And on the Seventh Day God Rested

He looked back at his wife. "Please open the gift that I have given you."

Charley was crying and barely heard him. She was trying to figure out how to explain to him and everyone else about her need to help a poor dying man. She was never cheating on her husband. He just didn't understand. She picked up the small box. She expected to find a ring or some kind of jewelry in it. Instead it was a silver bullet. There was an inscription on the casing but it was so small and her tears were so copious that she couldn't read it. She looked up in confusion.

On the screen was a picture of the bullet. Everyone in the room could easily read the inscription. "Next time use this. It will hurt less."

Bobby continued. "Now, for the future. Charley I still love you. You have destroyed me but I somehow still love you. I will treasure each day of the past 24 years of marriage. I am, though, taking an indefinite leave of absence from the company. I have gotten my CDL and will be going over the road. I have no idea when I will be back in town. With any luck it will be months as I need the space and the distance from you. I have left my cell phone at the house. I have another one that I will give the kids the number to. Please do not try to get them to give it to you. If you succeed I will just throw it away and get another number. Then I will not contact you kids either. When I do decide to come back to this city I will contact you. If you have gotten good counseling we might have a chance. If not, then you can divorce me for abandonment as I will not contact you again."

He paused as he let the comments sink in. "I have already changed my will and my beneficiaries to my retirement and my life insurance policies. Any money will go to the kids with the condition that they never give a dime of it to you. Any counseling will be paid for, it is already arranged."

He put down the microphone and left the last slide on the screen. He went down to the table where Charley was still trying to formulate her response. Finally she spoke. "You are so selfish. I was trying to comfort a dying man and you just wanted me just for you. How dare you!"

Bobby gave her a sad look. "Just as I expected. You have completely lost your mind and I am losing mine. Good bye, Charley."

Bobby left the room and went outside. He left the keys to the car that he had driven with the doorman so the kids could leave when ready. Beside the hotel was a semi-truck, already loaded and ready to go. By morning he would be two states away en route to his first delivery. Troy was already planning his next load. They had agreed that he would not be routed back here for many months.

Charley's friends came up and told her to get her head straight. Bobby had never done anything to deserve her attitude and treatment and was the most unselfish man they knew. Then they left. Most of Charley's family came up and told her to get help. Her father just asked her, "What the fuck?" Then he turned and left. He couldn't believe that this was his daughter.

Her mother was beginning to show her age and this night was almost more than she could bear. She was crying over her child's stupidity and could only stand and shake her head as she tried to comfort and counsel her offspring.

Ted, Greg, and Chelsea were still flabbergasted. They had planned and executed a beautiful surprise celebration but their father had shanghaied it for his own purpose. They were very angry with him. They all felt that, at the minimum, he could have either let the celebration happen and then drop the bombshell in private, or let them in on his plans. Now they could only stand and look at their mother who was in her own world, one that seemed to not have a finger in the real world.

Finally Chelsea went to her mother. "Come, Mom, let's go home. There has been enough trauma tonight. We need to vacate the premises."

Charley looked around. Where was Bobby? Where was Ron? She didn't speak as she was led away clutching her 25th anniversary present.

Gretchen brought up the weird subject. "We came with Bobby. How will we get home?"

Greg was immediately in charge. "If he didn't leave the car we will call a cab. No problem."

As they approached the door the doorman asked them their name. When Greg replied that they were the Carlson's the doorman handed them keys to the car. He mentioned that a gentleman had left them for his family. Must be a good man.

Greg nodded. Ted seemed ready to say something scathing as he was very angry with his dad. Charley just cried some more. Chelsea just bundled her mother out to the car.

The drive home was uneventful. When they entered opened the garage door their mother's car was there. What had Bobby driven away in? Had he walked somewhere?

They went into the house. There was something wrong but it took a while to pinpoint it. Finally Chelsea exclaimed, "Everything of dad's is gone!"

