He Can Do Her No Wrong

"How the hell is you, having sex with someone else, an act of love for me? How can you make this happen so that it doesn't end up with me hating you? I can handle being hurt, Shell. You've done it to me before, I can get over that part...but how will we ever be the same?" He choked up for a moment. "That's the part that is killing me, Shell."

"We will Hayden. You just have to trust me that it will be ok. I promise you, it will."

It wasn't without further argument. It wasn't without Hayden suffering feelings of betrayal and humiliation. It certainly wasn't without awkwardness, mostly between Hayden and Lewis. Somehow Shelly seemed incognizant of the inelegant and stilted interaction between the two men. Or maybe, she just chose to ignore it. Either way though, it happened just like Shelly predicted. Like most things, when she set her mind to it, it transpired no matter Hayden's position on the issue.

Hayden never got comfortable with any part of it, and just as he had forseen, he did have trouble keeping up his end of the bargain, so to speak. But typhoon Shelly refused to let him fail. To Hayden, it seemed their love life was somewhere between the 'Kamasutra' and 'How to Make Love Like a Porn Star.'

During the process, Hayden rode a rollercoaster of emotions. The intellectually rational part of him fully understood that, to Shelly, this was just another exercise to achieve the end she desired. But the emotional and somewhat insecure young man part of him considered all kinds of nonsensical outcomes. Foremost in his mind was that she would fall in love with Lewis, run off with him, and leave him high and dry. Deep down in his soul, though, he somehow knew that wasn't in Shelly's DNA. She was a lot of things, dangerous things, but she wasn't a liar. And her love for him was obvious.

One night after coming home from work after a couple of months of the polyamorous nightmare he was living, Hayden saw that Shelly had arrived home before him. Like Pavlov's dog, Hayden had developed a conditioned response to this occurrence. And like Bierka it also involved his digestive system, only a different part of it. He sighed as he felt his stomach cramping and headed inside, debating in his mind whether to go directly to the bathroom first, or talk with her.

In the end, the choice wasn't his. As soon as he stepped foot into the house, Shelly jumped on him, pushing him back into the wall. She was madly waving a pregnancy test in his face while alternately crying and laughing. "We did it! We're pregnant! Oh my God, honey, we are finally going to have our family. She only stopped jabbering long enough to kiss him with an unparalleled fervent passion that left Hayden weak in the knees and incredibly turned on.

For a split-second Hayden forgot that the baby wasn't his genetically. His joy began to match hers, and then in his mind he saw a vision in his head of that young kid holding his naked wife by the ankles, as he lifted her legs into a wide 'V' while he pounded away at her, grunting viciously. He heard his wife's spontaneous moans and cries of ecstasy filling the room. The fact that Hayden always clamped his eyes shut with his hands pressed tightly against his ears didn't really block out the horror he was feeling. In those moments, it didn't matter to him that as soon as Lewis planted his seed in his wife, he would disappear, never having made eye contact with Hayden.

In the present, he didn't even remember that once their bedroom door closed behind Lewis, Shelly would gently call Hayden to her. She instantly changed from a whore lost in her lust to an angel with loving eyes only for him. Her strained look of wantonness would morph into a loving neediness that could only be sated by her husband. Shelly would open her cherishing arms wide and become Aphrodite calling Hayden into her loving embrace. It was surreal and sometimes reminded him of scenes from The Exorcist.

Hayden stood there pinned to the wall, trying to focus on the white stick Shelly was waving frantically in front of his face. He simply couldn't handle the conflicting emotions vying for prominence inside his head. He bolted from the room straight for the bathroom and threw up. He had to get out. The walls were closing in on him. He was suffocating under the pressure of the moment. He decided to run, but before he could make his escape, there was Shelly whispering softly in his ear. Her arms wrapped around him in a warm cocoon, while she cooed softly to him.

"Shush baby, mama's here. I promise it's going to be ok. I love you so much. Hush now." She cupped her hands around his face forcing him to look into her eyes. "There is...NOTHING...about our baby that isn't from you. Come to bed now, mommy is going to make it all better." And she did. His tension washed away, his mind settled, the love of his life did make it all better.

