All Comments on 'All These Years'

This brief story really hit home. I am curious about the future for them but I also am warned about myself and and my own. A time to look inside and see that my partner is fulfilled.

This is not run-of-the-mill erotic literature, but is serious and interesting.

He will be getting a lot of juicy cream pies,,,, and sloppy seconds or maybe thirds. A fairly poor ending,, I'm sorry to say.

But.... How about finishing ... What happens to our couple??

great story. I heard that song before many many times.

I like to read stories to be entertained and not necessarily to engage in mental gymnastics. Like the water in the goldfish bowl, the fish know it is there and they sure as hell know when it ain't. The story just seems unfinished.

Aren't some of our readers incredibly shallow? For some, a good 'result' is far important than the story or quality of writing. Sad that in this age their are still so many people around like that.

Great story!

But I will give you 1 five times. Would that be OK?

. . . the emotions coming out of unknown pores of two souls is just astounding. I know this is an old story for you, maybe I should say older since you are very obviously a lady, but it was new for me this morning. In many ways I have been looking for this one a long time. Thank you for writing this and sharing it with us.

Oh, how I hated this story! Perhaps you should quit listening to Sawyer Brown and try Toby Keith, Merle Haggard, or just about anybody who is in possession of a set of testicles. Sorry, but I could only manage two stars for this one.

Sorry to say but crap story Only the writing pose made it at all readable BUT try again the writing is there just the plot line was trash

But I like "B" movies too

I have no idea what that means?

different spin on the same old, same old.

i'll rate it a 5 as you asked but to me it was more a 3 or may be a 2.5.

always leave me wondering why do Americans do that to them selves??

never seen the point. oh well.

Frustrated with this because it was just the start of the story.

I hadn't intended to sign up for an account here, but after writing this loooong comment to this story, I was told you don't like anonymous comments! So I sucked it up and registered because I very much wanted to tell you what I thought of this haunting story.

I wasn't familiar with the song so I had to look it up on Youtube. And I have to say that you most certainly did justice to a beautiful, painful song with a beautiful, painful story. This is the first story of yours that I've read and I can guarantee I will be reading more...and finding your books to buy, as well. Reading the comments was almost as interesting as reading the story itself. Almost...I confess I couldn't read them all. But I think it is the mark of a great writer that one short story can evoke such strong emotions...whether people loved it or hated it, they were involved in it. That takes talent!

I also confess that I didn't really get that the marriage was over at the end. Being a happy-ending junkie, I was hoping this was the first chapter of one of your books and that the 'rest of the story' would be about how they sought help and sought to reconnect and sought to save this relationship. Is this man's reaction 'realistic'? OK, I'm a woman, so I'm no expert...but I have seen similar situations play out in the lives of people I know, and yes...I do know men who have reacted similarly. I've seen marriages survive infidelity (whether it is the husband or the wife) and some that didn't. But being 'atypical', as you said in one of your comments, doesn't negate the fact that is is a believable reaction. Isn't the whole idea of writing to present couples that are unique and individual? I'm not interested in every story being a carbon copy of every other story. I look for the unique, individual, unusual. And you have delivered.

This is going long, already, but I wanted to comment on your writing style...just gorgeous and flowing. I wanted to quote a couple of favorite lines and realized I would have to quote the entire story! But here are just a couple:

'A man knows the sound of his wife's pleasure. He knows it like he knows the sounds of his house settling, the ticking of the furnace, the creak in the boards by the stove. After a time, it becomes a familiar sound, a comfortable sound, one that carries heat and light, like the lamp that goes on by the front door every night at six.'

And:

'She nodded, and I could feel the edges of her pain flowing into mine, somehow, as if they were one thing. Love didn't stop, like turning off a light switch, as much as I willed it to.'

Just....beautiful.....

the poster who just made that comment about how wonderful this sotry is fucking idiot.

Molly made the offensive charge that she cheated JUST t to get his attention.

so it JIM's fault she fucked other men? If Molly was caught up in the daily grind of life .... so was Jim. If so why was the daily grind for her so bad that she to cheat on Jim JUST to get his attention?

Jim asked why... Molly mentioned his response about his refusal to go vacation. Molly said he missed the point.

then Molly never explained it. If MOLLY is truly sorry doesnt Jim deserve an explanation WHY she cheated ?..

That story is like a molten ball of lead that can't be swallowed or spit out. Amazing ... Selena ... You're absolutely amazing. Your capacity to understand the little moments between human beings and tie them into a big picture with so few words blow me away

Pretty sad. More true to life than most guys will ever admit. Shock and disbelief are much more likely to show up than the standard-ish "I'll kill the twat, and her little dog too! Muahahaha! After I drain the bank accounts into offshore holdings, I can unleash my inner ninja!" scenario found hereabouts. But then, what would be the point of escapism if one couldn't escape the troubles of their world. At least from time to time.

Where is Toby Keith when we need him? Sawyer Brown, my ass! I hate this kind of pure, unadulterated excrement.

Hawkeye you are a rude dude!! But you tell the truth!!! What a peice of crap.

Pure shit!

