Fooled Me Twice Pt. 07

Danni drove me to Mom's mansion since my car was at my house. When we walked through the front doorway, I heard Mom in the kitchen, and Dad was sitting at the table, bouncing Cat on his knee.

Dad waved and yelled, "Marty! Danni." Before Dad could say anything else, Mom flew around the corner and attacked me.

"Get out of my house. You killed her." She was beating on my chest with her fists and crying. I took her hands with mine and hugged her.

"Calm down, Mom. I didn't kill Liz; she shot herself. She left a note for me, and after you read it, many strange occurrences will make sense."

She glared at me angrily, tears rolling down her cheeks, and her resolve weakened, but she still asked, "Don't lie to me, Martin."

"Never, Momma."

"Give it to me."

As I handed the note to mom, Danni took Cat from Dad and wrinkled her nose. Then, she turned and gave Cat to me, "Here. She's your baby; you change her."

So I took her into her bedroom, upstairs, which Dad had made into a nursery, and changed my beautiful little girl's diaper. She was still wearing my favorite yellow dress, so I washed her belly, arms, and legs with wet wipes, dried her off, and dressed her in a onesie from the dresser.

Carrying her back into the living room, Mom, Dad, and Danni were in a circle, hugging. Mom broke free and ran to me, sobbing and apologizing.

"My only baby boy and I slapped your face and treated you like a murderer. My God, how stupid could I be? Since Christmas, she's been telling me you've been abusing her, and I couldn't believe that you'd hit her, but she was so convincing and...."

"Mom, stop talking. I can guess where this is going, and it's not your fault. Lizzy was a great manipulator and fooled me too many times to count."

"Marty, please forgive me...."

"Stop, mom, nothing to forgive. You're my only mom and Cat's only grandmother, and we love you. Is it okay if we stay here tonight?"

Mom nodded, gave me another big hug, and then dashed into the kitchen. "I was warming up a bottle when you came in."

I wandered out with her as she put hot water in a pan and set a bottle in it to warm. "Marty, I am so sorry...."

"Mom, stop saying how sorry you are. I've lost the love of my life, but it's not your fault. We all watch too many true-crime TV shows where it's the husband. That's what the cops thought, especially when Liz had me arrested, claiming domestic violence. The police talked to all my neighbors, my sitter Mrs. Greenfield, my family, and my co-workers; everyone, including you, didn't think I hit her. So the Lieutenant let me go early this morning. Two police officers drove me back home to speak to Liz, but Cat was screaming when we arrived. They searched the house while I cleaned my baby and found her locked in our bedroom. I was in jail when she died last night."

She pulled the bottle out, squirted some on her wrist, and handed it to me. "Sleep in the bedroom next to Cat's room, so you can hear if she cries tonight; now go feed your baby girl." She turned away, but I saw the tears pouring down her cheeks as she tried to walk away. I took her hand and pulled her back, "Mom, let's go feed your granddaughter."

I pulled her into the living room and let her feed my baby. Then, I pulled Danni up for a hug and thanked her.

"Sis, again, you came through for me. Babe, I love you; now go home to Clifton, and I'll call when I get the arrangements done. I think mom and I are okay now."

The following morning I went to the funeral home my mom used for her parents. I covered everything with them, from buying a handsome oak casket, flowers, cemetery plots, visitation day, etc. I was numb most of the way, and I let them put half of the estimated bill on my Amex card. We set the dates for the following week, Friday, and Saturday, with the funeral service at my family's church.

Before driving back home, I called Dianna.

"Hey, big sister."

"Marty, I'm so sorry. Mom called me and said she committed suicide and you were innocent. Mom said she feels so guilty not believing you."

"Yea, I guess we were all in the dark, but we made up and cried together. The real reason I'm calling you; well, I need a favor, and I...."

"She lives in North Carolina near her mother, and her address is...."

I wrote it down, and D also gave me her phone number. I told her the dates and the arrangements and finished with, "Sis, I know you are in San Diego and have four kids, well three, and a husband, and you're expecting your fourth child soon. Is it a boy or girl?"

"Hey, kid. I resemble that remark." That was Joe. "You didn't know she had it on speaker, did you? We don't want to know what sex the baby is."

