It's About Family

Most Sunday afternoons saw the family cheering the Wasps on to win while putting up with the unique hockey smell. Over the coming years, they won several local and away comps and had trophies on their shelves to show for it.

It was nearing Stephanie and Robert's tenth wedding anniversary. Stephanie's and Jeff's parents were driving down to celebrate the family event. Peter was now eighteen, and Paul was one year behind. However, Paul had done two summer schools and was graduating with Peter at the end of the year. Then, they were both off to University the following year. Peter wanted to follow his dad and do structural engineering. But Paul, always good at drawing, decided to be a draftsman. They would be assets to the family consultancy business. To Stephanie's delight, Mary was still at home and would start high school the following year.

Unfortunately, Judith had passed on. She was buried with her husband in their hometown.

***

It seemed like only yesterday Robert was bouncing Mary on his knee. Now, she was turning eighteen, a young woman. Peter and Paul graduated two years ago and now work for the Civil Engineering firm. They had purchased a two-bedroom apartment and were dating Isadora and Isabel. Mary was in her senior year of high school and upwardly mobile.

Not needed at home, Stephanie had decided she wanted more independence. She didn't want a fancy job and got her old job back at the bakery. Stephanie knew what was required of her, and most of the previous workforce was still there. She only worked six hours per day, six to noon. Robert viewed the situation as a happy wife and a happy life.

Robert was hurrying to pick up Mary's birthday present when he was struck by a car running a red light. An ambulance rushed him to the hospital. Once his identity was established, the police informed Stephanie.

Robert was subjected to a multitude of scans in a search for injuries. The doctor told Stephanie Robert was fortunate, only sustaining a broken wrist, but a head injury required he be put in an induced coma for twenty-four hours. Visits from the children, extended family, and work colleagues followed over the next few days as Robert's progress improved.

As Robert lay in his hospital bed, he wasn't sure if this was all a dream, reliving actual events, or a mixture of both. His mind slipped back over the past months. It was after the bakery's Christmas party when a cloud appeared over their marriage. The restaurant had a live band, Robert was excited to do some dancing and romancing with Stephanie. However, shortly after arriving, Robert noticed a tall Hispanic man in his late twenties giving Stephanie a predatory eye.

Stephanie wore a new royal blue evening dress that pinched in at the waist and flared over her hips, showing off her full figure. The dress swayed gracefully as she walked. Robert had trouble keeping my eyes off her delightful derriere. She showed a bit more cleavage than usual. Nevertheless, Robert was happy and looking forward to some good loving later that night.

After the meal, Stephanie and Robert danced a couple of numbers before Jim drew him away. He wanted Robert's expert opinion of the proposed bakery expansion, so we spent some minutes discussing the design. Then, turning back to the dance floor, Robert saw his wife and a Hispanic man dancing much closer than Robert thought was necessary. Robert noticed his hand moving toward Stephanie's bottom in a caressing motion. To Robert's delight, she grabbed it and returned it to her waist.

Robert asked Jim, "Who is that man, dancing with Stephanie?"

"Renaldo," came Jim's reply, "our new pastry chef from Madrid, Spain. He has been with us for three months, and he's a hit with the ladies, always got a new one on his arm."

Robert didn't like what he saw; thankfully, the band stopped playing, and Stephanie returned to his side.

After the party at home in the bedroom Stephanie changed into a long flannel night-dress and seemed totally disinterested in sex, which agitated Robert. After all, she deliberately wore an elegant evening dress designed to attract Robert's attention, flirted with him wantonly, danced with him provocatively, stayed affectionately close, her arm in his and kissed him on the cheek, regularly - but in the end, nothing! Then Robert wondered if he had misread all her signals, he suddenly felt inadequate. She had never done that before!

A depressing thought came to him; maybe she was dressing and acting for Renaldo?

A darkening cloud seemed to hang over the marriage, and there was very little Robert could do about it.

Stephanie was incredibly moody over the next few weeks, no matter how much Robert tried to be on her good side with flowers and dinner at fine restaurants. Robert rose with her each morning at six, making coffee and helping to start her day. He generally cleaned up after himself, leaving the toilet seat down. All to no avail.

On Sunday afternoon, Robert screamed in frustration while in the garden shed, which only brought a worried Stephanie to the door, asking, "Have you injured yourself?" When no injury was found, she stalked off in a huff.

Robert was at his wit's end. The final straw was entering the family home one lunchtime midweek to discover Stephanie and Renaldo in their matrimonial bed having sex. At the doorway, Robert felt like a dagger had been thrust into his heart listening to Stephanie chanting Renaldo's name while in the throes of passion, telling him how good a lover he was.

Renaldo murmured just loud enough for Robert to hear, "Better than your wimpy marido?"

"Yes," she shouted.

Robert woke suddenly in a sweat and had no idea where he was. His heart was beating so fast he thought it might explode. One minute, he watched his wife have sex with Renaldo; the next, he appeared to be in a hospital bed. Perhaps he had a heart attack and ended up there?

A nurse and doctor arrived as Robert attempted to pull off all the tubes attached to his body. When they stopped him, they explained about the car accident. The doctor told him sometimes coma patients have very realistic dreams, and any partial memory loss would fully return in the next few days.

Stephanie arrived an hour later. She was a welcome sight. They hugged and kissed, and Robert's coma-related dream started to fade. The children turned up after a time and looked forward to Robert's return to the family home.

After coming out of the coma, he stayed in the hospital under observation. The next day, Robert's memory slowly started to return. However, he still wasn't sure if the dream was real or imagined.

Was Stephanie cheating?

Still very confused, Robert worked himself into a state of high anxiety when Stephanie arrived for her daily visit. Still dressed in her bakery clothes, she dropped into the seat.

Robert burst out, saying, "I had a vivid dream, in it you were cheating on me with Renaldo...tell me it didn't happen?"

Stephanie burst out laughing!

Robert was surprised at her reaction to his accusation. Now concerned at his apparent distress, Stephanie leaned over and kissed him. "You silly man, I would never cheat on you."

Stephanie proceeded to explain to Robert details of Renaldo's exploits in the workplace over the last month. He was free with his hands on some female workers who had complained to Jim. It was making for a bad workplace, hence her moody behavior.

"Finally," Stephanie said, "Renaldo went too far and patted my bottom while I was bending over, rolling out dough. I had flour on my hands. Surprised, I swung around and slapped his face, leaving a white handprint on his left cheek. The slap was so loud Jim was there in seconds to see a stunned Renaldo. I bawled Renaldo out, 'You touch me again, and I'll have you up on sexual assault charges.' Jim interceded quickly, taking Renaldo into his office. The outcome was Renaldo's final reprimand. Next incident, he would be fired no matter how good a pastry chef he was.

"So dear husband, you have nothing to worry about...now get well. I have missed you in my bed."

A smiling Robert lay back in the bed. That's family, and he wouldn't wish it any other way.

THE END.

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