Reabled

The next time the three of them went walking, as Tom paused to admire the view from the crest of a hill and Katie bounded ahead, Maggie hesitantly asked him if he would do her a favour.

"Mum gave me two tickets to 'A Streetcar Named Desire' at the theatre in Aberdeen this coming Friday," she said. "It's one of my favourites and I was wondering if you would like to go with me. Mum said she'd be happy to look after Katie if that's okay with you."

Tom grinned happily. "That would be great!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "I saw the televised production with Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois. She was absolutely terrific, but I'd love to see a live performance. I only have one condition."

"What's that?" asked Maggie.

"That you let me take you to dinner before the theatre," he said.

"I'd like that very much," Maggie replied, a huge smile plastered across her face.

Tom and Maggie's theatre date went well. During their pre-theatre dinner Maggie had a chance to briefly discuss her situation with Tom, explaining that her husband had been unfaithful and she was provisionally separated from him while she decided whether she wanted a divorce.

"I'm going to take some time for reflection," she told Tom. "When I was working at the hospital during the pandemic I had no time to think about other things. Now I realise my sons have grown into young adults and are busy making their own way in life. I had just assumed my husband and I would reconnect after the pandemic, but it looks like we're not reading the same book, never mind being on the same page."

When they got back to Tom's house later that evening, Katie was already in bed and Anne Mackenzie had been watching television. Anne fetched her handbag and Tom helped her put on her coat. As the two women were leaving Maggie gave Tom a tender kiss on the cheek and thanked him for a wonderful evening.

*

Prompted by Katie, Tom invited Maggie to join them for dinner at their house the following Saturday evening. Tom asked Maggie whether she had any dietary preferences and she told him she would eat anything, just not meatloaf.

Katie excitedly helped Tom prepare the meal and Maggie was impressed with their culinary abilities. They all agreed the Pollo alla Cacciatora was delicious. After the dishes were cleared away the three of them had fun playing Scrabble. When it was her bedtime Katie made no fuss, crossing her fingers for luck as she went upstairs, leaving Tom and Maggie to themselves in the lounge.

"Could you pour us another glass of wine?" asked Maggie.

"Of course," Tom replied, pouring them both a glass of the excellent Rosso Veneto that Maggie had brought to accompany their dinner.

"Now come and sit here with me," she instructed him. "I want to ask you something."

"Okay," he said, taking a seat on the sofa next to her. "Fire away!"

"Firstly I need to tell you a bit more about how I ended up back here," she replied. "I worked as a nurse in Aberdeen before I met my husband. I think it's fair to say he swept me off my feet. As a young woman with little experience of the world, I was dazzled. In no time at all I found myself living in Texas with a rich and handsome husband and I was happy to be part of the social whirl with Brooks and his elite friends."

"That must have been like a dream come true for you," interjected Tom.

"Yes," she said. "For a while it was like I'd won the lottery, but gradually I realised I wasn't an equal partner in our marriage. Our attendance at all those social events was mainly to provide photo opportunities for Brooks. He took charge of our lives and I was only there as an accessory; an extension of my husband. I wasn't much more than a prized possession, but that's not what I wanted from life. I'm sure it came as a surprise to Brooks that I wasn't content to be a trophy wife. He wasn't happy when I told him I wanted to continue my career as a nurse, but he eventually agreed on condition it was only on a part-time basis. He was okay with me setting up The Southeast Texas Strangers, but it was on the basis he was named as a founding benefactor. That was fine by me and I was happy the charity would benefit from his deep pockets."

Maggie paused to take a sip of wine.

"It sounds like you got what you wanted," said Tom.

"I felt better and my life became even more meaningful when we had two sons, one after the other. Brooks was over the moon and I thought things were going well. Then I found him screwing one of our neighbours. We had a huge row and only managed to patch things up after he explained it was a spur of the moment mistake and he promised he would never betray me ever again."

"I remember you told me he had been unfaithful."

Maggie sighed. "The incident with our former neighbour was many years ago. Our sons were still young boys and I agreed to forgive him. That's not the reason I walked out on Brooks. Despite his promise to remain faithful, I found out he was having an affair with one of his colleagues. It had been going on for quite a while and probably started during the covid pandemic in 2020."

"My God it must have hurt when you found out," said Tom. "I know a bit about what that feels like."