"Hi Joe, I heard you laughing in the background. Anyway, D, please don't stress out and throw everyone in a van and let Mario Andretti drive across the country. I promise you, after the funeral, I'll bring my little girl out and, if I'm lucky, bring two more girls with me. Got to run; love you, D, and you too, Joe. Same with the little superheroes. Bye." Last Christmas, I gave their kids a different set of superhero pajamas, 'Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Spiderman.'

Then I made the same call to Dixie. At the end of the conversation, she asked, "You're going to get her, aren't you?"

"Love you, Dixie babe; give Brad and the kids my best."

My last call was to Lt. Collier at the police station, and he said I could have my house back. "Just show the officer there your ID, and he'll give you your keys."

"Thanks."

I drove home, and I swear Liz was sitting next to me, smiling.

After the officer left, I wandered around, looking at the mess in her house. The kitchen sink was filled with dishes; glasses covered the dining room table, and fingerprint dust was on the walls, door knobs, and light switches. When I stood outside the bedroom I shared with Liz, I felt like she would walk out of her closet any minute, screaming at me about something I didn't do right. Walking around the bed, I stared at the dried blood on the carpet where she died, and I knew I would never spend another night in this house again. I packed as much as possible in three large suitcases for Cat and me, locked up, and went back to mom and dad's house, where my baby was waiting for her Popa to return.

Cat and I left Greenville at 8:00 AM the following morning, and two hours later, with the aid of the OnStar system in Liz's Cadillac, I parked in front of a house with the address D gave me. I unbuckled my baby girl, grabbed her bag, and walked up the driveway to the front door. After ringing the bell, I bounced around until the door opened, and she was standing in front of me, my first love. Little Lissa was peeping between Ruth's legs, smiling because she remembered me.

"Marty! What are you doing here? Where's Liz? Are you okay? You look like you're going to cry, oh Marty. Honey. Don't cry. Come in, come on in."

I shuffled in, and Ruth took Cat from me.

"Well, hello, Cat. I've seen your picture, and now I've got you, pretty girl."

"She's gone, Ruth."

I started to tell Ruth what happened when her mom burst into the house through the front door yelling, "Ruth, did you see the news? Marty and Liz are on all the...."

Anna stopped at the kitchen doorway, apologizing, "I'm sorry, Ruth, I didn't know you had company," then she gasped when she recognized me, "Oh my God, Marty. Oh, Marty, I'm so sorry for your loss."

I nodded.

"Have you told Ruth yet?"

I shook my head no, "No, I started to, but I hurt, all alone now."

"You're not making sense; tell me what, Marty? Who's gone? Is it someone in your family, your Mom or Dad?"

"No, it's Liz. She killed herself, Ruth. Here, read her note; it explains everything." I handed her the note as Melissa climbed into my lap, and Anna took Cat from Ruth.

"Hi, Mr. Marty. I'm Lissa. I member you. Did Cat's mommy go away like my daddy did?"

"Yes, Lissa, she did. But Cat's not old enough to understand."

"Well, she can share my mommy and grandma, and I can cuddle with you." She curled up in my arms and quickly fell asleep. I was shaking so hard, and then the waterworks started.

Ruth finished reading the note with a deep sigh and tears dripping on her cheeks, then, in a sorrowful voice, said, "Oh, my dear, sweet, Marty."

She traded Cat for the note with her mother and sat next to me on the sofa, laying her head on my shoulder and gently rocking my sleepy little girl. Anna finished reading and laid the damp paper on the coffee table before sitting on my other side.

We sat for a while, at least several minutes, and then Ruth asked, "Marty, do you want to talk about what's not in the note?"

When I nodded, she stood up and walked down the hallway, with Anna and me following. Together we put the girls down for a nap on Ruth's bed and went back out to the kitchen.

I described to Ruth and Anna the events of my life since Jason's funeral, the arguments, the physical and verbal abuse I received from Liz, and finally, the accusation against me for assaulting her. Then I described the events at the police station where I was interrogated for hours and hours, locked in a cell by myself, before finally being released with a lame apology.

The girls woke up, and we fed them before Anna decided we needed to go back to Greenville together and bury my wife. That night, reminiscent of the four nights when I was sixteen, I slept in the arms of Ruth, my first true love.

