The Gift

Kathy put the white box away and pulled out the black box. She thought about the events that led up to her receiving the black box.

It had been three weeks since she had spoken with Tom in front of her work. True to his word Kathy had not seen or heard from him since. On a Friday morning John was about to leave for work when he asked Kathy

"Do you want to go out to eat after work that evening. How about Kelly's downtown?" he suggested. Kathy knew that was a place that she and Tom went to often.

"No! Kathy snapped. You know Tom and I went there often. I won't go anyplace where I might run into him."

"If not there I heard about a about a new bar and grill that opened up a few blocks from where you work. I can drive you to work, and then pick you up at five. I'll wait for you outside the office. What do you think?" John asked.

Kathy thought about that and joked "That sounds like a plan. John was waiting for her and drove her to the new place called the Easton Ave. Pub, obviously named after the street it was located on. Kathy was puzzled when she saw the look of disdain on the faces of the waitress and bartender when they walked in. They sat in a booth on rear wall in the back.

The waitress came and gave menus and water to them. Soon she was back to take their drink order. As the waitress was taking their order Kathy heard the door to the pub open. She took a look to see who it was and was shocked to see her former husband walk in and take a seat at the bar. She heard him order his customary gin and tonic.

She glared at John and asked him "Did you know he would be here"?

John gave her a smirk replying "No, of course not." Kathy knew right away he was lying, but had no idea what to do. Before she could say anything else John announced to her "I have to go to the restroom" got up from his chair and started to walk to the bar. He asked the bartender where the restroom was and the bartender pointed to the large sign that clearly said restrooms.

John then said "Hey buddy, I did not see you sitting there." Kathy knew that was a lie also, she had pointed Tom out to him. Tom just looked at him and turned back to his drink and took a sip. John walked to where Tom was sitting and put his hand on the back of Toms chair and smirked "Don't feel so bad, she picked the best man and it wasn't you." Tom looked at him as John looked at Kathy with a large smile on his face. Tom looked over his shoulder and saw Kathy sitting there watching.

Tom turned back to John and said "Yeah, she picked you".

John laughed, patted Tom on the back and said "That's right she picked me not you!" and walked off the restroom.

Kathy was horrified at what she had just witnessed. She knew Tom did not deserve that. She could not tear her eyes away from her former husband. He put the drink to his lips and finished his drink in one gulp. He went to pay and the bartender said it was on the house. Tom got off his chair and walked directly to Kathy.

"That was low Kathy, even for you. Did you get a kick out of seeing me humiliated? I told you I would never bother you again, and I haven't. Now I get this? You two are made for each other." He told Kathy with a look of disgust.

Kathy told Tom "I knew nothing about this. You have to believe me. I did not know you would be here or he would do this."

"After what you did to me why would I believe you now? I don't trust you, I don't like him." Tom snapped.

John walked up to the table and sneered, "Are you still here?" Tom turned to John and just stared at him. She could see her soon to be ex husband's hand curl up into a fist. Kathy's mind wandered back to a time when they were a happily married couple. Kathy and Tom were play fighting one night and she hit him with her fist. He stopped her and told her not to tuck her thumb inside her fingers. He explained her thumb could break if she hit anyone hard. She watched as his thumb curled under his fist between the first and second knuckles of his left hand. Just the way he taught her to. They stood there toe to toe and Kathy thought she saw fear in John's eyes.

The waitress walked over with Kathy's Cosmo and John's beer and said, "This isn't the place for this Tom".

Without taking his eyes off John he said "Amanda, you are probably right". Tom backed away from John not turning until he got a safe distance then turned and walked out of the pub. She did not know it then but he walked out of her life that night as well. John followed Tom to the entrance and watched him leave.

Amanda put the drinks on the table and said to her with disdain dripping from her voice "So you dumped Tom for that asshole? Do you know this is the third time he has done that to Tom?" She walked away shaking her head. When John came back to the table he was noticeably upset.

"What did he talk to you about?" he demanded. Kathy was furious but before she could say anything to John a man walked up to the table.

"I don't know if you remember me but I was at your wedding to Tom."

