Sign of the Times

I replied, "I'm sorry I was out of town. Yes, I caught her Saturday with another man. I've since moved out and seen a lawyer. I guess well..."

"Oh I see. Well sir," he looked down at the clipboard he'd carried out, he seemed to fidget, "It's not likely she'll try something again right away, but we'd like to be as sure as possible. With your approval we could have her committed for a short time. It would only be temporary of course."

I wondered what he was doing with the clipboard. Shouldn't that be in the room with the nurse? I sighed and gulped, "That won't be necessary. My mom and her mother will be with her when she gets out."

The doctor gave me a dubious look, "It's your call."

I bristled, "Yeah it's my call," I think he could have overridden me if he wanted to, but he didn't. We shook hands, and I went back in to see Daphne again. She was awake again. I got up real close, "Daphne I'm going back to the house and check on the kids. They're going to keep you here for a day or two. I'll be back tomorrow. I promise," I took her hand again and held it. This time all the bells and whistles didn't go off. She wasn't very responsive though.

I stepped back outside and saw mom and dad and Hillary, "I'm going back to the house to check on the girls. I'm taking a few more days off. I'll stay with them until Daphne comes home."

My mom glared at me, "What will we do then?"

I answered, "I don't know mom.' We'll see what she and her lawyer have come up with first."

My mom just turned and walked away. Hillary followed her. My dad put his hand on my shoulder. I could see he was having real trouble breathing, "Cale it's about the kids; the kids always come first."

I nodded, "I know dad," I turned and left the hospital. Now I had to see my kids. I wasn't excited about it. Man was I a nervous Nellie. I know I was a real pussy. No real man would behave like this. I bet a real man would be disappointed his wife hadn't died. I guess I just wasn't a real man.

I remember I met a guy once; his name I can't remember. I do recall he and his wife split. After that he was like some shit nosed shark. I bet if he were me he would have cussed Daphne out for not taking even more of the damn Xanax and doing the job right. I was mad at Daphne, but I could never be like that. Jesus I sure didn't want her to die!

++++++++++

I finally got home close to 10:00 p.m. Daphne's mom had the kids in bed when I walked in. I realized I hadn't pissed since before leaving the Marriott. I pardoned myself and made for the toilet. When I came out I saw my other mom and I started to get all juicy eyed.

Her mom came over and held me in her arms, "Cale Daphne told us about the man at the Holiday Inn. We're ashamed of her."

I broke down. I just couldn't help it. While I was crying I heard Geena at the top of the stairs, "Dad, is mom all right?"

I wiped my eyes and went up the steps. By the time I got to Geena Brandy and Michael were in the hall too. I said, "Come on you guys you've got school tomorrow. You've got to get back to bed."

Michael asked, "Is mommy all right."

I told him, "Mommy's getting better. She'll be home this weekend."

Brandy asked, "When can we see her?"

"I'm not sure, maybe tomorrow, probably Friday. Now will you guys please get to bed? Your mom would skin me if she thought I'd let you stay up this late," Brandy and Michael stumbled off to bed. Geena didn't move.

I said, "You too Geena."

She still didn't move, "Dad we have to talk, and I'm staying home tomorrow."

I started, "No you're...," then I stopped, "OK, let's go downstairs."

Once we got downstairs we said goodnight to Daphne's mom; then Geena and I went into the living room. I took a seat on the sofa. She curled up beside me and took one of my hands, "Dad mom told me."

"She did?"

"Yes, so what are you going to do?"

"I guess we're going to separate, at least for a while."

Geena squeezed my hand. I couldn't see her face, "You can't Dad, not now."

I didn't say anything. Geena went on, "I know she did a bad thing. She's sorry Dad. I know what she tried to do with the pills. I was the one who found her. I was the one who called 911. Dad I know you love mom. She loves you too. If you left us it would kill her."

'Left us,' she said. That ...well. I lifted her up and turned her around and hugged her close, "You remember how scared you were when we visited those colleges," she nodded, "You trusted me then," she nodded again, "OK, trust me now. I'll figure this out."

Geena kissed me on my cheek, "I trust you dad."

I got up and smacked her butt, "OK, then off to bed. You can stay home tomorrow. I'll probably need you to help me out anyway."

She smiled, and hugged me real tight, "I love you daddy."

I hugged her back, "Get up to bed."

