Bad Decisions

"Kristy," he said. "Why don't you sell your place and move in here, with me?" She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes.

"Do you mean that?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," he said. "I have another bedroom upstairs and you're going to have a lot to deal with over the next few months. Maybe we could help each other get through this." She thought for a minute before answering.

"Why not," she said. "But only on one condition."

"What's that?" he asked.

"You let me sleep with you," she said.

"Seriously?" Jason asked. This was moving much faster than he thought it would and he wondered if it was wise. He set that thought aside and decided to throw caution to the wind.

"Yes," she said. "I haven't really had the comfort of a husband for a long time. Last night, I felt content for the first time in ages. Is that okay with you?"

"It's more than okay," he said.

"Good," she said. "Then I'll run back to the house to get my things and I'll be back over tonight." Jason nodded his head.

"I'll be here," he said. After she left, he called Lucy, the woman who ran the office Karen normally worked out of.

"Hello," she said when she answered her cell.

"Lucy, this is Jason Chandler," he said.

"Oh hi, Jason," she said. "How's Hawaii?"

"I don't know," he said. "I hear it's nice this time of year. Why?"

"Well, Karen said the two of you were going there after the company meeting," Lucy said. "I assumed you were on your way."

"No," Jason said. "She was on her way to Hawaii, but not with me. She left with Greg."

"What?" Lucy asked, shocked.

"That's right," Jason said. "But she didn't make it. Neither did he. The plane they were on crashed into the Pacific Ocean earlier today. Maybe you saw it on the news."

"Oh no," Lucy said. "Do you know if she made it okay?"

"I don't think either of them survived the crash," he said.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "Please accept my condolences. And thanks for letting me know. I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but the company has life insurance for all their employees. I'll get the paperwork started first thing in the morning, but I will need something from the airline. Can you get that to me?"

"Yeah, I'll get what I can," he said. "I do have a question for you, though."

"What's that?" Lucy asked.

"Were you aware that Karen was having an affair with Greg?" he asked.

"I suspected there was something going on. There were rumors, but nothing more," Lucy said. "We usually don't gossip about things like that in the office."

"I see," he said. "Well, that's all I have. I'll be in touch."

"Thanks," she said. "And again, please accept my condolences."

"I appreciate that," Jason said, ending the call.

That night, as he and Kristy watched television, a report came on about the crash. According to the report, the plane's final moments were captured by a crewman aboard a freight liner that was just a couple miles from the crash site. The network aired the amateur video, which clearly showed the airplane rapidly falling, nose first. It looked like the craft literally pancaked as it hit the water.

The report said the freighter changed course to see if they could recover any survivors. They pulled a number of bodies out of the water, but there were no survivors. They also recovered a lot of luggage, including Karen's and Greg's. Neither Karen's nor Greg's bodies were found.

Epilogue:

The next few months were hectic for both Jason and Kristy. She moved in with Jason and sold her house. Jason had plenty to deal with, including Karen's condo. There was nothing in it he wanted, so he gave everything away to Goodwill, which was more than happy to take it. He finally sold the condo, getting back what Karen had originally paid for it.

Both he and Kristy received an insurance check for $500,000 from Acme Real Estate for the deaths of their respective spouses. Kristy moved in with Jason and they immediately began exorcising all traces of Karen. Pictures came down, knick knacks were pulled and furniture, especially the bed, were replaced. Jason let family members take what they wanted. The rest, including the two cars, was either sold, burned, given to Goodwill or tossed in the dump.

Jason also had to jump through hoops to resolve Karen's bank accounts. After a couple months and a mountain of paperwork, he walked away with a check for around $250,000.

Lawyers pounced on both Jason and Kristy, looking to capitalize on the crash. Further investigation revealed that the crew misunderstood warnings from the on-board computer and took the wrong actions. The craft fell at an estimated 12,000 feet per minute and hit the water at somewhere around 135 miles per hour, meaning that it took just over three minutes for the plane to smash into the ocean.

Karen's last three minutes, some of which were on the phone to him, must have been hell, he thought. Her last act had been one of contrition, no doubt brought on by the realization that she was plummeting to her death and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Nevertheless, he thought, it was too little and far too late.

Fortunately, the airline settled with all the affected families, paying a little over $175,000 for each passenger. Between Jason and Kristy, they grossed a bit more than $1.6 million after everything had been accounted for. Of course, the tax man got his share, but they still ended up with a very tidy nest egg.

Since neither Karen's nor Greg's remains were found, there was no need for a funeral, but Jason and Kristy held memorial services, mostly for the benefit of their respective families. Neither one shed a tear for their deceased spouses.

Three months after the services, Kristy left her job and went to work for Jason. By now, they were madly in love with each other. One night as they ate dinner at the local Texas Roadhouse, Jason got on one knee and proposed. Kristy squealed with delight as patrons around them applauded.

"It's about time you decided to make an honest woman out of me," she whispered in his ear.

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Cause, you're going to be a daddy," she said. He covered her face with kisses.

"I love you so much," he told her.

"I love you more," she said. "Just one favor, though."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Please don't ask me to fly anywhere," she said. He laughed as he hugged her close.

"No worries, my dear," he said.