explained to my wife, Shelly, that my hours would be like that for ten to twelve weeks. She wasn't happy about it, but understood it was part of my job and we could really use the money for the kid's college fund.



It wasn't long before the long hours began taking a toll on my family life. Shelly was always up when I came home at my regular time. We'd spend an hour or so talking about her day before she had to go to sleep for her day job. A couple of those nights we'd make love after I showered. Now, I wasn't home until almost four in the morning. The intimacy was only for the weekends now and our communication became notes left on the kitchen counter.



It was half way through the project that my life changed. I came home after the Saturday shift to an empty house. There was a note on the kitchen counter from Shelly. She and the kids went to her parents' house and would return Sunday night.



We hadn't talked about it, but Shelly tried to see her parents three or four times a year. Her dad preferred to spend his weekends relaxing by his pool, not driving three hours to visit us. Her mom called every week for updates on Shelly and the kid's lives. She always asked when they were coming to visit. 



I tossed the note in the trash and made myself something to eat. That changed my plans. All the way home I'd imagined making passionate love to Shelly. We'd talked when I got up today and she never mentioned the trip. Something must have happened after I went to work, but it was too late now to call. Besides, her parents never cared much for me. They thought Shelly could've done better than marry a factory worker.



Sunday, I fixed a couple of things on the 'to-do' list and finished the yard work Sean didn't do. It was after five by the time all the work was finished and they weren't home. I cleaned up and had dinner at the Village Inn where I ate about three times a week.



It was about midnight when the garage door opened. When they came in, Sean and Kelli mumbled a weak 'hi' as they carried their overnight bags upstairs and went to bed. Shelly walked in pulling her suitcase.



"Is everything okay with you folks? You didn't mention seeing them when we talked yesterday."



"Not now, I've got a migraine. I need to lie down."



"You need me to get you some aspirin or a cold wash cloth babe."



She shook her head and went upstairs.



I went into the den and watched TV until I felt sleepy, around four in the morning.



Everyone was gone when the alarm went off; the kids to school and Shelly at work. My long workweek began again and all I saw of the family was peacefully sleeping bodies when I came home.



Wednesday night, about seven, I got paged to go immediately to the main gate security office. Grabbing my hand tools, I wondered what the hell the emergency could be. 



Entering the building, the guard gave me a funny look and pointed to the counter where a Sheriff's deputy stood.



"Nathan Morrison?"



I looked at the deputy and nodded. 



"You've been served." He handed me some papers and left.



I stood there dumbfounded watching his squad car drive off. Shrugging my shoulder, I looked at the papers.



'Petition for the Dissolution of Marriage'



It felt like the cop had just hit me in the gut. I stumbled as my legs gave way and slumped into a chair next to the counter; my hand tools banging and clanging as they scattered across the floor. I gasped trying to get air in my lungs. Sharp pains pierced my chest like someone was poking me with a dozen big needles.



"Hey! You OK? You need me to call the paramedics?"



I felt someone shaking my shoulder and realized it was the guard talking to me. 



"No. Give me a minute."



The guard kneeled down and picked up my tools. He also picked up the papers that fell and glanced at them.



"Sorry Guy". He patted my shoulder in a sympathetic 'you poor bastard' way.



I used the phone on his desk and frantically called home... but nobody answered. The remainder of my shift remains a blank. This divorce fiasco was the only thing on my mind. Somehow they served the wrong Nathan Morrison.



I pulled into my drive and pressed the door opener. Nothing happened! Removing it from the visor and pointing it at the door still didn't work. Cussing the opener as one more thing to fuck up my life, I turned off the car and headed for the front door. I grabbed the three black garbage bags setting by the steps and put them next to the curb, wondering why in the hell Sean left the garbage there.



I put my key in the lock, but it wouldn't work. I rang the bell... I rang it repeatedly and pounded on the door. The lights finally came on inside. The porch light came on and Shelly looked out the small window by the door.



"My key won't work." I waved my key and pointed to the door.



"The locks are changed. Your stuff's in the bags. Take 'em and get outta here!" She yelled through the closed window.



"What the hell's going on? Shelly, why'd you do this?" I watched her face change to one of total hatred.



"You know what you did, you bastard. Now get your shit and get the hell outta here before I call the police." She turned off the porch light. A few seconds later, the inside lights went off.