This story evokes powerful feelings but doesn't really do anything with them. It is somewhat unrealistic, given the background on the husband, that he could calmly accept finding his wife in bed with another man. He has a rough and tumble past. He may mature but that past doesn't go away, especially when strongly provoked. Then the author tries to get into the reasons why. What a pathetic exercise but also how realistic. They live a life like millions of others, somewhat satisfying but also with it's disappointments. The failing is entirely hers. She is the one who turned dissatisfaction with her CHOSEN life into a reason to cheat on her husband. So he's not a great listener. Many men are not. A lot of women are completely irrational half the time. Neither issue is a reason for cheating. This isn't a perfect world.. You either accept the conditions you live under or work to improve them. SHE chose to break their marriage. All her reasoning is rationalization. He didn't cheat on her, he is working hard to provide for her, he loves and supports her to the best of his ability. She has a middle age crisis and cheats. <br><br>

The story then effectively stops and the reader is left to wonder, what now? The reader can only answer for themselves, with their own background and feelings. It could range from dropping the bitch and lover into the ground to forgiving her and building a new life together. We don't know enough about the characters to really guess how it will end up. All we can do is fill in the blanks with ourselves. The story is powerful because it does draw us in to that position, wondering what comes next. I personally find it a little unfulfilling because I read a story to get the complete story, not just a taste of one. But some stories are written like this, to deliberately not be complete. The purpose was to evoke an emotion and in that it seems successful.

That was an honest story about two people who love each other and the pain that it causes when one of them makes a mistake.

Thank you for writing

Absolutely NO understanding of basic human psychology and behavoir... just a complete waste of time. This is also, not posting in the correct category... since NOTHING in this story is erotic or about a loving wife. Please don't post anymore until you improve.

This had to be written by a woman. Only a woman could so completely write such a wimpy man into the story. Yeah, right so the guy USED to be a man. Bull

IT SUCKS AGAIN and AGAIN

As a shrink I have heard tales like this during marriage counseling sessions. Not so lovingly expressed. Not so beautifully written but the same story.

You really nailed the feelings that so many have had in such situations. Well done and a lesson in love and pain for all.

the female writers can express the emotional alternance of a man so much better than a male? I love your writing skills.

I didn't know the song, so I listened to it before I read your story. Good job of telling the story behind the song. I enjoy the "song-stories" Jake Rivers holds invitation, I hope you enter one. My favorite was "Bed of Roses" by Joesephus... which isn't surprising, I loved all his stories, well almost all.

<p>

You don't imply the final loss here though, and I think that's a shame. I came to this because of your "How to" story about appreciating a man. It was very well done, and I think you missed it here.

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I've been married 40 years, and I know what it takes to make a marriage work. No one is perfect, and we both have to accept that. Still there are a few things that form a bedrock, and the act of fucking another in the marriage bed while cooking dinner... that's the ultimate in disrespect.

<p>

You are right about how little sometimes a person needs from another, male or female. Still, what is needed is needed absolutely. I think you understand it's not the cheating, couples can and do get past that all the time. I mentioned Joesephus' one of the things I loved were his reconciliation stories... but there is no hope here.

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Even more than in the song, she'd let her values fade. It breaks your heart to see so much loss and such failure to communicate. I loved to hate the disrespect of the lover with his promise to continue later. The last ergs of a relationship draining as the husband vented. It's just so sad.

I gave this a high rating even though I can't claim to like it. Or, maybe I liked it, but didn't enjoy it. It was hard to read, but thought provoking, and well written.

You captured the bitter truth! Well done.

there was no stated, it was just sex, and such dribble. he should have told the guy to wait to take her, and she could leave with just the clothes on her

this was pure bullshit.

or a man's if they are caught cheating. Why? Well, it is his/her fault not the cheaters. Cheating is supposed to get the attention of the person who has failed the marriage. The cheater is not at fault, it has to be the other spouse so they will fogive and forget what the cheater has done. In fact, the logic here is that there was no cheating except by the spouse who failed to communicate, meet the needs of, show enough love for the spouse who cheated. My gosh, who would not want to cheat if that is why they can cheat and not pay any penalty, face any concequences because of course the other spouse is so besotted by them that they can forgive anything, over and over again. What a sexual fantasy that is. I wonder if a man would write a story like this? HMMMMMMM! Great writer, great writing, on a site designed for fantasy, even one that is hard to believe.

So many comments trying to parse things...excuses, reasons, motives, bullshit. Forget all the fantasyland bullshit for a second and look at the facts; she cheated, in the marital bed to boot. Whatever happened to bring things to that point are now totally irrelevant since the marriage is now a total fucking farce. Any two people that miserable with each other need to get the hell away from each other and find someone else that makes them happier. All the shades of grey have nothing to do with the reality of here and now, and all the wishy-washy, useless talk changes nothing. It's not rocket science and occams' razor applies, so use it and move on.

as some of these folks seem to think it is ? This is a very moving story, extremely well written. It makes me feel very uncomfortable but then . . . I suspect that that is what it was meant to do. Congratulations on a fine piece of work and thank you for sharing it.

