I Thought She Made You Up Ch. 06

"I was heavily medicated, so I collapsed onto my bed. Four hours later I woke to Amy screaming at me. She thought I spent the night with a girlfriend, and had been out looking for me. We had gone to visit J.J. in college, and stopped in New York to see a Yankees game on the way home. Barbie had gotten one of those miniature wooden bats as a keepsake. She had it, and started beating me. She broke my nose and cracked my left eye socket. I managed to get the bat and pushed her across the room. She must have had a momentary flash of reason, she covered her mouth and ran out of the room."

"I was in tremendous pain. But I didn't want to call 911 and explain what happened. I don't know if you remember Todd, the cop, but he ended up marrying Flower. He was Chief of Detectives then, he's retired now. I called him, he took one look at me and took me back to the ER. I was in the hospital for two days. Todd found Amy wandering the park beside the house and had her hospitalized for shock."

"I had to call in every favor anyone ever owed me to keep her out of the psyche ward because it would have killed her career. The trade off was Amy had to get help right away."

"I didn't have a choice. I filed legal separation papers and insisted she meet me at the lawyers office. I had Todd retain a lawyer in her name to protect her interests."

"It was the worst experience of my life. She was crying, begging forgiveness. I knelt down and got her attention."

"Amy, Amy, look at me. It has to be this way. Get your lawyer to explain the details, but it has to be this way. The separation will be for twelve weeks, we may not have any contact with each other except by email. You are required to get a physical and a psychological exam. Any specialists recommended will be seen as soon as can be scheduled. I will get reports weekly, and any refusal to see or not follow the advice of your doctors will result in divorce."

"Remember, do not attempt to contact me other than email. I love you, Amy, but I'm afraid to live with you right now."

"Her mom came up to stay with her. Flower and a few of her oldest, most trusted friends rotated in and out of the house to give her mom a break."

"I didn't get an email the first week. I called my lawyer the Tuesday of the next to start the divorce, but he convinced me to wait until Friday while he checked. She sent me a message Friday morning, apologizing for not getting back sooner.

She had been to our doctor and two specialists."

"The next week contained three emails. One from a specialist treating her for menopause, another for depression. She was taking medication, three new prescriptions"

"The other message was directly from Amy, apologizing for her treatment of me, begging me to give her the time she needed. And telling me she loved me.

"The next three weeks her messages were upbeat, talking about how much better she felt, but they always ended with an apology."

"I was starting to have hope. Her doctors were giving good reports, and her friends said she would actually smile from time to time. Her emails were getting longer, almost chat like and filled with reminders of better times."

"Barbie Jo was back and affirming what I was hearing. Then on the ninth week she came to me crying with a hand written note from her mom. I still have it."

"Dearest husband,

I know we are supposed to only communicate by email, but this was too personal. Please forgive me for this, but once you read it I think you will understand. One of my doctors noticed an abnormality in my blood work and scheduled more tests. I had a conference with him last Friday and agonized over telling you, but I feel you need to know, and to beg you for one favor.

My thyroid is malfunctioning, for lack of a better term. The doctor can explain it much better than I if you would talk to him. This is what triggered my menopause so early and has my hormones so out of balance. I have to have surgery, Jimmy, to remove it. The operation is scheduled next Thursday.

Here's the favor. The operation isn't life threatening, but in their examination they noticed a growth. It has to be removed.

The growth is wrapped around my vocal cords. The surgeon assures me he can get it all, but there is a sixty percent chance I may lose my ability to speak.

Here's the favor. In the name of all the love we've ever had for each other, I'm asking you to be with me before surgery. I want to be able to TELL you I love one more time, just in case. Please, Jimmy, I'm begging.

Amy."

I was crying, remembering. Ce didn't say a thing, just wrapped her arms around me.

"Of course, I was went home immediately. There were a lot of tears, and Amy tried to say everything she wanted me to know. We talked for hours. The morning we left for the hospital she gave me a packet, just in case, she said. I opened it months later. It was a CD of her voice. She had recorded a message for every day of the year, plus holidays. I had one of my assistants program it into my computer. Every morning when I log on, this is what I hear. I opened my laptop.

Amys' voice came on immediately. 'Good morning, honey, it's the tenth of September, just wanted to tell you I love you. Have a good day.' Every time I hear her it reminds me of how lucky I am."

"The day of the surgery I was a mess. Amy downplayed the risks, but when the surgeon had me fill out the consent forms I nearly lost it. It seems the surgery was far more dangerous and risky than she said. I held her hand as they gave her the anesthesia. She kept repeating I love you over and over until she went under."

"The surgery was supposed to take forty five minutes. It took three hours. I thought I would lose my mind. When it was over and they said she was fine, and would be able to speak, I lost it.

Barb held me and just let me get it out. She's still alive, you know, pushing seventy but still going strong."