"Shelly! It's got to be a mistake. Tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."



She didn't answer. I wish I had a cell phone so I could call and talk through the speaker of the answering machine. Maybe she would pick up and tell me what I did. So much for wishing. I loaded the bags in my car and drove to the Budget Inn by the expressway. By now, my head was pounding along with the chest pains returning. I filled out the card and passed him my credit card. He came back a minute later.



"Your card was rejected." 



Mumbling under my breath, I handed him my other one. He returned shaking his head. My day couldn't get any worse.



"Please call and verify."



He returned a few minutes later shaking his head.



"Your account's been closed. Do you want to try another card or will this be cash?"



"Forget it," snatching my card from his hand and leaving. I stopped at my bank's ATM figuring on getting enough cash to hold me over until I fixed whatever happened. 



The machine kept my card. I picked up the phone to report the problem, only to be told the account was closed.



Ever try to find a payphone now adays. I woke my mom up at five in the morning to tell her I was on my way over and needed a place to stay.



Mothers are wonderful people. She said 'OK, I'll turn the porch light on' and hung up without asking any questions... until I walked into her kitchen where she had two cups of coffee setting on the table.



She looked at me with those piercing, all knowing eyes. "What did you do?"



I shrugged my shoulder. "Damned if I know. I got served with divorce papers tonight... well, technically last night since the sun's almost up. Shelly had the locks changed at home and my clothes in the front yard. She's closed our credit cards and bank account. I would have sworn I was happily married."



Mom listened quietly. Her eyebrow arched and I swear her eye bulges when she gets this skeptical look on her face. "You did nothing?"



I'd seen that look many times when I was growing up. I was guilty back then, not this time.



"Yes Ma'am! I haven't had the time or energy to get into trouble. I've been working sixty eight hours a week for the last couple of months. The only time I'm not working or sleeping is Sunday and I'm with Shelly and the kids; all except last Sunday."



I saw the skeptical look change to a questioning one. "What happened Sunday?"



I didn't understand what that had to do with anything, but I had nothing to hide. "Nothing! I fixed a couple broken things around the house and finished the yard work Sean left. Shelly took the kids to her parents' house Saturday after I went to work and didn't come home until late Sunday night."



"She say anything?"



"No." I shook my head and let out a deep breath in frustration. "She had a migraine and went to bed. I haven't talked to her until tonight when I went home. She told me to get my stuff and leave before she called the cops. I've been thinking about each day for the last week trying to find something that would have caused this. I keep coming up blank."



Mom still had that questioning look.



"Take your stuff up to your room and get some sleep. We'll talk before you go to work."



Most people will write how they laid in bed and couldn't sleep. Not me. I was beaten down and exhausted. I slept like a rock until I was shaken awake.



"Wake up. Go take a shower and get ready for work. I'll have lunch ready when you come down."



I dug through the bags looking for my work clothes and my personal stuff from the bathroom. Shelly must had taken out her anger when she filled the bags. I closed one bag back up until I could take it to a Laundromat and wash out the after shave she tossed in there after loosening the cap. Another I found the deodorant and tooth paste minus the caps.



I was showered, shaved, and dressed for work when I walked into the kitchen and noticed it was only ten minutes after eleven.



"Mom, I don't have to be at work until three."



"I know, but you have an appointment with Anna Dixon at one." She set an envelope next to my plate. "There's the two thousand for her and four hundred to keep you going until you straighten out your financial mess."



She must have noticed my lost expression.



"I called Shelly at work this morning."



"So what did she say I did?" I took another big slug of Mom's eye opening coffee and waited for the answer.



Mom gave me an exasperated look. "She said you knew damn good and well what you did and to quit playing dumb about it. She said you needed to find a lawyer so this could all be over with and she and the kids could get on with their lives."



I looked Mom in the eye. "I honest to God don't know what she's talking about. She won't tell me and she wouldn't tell you."



*~*~*~*~*



I sat in Ms. Dixon's office staring out the window at a pair of squirrels chasing one another around the tree. I'd given her the papers and told her everything that had happened from the Saturday when Shelly left to me living with Mom. She was on the phone now with Shelly's attorney.



