Put to the Test Ch. 04

"But if I were you, I would kill myself!" I spat on him one last time and left the men's room. As the door closed, I heard the scurry of footsteps and I ran in the other direction and returned to my car.

I spent the rest of the day trying to call Mr. Baxter but he was out and I left a message for him to call. Finally, about four o'clock he did. I explained about Mike and the panties and what I had done. At the end he chuckled appreciatively.

"Well, Mrs. Molloy, you certainly fixed him. So our business is finished, then?"

"No, Mr. Baxter. Continue as I requested," I responded.

The phone was quiet for a moment. Finally he said, "You have your answers. Are you sure you want to continue? Maybe some things are best left as they are."

I spoke into the phone. I had to make this man understand. "No. It is not enough I know Peter is a good man, Mr. Baxter. Peter must know it, too, and that, he must learn for himself."

The voice on the other end signed. "Very well, Mrs. Molloy. Call your husband as we agreed. We'll get back in touch with you tomorrow and let you know what the results are."

He hung up and I called my husband to make a date for us to meet after his work. Shortly after six, I called again and told my husband I could not meet him and to stay. At first he would not but I convinced him to do it.

I will not say it was an easy time. It was very heard for me not to get into my mini and put a stop to this terrible thing I was doing. But in my heart I knew that Peter had to learn to see himself as I saw him. Only then could we truly become a family. Finally, at five minutes after seven, the phone rang and a woman's voice said "Mrs. Molloy?" it asked.

"Yes." My heart was beating in my throat.

"This is Sandy. Do you remember me?"

"Of course. How are you?" I replied.

"Mrs. Molloy, I usually don't do this but your husband just left. Maria, you have a good man there. You have nothing to worry about." she said.

I looked up to the wedding photo on our television. Peter had insisted on putting it there. "So, I can always see it," he had explained. Tears began to come to my eyes but I fought them back.

"Yes, Sandy. I know I do. Thank you anyway."

She said something but I could not hear her because my Peter walked through at just that moment. I threw myself onto him. I kissed him as he has never been kissed.

"Meu caro, you're crying! What is wrong?"

I laughed. "Nothing, meu homem velho! I am just happy!"

We kissed again as I lead to him to our bedroom. "You know what tomorrow is?"

He laughed. "Yes, our anniversary."

"And what did I tell you about it? Do you remember?"

He took my face in his hands. "Yes, querida, I remember. Yes, we will have a child. I think I'm ready. I think we are ready. We will be a family, querida."

Later, as the silence came upon after our love, I thought of how my life had changed. I had a home, a good man, a man who finally had come to grips with his own demons, and I would begin a family. We had fought for our love and won. We had been tested. There would be pain in future as well, but I knew that Peter and I now had the strength to face them. There was just one last duty that I, Maria, Marlene Luciena Molly had to perform.

I gently brushed my hand across my husbands face as he drifted to sleep, contented.

"Peter?" I said softly.

"Sim, querida?" came my husbands sleepy voice.

"Never lend my car out to anyone again."