She ran upstairs. I sat back down and started to get all nervous again. My stomach started to churn. I sat there on the sofa, put my head in my hands and started to cry again. OK, so I'm a crybaby, but at least I was still doing it when I was alone.

++++++++++

The next morning was Thursday so that meant scrambled eggs. I had a bunch of eggs all broken and in a bowl when Geena came in. She asked, "What are you doing?"

I said, "Fixing breakfast."

She took the egg bowl, walked over to the trash can and dumped them in. She turned around and withered me with a condescending smile, "Its pancake day."

I Thought, 'Damn, damn it, Daphne would've...'

Geena went to the frig, "Mom's got the batter already made up. She always gets it ready on Sunday after church."

Yeah now I remembered... Geena and I fixed them up.

Brandy got mad that Geena got to stay home but she and Michael had to go to school. I told her I needed Geena to help with getting mom some things. I also told her and Michael their mother would be really mad if I let them stay home. That seemed to work.

With the younger kids gone Geena and I put together two outfits for Daphne to wear. We got her toiletries together, and around 10:00 a.m. we took off for the hospital.

When we got there I got two big surprises. First Daphne looked a whole lot better; well a little better anyway. I was glad of that. If Geena saw her the way she looked the night before I don't think that would have worked out too well. Geena and her mom and I talked for a few minutes.

We mostly talked about a whole bunch of nothing. I remember Daphne asked Geena if breakfast went OK. Geena said yes; she didn't rat me out. Then around 11:00 Daphne asked Geena to leave the room. That's when I got my second big surprise.

Daphne told me she figured I'd be here this morning. She'd called her lawyer, and he'd be with us before lunch to go over their counter proposals. I was stunned. This was the old Daphne; all about control again. I guess I bristled a little because she got gloomy. I told her I was going downstairs with Geena to get something to eat.

Hell, I hadn't eaten since I'd tossed the potato chips. I just wasn't hungry. Some people are nervous eaters; I guess I'm a nervous starver. I got Geena some hospital spaghetti and a big glass of milk. I got a small serving of tuna fish on lettuce.

After we ate I took Geena upstairs, but made her sit in the waiting room while her mom, her lawyer, and I had our talk. I promised the kid I wouldn't be long. I don't care if it was a hospital; the idea of leaving one of my kids alone someplace, any place, scared me.

I drifted back into Daphne's room. Her lawyer was already there. I pulled up a chair. Daphne had gotten dressed in one of the outfits Geena had picked out for her. It was a pretty cotton dress, some pantyhose, and a pair of penny loafers. I thought she looked nice; it made my stomach start to roil up again as I thought about her and Ralph Stevens. I wondered where the tuna I'd just eaten was going to end up. I looked around the room. There was a trash can next to the lawyer. I asked him, "Hand me that trash can will you please?"

I guessed I must have started to turn a little green because Daphne asked, "What'd you have to eat?"

I answered, "The hospital cafeteria had some tuna."

Almost in disgust I watched her shrug, "Canned tuna and mayonnaise...Cale?"

I didn't say anything, but I kept the trash can close by.

The three of us sat there in her room. The lawyer in a chair, Daphne in a chair, and me I ended up on the bed.

The lawyer didn't look very happy. He told me, "I don't support your wife's proposals, but it's what she insists on," he handed me a thin envelope, he gave me this kind of unfriendly stare and said, "That's all I have to do. I'm finished here. You'll be billed," he looked at Daphne even less amicably, "if you want to change your proposals you have my phone number," he got up and left.

'Jesus,' I thought, 'that guy's really mad. How unlawyerly!' I looked at the envelope and wondered, 'what's in here?'

Daphne looked at me like she was daring me to say anything, and I hadn't even opened the damn envelope yet. She said pointing to the manila package, "This is how it's going to be. You can read it now or take it home."

I replied, "Do you mind if I read right here?"

"Your choice," she said. She turned her head and looked really tearful.

I opened the God damned thing up. It was barely two pages long. I started to read. The further into the document the more incredulous I became. When I finally got to the end I scowled at her and said, "I can't agree to this."

She paled visibly. It was the worse she looked since I'd come in. She refused to look at me. She looked down at the floor, "That's the way I want it. I refuse to change a thing."

"Look Daphne," I started, "I'm taking this home. I've got to show this to my lawyer and our parents. Christ Daphne nobody's going to believe this."

She just stuck her jaw out and kept quiet.

