Rebirth

Charity pursed her lips, and I could see her considering the implications of what I was asking. "You still love her."

"I do. I probably always will. Or rather, I will always love the Gwen that I had eight wonderful years with. Hearing about your mother now, well, that would just be a ghost story. A very sad one."

"But you love Cindy."

"I do! Very much so. More, in fact, than I ever loved your mother on the best of days with her and the worst of days with Cindy! But Gwen is an anchor to what was for me a very traumatic past, Charity, and I can't keep moving away from it if I'm reminded how heavy that chain is."

My daughter considered it some more before nodding in the same painfully familiar manner. "I might slip up now and then, say something by accident."

"That's fine, Charity. Things like that happen. Just nothing direct, please."

We talked for about another two hours before she started to tire. It seemed that Charity and Linda (her girlfriend) had driven up from their college right after classes. She would call back later that evening to finalize dinner plans, and we'd all go out together.

Cindy crept into the living room and sat down where Charity had been, taking my hand up in hers as she did so often. "So, I guess it went well?" she ventured carefully.

Nodding, I squeezed her hand lovingly. We were always touching one another, always connected. "It went well. We're making dinner plans for tonight before you go into work."

"I heard a little of what you said," Cindy mentioned impishly. "I did eavesdrop a little. What was that about loving me more than Gwen even on the best of days with her and the worst with me?"

I laughed and pulled her from the couch to come and sit on my good knee. "You know it's true!"

"Do I now?" she said archly, leaning back into me carefully. My lover was soft, warm, and wonderful. "How are you going to prove it to me?"

"Bagels," I announced firmly.

"Bagels?"

"Yes," I told her, "we are going to go get some bagels for lunch. Hopefully, they have those French toast ones. I really like those."

Cindy furrowed her brow in confusion. "How are bagels going to prove you love me, Jack?"

"Simple!" Without taking my eyes off of her face, I stroked her fourth finger. "After we get bagels, we're going to the jewelers. And I'm going to buy you a ring. And I'm going to propose to you, Cindy."

"Oh, well... That's..."

It was so much fun to see her flustered! She melted in my arms, cooing in surprise. We had talked about marriage on and off for the past year or two. It was time to do more than talk. It was time for a family of our own. "Well, if that's the case..."

Cindy gave me one of her special kisses, the ones that curled my toes and had my fingers digging into her possessively.

"If that's the case," she murmured to my delight, nibbling on my ear, "then I suppose I should say yes and save you some time! We should have a rehearsal honeymoon, though. Just to be sure we get it right."

I grinned. Bagels could wait a little bit yet. The little things in life would always be there while you dealt with the big things.

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Author's Notes: I became a little tired of reading cheating wives stories where the husband was always successful, had money and influence, and found that there were a ton of women lined up to fuck him the moment he was single. So I wrote something that I felt was a little truer to life. Many of the situations and characters in this story are based on real life events and people, all pastiched together. And, yes, that includes the exotic dancer who is also a children's entertainer; it's surprising the number of them that I've met over the years!