"Amy spent the time before the surgery talking nonstop to everyone she knew. She was on the phone with Barb for hours. Something like this was too hard to keep secret, and when everyone figured out she was saying goodbye, just in case, they flocked to the hospital. College campuses are small enclosed communities, as is the public school system. Everybody loved Amy. We overflowed the waiting room."

"When they moved her to a room, it looked like a jungle because of the flowers and plants. I didn't move from her bedside for eleven hours, holding her hand the whole time, determined to be there when she awoke."

"I dozed off and woke to see her watching me, both her tiny hands wrapped around mine. Then I heard what had to be the most beautiful sound in the world. It was hoarse, and raspy, but it was understandable."

"Hi, honey. I love you. Will you come home now?"

"We didn't recover overnight. She had her private counselor, and we had joint sessions with a marriage counselor. For almost our entire lives we went to school, did the kids activities, and worked. We still loved each other, just never seemed to have the time to express it. We fixed that, fast. She still sees her counselor twice a

month."

"So, CeCe, that's where we're at in our lives. If you want back in our lives, I'm going to make you go very, very slow."

"Here's her email address. Send her a message, talk about general things, kids,work, that sort of thing. let her set the timeline."

I grabbed her butt and pulled her to me, kissed her long and deep. She responded automatically before realizing it and pushing me back.

"What the hell was that?"

"That, my darling Ce, was a trip down memory lane. Oh, you're still a great kisser, by the way. I'm glad my training held up over the years."

Her smile was a mile wide.

"Your training? When we first got together I wasn't sure you had a tongue. It took me months tho train you."

"I have to go home to Amy now. I'm sure it won't be this long before I see you again."

This time she kissed me.

"I never stopped loving you, both of you. And, yes, this isn't the last time you'll see this big ass."

..................................................

Part three: a triangle inside a circle

She did as I asked. Short little emails became longer, more personal.

I watched Amy like a hawk. She would be a little quiet after the emails for awhile, but gradually she started looking forwards to them, making me read them with her. CeCe gave her numbers to her, telling her she would like to hear her voice, but it was up to her.

Four months after they started chatting Amy called her. They followed the pattern of the emails, short chats becoming long discussions.

I talked to CeCe about once a month just to keep up. They started out short, but like Amy, they got longer, mostly recollections of a semi-wild youth.

After eight months Amy came to me.

"I'm going to see Barb this weekend. It's her birthday, seventy this year. We're going to take her to a club featuring male strippers, it'll be a blast."

Despite her age Barb was going strong, and looked ten years younger. I guess being rich has its' advantages. She told me she wasn't trying to turn back time, just slow it down a little.

"Have a good time, honey. But if Barb gets excited and rapes one of the strippers, don't call me to bail you out."

"I've given her a lecture about being a good girl. Gee, she rips one thong off and suddenly she's oversexed. You know she keeps it on the wall of her office? She said it makes a better trophy than any deer head or fish she's ever seen. Said it was too bad he got away, she sure would enjoy mounting him."

Barb would never slow down, just keep going at full steam until she falls over. I still love her, always will.

"Uh, Jimmy, I'm having lunch with CeCe while I'm there."

There were several things I could have said, but I settled on "Tell her I said hi."

She was a little quiet when she got back but seemed fine otherwise.

Two months later CeCe came up to see her daughter, and stopped by the house. It was a quick visit. I complimented her on her appearance, she had lost about thirty pounds.

When she left she gave us both a kiss and hug.

Amy was concerned about her weight. She told her it was a good thing she didn't live here, she'd ride her ass like a Shetland pony about it.

Ce just giggled and said "Ooh, we should have tried that when we were younger."

This caught me by surprise. I blushed, which set them off into peals of laughter.

The next spring I found them again on the sofa.

"Hi CeCe, here to see your daughter?"

"Yes and no. I'm going to see her, and I'm thinking about moving here. Nobody knows me at home anymore, I hated Florida, and this is where my good memories are. Amy is going to help me look at condos. Okay?"

She was defensive and aggressive at the same time.

I looked at Amy and said in a stern voice, "I forbid you to go!"

Amy got angry.

"Who are you to tell me what I can do with my friends?"

"Well, I'm you're husband for one thing. And you're not fourteen, you can go anywhere you want within reason. It was an idiotic question, it deserved an idiotic answer. Call Flower, doesn't she do real estate? I'm sure she could use the business."

They looked at me like I was crazy before they started smiling.

"Has he always been such an asshole?" snorted CeCe."

"No, but he's gotten better at it as he's aged."

They both got up, gave me a big kiss, and called Flower.

One month later she was the proud owner of a three bedroom condo ten minutes away. It was just once a twice a month for awhile, but soon she was almost always there. or Amy was at her condo. We started spending Friday evenings together. A meal, a movie, something light.

The only bad episode happened one night when we were at the house, drinking wine and talking. She said something that led Amy to pull out some old photo albums. They sat on the couch side by side, looking at the photos and remembering.

One of the photos triggered something in Amy and she got really quiet. Ce noticed it and put her arm over her shoulder and hugged her.

