A Surprise Visitor

"You can't...you don't really mean that, do you?"

"I do daddy. That's how strongly I feel about this. Look, daddy, you're getting older and your ability to keep mom satisfied is going to start to suffer anyway. I mean, if you were younger I doubt you could have kept it in your pants while you were overseas. But you just don't need it as much as you used to so you'll get all you need. Hell, Aaron will probably give you some much needed rest."

"I was faithful to your mother because I loved her and made that choice."

"Whatever, daddy. The point is that you need to do what's right by the woman that loved and supported you all of these years and if you don't I can't trust or respect you, and I can't have my child around someone I don't trust or respect."

I was completely devastated. I had really thought that I would have her support, and I never imagined for a minute that even if she didn't support me that she'd keep my grandchild from me.

"Karen, please don't do this."

"It's done, daddy. I've told you my terms. The choice is yours now."

I looked at her, the pain and anguish I'm sure clearly evident in my face and body language. She was looking at me with nothing but pity.

"I guess...I guess you've really left me no choice, have you."

She smiled but it wasn't a sweet one; it had an aspect of wickedness to it that I didn't like. She clearly thought she had me, and her next statement confirmed that.

"Let Brian know if you need help moving your things back into the house."

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and walked out of my hotel room without a look back. I know because I was watching her. The door closed before I spoke again.

"Yeah, I'll do that."

It was true that I felt I had no choice, but that choice wasn't the one that Karen thought it was. I got on the phone and called Mr. Enos. He was 65 now but still fully in charge of things around the company. I talked to him for awhile and then promised to wait for a call back while he made some inquiries.

The next day was Sunday and I had asked that we all meet for dinner at the house that night. Karen responded that she and Brian would be there and that would be a good time for him to help me bring my things back into the house. My response was simple but ambiguous: "Yes, that would be a good time for that."

Before heading over to the house I reloaded my truck. I couldn't get a refund on the hotel room per the terms of the contract but that was only a few hundred bucks and I just wasn't worried about it.

I pulled up at 6:00pm and everyone was already there. Fran met me at the door and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at me and I smiled back, fake and forced though it was. Karen met me next.

"Hi daddy. I'm glad you're back. Did you want Brian to help you unload now or after dinner?"

"Not right now, honey."

She nodded her understanding and gave me a hug herself. Brian was next. He shook my hand and assured me he'd help when the time came, but to his credit he looked embarrassed to be a part of this, and I realized that he was not on board with what was going on. Aaron wisely kept his distance.

Dinner was excellent but that was to be expected. Fran and Karen did all the work, resisting all offers of assistance. I figured this was their way of demonstrating Fran's ability to take care of more than one man at a time because Karen focused her efforts on Brian while Fran did her duty with Aaron and me (mostly me).

My moment came as the meal was winding down. I had been seated at one end of the rectangular table. Fran had insisted I sit there because it was the 'head of the table' but I noticed that Aaron was sitting at the other end, and that was virtually indistinguishable from the one I sat at. I wondered if that had been intentional but realized it didn't matter anymore. I stood and clinked my fork on my glass.

"First I want to thank my wife and daughter for a wonderful meal. It was excellent. I asked for this dinner because I had a few things to say. We're all aware of the situation that has been going on in the house since I got back, and I'm sure you all know how I reacted to it when I found out."

"It was perfectly understandable," chimed in my wife. "I'm just glad you're back."

I gave her a wry smile and continued.

"I was, and remain, unhappy with what happened, but I was prepared to stay here in town and do my best to maintain a friendly relationship for the sake of the family; specifically, my daughter and soon to be born grandchild."

I saw the wide smiles on Fran and Karen start to fade just a bit but they were still trying to remain optimistic and upbeat. I continued again.

"And then my daughter, the one I sat up with all night on more than one occasion when she was sick and even those times she had gotten a concussion from playing soccer, came to me and told me that I was wrong, and that if I didn't return home and accept this life that I would be cut out of her life, including her child."

"You did what?!" This from Brian, who apparently had not been privy to his wife's plans at coercion and manipulation.

"Be quiet, Brian! This is my family and I will make the decisions when it comes to them."

Brian didn't say another word, but his body language clearly showed he was unhappy with what he had just heard and he turned away from Karen.

"And so, as I told Karen just after she dropped this bomb on me, I am left with little choice. I'm sure you all noticed that I have all of my things loaded in my truck outside."

They all glanced it that direction even though they couldn't actually see the truck from where we were sitting, and the smiles returned to Fran and Karen's faces. Aaron had remained remarkably stoic throughout this entire thing and I wondered exactly how he felt about this whole thing.

"As soon as dinner is over I'll be driving across the state to College City, where I will be taking over as Vice-President of Operations for one of my boss's friends. They've been looking for someone that could handle the position and they are looking forward to me starting as soon as I can."