They all could see it now. There were some pictures on the wall that were now missing. His clothing was gone from the bedroom. His coats were missing from the hall closet. His office was empty. Someone had efficiently removed all reminders of his presence while they were gone to the anniversary celebration. He was truly gone.

Even Ted was now despondent. He might be angry at how his father had let them know about Charley's affair but he was a good father and he was now not available.

Charley went around the room and told everyone what exactly was missing. She seemed a little flighty as she described each item that had been Bobby's. Then suddenly she announced that she had to make a phone call. When asked by Chelsea she responded that she had to call Ron and make sure he was okay. "I may have to go to him. After all, he is a very sick man and needs me to ease his pain."

Chelsea tried to reason with her mother but was motioned away. Charley got out her cell phone and called Ron's phone.

After many rings he finally answered. "Look I know it is you Charley. Haven't you done enough? Your husband outed me today, the other guys beat my ass, and my boss called and told me I was fired for what I was pulling. I am in the hospital recovering and I don't need you to help me. Let me alone."

He hung up on her before she could find her voice. Charley couldn't believe it. Here she had helped him feel better about himself and now he was telling her to leave him alone. For a moment she actually thought that he may be delirious from his illness before she remembered that Bobby had found out that Ron was a fraud. He just pretended to be ill to get laid. And to think she had given him her ass. It was a good thing that anal sex was, granted a rare occasion, but not out of the question with Bobby. She could only think that Bobby would have been even angrier, if possible, if she was giving her ass to Ron but not to Bobby.

This brought her back to the present. Bobby was angry at her and he wasn't home. She had forgotten his birthday and their anniversary. She looked down at her hand. She still held the silver bullet. She wondered if there was a gun in the house that could fire it. That might solve her problems, just use the bullet. Wasn't that what Bobby wanted, to just use the bullet?

Chapter five

Yes, a new chapter in his life. Bobby was on the road and learning all about how to drive a truck. The driving itself was easy. The truck was easy to operate. The terminals were usually easy to find. GPS had really helped and changed the way the industry worked. The log book was gone and replaced with an e-log book. The satellite controls governed his speed and watched over the workings of the truck. No, the hard part was the mandatory rest periods. When he was stopped at a rest area or a truck stop for rest he had nothing to do except think about Charley.

He wanted to know how she was doing. He wanted to know if his children had forgiven him. He had been away for eight weeks now and had resisted the urge to call any of the kids or his house because he didn't know how his interest would be received or reciprocated. They might all want nothing to do with him.

Troy had kept in touch. After all, he was Bobby's boss at the moment. Troy had kept Bobby's employment a close secret. He reported that Greg had called him looking for information once but only once. The rest were silent.

Troy did find out that Charley had gone back to work a few days after the anniversary but that she then broke down completely and had to be admitted to the hospital under constant watch. She was now in an inpatient psychiatric unit for suicidal ideations. The rumor mill had it that she kept showing a bullet to people and asking which gun would fire it. When staff had tried to take the bullet away from her she became hysterical and fought to keep it. She kept screaming that it was an anniversary present from her husband.

When Bobby found out this piece of news he was saddened and, at the same time, thankful. This would mean that Charley would get the help she so obviously needed. Since she wasn't working, though, it meant that money would be tight at the Carlson household.

He immediately sent a power of attorney form to Troy and electronically transferred money to their checking account so that everyday bills could be paid. He also set up an account for the kids and transferred money to them. He sent text messages to them giving the account numbers and details. He received two very curt replies from Ted and Greg. The reply from Chelsea almost made him cry. His daughter was alone and trying to keep her life together. He sent Troy over to try and help.

Then he pulled out of the rest area and drove another 400 miles to another delivery.

With regular updates from Troy he found that Charley was getting better. Chelsea had graduated high school and was still planning on attending college but at a campus close to home so she could be there for her mother. Greg had been so upset that he almost didn't complete the semester but with a little help from a study group had gotten it back together and had passed his finals.