Sorry but she did too much damage and doesn't seem to understand, she not only broke her word but she did it in their bed and who knows how many times. This will stay with him forever and will make talking to each other that much harder. Sometimes it's easier to move on and he should. Powerful story, a finish would be nice, thanks.

This reader had nearly given up "Loving Wives", for the pain is too great. This reader wouldn't have seen this title at all, but Selena_Kitt was a contest winner. This was the most different story in her repertoire and this reader wanted to see why she did it. ...and he's happy because he's one that lives on hope.

Pardon, but I did not read all of the comments...

With that said though, I think the real problem that many couples face is to keep communication open. I dare say that no man (or woman) can even begin to fathom what thier partner needs unless they are talking together. It seems to me that the condo was a badly missed oportunity on thier parts to re-open communications between them, perhaps it was in trouble before that point to some degree.

Had she said something such as: "But I wanted the oportunity to get away with just us two with no nieghbors or anything to distract us so we could reconnect." Or words to that effect, then communications might have had a chance to be re-established. I am sure if he said in return, something like: "I miss spending time with you as well, why don't we go to Hawaii or the Caribean instead? Or Alcapulco? That way you don't have to cook or clean, just be my lover." Such a thing might have thrilled her. Instead, it seems like she looked for that feeling of "connectedness" with some random stranger and reached this empass.

I think we all know how hard it is to reestablish trust once it has been violated, and it is that that adultery often destroys. The question in his mind will be if he can ever truely trust her again. It will take a load of work to save this marriage, if they are commited to it. This does not seem to have been an "open Marriage" or even a couple that had a fantasy on his part of her taking a lover (at least how it was presented). I had a brother who caught his wife in shall we say a comprimised position and he ran both of them naked out of thier house and down the street. Then her lover had the brass to try to sue him for embarassment. The jury laughed him out of court and assigned all legal fees on both sides to him. (A few of them also told him privately that he was lucky not to have been shot by my brother, as they would have exonerated my brother.)

The real question is this, does he love her enough that he is willing to not kick her cheating posterior out? Is she willing to do whatever it takes to earn his trust back? Are they both willing to learn from past mistakes and be honest and talk to each other? Another question that must be going through his mind is if she is so busy with her lover(s), has she been paying attention to what the kids are up to and doing? And what does it say to the kids if one parent demonstrates that it is not important to keep your sworn word?

I am interested to see what the author does with these two and if she can show all of what is needed by both sides to get the marriage back on track.

You captured what I see in many ways. Men often define themselves by their obligations and accomplishments, women by their relationships. In his mind he was meeting his obligations, accomplishing the male role of provider and protector. And he missed that she needed more. But for reasons that are true but not defendable, she couldn't/wouldn't tell him what was in her head. So she goes looking for something more. Not even telling herself what she is looking for. And she finds a substitute for what she thinks she is missing, angry because her husband doesn't see. And everybody loses

Sad

True

This is an interesting take of the problem. It seems that the essential problem with infidelity is the inadequate sense of loyalty in/by the cheating spouse. Everyone can be tempted, can be aroused by a sexy, handsome/beautiful potential sex partner, or simply be seduced by sweet words and sentiments. The habitual partner/spouse hasn't a chance unless the one tempted can put these emotions in the bottle and stopper it. That often requires more than common sense or good intentions. Such interest/attraction is going to be hotter than fidelity will be, thus only strength of character and a powerful sense of loyalty will prevent the disaster. To forgive or not to forgive becomes the central problem for the partner who was cuckolded (M or F) but trust will be the lost dimension of the loving partnership. Because the infidelity may not be obvious at the beginning chances are that it may repeat, becoming easier all the time. Once may be viewed as a mistake by a spouse and has a small chance of being "overlooked." More than once, no.

This definitely made me see things a little different, though I still doubt I could forgive her.

Liked it makes a point about how people are alawys changing

JOAN @ The JERSEY SHORE

She gave up on the marriage. He didn't. She is unfit to continue as mother and wife. She has proven that she only cares for herself. The reason for monogamy is the guarded passing of genes. By taking someone into her self and into the martial bed, she announces that he no longer is her choice to hold that singular station. But by doing so she forfeits all rights to hearth and home. His only recourse is to ostracize her from all that is part of him. Family and home must be held against her. Family and friends must be told of her actions. Remember they are her actions and they do not impune on his nature. They are her actions vile and corrupt. Unjustifiable. She has raped him in his own bed. His first act of violence should be against that bed, in her presence to show his utter contempt for her. She is a whore to cheap for coin. Wedding vows are very specific. They last until death or dissolution of the marriage. Even were they separated her actions would be adultery. I have read the other posts and some say she loves him? Those people do not know the meaning of the word. If she truly loved him there would be no story. This story for all that it has no proper ending is still a very good story. Weep not for the whore save your tears for those who never gave up on the family as she did.

This story is not sad and pathetic as everyone seems to think. It is just true to life. "The mass of men," wrote Henry Thoreau, "lead lives of quiet desperation." "By a seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed, as it says in an old book, laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal. It is a fool's life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before."