"Yes, you're right," Maggie replied. "At first I was hurt and angry, but my mother reminded me about the old saying, 'Don't get mad, get even.' For years I thought Brooks loved me, but the only person he truly loves is himself. He had an affair simply because he could and he's only sorry because he got caught, not because he betrayed me. Now I need to restore my self-respect and get even with him."

"I hope you're not thinking of having him killed?" Tom asked, voicing his concern.

"You must be joking!" Maggie exclaimed, smiling happily at Tom. "I'm not some sort of psycho. I've worked out how I can get my revenge without harming anyone. In fact it will be very enjoyable for me, maybe less so for him. That's why I have to ask you something. You see, I like you a lot and I know you like me. I want us to be more than just good friends. Will you be my lover?"

Tom looked at her as if thunderstruck while Maggie waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts.

"I like you very much, Maggie," he said. "You're a beautiful woman and there's nothing I'd like more, but you're still married. I'm not sure it would be a good idea. Having an affair with me could cause you problems, no matter whether you reconcile with your husband or end up having to negotiate a divorce."

"What if I promise there will be no problems afterwards?" she asked.

His answer was to reach for her and they kissed, tentatively at first and then with increasing passion. When they broke apart, he reached for her hand. "Let's take this upstairs, so we won't be disturbed by someone we know looking for a glass of water."

Tom and Maggie tried their best to keep the noise down, but they knew their love-making wouldn't go unnoticed by Katie. Rather than keeping a lid on their new status as lovers, the two happy adults decided to officially break the news to a giggly pre-teen at breakfast the next morning.

Maggie didn't move in with Tom and Katie, but she spent a lot of time with them and there were 'sleepovers' on some week nights, as well as every Saturday.

*

A few weeks after Tom and Maggie became lovers, she received an email from Brooks, telling her he was coming to Scotland and that he wanted to meet her 'to clear the air'.

Brooks let her know he would be staying at Trump's hotel and golf course in Balmedie and it looked like his attitude hadn't changed much. In between playing golf with old friends and business contacts, Brooks would be busy doing business in Aberdeen. The timing of his meeting with Maggie would therefore depend on his business appointments and tee times on the golf course. As usual with Brooks, his wife wasn't his first priority.

When he finally turned up at her mother's house, they were both nervous and on edge.

"Come on in, Brooks. How have you been?"

"I've been missing you, sweetheart. How are you doing?"

"I've been keeping myself busy, but it's probably time we talked and you told me you wanted to meet and clear the air. Mum's gone to visit one of her friends, so we won't be disturbed. Make yourself comfortable in the lounge. I'm afraid there's only instant coffee and it's horrible, so I'll make us a cup of tea."

Brooks was thoroughly familiar with the British habit of brewing tea in times of crisis and he waited patiently while Maggie pottered around in the kitchen, returning with a tray and all the paraphernalia of a tea set. She poured them both a cup from the little china teapot and waited for him to begin.

"First of all, I need to say I'm sorry for stepping out on you," he said. "I succumbed to temptation and I'm hoping you'll forgive me."

"I've had some time to reflect on things, but I'm still hurting," she replied. "Remember what I said when I caught you the first time? I told you giving in to temptation once could be considered an unfortunate mistake, but I warned you I wouldn't put up with any recurrence. You told me screwing Deedee was a spur of the moment error of judgement and I bought your story. I even tried to freshen up our sex life and had my hair dyed blonde for you. But you can't tell me your affair with Barbie was just a temporary glitch. It was a long standing arrangement and I can't get past that."

"But you were spending a lot of time at the hospital and running that charity you set up."

"Don't try to put the blame on me, Brooks. Let's be a bit more positive about things. Let's just say you were a good husband, except when you weren't. We had some great years together and we raised our sons to be young men we can be proud of, but I'm sorry to say I don't want to be your wife any longer."

"Is it because you've got a new guy?" he asked.

"How do you know about that? Are you having me followed?"

"No, but I heard you've been seeing someone."

"Okay. I admit I've been seeing someone, as you put it. To be honest, I've slept with him a couple of times and I think I may have a future with him. You and I are no longer together, but we're still married, so I suppose I'm having an affair, just like you had an affair with Barbie Appleton."