Kathy replied "I'm sorry but I do not remember you."

"I am Tom's friend Paul. I was there with my wife Phyllis. I gave tom something during the meal" Kathy remembered. He along with two other friends of Toms came up to the dais as we were eating the fruit salad and put their cherries in Toms cup saying at least now he would have a cherry tonight. Everyone had a good laugh at Tom's expense.

Kathy laughed "I remember. The cherries! How are you Paul?"

"I am fine Kathy." Then he turned to John and said, "I am the owner of this establishment. Tonight's meal is on the house. When you are finished with your meal I want you to leave immediately. Neither one of you are welcome back. Kathy's face turned a deep crimson with embarrassment. John just laughed. Paul continued "I have a word of warning for you' looking directly at John. "Tom would not do anything to cause trouble in my place. However if he should see you again anyplace else you should run the other way. He will not be so charitable again." John sneered and commented

"I am not afraid of a pussy like him!"

"Don't say you weren't warned" Paul replied and started to walk away, then turned, smiled and said, "I just hope I am there to see it." Kathy ate her food in silence. She was furious with John. She knew this was a set up to humiliate Tom. The food was delicious, she was sad she could not come back here again. She remembered talking to Paul and his wife. She liked them immediately. She would have liked to reconnect with them. After Johns stunt she knew that could not happen. To make matters worse he did not leave a tip.

That night Kathy and John had there first serious fight. John was just being John. He was mad. He could not understand why she would side with that wimp. John was just making sure her ex husband knew who Kathy belonged to. He was staking his claim. He was telling Tom to stay away. Even though he was having doubts he could keep him away if he had to. At this point Kathy was convinced John could not. Not if Tom wanted to. With a mixture of sadness and relief she no longer thought he was interested. The sadness was the knowledge that part of her life was definitely over, relief that there would be no violence.

As she remembered tears fell from her eyes. The pain he felt she was feeling now. Her memories were becoming very painful for her. Somehow she felt she had to continue going through the boxes until she hit the last red box.

One week later Kathy was at work when she heard the door to the agency open. Kathy looked up to see who it was and to her shock it was Tom's cousin Janice. The one she told that she loved Tom and would never hurt him. Janice looked very professional. She wore a grey pinstriped business suit, skirt with jacket and a white shirt. She strode up to Kathy with a pissed off look on her face. She carried an attaché case in her left hand.

"You don't keep your promises very well do you Kathy?" She hissed.

"I am sorry Janice, I didn't mean for this to happen, it just did." Kathy explained.

Janice looked at the name plate on her desk and picked it up. "Is this you? Are you still Kathy Holden?"

Kathy replied "Yes I am."

"Good" said Janice, She put her attaché case on her desk and pulled out a white folder and threw it on her desk, "You have been served." Janice said with obvious disdain.

Then she pulled out the black box and as she threw it on top of the folder, she said in a loud voice "You stupid cheating bitch. You hurt him bad. He is way too good for you. You know that don't you? His heart is broken. Don't you worry. He'll find someone else to mend his heart. I know one day you will be dragging your skanky ass back to him. He would probably take you back too. That's why I hope he will already have found someone else to take your place. Oh, by the way, you should listen to the CD. I did. It's beautiful. My cousin was always too good for you." Janice yelled.

Janice turned to walk away when Kathy heard someone yell "Wait." She saw Grace get up and walk to Janice. Grace stood with her back to Kathy facing Janice. They spoke for a few seconds and Janice shook her head yes. She saw Grace hand something to Janice. Janice looked at Kathy as a smile came over her face. She turned back to Grace smiled again and shook her head yes again. Janice turned to walk out the door and Kathy could hear her laughing. Grace walked back to her desk and Kathy thought she could see a smile on her face also.

Kathy opened the box and took out the CD. There was no card this time and this time only Rose and Lisa came to listen to the CD.

Lisa asked "Do you want to play it now or wait until after work in the car?" Kathy said "Janice said it was beautiful, why not play it now." She put the CD into the player on her desk and a Garth Brooks song played. It was "The Dance" and it was beautiful.

Looking back on the memory of

the dance we shared 'neath the stars above

For a moment all the world was right.