And the point was?<P>

She fucks around in his bed and claims braindeadedness [read that bored ] but says emotionally "now that I have your attention [huh] please hold me... my loving cuck".<P>

And he says "First let me fill up the tub - then I can hold you - under - for - a while.<P>

How stupidly sensitive with typical female logic from a woman writer no less.<P>

Aha - now we understand - or mostly not.<P>

Kind of a shame this bad - no rotten apple in your "H" portfolio. I wonder why?

I hate the cheating stories but this one you got right. Time changes people. You have to be committed to each other and you have to grow together or you both atrophy. I hope this was a wake up call for them. I can see them staying together but it was a very bad way fro his wife to get his attention.

I did get the feeling that she did love him though and was at her wits end as to what to do to get things to change. Some people when they are powerless do negative things to get our attention, hence the lousy cooking. My dog and cats do this as well so it's something life does.

Like any partnership, just holding up your own end isn't

enough. Sometimes you have to remember the person on the other end.

This poor man. Still working and striving to provide her with all the things that make her life more pleasant. Dedicating his whole being for her safety, comfort, security and happiness. And his reward? He has only now discovered that the precious work that it took two people, working in concert, decades to create had been destroyed by a wanton, untrustworthy, spiteful being that went so far as to deliberately prepare meals that she knew would be unpalatable to him. A woman who brings strangers into his home and defiles it with unimaginable acts of infidelity and betrayal.

She is a master of illusion. She has kept him working , exerting his all, for a non existant ideal. All the while she is creating new ways to demean him and to destroy that which he thought was most precious to both of them.

He is married to her only in his mind. She has discarded him and his needs a long time ago. She has unilaterally divorced her personal wants and existence from the person who has faithfully cherished her and provided for her in all ways. She used him.

He does not have to hit her. He needs do nothing that would be used to justify her lack of love, concern, and caring. She already has done her worst. Meanwhile he has tried his best.

His first step is a lawyer to begin the legal separation. The next is the best investigator he can find to try to salvage what physical assets she had not yet squandered as she appropriated the family's assets to her personal selfish deeds. He needs the investigator to provide evidence of her infidelities and other misdeeds. Then he needs to consider the children. Are they even his? Whether or not, what does he want to do, how to provide for them?

He can never go back to her. She has taken the love of his life, the purpose of his life. She has destroyed all that he has held dear. Distance may be painful, but the daily contact with a creature so vile, she is still unremorseful and unrepentent, would be much worse and more destructive.

His life has ended.

Thank you for posting this for us.

Horrifying and touching. I am suprised with the fact

that most recognized its beauty as more important than

the lack of a satisfactory resolution. Yes, I would love to pet you Kitten, but I have a wife! Used to have a cat, but

losing him was too painful to repeat, losing a wife would be much worse.

What a stirring tale...how poignant and heart-rending! How sadly true to life!

What a stirring tale...how poignant and heart-rending! How sadly true to life!

Loving wives always seems to give people mixed feelings lol just wondering are the ones that are so bitter the ones that have found themselves in similar situations? Did they fix their broken down marriage by kicking someone out of house, home and heart? Did they love the person they kicked out? Did they genuinely feel better afterwards or did they feel like a part of them had been ripped out and dragged behind a horse through a bramble bush? obviously the couple in this story still love each other deeply but they have been hurt. Its hard to say how you would act when you see stumble in on the person you love being in the middle of a sex session in your own home. Personally I think I would get the fuck out of there find a bar and see haw much of jack would fit inside me before my body says its too much then ill think about it. This story does make you think I believe that is what the singer and the writer were trying here. Great story but at the same time not, know what I mean? lol

Eros has many faces, and some of them are dark, sad ... all of them are human.

This is an *erotic* story, in the classical sense.

Thanks.

SELENA,

YOU AND SAWYER BROWN BOTH HIT IT - SAD BUT TRUE -

ENJOY YOU VERY MUCH

THANKS UR FAN ,jack

It was Nonsense he comes home and he catches her screwing this guy and he says what do we do now dear"?He should tell her "Get out of the my house and live with your boyfriend you slut"!

One of the best ever.

I need to fix my own house before... I feel that this could be me, a well done story just needs to finish. I have become a stranger in my own house. My wife loves me ,but I don't what her to feel the need for "Love under new management" I need to fix my own house...

Brava!

is so great that people can give high marks for a story about a worthless slut and her hardworking husband.So many authors on this site give as a reason for being a slut the fact that the guy she married is working his guts out to give the slut a good life.

The author in defense of the HUG and wimpness wrote

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But as for him "taking her back." He didn't. Never once did he say so, in fact, he said the opposite... Think of it this way... the whole "getting familiar" with everything--routine, life, etc... is what has caused their marriage to collapse in the first place. <b>It's what she has done, it's what he has done...</b>

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a typical Bitch response. He worked hard and provided. SHE fucked another man or has been for a whule. How are those things the same?