I added, "You know it was Geena who found you?"

"Geena?"

"Yeah, you scared the shit out of her."

"Is she outside?"

"She sure is; you want to see her?"

"Yes, but without you here."

I got up, "OK, I'll send her in."

I stepped in the hall; waved at Geena through the glass that separated her from all the activity in the corridor. She came out and I told her, "Mom wants to see you," she sort of smiled and went inside.

I sat down on a chair in the corridor and looked at her proposals again. Daphne must have lost her mind. I packed the thing back up and waited for Geena to come back out. When she came out I saw she'd been crying. She told me, "Mom wants to see you again."

I went in. Daphne asked me, "So what are you going to do?"

I told her, "Well first I'm showing this piece of crap to Hillary and our parents. Then I'm taking it to my lawyer. Daphne, God damn it; I can't allow this."

She just sat back on the bed, "They're going to release me tomorrow."

"What time?"

She got all nasty, "What do you care."

I ignored her, "What time?"

"Some time in the morning"

I had to know, "What did you say to Geena?"

"First I apologized, then I told her what was in the document."

I got up, was I ever pissed off, "OK. I guess I'll be by in the morning."

"Why," she asked.

I lost my cool, "Oh shut the fuck up!"

She really recoiled at that. She swiveled around and buried her head in one of those tiny hospital pillows. I involuntarily stepped toward her but stopped. I'd had enough. I left the room. I got Geena, and together we went home. Neither of us said much.

Once Geena looked over and asked, "What're you going to do dad?"

I answered, "I haven't figured it out yet, but you'll be the first to know," that seemed to satisfy her.

++++++++++

When we got home I took some time for a quick gut check. It hadn't even been a week since Daphne had done me wrong, and already I'd lost most of my resolve. I loved her. I loved her so much, but she'd done something terrible. From what Hillary had said it looked like just the one time; that is the one time in a motel. Who could tell really? Was it her one and only? Was it the first in a motel that Hillary knew about? Was it the first of what would have become several? Was it her first step away from me, away from her kids? And what did her list of proposals really mean? And what about me; wasn't this supposed to be where I stood up for myself? Wasn't I supposed to burn the bitch to the ground? What was I supposed to do? Shit what did I want to do? That last one; I had the answer to that. It might not exactly be what I wanted to do, but I think it was the best fit for the time being.

I picked up the phone and called Hillary. She answered on the first ring, "Cale, what do you need?"

"I need you tonight, and I'll need you tomorrow morning early."

Half an hour later Hillary was at my front door. I let her in, "Hillary I got a list of proposals today that countered what we devised. Want to see them?"

Hillary said, "Sure," I handed her Daphne's list.

She read the paper and handed it back, "Let's see," she started, "Daphne's giving you the house free and clear. She wants you to have all your joint savings. She has a small private account, and wants to turn that over to you. She says she'll keep the van only long enough for her to get something smaller for herself. She's willing to give up custody, and she says she'll let you set her visitation schedule. She doesn't want any alimony. You get all the furniture. She wants to turn her 401K over to you in case you need extra money for the children's college. She'll agree to our separation agreement on these terms, or if you want a real divorce she wants them to be on these terms. She does want pictures of the children, and she wants to go through your wedding album and pick out a few pictures she especially likes. Jesus Cale she doesn't want anything."

"What do you think? Should I call Ralph Stevens? I mean have they decided to play house now that he's divorced?"

"No Cale, I'll call him. Who do we know who has his phone number?"

"We know his estranged wife Ginger."

"Get me her number."

I went to the dining room drawer where Daphne kept our personal phone directory. I looked it up, and found it. I handed it to Hillary. I made a note of it to myself, and punched it in my cell phone.

Hillary called Ginger. She was lucky Ginger picked up on the third ring, "Hello Ginger this is Hillary. I need to find something out, there was a brief pause. Hillary looked at me and said, "She's got someone there," Ginger must have come back on because Hillary asked, "Do you know if your ex-husband is seeing anyone," there was another pause. Hillary turned to me, "Ralph's there with Ginger."

I sort of grinned, "Well that's interesting."

Hillary apparently had Ralph on the phone, "Ralph what's up with you and Daphne? I mean are you two up to something," Hillary held her hand over the mouthpiece, "He's talking now," Hillary started responding to whatever he was saying, "Yeah, I know, I heard, yeah, she's in the hospital, you are, you're sure, OK, I'll tell him."