The following week was something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. The story was all over the news media, and reporters kept trying to ambush me for an interview. My cell phone was making so much noise, constantly ringing, that I changed it to vibrate only, but I was receiving so many calls I finally had to turn it off. Dad let Anna, Ruth, Lissa, Cat, and I stay at the old house to get some rest, but we still had a steady stream of neighbors and friends bringing food and support.

The viewing that was supposed to last two hours ended up running over three and a half hours, leaving me very tired. All my friends from the beach outings came by, co-workers, old friends, and even Trooper Washington.

After returning home, I only slept because Ruth had me securely wrapped up in her arms.

I felt somewhat refreshed, at least physically, for the funeral the following day. There were so many people at the cemetery that I resigned myself to stay and greet anyone who waited patiently to reach me. All the women around me urged me to leave because I was exhausted, but Dad and Uncle Bob convinced them to back off because it was something I had to do.

The line of people hugging me, kissing my cheek, shaking my hand, or telling me how sorry they were, seemed to go on forever. They were my neighbors past and present, schoolmates, from grades one through twelve, politicians, former teachers, old girlfriends, scientists I'd met at symposiums, and government officials whose agencies are responsible for foreign and domestic security for the United States of America. Peter Wang said we needed to talk soon, and the CEO of Cray Inc. told me he knew what I was going through because his first wife died from pancreatic cancer when she was twenty-seven.

And then there was family, close family in Greenville, and the vast extended families of my sister's spouses, quite a few who are now my friends.

Philip Chambers told me about his great-grandmother's reaction to Liz's death, "Marty, I would never call her crazy, but she is strange. When I told her what happened, she told me to warn you to be careful because even though Liz was the evil one, she was only half the story."

I thought to myself that maybe Ruth was the other half.

Finally, the line was gone, and I heard Dad's phone ring but didn't pay any attention when he answered. We returned to our limo with Momma on one side of me and Ruth on the other. I helped the ladies into the back seat when I felt somebody tapping my shoulder. It was Dad, and he handed me his phone.

"Hello, Marty Stevens here."

It was Dad's insider trading partner in California, offering his condolences. We talked for a few minutes before I thanked him for calling and said that I hoped we could collaborate sometime in the future. He told me not to be too surprised if it happens very soon.

That night in bed, I didn't fall asleep right away. Instead, I put my arms around Ruth and pulled her close.

"Ruth, I can't tap dance around the room anymore before I get something off my chest, so I'm going to tell you what's in my heart."

I hesitated as I gazed into her beautiful eyes before blurting out, "I love you, Ruth, and have been in love with you since I was sixteen. When I graduated from college, if you weren't married to Jason, I would have kidnapped you and run off to an island in the Pacific. So I need to know if you feel the same about me."

She hesitated, "No, Marty, I don't feel the same way about you."

My heart sank, but she didn't let me fall too far before continuing, "Marty, I love you even more, and I also fell in love with you when you were sixteen."

I could breathe again, so I answered with typical Marty logic, "Is six months long enough to wait until we get married?"

*****

Exactly six months after Liz died, Ruth and I were married at our Methodist Church with our two darling little girls and immediate family. Afterward, we had a small reception at Momma's house, and Uncle Bob kissed me on the forehead before handing me a wedding present. Inside an envelope were two checks, a payable check for $700,000 and a payroll check for $279,632.

"The big check is repayment for all you spent on the Cray, software, and desktops. The payroll check was a bonus of $500,000 because of the agreement we signed with Space-X, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. Congratulations, nephew, your dream is coming together."

Ruth and Anna sold their houses in Charlotte, and I sold Liz's monstrosity before buying Mom and Dad's house. Lissa picked my old room to be hers, and we put Cat in Dixie's room. Anna bought a condo a few miles away but stayed overnight in Danni's old room quite a bit. Ruth adopted Cat, and I adopted Lissa; we were one happy family.

Our son, Carter, was born ten months later, and even though we tried a lot, Ruth didn't get pregnant again until twelve years later, when little Alexandra came into this world just like her big sister Cat did, kicking and screaming.

On a 1 to 10 scale, Ruth's love for me and my love for her was an eleven. On the same scale, regarding the variety of sex between Ruth and I, give it a six. The sex between Liz and I was off the charts, and I don't regret anything, but the truth is she was the instigator most of the time, and we mostly fucked. Ruth and I had sex as much as Liz and I did in many of the same places, but I never fuck Ruth; I only make love to her, and I don't miss the kinky sex Liz and I had together. After only four years together, Liz was pulling away from me, becoming independent, while Ruth always wanted to be as close to me as possible.