"Mr. Marlow, you're representing Mrs. Morrison. I'll be representing Mr. Morrison. My client is at a loss as to why your client filed...Yes, I'm well aware we are a no fault state...Yes, I read the petition and saw irreconcilable differences...One thing before you hang up. You're aware your client locked Mr. Morrison out of their joint owned home. Your client also removed all the money from their joint accounts. I suggest you contact Mrs. Morrison and inform her that if she does not have a cashier's check for half the money along with a copy of the account balances before she closed them in my clients hand by noon tomorrow I will be filing an emergency motion with the judge to freeze her accounts until this issue can be resolved and to give my client access to his home again. I'm sure we will be speaking again shortly. Good day Mr. Marlow."



Ms. Dixon had a serene look on her face. "He wouldn't say. We're a no fault state so it really doesn't matter. I am sure you will be receiving your money tomorrow. He'll advise her to send it to avoid the judge being involved and possibly forcing her to let you back in the house. If you want to move back home and try to reconcile I'll take it before the judge, but from what you told me, she's already made up her mind to end the marriage. Call my office if you don't have your money by one. My office will contact you when we begin negotiations on assets and child custody."



I had an hour to kill before my shift started so I stopped at the Village Inn for a cup of coffee and piece of pie. I sat at a table by the wall and stared at the table trying to figure out how my life turned to shit in a matter of days.



"Whatcha havin' Hun?"



"Cup of regular and a piece of Apple pie." I didn't look at the waitress. I wasn't trying to be rude; my mind was busy with my life-altering problem.



A nice hand with chipped pink fingernail polish set a piece of apple pie in front of me and a cup of coffee to the side. If she said anything, I didn't hear it.



I took a drink of coffee and then tasted the pie. I regretted I ordered it. It was okay, but didn't come close to Shelly's apple pie. She used a recipe from her mother that had been passed down for generations. My mind flashed memories of our laughing and talking in the kitchen while she made pie at the counter. Sadness suddenly washed over me realizing it would never happen again. Shelly made that clear to Mom.



I saw the pink nails off to my right, refilling my cup.



"You OK? You look like you lost your best friend."



I thought for a moment about what she said. "I did...before she filed for divorce she was my lover and best friend. Now, she's the woman that destroyed my life; ripped out my heart; and the worst part is I don't know why."



For the second time in two days, someone put a hand on my shoulder. This one had a tender touch that made me look up into her soft green eyes and sad, understanding smile.



"It'll get better. It takes time, but it'll get better. Trust me, I know."



I glanced at the name tag pinned over her left breast. 'Jill'.



I left the pie half eaten and finished the coffee. Just the thought of Shelly and apple pie made me no longer want it.



*~*~*~*~*



The long hours at work became a godsend. I was too busy concentrating on the job to worry about my life. The check from Shelly was on the table when I got up the next morning. On my way to work, I opened a checking account.



Payroll contacted me when my direct deposit transfer returned to them. I hadn't given it a thought, but Shelly closing the accounts was a blessing. I asked them to change to paper checks and two days later my boss handed me the replacement check.



I called home once a day to leave a message on the answering machine asking Shelly to tell me what I did so I could fix it. I even suggested we go the counseling figuring I would find out there what I did. I also asked when I could see the kids.



Ms. Dixon's office called about four weeks after I first saw her. Shelly's attorney had filed for child support and maintenance payment. We met in court with Shelly, her attorney, and our children. Ms. Dixon said Kelli, but not Sean was old enough to choose who they wanted to live with. 



Shelly and I sat across from one another with our attorneys next to us. I wanted so bad to lean across and ask Shelly why... why was she doing this, but Ms. Dixon had already advised me to be pleasant and remain silent unless asked to speak. My answers were to be positive and supportive of the children.



The judge was an older woman with a pleasant voice and nice smile. She reminded me more of a doting grandma than the stern faced person in a black robe that I had envisioned. I soon saw that she could turn harsh when she lit into Mr. Marlow over some legal mumbo jumbo he was spouting.