How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye?

Holding you I held everything.

For a moment wasn't I the king?

If I'd only known how the king would fall,

Hey, who's to say - you know I might have changed it all.

And now, I'm glad I didn't know

the way it all would end, the way it all would go.

I could have missed the pain

but I'd have had to miss the dance.

Rose and Lisa were openly crying now, even though Kathy wasn't. There were many pairs of misty eyes in the office. Most of the women liked Tom. Here he was saying all the pain was worth it just to have had that time with her.

Kathy did not understand it then. Kathy understood exactly what he was saying with the song this time. It hurt to go through it but the pain was worth what he had. Why couldn't she see it when it all happened? Kathy put the CD back into its box and placed it into the case. She would only see Tom one more time. It was after the divorce was final. She took the papers to her lawyer. It was a 50/50 split on everything except his business. Tom would not give her any of his business. She did not care. She was going to be a Doctors wife. Let him keep his business. She signed the papers.

John and Kathy were married one month after the six month waiting period was over. Johns practice was doing well. John had hired two nurses, a receptionist and a biller. Kathy and John had sold the apartment and purchased a nice home in same neighborhood as Toms Kensington Street home, just a few blocks away.

As Johns practice grew he started to work some late nights. Kathy was not happy but she realized his patents came first. After all, as John told her, "I took the Hippocratic Oath. I have patients to treat. Plus, he chuckled, they paid the bills." One Friday night John's receptionist called to tell Kathy that the doctor was running late and had more patients to see before he could leave for the night.

Kathy was disappointed. She had made Chicken Cacciatore with spaghetti for John's dinner that night. She decided to be "The Good Wife" like the TV show and pack his dinner and bring it to the office so he could have something good to eat. She drove to the office and was surprised to see only two cars in the parking lot. One was Johns and she did not recognize the other one. She got out of her car took the cacciatore and went to the door of the office and tried to open it.

To her surprise the door was locked. No problem, after all she had her own key. She juggled the food in one hand as she dug into her purse to feel for her keys. Finally, she found them and let herself in and was about to call out. Then she heard noises from one of the examination rooms that made her heart drop. What she heard was not doctor patient conversation; it was the sounds of two people making love. She turned the knob on the door and pushed it open. Kathy could not believe the scene in the room. An older, obviously bleached blonde was lying on the examination table. John was naked and standing at the end of the table, his hips moving back and forth obviously having sex with that bitch. Neither of them had heard her come in. Kathy screamed,

"What is going on here?" With that she threw the cacciatore at the copulating couple. The food flew all over both of them. The chicken fell between the women's sagging breasts and the spaghetti and sauce was on both of them. Kathy slammed the door shut and ran from the office, started her car and started laughing at the spectacle of John and his new bimbo covered in sauce. Then another thought crept into her consciousness. Chicken cacciatore and spaghetti was the first meal she had served to Tom. Kathy started her car and sped away.

She didn't know what to do. She did not want to go right home. She called her friend Lisa's cell phone. Lisa was out with the rest of the girls that worked at the insurance agency for a girl's night out. Kathy told her she had a fight with John and needed some one to talk to. Lisa told her that Rose was the only one left and they were at the Easton Ave. Pub. Kathy told Lisa that she was banned from that particular establishment. Kathy suggested they meet and talk outside the Pub. The women said "we will meet you outside."

Kathy said "I'll be there in twenty minutes.

Lisa warned "There is one more thing you need to know, Tom is here, with a girl."

Kathy stammered "I don't care I need to talk to you girls tonight."

"OK Kathy, we will be waiting.' Lisa responded.

Kathy thought about Tom. What she saw was the same thing he had seen in his own home that awful night. She now knew first hand the pain and humiliation he must have felt. She was going to her best friends for comfort and support. She realized that when she betrayed Tom, she was his best friend. Who did he have to go to for comfort and support? She knew the answer. Nobody, he had to bear the pain on his own.

Kathy opened the door to her car to let Lisa and Rose in. Kathy was still sobbing softly when they entered the car. Immediately Lisa wanted to know what happened. Kathy could hardly speak. When she calmed down she recounted what she saw.

