How to be a Good Son Ch. 02

"Well, shit happens. I never had to go thru this with your father, but I did have a boyfriend cheat on me in college. I never gave him a chance, we were thru the day I found out. Course you have a lot more to lose. Jason, you've been here since Friday? Ever the nice guy. Administer aid to the sick and traumatized. Thank for looking after my favorite daughter."

"Can't say I did that much, just was here when Karen needed someone."

"Karen, Jason let you lay with him, didn't he? Always makes me feel better, comfortable and protected."

"Yes mom, he did. It was, wonderful. Just like I always knew it would be."

"Wow. OK. Good luck on Wednesday. Sounds like you have a plan. And Karen, I know you might want Harry back whatever the case. Just remember, if he wants to come back, and I'm sure he does, you have him over a barrel. See what you can get out of him before you say yes."

"Those are the conditions I'm working thru."

"Good girl. Well, I still have a drive, and work tomorrow. If nothing else here, I'm going to head back."

*****

Jason got to Karen's Wednesday at 6, on time for dinner. They ate, and cleaned up quickly, getting ready for Harry's arrival at 7.

"So, have you figured out what you are going to say?"

"Yep, and part of it involves you, so an even better reason for you to be here. Hopefully he agrees with my proposal and we can get on with life. This being angry stuff is too hard to live with."

Harry arrived on time. It was awkward at first, but the kids were happy to see him, kind of broke the ice. Half hour later the kids were wore out playing with their father, and were ready for bed. If Harry was surprised to see Jason there, he didn't say anything.

Sitting around the kitchen table.

"OK Harry, what do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Karen, what I did was wrong, and it will never happen again. This thing was my fault, you never did anything wrong. I truly love you and the kids. I'm hoping you can forgive me, put us back whole. I want you to take me back."

"I don't need to know why you did it. Just know you hurt me. You hurt us. The most terrifying part was wondering if our life was over. My dream husband, dream family. And it's still terrifying that it might happen again. I've thought, a lot, these past few days. I am willing to try to fix this, but I have a few conditions. Never let me catch you in a lie. I didn't have any problem finding the truth this time. Your relationship with whoever you saw Friday night is over. No friendship, no meeting by accident, no contact. I'm going back on birth control. I don't want to have another baby with you if this is not going to work out, and I'm not sure I even want more children. That's a discussion we can have, someday. I don't get to know who you were with. Fair enough, protecting someone else. You were wondering how close Jason and I are, after seeing us together Saturday morning. Jason and I are very close. He was here for the worst 2 days of my life, you were off, somewhere else. I love you, but right now, at this instant, Jason means more to me. You don't get to know how close we are. Never ask about us, never investigate us. Just keep wondering. That's your penance. Whatever relationship we have will continue. You know Jason, what his character is. I'll let you decide what that means. If you decide to come back, I will forgive you, but not forget. Most importantly I want my old life back. I'm not going to put you in the spare bedroom for a while, see how it goes. We will pretend everything is hunky dory for now, like this never happened. Eventually, hopefully, it will be real again."

"Karen, that's the most I could hope for. Yes, I agree. I'll show you the man I can be, will be. I promise."

"OK. I'll take you back, starting tomorrow. I need one more day to figure things out, think things thru."'

Harry looked over at Jason, just sitting there. Blank expression.

'"OK, dinner at 6?"

"As usual, yes. You can go now."

Harry got up and left.

"Wow. I never want to negotiate with you."

"Well, it's a lot easier when you are the wounded party."

"So now, WE have a free-pass?"

"Well implied, yes. It eases my guilt, fairly well actually. No secrets, no lying. Jason, you are staying tonight?"

"OK, the new-normal starts tonight. I wasn't planning on being anywhere else, I'll leave early in the morning. Tonight will be a, kind of celebration, I guess. You get your life back, sometimes everybody wins. I'll see Susan at lunch tomorrow. I think she'll be, impressed."

"You just love to make my life complicated. The three most important women, most important people in my life. Everyone of them my best friend. I'm screwing all of them. What does that make me?"

"From my perspective, a good boyfriend, a good son and, most important, a great brother."