She talked to Sean and Kelli privately in her chambers for quite a while before they returned to the courtroom. This was the first I'd seen my kids since this all started. I looked at the judge waiting to hear I would have them two weekends a month. The judge announced she would honor the kids' request. Sean would live with his mother and Kelli would live with me. I was shocked and elated as I looked from the Kelli to the surprised expression on Shelly's face. The judge must have seen Shelly and my expressions because she stopped talking until we looked at her before continuing. The kids would alternate weekends together between us. She awarded Shelly a monthly payment of a hundred dollars for child support and one hundred for support maintenance. Ms. Dixon explained the child support was low because we each were raising one child. It would change greatly if Kelli returned to her mother.



I cleaned out the third bedroom before work over the next couple of days. Kelli and I moved her stuff Sunday. Her furniture stayed at the house for her visits there. Shelly wasn't home while I was there. Kelli said she left to drop Sean off at a friend's house and never came back.



I went into work early Monday to talk to Frank, my boss's boss, about my situation. I told him the whole story about why I needed every other Saturday off. I offered to work two hours longer four days during the week instead. He told me to take the Saturdays off and skip the extra hours. He confessed he was on his second marriage and understood what I was going through.



Mom was at her part time job, so I had lunch at the Village Inn. The waitress with the green eyes and pink fingernails brought me a cup of coffee and a menu.



"You're looking better. Life improving?"



I nodded my head and smiled. "Yeah it is. The wife's still divorcing me and I don't know why. The good news is my daughter chose to live with me and we moved her in Sunday."



I looked at those eyes and beautiful smile. "Good for you. It'll keep getting better."



The following Saturday Kelli and I picked up Sean. He wasn't happy to spend the weekend with us. He started complaining that there was nothing to do. He'd rather be with his friends. I saw a disgusted look on Kelli as she headed for the living room where Sean was voicing his complaints to his grandma.



There was anger in Kelli's voice. "Quit whining. Dad's got tickets for the new 'Twilight' movie. Sunday we're going to Bowser's for pizza so you can play games. Dad thought about you. Next weekend you'll run off with your friends while I spend two days in my room avoiding Mom so we don't get in another fight."



It sounded like she was crying when she ran past the doorway and up the stairs to her room. I waited a few minutes and then went up to see if she was okay. 



She was lying on her bed, a box of Kleenex within arm's reach. A few tissues lay scattered near her as she clutched one in her hand. 



"Kelli honey, are you okay?"



She wiped her eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. I let his whining get to me. He's such a brat. All he thinks about is himself. You want to spend time with him because you love us and all he thinks about is playing with his dorky friends."



I sat on the edge of her bed. "Sweetie, he's still a young boy. Sean's life hasn't changed until today. He lives in the same house. He sees his mother like always and his friends are still close by. You're gone, but that didn't interfere with his life. Not playing with his friends because he has to spend the weekend here is a major upheaval in his life. I'll talk to him. Hopefully I can make him understand why it's important that we spend time together."



I saw her looking at me. I needed to find out about what else she said.



"Kel, you mentioned an argument with your mother. Is that why you came here? I know you have to miss your friends. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can fix it."

<hr pg="2" />I watched her look away. She began biting her lower lip. That was never a good sign.



"I came here because I believe you Dad. The night you rang the doorbell, I got out of bed and listened from the top of the stairs. I heard you asking what you did wrong. I get home before Mom so I listened to your messages. I could hear sorrow and confusion in your voice. You really have no idea what you did. I told Mom that. I asked her to call and tell you what you did to make her want to divorce you. She told me you already knew and were just playing dumb so she'd take you back."



I shook my head. "I still have no idea what caused your mother to do this. I love your mother and would never do anything to hurt her. If she'd only tell me so I could clear up this misunderstanding before it's too late.



Kelli wiped her eyes with a Kleenex and then blew her nose.



"Dad, she didn't even listen to your messages. Every time she heard your voice, she deleted it. I told her what you said in the messages. How you even wanted to go to a marriage counselor to save the marriage. She told me it was between you and her and I should stay out of it."



The tears were falling as I held her in my arms.



"It's okay Sweetie, I'm glad you tried. Something happened that made your Mother do this. She didn't say anything?"



"Not really, only that she could never forgive you. She talked to grandma when we went to their house, but they wouldn't let me in the room. I heard Mom yelling and crying but I couldn't make out what she was saying. When they came out I heard grandma tell her to do it right away. I figured out now that grandma was talking about the divorce."



"You rest. I'll wake you when dinner is ready."