"Henry, no, please. I thought..." tried Fran, but I held up my hand to stop her.

"I think I know what you thought, Fran. I don't know if you put Karen up to what she did or were simply aware of it, but that you would allow me to be treated like that tells me exactly what you think I deserve. Karen, I'm sorry that you feel the way you do, and I will miss you very much. Well, not you now, but the you that I raised. I don't even know who you are. Of course I will regret missing out on the grandchild I've been waiting my whole life for, but I'm not willing to sacrifice my dignity or self-respect for anyone, that baby included. Aaron..." He looked up at me. "Aaron, I can only assume this will make you happy, and perhaps this was your hope all along. I don't know and at this point I don't care, but I hope you are making note of what's happening here and the last words I have to say to you are 'you're next.'"

I turned and headed out the door, leaving a table full of shocked people behind me. I could hear Karen and Fran arguing with each other and was almost to my truck when Brian caught up with me.

"Henry, for what it's worth, I agree with your choice and I hope you believe that I didn't know Karen was going to do what she did."

"I believe you, Brian. Watch her carefully. She seems to have become capable of doing things I wouldn't have thought possible."

"When you get settled, if you feel comfortable, let me know how to get a hold of you, just in case. I promise not to let anyone know I have the info. Your choice."

"I'll think about it, Brian, And thanks."

I shook his hand and went on my way. I glanced back at the house one last time and saw two female silhouettes, one bearing the outline of my grandchild, in the doorway as I pulled away.

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"Wow. I was always under the impression that Aaron didn't come into the picture until you were gone."

"I'm sure that's what they wanted you to think. I wasn't there to defend myself and they probably wanted you to have a good opinion of your grandma, so it was easier to just make me the bad guy."

"I think you were right to walk away from that, grandpa, if that means anything."

"It means everything, honey. I'm glad your mom's ideas didn't poison your mind."

"So what about you? Did you ever get married again?"

"I did, just a few years later, actually. I had trouble trusting at first but she overcame all of that."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"You already have," I said, as I reached for the intercom button.

"Huh?"

"Honey, can you come in here, please?"

The door opened and Libby, my bride of nearly 15 years, came sauntering in with the confidence of a woman that's fucking the boss, and doing it regularly.

"Kim, this is my wife, Libby. Libby, this is Kim."

"It's very nice to meet you," my wife said politely, though of course still not understanding why she was being introduced.

"This is Karen's daughter," I clarified, and the expression on her face was priceless.

"Then she's your..."

"Granddaughter, yes."

Kim finally spoke, and had no idea what she started when she did.

"It's nice to meet you, grandma."

"Crap, now you've done it," I said, but with a smile on my face as I watched Libby 's face contort and finally burst forth with tears, despite her efforts to hold them back.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," said Kim, concerned for the woman that had just broken down in front of her.

"You didn't," I reassured her. "Just give her a minute."

I could see the worry on Kim's face as she watched my wife let out her tears and finally recompose herself, then prepare to explain herself to our new addition to the family.

"I'm sorry dear. It's just that I never had any kids of my own, and with Henry's situation I never believed I'd hear anyone call me grandma. Thank you for making an old lady's wish come true."

I explained that when I took my new job after leaving home that Fran was already working for the company as the executive secretary for the owner. We danced around our attraction to each other for a couple of years before I finally took a chance. My divorce from Fran had long since settled and I wanted a woman in my life again. We married about a year after that and she stayed in that same position as I, or really I should say we, began slowly purchasing shares of the company.

Libby actually had quite a bit of money. She was conservative by nature so didn't overspend, and then she slowly gained inheritances as the older generations of her family passed on. She didn't get all of the money but she got plenty. Even now we don't own the entire company but sit at right around 75%. The previous owner, Gus Atkins, holds on to 25% so he has an income during his retirement but he has no kids either and has already put it in his will that it goes to Libby and myself.

We all embraced in a group hug and made plans to get together for dinner that night, which turned out to be the start of many, many meals we all shared. Since we lived just a few miles from the university, Kim and her friends were frequent guests, and crowded Sunday dinners became a weekly event.

Libby went from no grandchildren to one official and many more unofficial, as many of Kim's friends were away from home and adopted both of us as pseudo-grandparents.

It also wasn't long before Kim's dad, my former son-in-law Brian, was bringing his new family up to visit. His new wife, Kristin, was very sweet, and his baby girl, Carrie, was an absolute delight. Libby and I particularly enjoyed getting the opportunity to be with a baby/toddler, and they managed to make dinner about once a month.

I looked forward to my first opportunity to spend some time with Brian, as he was the only link to that painful time so long ago. Kim let me know that Aaron hadn't lasted long but couldn't shed light on the details, and I was curious as to the why and the how of Aaron's departure from the family that he had played a significant role in destroying.