"I saw some 40 year old bleached blonde with huge fake tits on an examination table being serviced by my new husband" Kathy roared. Neither Lisa nor Rose was surprised at Kathy's revelation. Both girls considered John a jerk. They were more surprised it had taken Kathy so long to see it for herself. They tried to support her but were not willing to give her a pass.

Rose told her "What goes around comes around."

"I know, I know, Kathy cried. I did the same thing. Don't think I haven't thought of that already. I feel betrayed and humiliated by what John has done. What he has done to me! I never felt that way about what I did to Tom. Now I know the truth. Now I know the pain, the humiliation, the betrayal. The loss of something you thought was special. To know the one you love thought so little of it. I know now, now I know." Lisa and Rose glanced at each other and by mutual unspoken consent they did not beat up on Kathy anymore. She was doing a good job on her own.

Rose asked Kathy "What are you going to do now?"

Kathy responded "I don't know. I am so confused."

Then after a few moments she made a quick decision. "I am going home to confront John. What he did is unacceptable and will have to stop." She spat decisively.

Lisa asked "Do you want us to go with you?"

Kathy replied "No, I have to do this by myself." The girls got out of the car and watched Kathy drive off.

They walked back into the pub and as they walked to the bar Tom was there ordering drinks and saw them. A huge smile came across his face. "Rose, Lisa so good to see you, how long has it been, almost a year?" He gave them each a hug. Neither Rose nor Lisa smiled and only gave him a slight hug in return. Tom recognizing that their response was less than friendly moved back. "I'm sorry" he apologized, "I didn't realize it was like that. I'll be going." Tom stepped away, puzzled. He thought the last time they were together he left on a positive note. Then again, he thought, they are Kathy's friends, so why be friendly to me.

Lisa realized the sudden change in his attitude first and called "Tom, wait, it is not what you think. Please come back, we need to talk to you." Lisa and Rose wanted to take Tom to the booth and talk to him. First he said he would have to clear that with his dinner companion. He walked to his date and spoke with her. She looked over at Lisa and Rose and spoke briefly with him again. Finally she smiled at him and shook her head yes.

Tom walked back to Lisa and Roses table and sat down. "What is this all about? Why are you guys giving me the cold shoulder?" he asked confused. He waited for their answer. Rose responded "It has nothing to do with you we just received bad news tonight." "My God, I never thought of that. Is there anything I can do to help?" Tom inquired.

Lisa responded "There probably is but I don't think you would want to."

"What, what are you talking about?" Tom inquired. Tom had been leaning forward his arms on the table, fully involved.

Lisa said "It has to do with Kathy."

Tom pushed back from the table to the back of the seat as if he just heard the rattle of a rattlesnake. His manner changed instantly. "What does she have to do with this?" Tom asked warily.

"She just caught John cheating tonight" Lisa blurted.

His face said it all. First it went totally blank, then a small smile going to a huge smile to an out right belly laugh. When he finished laughing he leaned forward with his head down shaking it back and forth and said "Karma, Karma is a bitch."

Then he looked at the women and asked still chuckling "Why are you telling me this, what does it have to do with me?

"Nothing" Rose said, "We just wanted you to know why we were down tonight."

Tom's attitude changed once again. "Sorry girls, I jumped to a wrong conclusion. I should have known better. So where is she now?" He asked.

Lisa replied "She went home to confront him."

"That is definitely not a good idea. Johns a coward but he won't hesitate to hurt a defenseless woman if he becomes angry." Tom stated.

Anger flashed in Roses eyes. "If he is the coward why didn't you fight for her with when you had the chance?" she asked smugly.

Tom once again sat back in his seat but without the revulsion this time. Finally he leaned back in to the girls with a profound sadness on his face.

"I asked her if she loved him. She told me she did. She told me she did not love me anymore. What was there left to fight for? If I beat him up would that make her love me once more? No, she would have hated me. So where was the sense? I was in a lose-lose situation. She still would not love me and I could go to jail. Do you understand my reasoning now Rose? Tom asked?" Rose nodded her head yes, now ashamed she even asked the question.