This would have been the end of my story except for a letter delivered to me forty years after I married Ruth. That letter is the only reason this story exists because I wrote this story after receiving the letter.

**********

Epilogue

Forty exciting years passed, so let me update what happened to all my family, friends, and Stevens A&D.

Stevens Aerospace Exploration, LLC, has grown six-fold in the last forty years, and I am the CEO and chairman of the board. Ruth is still my stay-at-home wife of forty years, and she raised our two daughters, Cat and Lissa, born before we married, and our two children conceived after we married, Carter and Lexa.

My three sisters, Dianna, Dixie, and Danni, are also on the board; Dianna's oldest daughter, Julie, is our CFO, and her son David is our general manager and CEO in training.

The joint venture started four decades ago by Space-X, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Stevens A&D grew to twenty-five corporations and six friendly countries. It took ten years to happen finally, but once the tax-paying voters figured out what NASA was up to, congress was forced to delete its budget line. NASA came out of its demise with a better reputation in history books than in the eyes of the American public.

In order of importance to the project, the countries that joined what eventually would be called World Space Command were; #1, Australia for their vast open areas where engine testing can be done safely and their immense reserves of many valuable unmined ores, #2, India for their many brilliant scientists and titanium reserves, and #3, Saudi Arabia for their money and chemicals derived from oil. Great Britain, France, and Germany were the other three countries that joined because they hated to be left out, but they also had scientists with unique skills.

The Chinese government, who always made it sound like they were ahead in the moon race, was surprised when the four original corporations landed a rocket on the moon's south pole in late 2025 and quickly established a base. Surveys were done on the surface and in caves hidden from all human sight for billions of years, and large amounts of iron ore, magnesium, and bauxite, were discovered. In addition, substantial amounts of titanium, cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese were confirmed, and the most important discovery was finding ice at the moon's poles. Soon, we were establishing bases underground, reducing exposure to radiation and making it easier to establish and maintain a habitable environment to begin mining and manufacturing operations.

In 2045, China, after finally having free elections, joined with most of the United Nation's countries to form Earth Corp.; dedicated to unifying all the ethnicities and races into one group, The Human Race, and created with the primary goal 'To Protect the Human Race and our home Planet, Earth.'

Before Mars colonization began, all space ventures were consolidated into World Space Command.

Dianna's husband Joe retired from the Navy at fifty-four as a two-star rear admiral. He plays golf and writes books about naval warfare. Their middle daughter, Rose, never married and teaches at an elementary school in Spartanburg. Their youngest son, Ed, went to work for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Dixie's husband Brad quit working in his dad's company after ten years and became a day trader. He started off getting his ass handed to him, but after a year of learning from his mistakes and with the help of a loan from someone who shall remain nameless, he made a fortune, paid taxes, and still retired at forty-seven. He is Joe's golf partner and plays poker at Spartanburg's casino. Their oldest daughter Vicky has my old job as an engine designer and is married with one child. Dixie and Brad's boys, Troy and Connor, work for World Space Command, although neither would describe their jobs as work. Troy and his wife are permanent settlers on Mars, while Connor, and his wife and son, are stationed at the main moon base.

Danni's husband Cliff owned 50% of a car dealership for eleven years before selling out. He used that money to buy a small publishing company specializing in printing authentic-looking leather-bound copies of first-edition classic books. He created a set of fifty classic books that he would sell individually or as a monthly subscription. His business started slowly until a local cable network began televising a weekly special showing a book reading, showcasing his books at the library. Overnight his online business took off.

He sold this business when he turned 55 and retired to become a full-time grandfather. Six months later, while he was asleep, a blood clot went from his leg to his lungs, killing him instantly. Danni threw herself into being the best aunt and grandmother ever. Her two oldest children, Henry and Linda, live everyday lives that have nothing to do with space. Henry is married with three children and is an engineer on a freight railroad line going from the Canadian cobalt mines to smelters in the Midwest. Linda is married to the manager of the Greenville Walmart, and they have one daughter. Danni's identical twin daughters, Jilian and Lilian, are astronauts training for the third mission to Callisto scheduled to leave in eighteen months.