I took the opportunity to get Brian alone so we could delve into the story. It actually happened on the second visit from him and his family, having spent the first one getting reacquainted and on more positive topics. We went into my home office and closed the door for privacy, and I asked him to tell me about the events after I moved away.

"No one expected you to leave the way you did, especially after the bomb that Karen had dropped on you. As pissed as I was at her doing that, I still fully expected you to say you were staying. Of course, I didn't know you that well since you had been out of the country for most of my marriage."

"Did her mother know?"

"Fran was aware of what Karen was going to do, and while Karen came to the decision on her own, or so I was told, Fran supported it because at that point she felt it was the only thing that would keep you from leaving."

"I would have stayed if she had sent Aaron packing. I wouldn't have been happy with what she had done but I would have tried to understand it and get past it."

"Of course. I meant the only way to keep you and Aaron both. She really felt she loved you both and was distraught at your leaving. She couldn't understand why you would rather lose her entirely than allow her what she wanted."

"I guess I had been too cooperative and giving during our marriage if she really thought I would go for that."

"Things went on for awhile after you left. Aaron was actually there when Kim was born and played the proud grandfather. I found it fairly appalling myself but I was really trying to keep the peace so I kept quiet."

"Don't feel bad, Brian. As her father I was probably more aware than anyone how assertive Karen could be, and you had to live with her every day. What happened from there?"

"Exactly what you would expect to happen. Aaron was new and exciting and a connection to her youth. She didn't really love him, not the way she loved you, and things cooled off. I think Fran even started seeing him as a reminder of losing you. Things limped along for about another year before he packed up and left but they had been just coexisting for a few months by that point. Kim had just turned one."

"Was Franny upset that he left?"

"Only that she had driven you away for him. I think she was almost glad to see him go."

"Based on what you're telling me I'm a little surprised I never heard from anyone asking for forgiveness or something."

"You never sent me any of your contact info so I assumed you wanted a full and complete break. Fran talked about maybe trying to find you but Karen shot that down in a hurry. I found out later she had already started exercising her 'womanly right to full and complete satisfaction' as she called it."

"She was already cheating?"

"She didn't see it that way, or so she said. Bear in mind that I didn't find out about this for years. She was very good at hiding it, and of course I worked long hours so she had plenty of opportunity. She insisted that a woman's body was meant to accept more sex than a man could give and thus it was her 'right by God' to use as many men as needed until she was fully satisfied."

"If it was her right then why did she hide it?"

"To spare my feelings. She argued that just because she could and should didn't mean that I would be all right with it, since I was clinging to an old-fashioned ideal of monogamy."

"What was old-fashioned about it?"

"She said monogamy was about the 'emotional self', not the 'physical self'. She wasn't cheating because she didn't love any of them; she only loved me. They were just tools to achieve satisfaction."

"How'd you find out?"

"I walked in on her and couple of guys. Rather than make excuses she explained her thinking and that it had been going on for years without my knowing so I really had no reason to object. She always used condoms, gave me all I wanted, blah blah blah. The same old stuff. When I talked about divorce she threatened to take me to the cleaners and keep me from the Kimmy. I decided to stick it out until she was 14 and then we left."

"You told Kim?"

"No, Karen actually tried to take her down that path. Karen told Kim she had lovers and that it was their right as women to do so. Kim came and asked my opinion about it and also talked to her friend's parents and decided it was wrong. She's an amazing kid."

"So Karen kept you from looking for me?"

"Yep. And Fran was just going along because all she had left was Karen and Kim and fighting would have cost her both of them. So she played the doting grandmother, even babysitting on nights she knew Karen was going out to be with other men. I was angry at her for a long time but I've come to understand how Karen manipulated the whole situation so I look in on Fran from time to time. I don't suppose you'd..."

"Sorry Brian, no chance at all. Not even to try and help her get better. If she needs money or something you can ask and I may help as long as she has no idea I'm involved. I loved her for a long time and don't want her to go completely off the rails, but that's it."

We talked some more and theorized that my ex-wife's guilt stemmed from her driving me away with the whole Aaron thing, and also feeling at fault for giving Karen the idea that a woman should be entitled to multiple men, and supporting her as she did so. Of course, Karen took it to the extreme and wasn't careful about it, paying for it with her life, so while I certainly blame her for the end of our marriage and some of Karen's behavior, I don't think she should blame herself for Karen's death.

Of course, this was all just supposition. I never did see her again. She didn't even attend Kim's wedding, and I and only received periodic updates from Brian and Kim, who managed to build at least some relationship with her mother's mother. She continued to spend her life in a self-imposed exile, just a shell of the woman I had once loved with everything I had.

Somehow I managed not to dwell on the pain she had caused me, and Libby and I continue to live in peace and harmony and tranquility.

Except on Sunday nights.

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