Honey...

Thursday evening after dinner, Tamara asked me to retire to the living room while she cleared the table, something we otherwise always did together.

"I have something we need to discuss," she said. She liked mysteries and I learned early in our relationship to play along.

After she finished, she served caffè corretto with grappa in petite cups I had imported from Florence, where we discovered this wonderful digestif during our honeymoon. I gifted them to Tamara on our first wedding anniversary, wrapped in Japanese Chiyogami paper.             

"Simon, do you remember Benedict Worthington?"

"Yes, darling, of course."

I chuckled to myself. I'd met him a month earlier at the Water Project fundraiser Tamara had organized. He was the most pretentious neckbeard I had ever met. He was Old Money, but his fortune had dwindled under his lackluster stewardship. Nevertheless, he thumbed his nose at those of us whose fortunes were stained with blood, sweat, and tears.

He was a twit, and I told Tamara so after she had introduced him, but he had generously donated time and money to her pet project, so I dropped it.

"He invited me to dinner tomorrow night."

"Ho!" I laughed. "I would love to have seen that ne'er-do-well's face when you declined."

"I don't want you to get angry, Simon, but I accepted his invitation."

"You did what?"

"We are dining at the Serẽa...and will overnight at the Hotel Del."

Very few times in my life has my brain been shocked into disfunction, but I was simply stunned. She took advantage of my temporary bewilderment to explain her effrontery.

"I know this is difficult for you, Simon, and honestly, I'm a bit apprehensive myself. That's why I waited until this evening to let you know."

Finally, my brain thawed. "You will overnight! You will overnight! Do you mean to tell me you are going to sleep with that...that...mucky reprobate?"

"Yes, Simon, I am. And he is not a reprobate. He is a kind, generous man who worked tirelessly to provide Africans access to clean water."

Never in a million years would I have thought Tamara capable of this level of treachery. Twenty-seven years working my fingers to the bone to provide her every material desire. Countless romantic trips, dancing lessons so she could flaunt her ritzy gowns at the fanciest ballrooms, supporting her inane fundraisers. It's a goddamn desert! They should move to where the water is!

I worked to steady my breathing. "My god, woman, do you have any idea what you've done?"

She had the sensibility to cast her eyes downward. "I know this hurts you, Simon, and I'm sorry, but I am compelled to do this. This will be a one-time occurrence, never to happen again. I will return Saturday and I'll be yours again forever."

"Once is one too many, Tamara."

"I love you Simon, and I know you love me enough to grant me this one indulgence."

Indulgence! She considers destroying our marriage an indulgence!

I was suffocated by an overwhelming sadness. Of all my accomplishments in life, I considered an enduring marriage my highest goal and greatest success.

"Tamara," I said slowly, "how do you know I love you?"

"Wh...what?" she stuttered.

"You said you knew I loved you enough to allow this. How do you know I love you?"

We had talked about this before we were married. Instead of talking about careers, the number of children we wanted, and white picket fences, we had philosophical discussions about life, love, faith, and our place in the universe.

From those discussions I grew the courage to propose and the confidence she would accept. This was the foundation of our time together on this earth.

"I just know, Simon. You tell me all the time." She shrugged.

"We talked about it a long, long time ago, Tamara. Think life, love, faith, and our place in the universe."

She took time to remember. "You do things for me you wouldn't do for anyone else. That's love."

I nodded. That's what we had decided, all those years ago.

"And how would I know you love me?" I asked.

'I do things for you I wouldn't do..." The realization shook her. She buried her face in her hands. "Oh, Simon, I'm such a fool. Such a fool."

"You crushed my heart, Tamara. I'm hurt beyond what I thought possible.

"If you call him now and cancel, I'll work with you to repair our marriage. I wouldn't do that for anyone else, Tamara."