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they have both let familiarity and routine erode their marriage. <b>So what is the first thing they do when they discover the devastating consequences of what they have done? The FAMILIAR. That's the hug. </b>It's not intimacy or reconciliation. It's irony... this is what we humans do, again and again, to sabotage ourselves... the same thing, the same pattern, over and over... and here they go again... yes, it's sad... but it's life. Welcome to the real world? Thank you all for your feedback. Selena </i>

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<b>Husbands that discover the wife FUCKING another man in their martial bed then not showing the least bit of remorse do NOT ever HUG hug their cheating wife 5 minutes after finding out. </b>

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Its speaks volumes that Selena thinks that reaction she write is the real world. holy mother of God what a kook!!!

Well written as always, This is the first of your work I have seen criticized so heavily. That is undoubtedly due to people putting themselves in that situation. It is fair to point out here however, that women tend to see the male character as plausible and also that the male character isn’t a coward. The reverse being true when men comment. That does point to the differences between what you (female) wrote and what a Male writer would have done. I understand why you have gone for him holding her at the end but I don’t think that level of affection was needed for ‘But I can finally see how much I stand to lose….’ Him simply saying I love you to much to leave you, but it’ll take time before the intimacy returns, seems more realistic. Michael.

I absolutely concur with oral rex 's comment.

So, where are the squelching pussy, the drooling lips and the spewing cock? Instead, we have to put up with life, love and disaster with a beautiful, emotional delivery. This is well beyond the purview of most Lit stories. But so well done.

Very sad, and in a way incomplete, but still just right. You captured a moment, and made it believeable.

ohio

It’s influenced by a poem and its coming very close to be a poem, with the emphasis on image and atmosphere rather than on narrative and plot development as you’d expect in prose. This is fine by me. But, I feel that you could have done best for you work and for the readers if you just let your female voice –your very strong dominant and clear female voice to be reflected through the woman’s character in the story. Instead, you chose to go out of your comfort zone (courageous, but such step should have come only after real character study - which had not happened here). Unfortunately, no amount of refined style could camouflage lack of familiarity with man’s perspective. I’ll have to say that this is not the first time when I read from a female author the fantasy of warm intimacy at the moment of discovering the women’s cheating. I can understand variety of motivations instinctual and otherwise for this fantasy, but again –depicting it as a man’s reaction to his wife’s cheating at the time of discovery is to put it mildly - incredible to the extreme. I have never encountered heard nor read of a man reacting in such manner (please, save the always correct infinitesimal statistical argument that there is some probability that there are such men). <P>

But hold the gender perspective – had you found you partner in life in bed with another, would you then move to an intimate tete –a- tete with your cheating partner at this time? Somehow I can’t see that.

Your characters are very real, I could feel the pain of the husband and wife.

This story does not have an original plot: as with so many stories, the husband comes home early and finds the wife with a strange man in their bed. However, the manner in which the author presents the story is decidedly different. He asks questions (shown in italizes). Then he proceeds to answer these questions through discussion between husband and wife. The author shows considerable insight into the husband and wife's thoughts given their having been together of a long time. I do agree with others that have commented that the story needs to be continued because there are questions remaining that concern understanding as a couple grows old and issue of aging and how this affects a couple physically and mentally. All in all I regard this as a great start to a "Loving Wives" story. RAG

hubby comes home someone fucking wife in their bed.and he do what,who wrote this a kid.

it's true. how many forgive? some don't, others fall in the trap again. the endless void of pain, of the couple's both parts. i felt this incomplete, but then again, life is incomplete as this one. real bitter truth. very good story.

I guess he should have spent a lot more time holding her.. She wanted something different, a change and she sure found it.. What does he find now??

Its a sad story of a stupid woman and a husband he comes home to find her fucking some stranger he should have divorced her right then then kick the crap out tof the stranger instead of just letting him leave .

Atlanta,Ga

As da bullet said - to make us think? Marvelous conjuring there guy.<P>

I think this sucked - it implied that he would tolerate her and her lovers cock cuckolding him in their marital bed due to their years and troubles through them that she alone felt? And he didn't???<P>

And how did those years and troubles give her the right to cuckold him in their yet.<P>

I think bullet that you and the writer are way off base on this as it relates to life and it's realities. The man was hot but hold her and cry together. Now there is the reality of consequence for him but her? He is nothing but a keyboard figure of a contrived poor over weight balding bastard who she has feeling that he should just go home to mommy so she can make it better.<P>

bullet - this is a good writer but this isn't even close to her quality of work. Normally she writes well to life and the realities of consequence for the plus's and minuses it deals.. She doesn't write about pathetic pitiful men who aren't real.<P>

I am surprised at both of you for allowing this to be written this way and for it to be thought as a worthwhile provoker of thinking it was worthwhile! Instead it closed down any rational thought or reasonable extension of forgiveness.<P>

bullet - can you tell that your nazi comment pissed me off? All that while you sit on philosophers hill in PA. puffing smoke circles with your pipe in a snowstorm.<P>

Sorry Authoress. Generally I admire and am entertained by your work. Nuff said.

A snapshot of a marriage that has endured more than its share of pain: a miscarriage, a child injured and mentally or emotionaly disabled - perhaps with one parent silently or unconsciously blaming the other for negligence.

A marriage grown stale with the sameness of life, the struggle to just survive through the pain, the financial hardships.

Clues abound about the marriage (as seen through the eyes of the husband), but only little clues - indicators of where troubles lie.

