A New Beginning, Again

"No Mary, there is no chance of us being husband and wife again. You have been very good these last few years. No complaining, no bitching, and have lived up to your part of the bargain. You made one slip when you received and answered an email from one of those assholes about 2 years ago, but that was all that happened. At least as far as I know. You are really a good woman, Mary. I guess you just lost you way back then, but I just can't get over what you did. I forgive you but I can't forget. That is the problem. Every time I would begin to forget, I would see you dancing in the kitchen or putting on something a little sexy or any number of little things and I would see those pictures again. I destroyed those pictures a couple of years ago. Thought it might help, but no such luck. They are imprinted on my mind. So, no Mary, we can't be a couple again. I am sorry, I really am. It would nice if we could go on, but this is about the best I can do. So what are you going to do?"

With tears in her eyes Mary said "I guess you need to file for divorce and let's get on with our lives."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I will see the attorney tomorrow and start the paper work. This is a no fault state so a reason is not necessary. There will be no mention of adultery. Okay?"

The divorce went thru in record time. I let Mary keep the house and most of the money in the checking/saving accounts. We shared custody of Billy. I paid Mary child support and a small amount of alimony. I saw my son every weekend and a month at a time during the summer. We also worked out a schedule concerning holidays. Mary and I are probably better friends now than when we were married. A common ground is shared in our son and it's better for the boy if we don't fight or attack each.

Mary met a good man and got married about 2 years after our divorce. I like the guy and he is a good step-father for Billy. About the same time that she remarried, I sold the software I talked about earlier. One month after that windfall, I sold the property my grandfather had left me. I was squatting in tall cotton. Lots of money, but no one to really share it with. I decided the Midwest had lost its' appeal for me and moved to the west coast.

I was living with a delightful lady name Cindy. We got along very well. She and I enjoyed a lot of the same things and each other. Cindy knew about my ex-wife and the breakup of our marriage. She also knew about my son and how much I missed him. As we lived on the west coast, I only got to see my son during the summers. Billy was just about to start high school when I got a call from Mary. She told me Billy and his step-father had begun to butt heads more and more. Our son was and is a head strong young man and he rebelled a little at the disciple of his step-father. Mary would sometimes give in to Billy and step around her husband. I guess she felt a little guilty and was trying to make it up to the boy. You cannot do that. Kids, especially our son, will take any advantage that they can get. Mary asked me if Billy could come and live with me. I told Cindy about Mary's request and her only comment was which room should she get ready

I called Mary back the next day."How quick can you get him here? I was going to talk to you about that very thing next month, after I got back from my annual fishing trip with John and Ray." (Remember them?) "I will send you a check for his airfare and you put him on the first plane, he can go fishing with us." Billy arrived five days later and went fishing with his old dad.

Billy moved in with us and started and finished high school. He did pretty good living with us. Cindy and I presented a united front, so his little plans and schemes didn't work very well. After finishing high school Billy enlisted in the Navy and became his own man.

Cindy and I didn't survive his leaving. I think we only stayed together as long as we did because she loved Billy too. We are still friends to this day. She has met and married a very nice guy. I like him and strange as it sounds, he and I play golf and go fishing together. No talk about Cindy is allowed.

So here I am lots of money and no one to share it with. Oh well,

A NEW BEGINNING AGAIN.