He didn't realize it at the time, but Lewis, in body and spirit, disappeared from their life instantly. Hayden found out much later that Lewis started a job a couple of days after Shelly's reveal with a competitor of her company in a position that was in fact a big promotion and with a huge pay increase. Shelly left no stone unturned.

From that day forward, until the day their son, Weston Hayden Meridian was born, Hayden and Shelly were like any other first-time expectant parents. They experienced all the highs and lows, the anxieties and joys, and the expectations that gave them a bond they hadn't experienced before.

When Shelly's due date approached, their nervousness naturally increased. They both had been actively involved in and well-schooled on the prenatal process. A couple of days after Shelly's due date had passed, she began experiencing early labor signs. When they were both confident when she reached the stage when the five-one-one rule applied, they gathered up what was needed and headed to the hospital as they had been taught. It was a calm and orderly process that, not surprisingly, was directed by Shelly.

Once they arrived at the hospital, everything pretty much became a blur to Hayden, causing him to become nonplussed. However, Shelly seemed to take everything in stride. Shelly's labor was becoming increasingly difficult as the clock ticked off the hours. At about eight and a half hours into it, Hayden noticed a definite change in the attending medical personnel. They had been casual and routine in their manner, but as time wore on, they became more abrupt and paid closer attention to the numerous monitoring devices attached to Shelly.

One of the nurses asked Hayden to step out of the room for a moment so they could get a machine into the tight quarters. Hayden looked at Shelly for guidance as he was now approaching panic levels. She gave him a smile and nodded at him, so he grudgingly left.

It seemed like it was hours later to Hayden. In truth, it was probably only fifteen to twenty minutes when the OB doctor came to talk with him. Hayden's anxiety level kept increasing as the swarm of activity in and out of Shelly's birthing room increased even further. Before the doctor could even begin to speak, Hayden saw Shelly being wheeled frantically out of the room and passed him in the direction of the OR. Shelly didn't make eye contact with him, but he could see the worry etched across her anguished face.

"What the hell is happening, Doctor?" Hayden implored, tears already forming in his eyes. His heart was pounding so loudly he couldn't think straight. He thought he heard her saying things like breech, prolapsed, emergency C-section, etc. but he couldn't focus. He'd never in his life experienced this level of fear. He felt dizzy and faint. The doctor helped him sit down. She looked at him and he clearly heard, "Relax, Mr. Meridian. Everything is going to be fine."

Thanks a lot, Doc, you could have started with that! Was his thought, but all that came out of his mouth was, "huh?"

The short, stout middle-aged obstetrician smiled condescendingly at him. "Normally, we would include you in the OR for the procedure, but under the circumstances, your wife thought it best that you stayed in the waiting room." She gently patted his shoulder and headed down the hallway in the same direction as Shelly had gone.

"What procedure, what circumstances?" He shouted out to her backside. She never acknowledged the question. She just scurried away. Why doesn't Shell want me with her?

Hayden sat almost in a trance in the uncomfortable chair. He noticed that the Price is Right was playing on the television mounted on the wall again. Shit! Did the hospital have some sort of deal with that show's producers to play it twenty-four hours a day?

Left on his own, Hayden's mind played various horrific scenarios as to what was going on with Shelly and their baby. Each new thought was worse than the previous. He lost all track of time. He figured this was the point where a person would read stories in the paper about when expectant fathers ended up getting arrested for creating disturbances and assaulting various hospital staff members. Just as he was getting ready to rip Drew Carey's smiling face and some idiot dressed as a carrot off the wall and throw it through the glass partition, a nurse walked into the room. "Mr. Meridian?" Hayden nodded with trepidation. "Would you like to see your wife, and meet your son now?"

He felt a hundred-ton weight lifted off his back as he jumped to his feet and dashed passed the nurse.

"Ahh, Mr. Meridian, it would probably be better if you just followed me, instead of trying to find them on your own. It's a pretty big hospital." She patiently called after him.

He stopped immediately, and blushed a bright crimson, then smiled back at the nurse. "Right. Good plan." Smooth, Hayden, real smooth. He sheepishly stepped to the side and motioned for her to lead the way.