"So you're moving on and there's no way back for us? No chance at all?"

"I'm afraid that's the way it is, Brooks," she said. "It would be nice if we could reach an amicable agreement and get divorced without any dramatics. I'm not looking for a share of the family business, so you don't have to worry about that. I know you will be passing it on to our sons in due course. But I have contributed to your success over the years and I've been a good wife and mother. I have an idea what would be fair and acceptable to both of us, so I'll make you an offer through the lawyers. If you agree with the settlement I'm proposing we can remain good friends and avoid damaging the shared relationship we have as parents."

Brooks shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "I'm sorry it's come to this, Maggie. I guess I'll just have to wait to hear from the lawyers then."

*

On a Saturday afternoon a month later, while the three of them took a short break during a walk in the local hills, Maggie told Tom and Katie that she had some good news to share with them.

"If it's okay with your father," she said, looking at Katie, "I've arranged for you to get a new generation ANDI hand. It uses an Advanced Neural Directed Interface to connect via your nerves and enable your brain to control the hand. You can move the hand and control the fingers, feel what they touch and adjust how much grip pressure to apply."

Katie screamed, "Oh my God!" and rushed to hug Maggie with a huge grin on her face and tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

Tom's reaction was a lot less enthusiastic. "But you know we can't afford something like that," he said quietly, a frown furrowing his brow.

"Don't worry. It won't cost you a penny," Maggie replied over Katie's shoulder as they hugged. "My friends at The Southeast Texas Strangers want to pay for it."

"That's incredibly generous," said Tom, "and I'm sure we'd like to accept their offer to pay, but are you sure there won't be any other costs involved?"

As Katie peeled herself off Maggie and grabbed her father by the arm, Maggie smiled at Tom. "Any extra costs like hospital stays, travel and accommodation, plus regular check-ups for the next twenty five years are included."

"Wow! That's amazing," said Tom. "I'm having trouble getting my head round the idea, but it would be fantastic if Katie can get a new hand thanks to your friends in Texas."

"Will we have to go to Texas to get my new hand?" asked Katie.

"There are prosthetics specialists all over the world and we can get some of the preparation work done here in Scotland," Maggie replied, "but you will need to get the hand fitted by Houston International Prosthetics. Professor Black at HIP is a world leading expert on artificiality. She is truly inspirational and can get people to do amazing things, even if some of them would normally be considered hopeless cases."

"Will you come with me?" Katie asked Maggie.

"I hope so," said Maggie. "I could show you around and you could meet some of my friends. Maybe my sons will want to meet you too."

"I don't know how to thank you for arranging this," said Tom.

"Don't worry. I'll think of a way," Maggie replied with a twinkle in her eye. "But that's not the only good news today. I got my old job back!"

"Does that mean you're going back to work in Houston?" asked Tom.

"No. I'm going back to work in the minor injuries unit at Aberdeen General Hospital," Maggie replied. "They've been short of nursing staff since so many nurses quit following the pandemic. It sounds a bit crazy, but I'm looking forward to stitching cuts, bandaging bruises and picking garden peas out of little boys' noses again."

"Does that mean you've decided to stay in Scotland?" asked Katie, completely unfazed by the idea that little boys might stuff vegetables up their nostrils.

"I like it here," said Maggie. "Besides, I thought I better get a job now that my husband has agreed to a divorce. That's the other big news, by the way!"

"Congratulations, Maggie!" said Tom. "Free at last?"

"I can't tell you how great it feels," she replied. "And we'll be able to celebrate the end of our affair!"

"Yes, I suppose so," said Tom, trying his best to sound enthusiastic while he felt his heart was sinking. "Let's finish our walk and then Katie and I can treat you to fish and chips."

Later that night, as Tom and Maggie lay in bed together, enjoying the afterglow of some tender lovemaking, she turned to him. "I thought you'd be happy for me," she said, "but you seem distracted. Is something bothering you?"

"No, I'm happy for you," he replied. "I suppose I'm a bit overwhelmed by the changes that lie ahead."

*

Tom had just returned from watching the local amateur rugby club lose yet another game in their Sunday league. The team seemed to be making a habit of it and Tom thought their form was much worse than before he retired from playing for them. Once again he wondered whether he had hung up his boots too soon, but he knew of older players who hadn't quit at the right time and ended up with broken bones, so he had no real regrets. He had Katie to look after and the last thing she needed was Tom on crutches or possibly worse than that.