Ted had taken refuge in his students. Even Gretchen seemed to have been forced out of his life as he concentrated on getting his marginal students to buckle down and succeed. Bobby was saddened by all of this. He was getting better but it seemed his family was suffering more and more.

By now six months had passed. Maybe it was time to visit home. Well, at least his home town. He didn't feel as though he had a home anymore other than the sleeper in the truck. He asked Troy for some loads that would swing him by home again. It took a couple of weeks but then he was headed home for a break.

He arrived at dusk and turned in his truck. Troy met him and they went out for supper. Troy let him know what was going on. The project that Bobby had left in his assistant's hands was progressing well. Foundations were getting poured and all of the dirt work was done. It had been a rainy summer locally so the project was behind at the moment.

Charley was home and working part-time as a nurse but was not on the OB floor anymore. It was discovered during her treatment that a few babies had died just after birth and that she had not taken it well. She had put on the brave front but the psychiatrist believed that the trauma was the catalyst of her thinking she could ease Ron's last days. This trauma had also been the whole reason she had completely dismissed her husband. He was well and needed no one in her mind. Bobby would be well no matter what. She was not needed by him.

Even now it appeared to the family that Bobby was well and did not need them. Their anger was directed at that one thing. He didn't appear to need them at all.

Charley was still having trouble sleeping because she was sleeping alone. She had not had to do that since college.

Troy had made sure all bills were paid. Chelsea had figured out that he was power of attorney and had come to him trying to find Bobby but Troy had respected his friend's need to heal and get some perspective. Now it appeared to be time for closure.

Bobby had Troy drop him at a good motel. He also arranged a rental car. Bobby then drove past the house and then took up a spot so could observe the house discretely. While he trusted Troy Bobby had not arranged to have Charley monitored at all. For all he knew she had found a new love interest and Troy was getting fed a line of bullshit. After all he had trusted his wife of 25 years and only an overheard conversation with an asshole had clued him in.

Bobby watched each morning until Chelsea left for school. Some days Charley left early for work. He would follow her to the hospital and then return and follow her when she left work. Some days she went to the store for a few groceries but most days she went straight home. On rare days, when she was off, she would leave the house and go to the large park nearby and then walk the trails for a couple of hours. She looked well but had a sad face all of the time.

He was beginning to believe that she was pining away for him until the night a bunch of women, co-workers he assumed, came over to the house. After about a half hour the group came out leading Charley to a car. She didn't seem to want to be there with them. He followed them to a local bar.

It wasn't too loud, at least from outside. The women dragged Charley inside. Bobby decided to go inside and see for himself what might be transpiring. He hoped that they were all trying to lift Charley's spirits and not put her in the position she had been in when she met that bastard Ron.

As an aside, Ron had not been heard from since his stint in the hospital. Rumor had it that the various men who had caught up with him had not only damaged his manhood but had made sure the he understood that there was no place in the immediate vicinity. A couple of his friends had also gone with him.

Bobby made his way into the bar. It was partially filled with mostly middle aged patrons. It didn't seem the type of place to attract the young crowd. There was a DJ but the music was a little subdued. The small dance floor was not crowded even though it was now about 10:00 p.m. He ordered a beer and sat down at a table by himself. If he turned his head just a little he could see the table where the women were holding court. He was too far away to hear their conversations but he really didn't need to hear them directly to see that they were trying to point out various men to Charley. Charley shook her head with every gesture they made.

Bobby nursed his beer for a long while. No one approached him. Maybe it was the leather jacket along with his bald head. Maybe it was the beard that he had grown. Maybe it was the expression on his face. He was sad and it showed. Anyone who was looking for a good time would not consider him for a partner.

He ordered a new beer and a whiskey chaser. He sipped the beer and contemplated the amber drink in front of him. Suddenly a shadow appeared over his shoulder. He looked up at one of the women from the table where Charley was ensconced. She asked if she could sit down.