They walked through a maze of hallways for about five minutes until they reached their destination. The unnamed nurse merely pointed at the door. "They're right in there, Dad." She patted him on the arm, smiled, and was gone.

Hayden stood in the doorway for a couple of minutes, silently staring at Shelly holding their son. The love for his wife washed over him. She looked so beautiful. Shelly finally saw him standing there. And smiled warmly at him.

"I'm a mess, Hayden..."

"No, you're not. You've never looked more beautiful to me." He meant it. He remembered that long ago, his mother had told him the way a woman could tell if her man really loved her was by the first thing, he said to her when he saw her after she gave birth to his child. Only a loving husband could find his wife beautiful at that point, because in reality, she looked like she'd been run over by a dump truck.

"Would you like to hold your son, Hayden?"

Hayden hesitated briefly. It had nothing to do with the circumstance of his son's conception, he was just startled by the reality that he was now a father. The responsibilities of that having just crystallized for him in the moment. It was a sobering experience that all first-time fathers felt.

Shelly thought it was the former issue that caused him to hesitate. She immediately got a sour look on her face. In frustration, Shelly barked at him. "Please tell me you aren't going to run from the room again, Hayden? I thought we were finished with all that silliness."

Hayden took his son from Shelly and cradled him gently in his arms as he had been taught. He made eye contact with god's most significant miracle and studied how perfect he looked in his sleep. He realized that he hadn't for a moment considered that he was anything but Weston's father. He smiled broadly at his wife. "No, Never Shell, never again. It's you, me, and Weston until death. I swear it to you."

Two days later, prior to Shelly being discharged, they sat with her doctor as she patiently explained to them in excruciating detail the reasons Shelly would never be able to carry another child. Hayden expected that Shelly would be devastated, but she just shrugged her shoulders. "I have my family." She never ceased to amaze Hayden. Lady Wisdom had nothing on Hayden's wife.

Hayden, on the other hand, felt like he dodged a bullet. Because just the previous evening, a really obvious thought had finally struck him as he lay in bed. What if she wants more children?

The next five years just flew by. Their lives, like most parents with young children, were so hectic dealing with all the changes and complications associated with developing a family life together, that they really had no concept of the passage of time. For Hayden, it was one of the most exciting and fulfilling periods of his life.

He never for a moment felt like he wasn't Weston's father. As an added benefit, Shelly's sex drive, which was always in high gear except during her pregnancy, came back with a vengeance. If anything, it was greater than when they first married. He'd heard from many of his colleagues and friends that the only thing that would kill a woman's sex drive more than the words 'I do' was, 'honey, it's your turn to feed the baby.' He never had either problem.

He was hoping this blissful phase would continue forever. It wasn't to be.

A BAD PENNY KEEPS TURNING UP

One particularly slow and boring day at the office, Hayden sat at his desk idly playing solitaire on his computer. He was startled when his assistant's voice interrupted him over the interoffice.

"Mr. Meridian, there is a Mr. Lewiston Caldwell here to see you." She received no response. "Mr. Meridian, are you there?"

"Ahh, sorry, Carey. Yes, I'm here. Did you say Lewiston Caldwell?" A very concerned Hayden responded.

"Yes sir. He said he didn't have an appointment, but that he's an old friend?"

"Y-y-yes, he is."

All sorts of reasons for Lewis' contact flashed through Hayden's mind, and none of them were reasonable. He couldn't think of one legitimate reason why Caldwell would be contacting him...

"I'm sorry, sir. Should I send him in?" Carey was very confused now; this was so unlike her new boss. "Sir?"

"For Christ's sake, Carey, for the last time, will you please call me Hayden? And yes, you can send him in!" Hayden snapped at her. Great job Hayden, she'll probably quit now, and it took three friggin months to find her!

Hayden sat frozen at his desk, with his head cradled in his hands. He was frantically trying to get the nightmare memories that had instantly come roaring back, wiped from his memory banks. He lost track of time, but when he looked up there stood the biggest reminder of that period of his life. Lewis actually looked a little self-effacing as he rocked gently from side to side.

"I, ah, I guess this is kind of a surprise, isn't it?"