Looking back at my little girl, I saw the sadness she still held because of this. "Kel, thanks for believing in me, you have no idea how good that makes me feel."



"Dad."



She was biting her lip again. "What sweetie?"



"The argument was over Mom starting to date. I begged her not to. I said it would ruin any chance of you two staying married. I told her I believed you, that you didn't do anything wrong and it was all a misunderstanding. If she would only talk to you, you could fix it."



I suddenly saw my glimmer of hope fade. "Your Mother's dating?"



She nodded her head. "Some guy she knew in college. He ran into Mom and me at the mall. He moved here not too long ago. He's divorced. He asked her to dinner. Before I moved out, they were going out two to three times a week. Maybe, she quit seeing him."



"Thanks Sweetie. Rest now." 



I was hit in the gut again. I leaned against the hallway wall out of Kelli's view until I could pull myself back together. I went downstairs. Sean was watching a movie. Mom was in the kitchen starting dinner.



I sat next to my son. "Hey sport. I'm sorry you're bored, but I really wanted to see you. I miss doing stuff together like we did at home. Now we only have two weekends a month. I heard your sister tell you we're going to the movies tonight and Bowser's tomorrow before you go home. Is there anything you'd want to do next time you're here?"



"How about the batting cages?"



That surprised me. "Sure, if that's what you want. When did you suddenly get interested in baseball? I thought you liked arcade games."



"I do, but last Tuesday Roger took Mom and me out to eat and then miniature golfing. They had batting cages there and he taught me how to swing. He said I did real good for the first time." His eyes lit up and he was excited as he told me. 



"Sean, whose Roger?" I had an idea and it was hard to keep the sadness hidden.



"Oh, sorry Dad." He was looking at the floor now, rubbing his shoe on the carpet.



"It'd okay Sean. Is Roger the man dating your Mother?" I could feel the sadness turn to anger toward that bastard for dating my wife and now trying to steal my son.



He still wasn't looking at me. His voice was a lot softer. "Yeah. He played baseball in college and he's really good. He hit every pitch out to the fence."



I turned and looked out the window, trying to get the anger and jealousy demon in check. Kelli was already being torn apart by all this; Sean didn't need to become another casualty. I had a smile on my face when I looked back at my son. 



"Next time we'll go play miniature golf and give you some time in the batting cage. Maybe we can rent dirt bikes at the forest preserve and do a little trail riding too."



He was looking at me now, a slight grin on his face. "I'd like that."



*~*~*~*~*



About four months into the divorce proceedings I got a call from Ms. Dixon.



"Mr. Morrison, your wife's attorney, contacted me. Your wife received an unsolicited offer for your house. The offer is for three hundred thousand.



Our house was an older two story farm house sitting on five acres right outside the city limits. We'd bought it when Shelly was ready to start a family. It cost us seventy five thousand back then.



"That's great. Do I have to stop in and sign something?"



"Yes. I'd like you to give me limited power of attorney to negotiate on your behalf. I did a little checking and found out a construction company bought the hundred and twenty acre farm by you and has an option on the farm next to that. The company is known for building gated condo communities. I believe someone wants your property for a retail development."



I signed and then went to the Village Inn for lunch.



"Whatcha want Nate?"



"Give me the chopped sirloin special and a regular coffee. How's life treating you Jill?"



We'd moved to a first name basis.



"Okay, and you?"



"Got an unsolicited offer on the house. Just signed papers to let my attorney take care of it."



"That's great. I told you things would get better."



When Kelli returned from staying with her Mom, she told me Shelly wasn't happy that my attorney was sticking her nose in the house deal; that is until Ms. Dixon called a week later and said the new offer was for four hundred thousand. Shelly happily signed.



*~*~*~*~*



It was on a Saturday evening that I learned why Shelly was divorcing me. Sean, Kelli and I had spent the afternoon hiking at the forest preserve. We were on our way to the car when Sean challenged Kelli to a race. Before I could remind him about his asthma, the two ran off toward the parking lot. 



When I got to the car, Sean was leaning against the car wheezing. Kelli had a worried look.



"I'm sorry Dad. I forgot about his asthma. I never would have raced him. He left his inhaler at home."



We put him in the back seat and drove to Shelly's. Kelli ran up and let herself in with Sean's key while I helped him up to the house. Shelly met us in the living room wearing a robe. She alternated between mothering her son and chastising me about not watching him good enough. 



