Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell

Taylor didn't change her expression.

"When she came home that day after her fling, she was a different person. She demanded that I reclaim her. She was still dirty with their diseased juices and she tried to have sex with me. When I told her about the HIV, she fainted."

A tear fell down Taylor's cheek, but he had no idea who she was crying for.

"Taylor, if I wouldn't have known that she had sex with those infected people, she would've given it to me. Over the last weeks of her life, she realized that she threw away her family, and her dream of having another child was gone. All by her own selfish choices. Seeing the look in her eyes that day, I knew I couldn't stop her. I did what I thought was the right thing at the time and told her I loved her."

"You should've stopped her. People died because of your inaction."

"No, people died because she pulled the trigger. I've come to believe that if someone wants to do something, they'll find a way to do it. Regardless of who stops them temporarily."

"Manny..."

"Taylor, you gave me my ability to love back. My nightmares stopped, my daughter is making friends, I even brought the pictures out. All of that is because of your love for us. I need it like air, mi amor."

"Manny, I need some time. Please let me have some time to think about this."

"What's there to think about. You love me or you don't. I know you do."

"Manny, I have a daughter to think about."

He glared at her and she regretted saying it immediately.

"Manny, I..."

"I can't believe you'd think I could hurt your daughter," he said softly. "I love her as well."

He walked away, stopped, and said, "Goodbye, Taylor. I'll love you forever," echoing the last words he said to his wife.

She sobbed on the stairs as he drove away. She had no idea why she was afraid of him. He didn't pull the trigger. His wife did. He'd shown her and Nicole nothing but love and devotion.

The Manny she loved wasn't a monster, he was a good father, a good man.

"You okay, Ma'am?"

She looked up to see the mailman.

"Yeah, just some bad news. Thank you."

She took the mail and went inside.

***

A month after the break-up, Taylor walked out of school while Nicole skipped along in front of her. Waiting at her car was Helen and Maddie.

"Maddie, take Nicole over to the playground. I need to talk with Miss Winters for a bit."

"Okay, Gramma."

As the girls ran off, Helen looked at Taylor sadly.

"He told me everything," she said.

Taylor looked at her blankly.

"About my daughter's final morning. He never told me what happened. He never told me he could've stopped her."

"I'm sorry, Helen."

"For what? He's right you know. If he'd have stopped her that morning, she'd have done it the next day. If he'd have had her locked up in a ward, she'd have done it when she got out."

She sniffed back a tear.

"Taylor, my daughter was a bull-headed woman. Once she made up her mind, that was it. It's why she cheated on him after he begged her not to. She made up her mind that she needed more after being lied to by who she thought was her best friend."

"Helen, I..."

"No! Just listen, please. Manny is broken, again. He's lost without you. My stupid daughter almost broke him completely, but you made him whole. He's not a monster, Taylor. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. I'll grant you, he may have been too focused on revenge when my daughter hurt him to try and save her, but don't hold that against him. I don't. He loves you and that little girl, so very much. Don't take it away from him."

Taylor nodded and Helen said, "Come over for dinner tonight. I'll make sure he's there and you can talk to him. I'm not saying jump back in without looking, but give him a chance. He never did anything to hurt you. Right now that good man thinks that you broke up with him because you're afraid he'll hurt Nicole."

"I don't think he'll hurt her. He's got the wrong idea."

"Then give him the right one."

She nodded and said, "Okay. We'll come over."

"Good, I'm making pot roast. It'll be ready at six."

***

Manny sat alone on Helen's deck, waiting for dinner and drinking a Pepsi. Maddie was helping Helen mash the potatoes from the roast pan.

As he stared blankly at the trees, he heard her voice, "May I join you?"

He looked up at Taylor and a tear fell instantly.

"No, I'd rather we have a clean break."

"What if I don't want a break at all?" She asked.

"Could've fooled me, considering I haven't heard from you in a month."

"Manny, I was wrong and I'm sorry. I was just scared. Not afraid that you would hurt us physically, that's never what I felt. I was afraid that you had a coldness in you that would break our hearts if you were mad at me."

He snorted and said, "As long as you're faithful to me, you'd never have to worry about that."

"Manny, I've thought a lot about it and Helen pushed me the final step today. I miss you so much. I want us to be together, forever. I want us to continue to grow in our love."

"That's all I've wanted from the start," he said.

"Manny, I have one condition if we're to be with each other."

He chuckled and said, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I want you to see Dr. Abrams again for yourself."

He looked at her and said, "I'm already doing that. I saw him last week."

She smiled and said, "Good. I love you, Manny. I really do."

"I love you too."

She kissed him and they embraced.

"Ya know what the worst part of your ending it with me was?" He asked.

She shook her head no.

"You never showed me how to make coffee."

She laughed and they kissed.