And yet the connection between the partners remains, I think; tenuous and ethereal perhaps.

Perhaps the wife committed adultery to escape her mundane and painful life for a moment - a natural outgrowth from her cooking classes, her computer instructions.

Whatever. This was a slice of a marriage's life; a finite beginning and ending point outside of which we can only make suppositions about the past and the future.

Selena, feeding stories like this to much of the Loving Wives' readership is kind of like teaching a pig to whistle. It doesn't accomplish anything and it annoys the pig. (kind of an RAH paraphrase going on there, I guess.)

Many of the LW nazis could never understand the point of a story like this. Their kneejerk reactions would never allow a modicum of thought to interfere with their interpretation of a story, and this story is all about making the reader think.

Come on, Selena. Trying to make an LW nazi think is an exercise in futility.

Still, I suppose there are people who look to see what is written rather than to determine if the outcome is within some very narrowly defined range of results.

Your story made me sad. It cut a marriage open and forced us to watch it bleed.

as a reader I missed the point...

a lot of narrative, a bit of dialogue and so what? where's the story? lazy work, beneath any author with pretty words strung together.

You have so much talent. Your writing tears at my heart, your characters are so real. What do I say Selena? Your writing was magnificent. You've left me aching for your characters.

I hated this story!

Either his Wife hated the familiar, or she didn't. If she did, she had no reason to cheat (not that theirs ever a real reason). If she didn't, the why the hug? I'm not saying the hug couldn't happen, just the probability of it is extremely low. I mean, it's POSSIBLE a meteor could hit the Earth and start a new Ice Age but you didn't write a tale about that.

I am 21 and I have alot of feelings when it comes to relationships. I was a bit suprised by this story but I liked it very much. It was very honest and real and I amvery impressed. Keep up the good work.

-Crystal

Wow, the raw emotion in this piece is incredible. This story drew me into the characters and in very few words managed to convey a whole ton of information about the characters. As literature and fiction this piece is top rate.

In terms of the story, I thought it was real and powerful. I might not have responded the same way, but the reactions of every party were realistic and believable. Yes it was depressing and I could feel the pain of both the husband and the wife, but that was why it was so moving. This was the type of story that makes you think about how you would act in that situation.

Selena, I only hope that someday I can write a piece that matches this.

as easily as those with a few gray hairs (or none at all), but after all these years things aren't as black and white as they were years ago. You tell the story well.

Thanks.

Look, The way I see it (like anyone cares) is everyone deals with their lumps in life differently. The story, the writing Excellent! Many vote on what they would have done in a giving situation. Votes should be given on the quality of the story and writing, not vote an author down because it didn't end the way you wanted too. If the author got your emotions flowing in any direction, than they did their job.

Anyway, Selena K. Great job, no wonder your considered one of the best

My hat's off to you

With the highest of regards.

DG Hear

And like real life, what DO you do? I don't really understand why women need to be wooed ALL their life. A man needs to have some certain home base, a rock. And for most of us, that's the wife. So what happens when she is not the rock and what do you do when you find out and how do you repair the damage should that be your preference.

Actually, I thought it was too bad he didn't bounce the guy off the walls. He would feel MUCH better. We know he isn't gonna bounce the wife around but what does he do?

Powerful and raw. Strikingly realistic, much more so than many of the commenters seem to be seeking.

Real people confronted with the loss of everything they cherish don't react with elaborately plotted revenge scenarios. The wronged parties don't stand up on the high ground.

The first, most immediate reaction is shock. Numbness. Bewilderment. Not transformation into a master private eye or superspy.

"Loving Wives" is a tough category. So much anger. So much pain. So much seeking for catharsis--a hypertrophied revenge tale playing out the reader's fantasies. Many of these comments tell me much more about the commenter than the story or the author.

This story did what any great writing does: it created a powerful emotional response in the readers.

And I'm still bleeding from the gashes your tale has left all over my heart....

Any time a well established Lit. author scoring more than 10 "25"-or-below scores, they are forever banned from Lit?

I'm not talking about silly writers who strung 200 sentences of "I love to see my wife fucked by some big Black man" nonsense together,,,, I'm here talking about the more "serious authors" like Selena, et al.

Why's that? Here's why: Those writers who never put much effort into their writing, we don't really care to spend much time on their trash either; so we don't get pissed!

But well established, well known, authors like Selena,,,, If they dare waste our time, we should ban them!

Okay, maybe not forever,,, but how about ONE MONTH? That way, the next story they write, they had better think about US first before they post them! In the mainstream, paid literary world, if you write shit, NO ONE is gonn pay so you would never get publishers to bother with your trash anyway, so the readers are safe; we have no fear of wasting time reading unpublishable nonsense,,,

But here, since it is more or less "free," we don't want authors to waste our precious time. After all, they get more out of us than we out of them, believe it or not! Because they get more out of us, they should not be wasting our time, enticing us to read nonsense, when our time is precious and limited. We need to spend out free time reading only good stories.

And if you're a good writer and write idiotic stories, you, therefore, need to be punished!