I asked, "So what gives?"

Hillary shrugged, "I can't believe it. Since Sunday Ralph's spent every night at his old house. He's trying to make up. He's sorry about Daphne. He wished it never happened. He's really sorry if he fucked up your life. He said he'll talk to you if you promise not to say anything to anybody else. I guess Ginger was standing right beside him because he started to explain to her what he meant by that remark."

I reached up and scratched my head, "Well what do you know?"

"What do you mean Cale?"

"I mean Daphne apparently hasn't got anybody on the line, but she wants to give me everything we've worked for. You know Hillary I sort of figured that was where this was heading."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you about it, but first let's go downstairs," and so Hillary and I went downstairs to the cellar.

++++++++++

The next morning I was at the hospital bright and early. I was so early Daphne hadn't even awakened yet. I'd had my special talk with Geena so she was the only other person, besides Hillary, who knew what my plan was. She was going to fill in Brandy and Michael a little later. Geena and I agreed they all could stay home from school today. It was Friday anyway. And yes, we had scrambled eggs.

Before I left for the hospital I called my mom and dad, and let them know what was what. They said they'd come over and watch the kids. Then I called Daphne's mom and dad, told them the plan, and I gave them a little job to do.

Daphne woke up shortly after 8:00 a.m. She looked at me, "What are you doing here?"

I told her, "I'm here to take you home."

She was a lot better this morning, more like her old self, "I'm not changing anything," while she spoke the house doctor came in and said some stuff in some foreign language I don't think even Geena would have understood, but the gist of it was Daphne was free to leave once an orderly brought around some papers for her to sign. I think they were anxious to get Daphne out of their hair before she pulled another stunt; only I knew what she'd done wasn't some stunt.

Ignoring the doctor I said to Daphne, "I agree I don't think you should try to change anything. In fact I believe in about an hour you won't be able to."

"What? Why not?"

"In about an hour my lawyer's secretary will be visiting your lawyer's secretary. Your lawyer will initial everything he missed, and then my lawyer's secretary will be on her way to the courthouse. By 10:00 a.m. this morning you will be completely impecunious."

"You are a smart one," she said.

I honestly wasn't sure how binding an agreement like the one we had was, but I played it straight on. I gave her the old stone face, "I'm just getting started. In a few minutes I'm taking you to my house. Right now my sister is preparing a small place in the cellar in my house where I'm going to allow you to stay."

She got all upscale and in my face, "You can't make me I'll go..."

I stopped her, and handed her my cell phone, "I know what you're about to say. If you want to call your parents do it now, because in a few minutes they'll be out, and if you think they'll take you in, well think again. They don't want you."

She blanched, "There's..."

I was having so much fun, "My parents don't want you either. You've been very bad."

She threw my phone on the bed, "What do you want from me?"

I had her, "Aha, well I have three children who need a nanny. Right now I'm short a housekeeper; a domestic worker if you will. You have no place to go. I have an empty room in my cellar. I need a maid. The pay will be minimum wage, but you'll get full medical coverage. Want it say so and it's yours."

I watched her facial expressions shift from delight, to a moment's offense, to one of quiet consideration, and dare I say strategizing, or more likely scheming. Yeah I had her. I had her big time.

She asked, "Will I get any time off?"

An orderly equipped with Daphne's departure papers arrived. I stood up and handed her the light weight jacket Geena had brought in the day before.

I told her, "Free time? Absolutely not! In fact you'll have to put in for a leave of absence at the bank where you work. It'll probably be unpaid, and you'll most likely lose a lot of seniority, you might even get fired, but I guess that's the price some of us have to pay," I smiled, "I'll most likely have you fitted for a uniform, maybe a black and white thing with a stiff and starched peter pan collar and white cuffs," this was fun, "I might even see that you get one of those cute little French maid outfits."

She was a little stunned, but smiled at that. Her eyes looked off into the distance, and I knew we were both on the same frequency. She already had a cute little French maid thingy that we played around with from time to time. She'd bought it to wear for me on one of my birthdays. I remember how scrumptious she looked in it; the short flippant little skirt with the frilly petticoats, the translucent lacy capped shoulders, and her pretty pert ribbon cap. The first time she'd worn it she'd trimmed her little puss... and...oh that had been such a wondrous... My mind bounced back to the present...I had to stop this.