The doorbell rang and he wondered if Katie had forgotten her key again. He was surprised when he opened the front door to find Anne Mackenzie standing there.

"Hello, Tom," she said. "I know Katie's visiting a friend and I wondered if you could spare me a few minutes of your time."

Tom recognised the polite version of 'we need to talk' and he had known something like this might happen after he split up with Maggie. From the Sunday after she told him their affair was over, he had simply avoided her and hadn't responded to any of her voicemail messages. He was hurting badly that she had ended their affair, but Katie had also been very upset and he suspected she was still in touch with Maggie.

"Of course, Mrs Mackenzie," he replied. "Please come in."

"Let's not get all formal, Tom," she replied. "You can still call me Anne."

Anne Mackenzie took a seat in the lounge while Tom made them a pot of tea in the kitchen. Once they were both sitting comfortably with a cup of tea, he asked her how he could be of assistance.

"Do you like my daughter?" she asked him in reply.

"Yes, I do," he said without a moment's hesitation. "I like her very much indeed."

"In that case, I think there may be some misunderstanding," she said.

"I don't know how that could be the case," he said. "Maggie got her revenge on her husband, she paid me off and she ended our affair."

"What do you mean she paid you off?" asked Anne, looking puzzled.

"She paid me off by getting Katie a state of the art bionic hand," he replied.

"I can't believe that's what you're thinking," she said. "I thought you were a clever boy when I was your teacher, but maybe you just can't see what's staring you in the face."

"I'm afraid I don't follow what you're getting at," said Tom.

"What I'm getting at is that if you're patient and listen to what I have to tell you, maybe you'll get a better idea of what's going on," Anne replied.

"Let's hear it then," he said. "Tell me whatever you want to tell me and then we can all get on with our lives."

"Let me start by telling you about Brooks Rogers," she said. "Brooks is a clever man and he has been very successful in business. He used the contacts he made during his time in Scotland to get into wind energy and he re-named his family's business. Rogers Energy made a bundle out of investing in wind turbines and even more from the overhaul of the Southeast Texas energy network after the snowstorms in 2021. As a result of all that, my grandsons stand to inherit a fortune."

"Good for them," said Tom.

"I hope so," said Anne. "Maggie has done her best to make sure they weren't spoilt brats and I think they are nice young men. Of course I may be biased. But that's not the point. There are two things you have to understand about Brooks. Firstly he likes to win and secondly he doesn't like sharing. He's not a bad man, but he's a tough businessman and extremely self-centred."

"Yes," said Tom, nodding his head in agreement. "Maggie told me he was self-centred."

"Brooks wanted Maggie to go back to Houston," said Anne. "He's very possessive about her and I knew the only way she could get him to understand she had moved on was to demonstrate that cold, hard fact to him."

"Which is presumably where I came in?" asked Tom.

"Yes, but I have to confess I was the one who convinced her to get even with Brooks," said Anne. "She had taken a fancy to you and I thought the two of you would get together eventually, but I did everything I could to help. I pushed her in your direction, I gave up my theatre tickets for your first date and I made sure I was always available for childminding duties."

"I didn't know you played such a big part in getting us together," said Tom, "but I don't understand how that changes the situation."

"Brooks had to see there was no way back for their marriage. If he got that message and he didn't stand to lose on the deal I knew there was a good chance he would do the decent thing and agree to a divorce. That's why I pushed Maggie into making it obvious that she was having an affair. Of course I also needed to make sure Brooks found out. I speak to my grandsons every week and just maybe I let something slip."

"Hang on a minute," said Tom. "What you're saying is that Maggie was with me because she wanted to be and not because she was using me to get Brooks to agree to a divorce."

"Exactly," said Anne. "I was the one who manipulated the situation to Maggie's advantage, knowing how Brooks would react. And in case you're wondering, I was the one who came up with the proposal for agreeing the terms of the divorce, which made Brooks look like a winner. Maggie didn't pay you off. Brooks did. The value of the property, investments and other wealth accumulated during the marriage was split 60/40 in his favour, but Rogers Energy gave The Southeast Texas Strangers a million dollars, some of which will pay for Katie's new hand."