Selena, I bow to a masterful display of truly evocative writing. That you have successfully attained your goals is evidenced by the comments you've gotten. To have provoked such an emotional response from such a brief bit of writing is testament to considerable skill at your chosen art. Those who cry, "Hubby's a wimp!" are perhaps too accustomed to instant gratification. He hasn't even begun to figure out how he's going to handle this, he's still in shock. If he decides on revenge, there's time enough tomorrow. Likewise, I have no problem with 'the hug' because it is so obvious that they both are in considerable pain. Why is it so hard to believe that in a time of great anguish and confusion they would go to a place that has always represented shelter from the storm - the arm's of their spouse? Did the ending come too soon? Perhaps not for the author, but apparently YES! for many of the readers. Selena darlin', you may have struck gold here. Can you stand to not prospect for another nugget or two? I believe your story is as complete as you intended it to be, but like many other readers, I yearn to know more. Did she intend to get caught? Did he overwork out of guilt? Do they turn toward each other or away? C'mon Selena, can we have some more, please?

You defend the only half bad comments as good or better - how strange for someone who knows how an "H" is achieved.

Next - One reads Marital Consequence stories to see how the writer handles respect and self respect. Whether they are fair with their offended characters.

Lets try this. When you felt disrespected and defensive by some reader comments you addressed them as best you could to try to build back up your credibility (in some you tried to discredit to regain the edge you felt that you lost, in others you disrespected the readers who you offended).

You obviously understand that respect is paramount to any acceptance and therefore success - or we wouldn't see two rebuttal comments from you to try to regain reader respect.

So now that we know that you value respect and the credibility it drives, why did you disrespect your poor bastard husband who instantly and convolutedly hugged his now just discovered whore? Truly a braindead "and" sensitive male - cmon.

Because you could is one non-cardboardish answer, but it resulted in disrespect - carelessly dispatched by you and now felt by us of you.

Lastly constructive, perpetuating this exchange is less productive for you and adds more sludge to this lessor effort which needs to go away. Unless most comments and no more appreciative "H"s is your new direction?

Keep up the high-class work...

I'm rating this tale not for the erotic content, which was minimal, but for the sheer force of the narrative and your painfully accurate portrait of a marriage on the brink of collapse. Okay, so there's no tidy resolution, but how often do we get those in real life? Well done.

To this:

"How can you argue that your opinion based on a song is any more valid than ours who find fault with your now admitted intended delivery of a man foreign to 99% of us?"

Not MORE valid. Just AS valid. And it happens much more often that you realize or would be reflected here.

To this:

"If a large proportion of readers do not agree with the author's opinion of what the author thought they wrote, then THE READERS ARE RIGHT, and the author failed in their job."

I might agree with you in any other category but this. I think LW is too polarized to make a true assessment. I think measure of success in this particular category has to be measured by amount of responses rather than actual content. In that, I seem to have succeeded. And even if your theory were correct in this case, if you look, the actual comments for or against understanding his motivation are quite evenly split. I do not believe that 50% counts as a "large proportion."

Again, thank you all for your comments. I'll leave you to them. :)

Selena

How can you argue that your opinion based on a song is any more valid than ours who find fault with your now admitted intended delivery of a man foreign to 99% of us?

Your reasoning so stated was cuz you can - to be different - less cardboardish - how silly. Do you feel so comfortable as to disdain ("This is Fun")those who differ?

There are writers here much more talented than you but they don't have the credibility and the earned respect that drove it like you did.

Following that you happily said that our tainted memory of you was glaringly valuable to you and intended! In the morning's light and non-defensive clarity, I and many hope that your wish changes as it doesn't seem to be you - it won't wear well long-term.

So many comments should create more than pride. It should raise a flag of forward considerations - more or less.

Lastly, it is a mistake to take on the natives which you should know by now. Besides much was constructive as I read with most without serious venom - just why the disingenuous hug - the song didn't grant that licence - you did.

Hopefully it was a learning curve thing. If you want to write disrespectful unlikely human responses in a tale use another pen name to get it out of your system. Then you won't have to defend it as being intentionally counter to your respected norm.

Enough of this - please entertain us again as you - please.

of comments on their own story, except maybe with an explanation re delays or similar.

Every reader's opinion is valid, no matter how far it departs from what the author THINKS s/he meant to convey in their story.

Arguing with commentators or belittling their opinions may increase the comment count, but will never add to the author's credibility or to the likelyhood discerning readers will bother with the next story.

It is the author's brief to convey their ideas as clearly as possible to the reader. If a large proportion of readers do not agree with the author's opinion of what the author thought they wrote, then THE READERS ARE RIGHT, and the author failed in their job.

Okay, maybe you can say, "Three really clever people figured out what I meant", but what are you then inferring about the rest of us?

If you are writing for those three, email them your next story and don't bother with the rest of us silly buggers who know nothing.

But always remember, if too many readers don't 'get it', you didn't write right.

It's that simple!

