Summer Love’s Second Chance

Why, of all days, he chose Christmas Eve to break the news, she had no idea. He had done it anyway. Dropped the bomb with the truth she had suspected for over 3 years now, and then expected her to be all smiles for the children Christmas morning as if they were still a happy family. Charlie had suspected that her husband of 8 years had cheated on her or was still cheating on her. She gotten a strange feeling about 3 years ago, 5 years into their marriage, shortly after the birth of their first child together. Kevin worked out of state as an engineer on various government infrastructure projects. He was only home one weekend every 4 weeks and it had been that way since they dated. Charlie had met Kevin when he was in her area for a project. They dated for 2 years and when the project ended, he had asked her to marry him and come live in his home town. Charlie had uprooted her entire life, left her job, and followed this man, who she loved more than life itself, to live out in the country. They were married later that year and had spent 4 years trying for their first baby. It took so long because he was never home. Charlie had endured loneliness and held down the fort at home because that’s how he wanted it. He had a home base in his hometown, but he was free to work wherever his work took him and she was required to stay home. She was not allowed to stay in company housing with him or even visit him while he was away for work. At first Charlie was ok with this because she occupied her time with finishing her degree in childhood education and hoped to become a teacher. Teachers stayed busy all the time with lesson planning and grading, so she’d never really have time to miss him. She had no idea that the entire time while she was working, building their home and raising their children that he had his work arrangement the way it was so he could sleep around with strangers in all his new project locations. That’s what he came clean about this Christmas Eve. Their 5 and 2 year old were asleep in their rooms as they sat on the couch after placing the presents under the tree when he told her he had to tell her something that had been bother long him for a long time. Apparently, 3 years ago, when he was in Richmond, Virginia working on a project, he had met someone at the bar and took her back to his room. He only met with her that one time, but she wasn’t the only one he’d ever hooked up with either. There had been someone in Middletown, New York; Covington, Kentucky; Santa Rosa, Florida; Denver, Colorado; Dothan; Alabama; and most recently someone in Brunswick, Georgia. Over the past 3 years he had been sleeping around because he was lonely out on the road all the time. Charlie could not believe what she was hearing. The entire foundation of her world had crumbled in that instant. She had no idea what to do or say. She had had her suspicions, but for her to be right about it was just so devastating because she had asked him about it 3 years ago when she first had the feeling and he had lied to her face. She assumed he felt comfortable continuing since he had so easily gotten away with it the first time. She sat speechless on the couch next to him, staring at the tree, the presents, the furniture, the holiday decorations. She had done all of this, she had filled this house, she had cared for everything that was here she had thought she had been a good wife. She worked full time at this point at her children’s elementary school. She packed their lunches every day, sat with them to do their homework, made dinner, navigated bath and bed time, and then graded papers or planned lessons until she fell asleep. She paid the bills, kept the house clean, tended to the animals, maintained the yard. She picked him up from the airport for the weekends he came home, she loved him with all her heart and cried every time she had to take him back. She thought that had been enough. Yes over the years, there had been several men who had tried to give her attention or ask her out, but she had stayed faithful. She was a married woman and believed in the value and sanctity of marriage. It was a contract and a bond you shared with the person you loved most in this world and it wasn’t to be taken lightly nor cast away so easily. To him, it was nothing more than a piece of paper that guaranteed his goals were achieved while he didn’t believe he had to actually abide by its words. Charlie felt so stupid in this moment. She had thought she had found her forever person, she had actually believe he had loved her and that their lives were perfect. They both had careers, they had two children, a lovely home, and what she thought was still a passion for each other after all these years, but she had been so blind. This man who sat next to her suddenly felt like a stranger. He was still saying something but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. In a few hours, the children would be waking up to see the glorious Christmas presents and have the hearty Christmas breakfast she had already prepped hours ago. Later on this Christmas Day they would all go to his mother’s house for Christmas dinner. Everything was expected to still go as planned, even though it felt like her world had become frozen in place. Everything seemed hazy and moved slowly. The lights on the tree appeared to dim. Charlie felt like she was watching herself in an out of body experience as she heard herself say, “I want a divorce.” “Now hold on a minute,” Kevin replied, flatly. “I already said that there would be no talk of divorce. I told you that I had felt guilty about it all and that I wanted to stop. I want you and the kids to start coming on the road with me and we can rent our house out while we’re away. I already have a renter lined up and everything.” “I don’t care. I want a divorce. I can’t do this anymore.” Charlie’s voice left her body like the last breath of a dying man. She felt winded, she felt like her very being had be shattered, but she hadn’t yet cried. Why hadn’t she started to cry yet. She should be crying for the hurt he had caused, for the ultimate betrayal, for the kids one day having to find out that their father had sought the attentions and affections of other while she worked and raised them. “I want you to think about what you are saying. We have to stay together for the kids. They need us both. I still need you, that is why I want you to start coming with me to new projects. We can live as a whole family full time. Those other women never meant anything. They were just there for the moment when I felt needy, when I couldn’t reach for you because you were here.” This statement sent Charlie over the edge. She was finally ready to let loose all her pain, rage, and disappointment.