Surprised he graciously indicated the chair in front of his table and across from him. "Look, my friends and I are sitting over at that other table and we noticed that you were alone and, quite frankly, looking like you just lost your best friend. We all discussed the reasons that you might be alone and I decided to take the bull by the horns and come and ask you."

Bobby smiled at the woman. She looked about 35 years old, quite nicely maintained with blonde hair and a shapely body. He also noticed the wedding ring on her left hand. He hoped she wasn't on the prowl. Enough marriages and relationships had been damaged and destroyed by him recently. He decided to play along for a few moments. Ron had been right. You hang that lost puppy look on your face and some woman will wonder if she can fix it.

"My name is Robert. What is yours?"

"My name is Lisa. We are all nurses at St. Paul's hospital. We were just having a good time when we noticed you and decided that we just had to know what was hurting you."

"Well, Lisa, the truth is my wife had an affair and deceived me. I found out and left the house. I am now living in a motel while trying to figure out what I should do. I haven't made up my mind and I have been living alone for months now. As a matter of fact, the beer I drank before you came over was the first I had drank since this whole thing happened. This beer is the second one and the whiskey is also the first I have even considered drinking since this started."

"Oh my gosh, Robert. What kind of woman would do that to you? Did you beat her or get drunk all of the time?"

He gave a rueful smile. "I could tell you anything and even feed you a line of complete bull droppings and you wouldn't have any idea whether it was true or not. Let's just say that I thought we had a great marriage until I didn't have one at all. I have never laid a hand on a woman that she did not want. I didn't even lay a hand on her lover. I just made his life hell and I think that he is no longer in the picture."

He sipped his whiskey. "Now, what do you think you can do to make me feel better? Offer me sex? I am sorry but I noticed the rings on your finger. I don't believe that you should be contemplating helping me in any way."

Lisa looked at her finger. "I guess you are right. I was going to offer you conversation and company but I can see where it might lead to something that would be hurtful. As a matter of fact, my friend over at the table started a relationship with a man not her husband in a similar way. She tells us that she thought she was helping a dying man and lost her husband in the process."

She got up and left the table. Bobby didn't look to see her walk away. It might have been a nice view but he just wasn't that interested.

A few minutes later another woman approached the table and asked to sit down. Bobby motioned her to have a chair. When she was comfortable she introduced herself. "Robert, my name is Terry. I am with Lisa and the others. I, though, am not married and would like to sit and talk with you for a few minutes if I can."

Bobby signaled the waitress for another beer and whiskey and offered something for Terry. They sat in silence for a few minutes until the drinks were delivered. Terry raised her glass to show her friends. Apparently this was a sign of progress getting the mark to buy a drink. Bobby gave her a little smile in response. They began a light conversation. Bobby told her that he had been out of town for a while trying to figure out what he was going to do. He had not had any contact with his wayward wife in the meantime and didn't know if she even wanted to reconcile.

Terry made the appropriate noises that she understood and that she was sure that Robert's wife was contrite and ready to reconcile. Bobby leaned forward at that. "What makes you so sure of that? Is it your woman's intuition or just taking the side of every woman who has strayed? If you don't know me or my wife how can you be so sure that she wants to get back with me? She might be with another man by now, maybe even with a whole pack of them. I don't know what her intentions are or what her interest is so how can you be so sure?"

Terry was taken aback. Here she was trying to make the appropriate sounds and comfort a hurting man and he was attacking her. She fired back. "I was just trying to make you feel a little better. I thought that was what you wanted to hear, that your wife is waiting breathlessly for you to return. If this is how you interact with her maybe she was right to step out on you."

"So you think there is justification for cheating? It's okay as long as the man has intense feelings about something? If she was upset with me for some reason why not try to work it out? If she was done with me why not take the high road and say so before fucking some asshole? I would have been hurt but not like when I found out that she was not having sex with me so that she could be faithful to her asshole. Me, her husband of over 20 years, not welcome in her arms but some shithead that she met in a bar, like this one, and she makes him her priority and would only have sex with him from that point on."