I was ready to say something when I heard the heavy footsteps of someone bounding down the stairs and looked to see Kelli running with the inhaler. I also saw a man wrapped in a knee length robe standing at the top of the stairs. Sean used his inhaler and began feeling better.



Shelly turned to see what I was looking at. Roger went into the bedroom. I looked at her and watched for the second time her face turn to hatred.



"Don't give me that look you damn hypocrite. We're almost divorced."



I'd had enough. She'd already lambasted me over Sean. "What the hell are you yelling about? I'm no hypocrite. I'm not the one that filed for divorce so they could sleep around."



Shelly's face turned red, not in embarrassment but anger. "I'm not sleeping around you bastard." 



She walked off in a huff and returned a minute later with something in her hand. She shoved it in my chest.



"That's why I'm divorcing you, you cheating son of a bitch."



I looked at the picture she shoved at me. "Who took this?"



Shelly was looking pretty smug. 



"Ann and Russ saw you with your slut at the City Restaurant. She took the picture with her phone." 



Nodding, I looked at those blazing eyes. "Can I keep this for a couple of days?"



"Just keep it! You can look at it and remember how you destroyed our family with that whore."



I looked at her and shook my head. "Let's go kids."



"Sean's staying home. He's not going back with you." Shelly had a determined look on her face.



I looked her in the eye. "Not while he's in the house. You want to screw around while I have Sean that's fine, but you're not going to do it while he's in this house. I'll talk to my attorney Monday and have her petition the court for full custody of Sean.



"I'm leaving." We looked to see Roger coming down the stairs. He gave me a threatening look before he wrapped Shelly in his arm and kissed her in front of me. "I'll call you later." A minute later his car was pulling out of the garage.



I looked over at my son. "I'll drop your stuff off tomorrow. We'll do something next time that doesn't require you using an inhaler, okay?" He grinned and nodded his head. "Let's go Kel."



I tossed the picture on the front seat. Kelli picked it up. I watched her face as she stared at the photo.



"Looks pretty incriminating, doesn't it?"



Kelli never answered, but the sad expression said a lot. She went up to her room as soon as we got home. I looked in the phonebook and made a call.



"Chuck. Nate Morrison. Could I meet you and your wife for lunch tomorrow at the City Restaurant, it'll be my treat. I need you and your wife to do me a big favor."



Sunday I met with Chuck and Sylvia Taylor. We had a good lunch and caught up on our lives since Chuck left the company I work for. We had the owner of the restaurant take a couple of pictures for us with my camera. I got the Taylors' address and promised to send a copy to them. 



On the way home, I stopped off at Walgreens and downloaded the camera. I played with the two pictures until I thought they looked perfect, and then ordered three eight by tens of each. They'd be ready later that day.



Kelli gave me the silent treatment when I returned to Moms. As soon as I came in, she went up to her room.



"How could you!" I looked in the kitchen to see Mom sitting at the table holding the incriminating picture. "You destroyed her faith in you. She told me she wants to go back to Shelly."



Was it just me or were they all blind. "Mom which side do I part my hair on?"



She frowned and looked at me. "The left. Why?"



"Look at the picture. Tell me which sides the part on."



She looked closely. I watched her moving her finger on her head. She suddenly looked up, now with a questioning look. "It's on the right."



I nodded my head. "That's Chuck Taylor and his wife, Sylvia. Chuck use to be a machine operator at the factory. From a distance, people always got us confused.



"You got to tell Kelli. She thinks her mother was right and you're a cheat."



"I will a little later. I had lunch with the Taylors today and we took a couple of pictures. I pick up the photos later today. It'll make it easier to explain."



The light went on in Mom's head. "This picture is what made Shelly divorce you?"



"Yeah. Evidently she and her mother thought it was enough to divorce me without asking for an explanation."



After dinner, I dropped off Sean's stuff and picked up the pictures. 



I asked Kelli to come downstairs so we could talk. I saw the red eyes and sad look.



"Kel, your grandma said you want to live with your mom now. I'll take you after I show you something." I pushed the picture Shelly gave me in front of Kelli. "This is what's upsetting you. You now believe your mother was right and I'm just a cheat. Like your mother, you didn't look closely at the picture."



