I'm Willing to Wait For You

T minus twelve and counting. The first session was so generic as to be laughable. Apparently I was being totally unreasonable and our near perfect marriage was now at risk.

The next two sessions were five minutes together then a half hour individually. I decided to change my approach. From now on it would be that I never loved Valerie and there was nothing to save. It was so far from the truth, but this allowed me my dignity. Having your wife give her forbidden treasures away hurts like hell.

It was my turn to speak first, in the fourth session.

"Ms. Summers, we're as close as we're ever going to get in resolving this. I never loved Valerie, and making me attend these sessions isn't going to change that."

"Let me get this straight. You NEVER loved Valerie?"

"Exactly. There is nothing to be saved."

"Valerie, do you understand this?"

"This just isn't true. No one is that good of an actor. He loved me. He still loves me. I screwed up, but we belong together!"

"Caleb, your response?"

"She has sporadic memories. She can't remember everything, like parts of her wedding vows, so she remembers things that help her cause."

The rest of the hour was a test of my resolve. I passed with flying colors.

"Well I think we've used up our time tonight. I look forward to next week."

Not wanting to talk with Valerie, outside of court mandated sessions, I waited until the elevator swallowed her whole. I used the stairs into the basement, then left through the maintenance entrance.

Valerie was fighting a losing battle. Shelly continually scolded her that telling me I was wrong, about how I felt, was wasting everyone's time. At the end of the seventh session Valerie finally got the hint.

"You just don't want to be married to me, do you?"

"That is correct. Not now. Not in the future."

The last five sessions were cancelled. I was a free man soon thereafter. Valerie complied with the court orders to vacate the house, leaving her car and jewelry behind. She left a note pleading for another chance. I shredded the note.

+ + + +

Epilogue:

Valerie and Doug were both terminated, with cause. Doug's wife divorced him. If I knew where he went, I might try to make his life tough. I have better things to do so it's in the past.

When the holidays roll around, Valerie sends greeting cards. She never fails to invite me out to dinner and whatever. It's tempting, but that ship has sailed.

Valerie and I both fared well when the book deal was completed. It did make for salacious reading. The enhanced sexual encounters, completely fictional, made me out to be a self-absorbed lover. That was Valerie's attempt to get back at me as it is completely untrue, but it actually worked well for me. Many ladies, having read the book, were now making my nights blissful. Collectively they are doing an excellent job of teaching me to think about other's pleasures, thus improving my skill set.

Some of those ladies are better than others, at masking their gold digging intentions. Taking the pleasures being offered by them almost makes me happy that Valerie did what she did. Almost, but there is still that tender spot in my chest that never seems to heal.