In a way it is about feeling good when we write. Either as authors or as readers who post comments. Thank you for your civil tone. You make a fair point reg. a - typical cases (different than average). It has been said that reality can be stranger than fiction. Yet, the difficult challenge for authors is to walk on a thin line which would allow readers to feel that even a fictitious plot could have been a reality. If you aimed at depicting an emotional situation or a behavior which are not common or familiar to many, the reaction of ‘I can’t recognize it’ could be attributed to either the theme you chose or the way you worked it into the story or both. Seems to me that despite this difficulty there is a considerable number of readers who did not find any problem (to say the least) with said hugging. I would consider it a success.

Finally, I have not maligned anything. Just conveyed my own reaction to the depiction in the story. It is very possible that had I seen concrete cases akin to the one you described in the story it could have affected my reaction. I believe we all react base on our life experience/knowledge.

If you felt disrespected, I apologize. I didn't even go back to see who had posted that (6 pages of comments is too much to wade back through, dangit! :) and didn't mean to single you out. My point was that, in spite of the "usual" responses to cheating that one might encounter as a professional (or otherwise)... there are many many more atypical responses, as well. For there to be an "average," there have to be extremes on either end, no?

Would it make you feel better to know that this actually happened? That an actual human being has been in this situation and responded this way? Would that make a difference, I wonder?

You maligned the "credibility" of the character's response in your original post, based on your professional experience... but from my view, his response is no less valid, simply because it is atypical.

Just because I've never experienced something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Know what I mean?

But thanks again for your feedback, and I apologize if you were upset by my explanation.

Selena

I don't read many stories on Lit anymore but one with 69 comments when I started caught my attention. Of course the comments were interesting reading too. This captured life-excellent job!

I think you have a moving story Selena but you didnt show what the husband wanted to say to the wife like him laying down the rules to what he will do to her lover like vengeance against him telling the wife that he caught him and his wife screwing in there bed then getting his payback to his wife why didnt he do that?

Pat .

Atlanta,Ga.

I was not the only one who expressed doubts about the hugging portion of the story, yet apparently I was singled out and chosen to be laughed at my opinion and be the recipient of the author’s expression of sorrow at me and the people I see just because I dared pointing out the basis of my opinion. BTW, other people have also expressed doubt about that part; do you also feel sorry for them and laugh at their opinion? They must have arrived at their conclusion based on SOME life experience

I simply said the truth. Not a theory. Not an opinion. Not a statistic. I have not encountered this kind of behavior (i.e. couples hugging each other immediately after one spouse catching the other cheating) I clearly must have hit a nerve to get that much wrath.

To be clear, I never said it could never happen. I said that I have not seen this kind of behavior and that’s why it came across to me as incredible. Could there be rare exceptions? Of course. BTW, I realize that hugs could mean many things. Still I have not heard of any. It may be a nice poetic construct but it still does not sound credible.

When you respond to readers in the manner you chose to respond to me, you do not disrespect me. I was respectful in both posts despite your choice of style. You mostly disrespect yourself. You convey that you can not tolerate descent, especially when it’s anchored in reality. The sound of your laughter here is incredible as much as your response to my respectful opinion is rude. (Feeling sorry for me and for the people I have seen). My advice - never disrespect your readers.

A well deserved five. SelenaKitten, thank you for your story and your comment. You are right on. The rubes are boobs. You've class and smarts and your powers of observation are well honed. Your points were incisively delivered.

Phil

I should write for LW more often... you guys are fun :)

As for this: "Authoress, do what you wish but a good talented beat doesn't automatically sell songs or credibility - in fact the stain may not eventually be forgoten."

I hope it isn't forgotten. I really do. I get tired of reading the same old thing in LW... why do you think I started the story the way I did? :) I wanted to write something off-formula, with real people, real emotions, instead of cardboard standups that you all could knock down with an easy blow. The world isn't black and white, and fiction should, imho, reflect the world.

Yes, there are places for happy endings. This wasn't one of them. In fact, this was a place for a painful, ambiguous ending... and remember, as a writer, I follow my characters. I am not playing God with these people... I am listening to them, telling their story. This was their story.

Some of you have really heard the message here and taken it in. Some of you have missed the point entirely, blinded by your own pain. Either way, this arrow hit the mark, and in that, I feel satisfied. Yes, painful, but true.

Most comments I've received have been about the "ending." I had to laugh at the poster who claimed "in my professional opinion." If you treat your clients as an average statistic, I feel sorry for both you and your clients :( People have as many different reactions to circumstances as there are individuals in the world... you should never assume a "typical" response... from anyone.

But as for him "taking her back." He didn't. Never once did he say so, in fact, he said the opposite...

Think of it this way... the whole "getting familiar" with everything--routine, life, etc... is what has caused their marriage to collapse in the first place. It's what she has done, it's what he has done... they have both let familiarity and routine erode their marriage.

So what is the first thing they do when they discover the devastating consequences of what they have done?

The FAMILIAR. That's the hug. It's not intimacy or reconciliation. It's irony... this is what we humans do, again and again, to sabotage ourselves... the same thing, the same pattern, over and over... and here they go again...

yes, it's sad...

but it's life. Welcome to the real world?

Thank you all for your feedback.

Selena

To the person below who just commented:

I'm impressed with the length and depth of your review. It's just that I don't have a clue about what you wrote. But I do love the "rightly wrong of inappropriateness." I gotta work that into a conversation some time.