I Did It My Way

To wind this up, my attorney handled all of the communications with the investigators. When it was over, he met with me and Congressman Randolph. After all those months, there was a settlement.

First, the evidence of your failed certification was expunged from the record. Second, Larry Jones was fired. Then came the icing on the cake: you would be promoted to fill Larry's vacancy. So, the bad thing that I had done led to a good thing for you. At least, I can be glad about that.

There's one more thing that I must do; I must confess to David. It will be the most difficult chore of my life, but he must not find out on his own.

You may not be his biological father, but you are his father in every other way. You will come through this just fine in his eyes, but will I?

That's all I have to say. If you have questions, I will attempt to give you answers.

I said, "I think what I have to say is an observation rather than a question. What you've just told me is nothing short of bizarre. I never suspected that Larry was such a turd.

"You said that you considered talking with me about what he was proposing, but you thought it might be just a practical joke. I wish that you had chosen to talk with me right after Larry approached you. If you would have done so, we could have avoided a lot of agony.

"Having said that, only hindsight is perfect. I realize that what you did was for my benefit, and I appreciate that. I love my current job, but I didn't earn it. I have you to thank. You earned it for me.

"I had all but fallen apart after I failed my certification test. You were willing to sacrifice your body to restore my sanity. Everything about what happened is outlandish, but I don't know of any greater proof of wifely love than what you did for me. I appreciate what you did.

"One more thing, I don't think that you should 'confess' to David. We should 'inform' him about everything together.

When I stopped talking, you said, "Thanks, I think. So, where do we go from here? As I see it, you have two choices. If my adultery overrides everything else, you can go to the front door and walk away from me and our marriage. Your second choice would be to use another door." She pointed to our bedroom door.

She watched as I walked to yet another door. I entered the den and got something out of my desk drawer. I held it in my hand as I walked to the front door. I opened the front door and stepped outside. I heard Anna begin to cry. I transferred the item from my hand to the doorknob.

I walked back to her and kissed away a tear. I took her hand and walked her to our bedroom. She was still crying, but her tears had changed; now they were tears of joy.

She asked me why I began by walking out the front door. She said, "You scared me to death."

I asked, "Do you remember that fantastic motel in Austin where we stayed during our first ACL weekend?"

She nodded her head.

"Do you remember what I absconded with as a souvenir? "

She began to smile. "Yes, I certainly do. You took the 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign. The one that never left our doorknob while we were there."

"Well, Anna, now it's hanging on the knob of our front door."

Then I asked, "Do you remember the name of that motel?"

Her smile brightened as she said, "Yes, I do! It was called, 'The Happy Endings Motel.'"

I whispered, "Exactly."

Regrets, I've had a few; but then again, too few to mention

THE END