I pulled one of the new ones out of the envelope and set it in front of her. "I agree from a distance we look alike at first glance."



I saw Kelli's eyes widen as she looked at the new photos of Chuck, his wife, and me. I set the second picture in front of her. It was a close up of the three of us. You could see more differences between us.



"It's not you. Mom made a mistake." She had a big grin on her face. "She'll drop the divorce when you show her."



"No Kelli. The divorce will go through. If she drops it, I'll have Ms. Dixon file against your Mom."



"Kelli looked at me like I just ripped the head off her favorite doll. "Why Dad?"



"If your Mom would have shown me that picture in the beginning. She could have yelled and thrown that picture in my face and accused me of cheating. I would have been upset that she would believe I could betray our marriage. I would have made the call like I did last night and your mother and I could have gone over and met with the Taylors."



Kelli was watching me closely. She wouldn't like the rest. "Instead of doing what I just said, she not only filed for divorce but began seeing another man. She thought so little all the years we were together. After seeing her with that guy and both of them in robes, what I felt for her died. She's already made up her mind and moved on. Now, that's what I have to do. I love you and Sean with all my heart and I love that you wanted to live with me, but if you still want to go back to your mom, I'll take you."



"Sorry Dad." Tears streamed down her face. "That looks so much like you; it reminded me of Mom calling you a cheater. I started doubting you. I should have known something was wrong when you asked for the picture without being embarrassed. I don't want to live with her, I was upset."



We held one another and both had a cleansing cry; her I think for doubting me, and I mourned the destruction of my marriage by the woman I loved.



*~*~*~*~*



I stopped for lunch at the Village Inn before going to the closing on our house. The green eyed waitress saw me and smiled. She pointed toward the middle. I nodded and found a vacant table.



"How you been Nate?"



"Been doing okay Jill. Going to the closing on our house at one. I also finally found out why she divorced me. Someone gave her this." I handed the small photo to her.



She looked at it. She was scowling when she looked at me. "I take it that's not your wife."



"Nope, but before you try and convict me like she did, look at this." I pulled the large photo from the envelope and handed it to her."



She looked at the picture and back at me a few times. "You know them."



"I worked with the guy a few years ago. People always got us confused. The lady in the picture is his wife. They were nice enough to meet me at the restaurant for that picture."



"So you gettin' back together."



"No, the divorce will go on. She's already found someone else. When this is all over, I guess I'll do the same."



I had the special, as usual. Jill must have felt sorry for me because she was extra attentive and seemed to brush my shoulder every time she walked by.



I waited until the closing was over to give Shelly back her picture and the two new ones. I watched her eyes widen as she looked at the new ones. When she looked at me, I couldn't read her expression; in my heart I hoped it was sorrow.



"If only you would have confronted me in the beginning instead of running to your mother; we would still be a family. We could have laughed about this at our fiftieth anniversary. Instead I was tried, convicted, and hung before you returned home. Keep all of the photos. Like you told me, you can look at them and remember how you destroyed our family."



I collected my check and left. A couple of months later we sat across from one another to sign the final papers. We never spoke. After that I only saw her for a couple of minutes when I dropped off or picked up the kids. Even then we only spoke if it involved the kids. We both knew what we had together was gone.



*~*~*~*~*



A minute later I heard the phone scrape across the counter.



"Hi Sugar, working late again?" 



"Yeah, they asked for four over. You doin' OK?"



"Its been busy since I came in and is final-"



"You gonna let hubby stay out late for being a good boy?" Mike's booming laughter echoed in the phone. 



"Give it a rest Mike. He's just bein' thoughtful; something you wouldn't know about." 



I heard the tinge of anger in Jill's voice. I felt sorry that she was being heckled over my calls. "I'll let you go babe. I just wanted to let you know. I'll talk to you when I get home. I love you."



"I love you too...Nate, you could just leave a message on the answering machine at home. I'm not her Hun, and I know you're not like my ex."



"You're right Jill. I'll do that next time. Some habits are hard to break."



Yep, after the divorce I switched to day shift and started dating the green eyed waitress with the pink fingernails. We took it slow and got to know one another. We both have baggage to unload. Me with my new phobia for keeping my mate informed, and Jill's cautiousness because of a cheating husband. We finally married two years later. 