"What do you want, Lewis?" Hayden spat with disdain and a controlled fury. Caldwell's mere presence filling his doorway had ratcheted Hayden's adrenaline to dangerous levels. "I thought you had an agreement with my wife to never contact us again."

"Yes, that's true, but my circumstances have changed and I just..."

Hayden butted in and leaped to his feet as he slapped his palms on his desk. "I don't give a fuck what your circumstances are. Get the hell out of my office, right now! I don't ever want to see your slimy ass again!" he jabbed his finger toward the door.

"Please, Mr. Meridian, I need..."

"What? You're lonely and need to fuck my wife again? Get out!" Hayden had lost all control. He was sure everyone in the office could hear what was going on. He was beyond caring. The nerve of this guy.

"Look, I'd be lying if I told you that the sex thing with your wife wasn't my main motivation back then. I was young, dumb, and lonely. I'd just moved into town, so the chance to have sex with a beautiful older woman, well it was a once in a lifetime thing for me. So, shoot me."

"I'm thinking about it, asshole." Hayden had calmed somewhat. "Just leave, please. And, leave my family alone." Hayden suddenly felt exhausted.

"Ok, I'm sorry to have bothered you." Lewis turned and left.

Strangely, the kid seemed more, sad than anything. He wasn't acting like someone who wanted to cause trouble. Just then though, Hayden noticed more than a dozen co-workers milling around in the hall, alternately staring at Lewis and Hayden. Damn it. Now, how the hell do I explain this?

He chose not to say anything. He just slammed his door shut and collapsed into his chair. Thirty minutes later, after he finally got his heart rate below 100 beats per minute, he got up to head home. He was surprised to see Carey still at her desk. He figured she'd be long gone. He stopped and apologized to her for the scene he made and told her he was leaving for the day.

"I would think so." Carey quipped.

Hayden couldn't help it; he gave a quick laugh. "Tell you what, if we both show up tomorrow, Carey, I'll fill you in a bit on what that was all about."

"Oh, I'll be here all right. I wouldn't miss this for the world! Good night, Hayden." And she gave him a little snicker.

He blushed slightly and nodded his head. Yeah, but I might not be back. And he was out the door without even glancing at anyone else. He was still too embarrassed about his outburst.

When he reached home, Shelly sensed something was wrong, but she waited to talk about it until after dinner and they had put Weston down. It took some time too because Weston was so enthralled with his first week of kindergarten that sleep didn't come easily.

Later as they were preparing for bed, Hayden explained what had transpired at the office earlier. Shelly's eyes got wide with fear. It was one of the few times Hayden could recall her being unable to talk about something. They climbed into bed knowing that they weren't going to sleep much. Shelly didn't even snuggle up to Hayden which was a first in their relationship.

In truth, Shelly was very confused and worried. This shouldn't have happened. Shelly thought she had everything under control. And she wasn't used to not being in control.

Carey did show up the next day at work, so Hayden bared his soul to her over lunch. In a massive understatement her only comment was, "That's interesting." He didn't really care if she blabbed to everyone in the office. They were all probably making up their own stories about what happened anyway.

It turns out that Carey never uttered a word to anyone about the episode. They worked together for many years until Hayden left the company. His boss asked him about the incident once casually, and Hayden just told him it was someone who used to work for his wife. And that it wasn't a good experience. Hayden had learned long ago that the problem with lying was that you had to remember what lie you told to whom. It was far better, to tell the truth, but to tell as little of it as possible.

The next Sunday evening after the blow up in his office, his usual round of golf with his regular foursome made Hayden feel much better about things. He had played well, so he stayed for a while having a quiet drink by himself. He sat on the outside deck and breathed deeply to let the fresh air calm him further. He watched the sun fade towards the horizon, then decided it was time to head home for one of his wife's usually extraordinary Sunday dinners.

As he stepped into the kitchen from the garage, he expected his olfactory senses to be overwhelmed. What he got instead was, well, nothing. Not even a pot on the stove or a bag of rice on the counter.

"We're in here dear!"

Hayden heard Shelly calling from the den. He didn't really pick up on what she said. He was focused on the thought that he may have forgotten that they had plans for tonight, and he was late. The fact that Weston hadn't tackled him when he came in the door served to further reinforce that thought.