"What's wrong, honey?"

Amy exploded.

"YOU LEFT US! WE LOVED YOU AND YOU LEFT US! YOU LEFT US! YOU LEFT ME! HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL, SO COLD. WE LOVED YOU."

She pushed her away and curled up on the end of the couch, sobbing like it just happened. CeCe started crying and kept saying "I'm sorry" over and over.

I gathered Amy in my arms and carried her to the bedroom. Ce said something about leaving. I had a one word answer.

"STAY!"

I hugged her, petted her, whispered my love to her. When she calmed I gave her a sleeping pill she had for bad days, and tucked her in.

CeCe was still crying. I sat down, put my arm around her and let her cry for awhile. When the snuffling started dying down she thanked me for understanding and started to leave. I stopped her.

"Ce, if you love her, you have to stay, you need to be here when she wakes up. If you don't she'll see it as you leaving her again. If you want to keep a relationship with her, stay. If you leave tonight, don't come back."

It took her awhile to understand, but finally said she would go home and get a gown and clothes for tomorrow.

"NO, don't go. She may wake again soon. Stay."

"But I don't have anything to sleep in."

"Sleep in your underwear, sleep nude. We've both seen it before, it can't look that much different. Please. I don't really know why, but it's important."

So she stayed. Old habits die hard, I was first up. I took a robe to CeCe, knocking lightly before I entered.

Apparently nude had been her choice for sleepwear. The covers had slipped down and her magnificent breasts were on display. Amy had stayed on her about her weight, cheering, pushing, until she had lost another forty pounds. She was almost down to her college weight. As quietly as possible I pulled the sheet up when she started smiling.

"I remember a time when you would be pulling the other way."

"So do I. The temptation is almost overpowering.

Please, put the robe on and come to the kitchen. Amy is still asleep. We can talk."

She gave a big yawn, said "Okay honey", threw the cover back and streched , casually reaching for the robe.

I smacked her ass.

"Tease". I said, fleeing to the kitchen.

I poured her coffee. She sat down, looking expectant.

"What now?"

"I don't know. What are you looking for?"

"Nothing. Everything. One way or another, I want to stay in the lives of two people I love. I'll take what I can get. What now?"

"This is what I think. Go into the bedroom and snuggle with Amy. Wake her up, slowly. Nothing sexual, surround her with love. Tell her you plan to be around for a long time. And promise her, if you ever do move on, you'll tell her, and that you will never, ever, hurt her again. I don't know if this is right, but it's what I feel."

"And just so you know, Amy will always come first. Always. I love you Ce, but you won't hurt her again. Understand?"

She nodded, hanging her head. She went into the bedroom and shut the door. Thirty minutes later I checked on them. They were hugging, crying softly. I shut the door.

Almost an hour later they came out holding hands.

"I love you" said Amy, kissing me.

"I love you" said CeCe, kissing me.

This feels familiar, I thought.

................................................

I'm not blind.

The hints, the innuendo, the flirting, I let go right by me.

The kissing, the flashes of skin, I ignored.

They were getting frustrated in their attempts to seduce me. It might have continued for months if it weren't for the purple turtles.

I still had them, couldn't make myself throw them away. I still had CeCes' ring too. I thought about them for awhile before I brought them home and showed them to Amy. She immediately hugged them and started crying.

They had been in storage for decades, bedraggled, the ribbons old and faded. Her ring was dull and needed cleaning badly.

Amy took the ring to the jewelers. She washed the turtles, replaced the ribbons. Then one night, the seduction dance ended. It wasn't a holiday, or even a weekend. It was a Thursday.

There was a note on the on the door.

"Please come to the bedroom."

They were on the bed, naked. Clutching the turtles.

"We've been trying to seduce you for months, you are so stubborn. Please love us, both of us. Let if happens. If it doesn't work we'll discuss it and still be friends. Please, I've needed both of you, I've missed you ever since I left."

Ce was on her knees on the bed, practically begging. Amy joined her.

"Please Jimmy, please. We both want this. We haven't touched each other yet, we won't unless you join us. But we want a symbol if you agree. Her ring is on the night stand. Put it on her, tell her you love her, and come to bed."

I didn't hesitate. I put the ring on her finger.

"I love you CeCe, always have. Is there room in there for me? One thing though, I not twenty two anymore. It might not be as good as we remember."

They both laughed. Amy handed me a little blue pill.

"I've been bad, Jimmy. I told our doctor a lie, that you were having, uh , a little trouble, you know? He gave me a three pill sample pack. I hope that lasts until Monday."

They were both tugging at my clothes. As I lay between them I smiled. Here we were, three equal sides of a perfect triangle, surrounded by a circle of love. Would we last? Who knows, but we would love each other until it ends, with all our hearts.

................................................

Well, there it is. I wrote an epilog, my wife is on me to post it, but I don't think I will. Better to let you write your own ending.

This was the longest thing I've written so far, it didn't turn out exactly the way I planned, but I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks.