Son, We Need to Talk!

Amy and Mary clung to each other and sobbed loudly. Dad stopped the video and closed the laptop. "Robby, she took responsibility for her failures, she didn't try to blame it all on Mary. Although I believe her wanting to protect my marriage was a big motivator, she didn't try to hide behind it. Robby, I've tried to never interfere in your adult life, but she deserves a second chance. Your family deserves a second chance. Please Son, promise me you will really, really listen to her when she comes to you with this."

I left not knowing if I could deal with Amy without letting my temper get the best of me. If she had come to me after the first night, we probably could have hugged it out. But if she had, what would have happen to my Dad? Would Mary have left him? He was not in a good place, psychologically. I'm not sure he would have survived being left by yet another wife. But fuck! Is it my responsibility to sacrifice the sanctity of my marriage to save his marriage? Jesus, what a mess.

"Robby, the twins went to dinner with Steve and Mary. I got us Chinese, let's eat and then I need to talk to you."

We ate and then carried our drinks into the family room. "Okay Amy, what did you need to say?" I looked at my wife and I could she was trembling. Her lower lip quivered and he eyes glistened. It was easy to see she was was very frightened of what was about to be discussed.

"Robby, let me begin by saying I love you with all my heart. I love my life with you and the twins. Robby, I've done a bad thing and I owe it to you to tell you what I've done. This won't be easy for me, I am terrified I have destroyed our family, but I pray to God, you can save us."

Knowing the gist of what she had to say, I just sorta gestured for her to continue.

"I know you suspected Mary and your Dad were having problems and you were right. The weekend you took the boys camping, I was with Mary and we'd been hitting the wine pretty hard. Steven had gone to bed and we talked about the two of you. At some point, a somewhat drunken Mary confided in me about Steven's sexual problems. She said she was trying to cope, but she just wasn't being satisfied by what they were doing in the bedroom. We talked about it and she made an offhand remark about having sex with her old college roommate. We laughed about it and then I let it slip that I, too, had enjoyed my roommate at school."

Amy looked up at me to judge my reaction. I raised my eyebrows and then said "you never told me you were into girls."

"Robby, I wasn't really INTO GIRLS we just experimented and found out we could make each other feel good. We only did it when both of us were not dating any guys. We weren't in love, or even lust. It was just a release.

I didn't tell you because it's embarrassing and I'm sure she wouldn't want anyone to know."

"Okay, well that was long before we got together, so it's not an issue for me, just like the guys you slept with before we met - not a concern."

"Well, Mary thought it was great and before I knew what was happening, she was kissing me and we ended up in bed together. Robby, I won't lie and say I was too drunk to stop it, I could have, but I let it happen.

Truth is, I even enjoyed it - until the next morning. When I awoke I remembered what I'd done and I ran to the bathroom and puked.

Mary thought I was hung over, but it was the guilt. Robby, I cheated, I wanted to die. I couldn't believe I had let this happen. I'm so, so sorry."

She looked at my face and I'm sure she saw the pain that gripped me.

"Oh god Robby, I should have told you when you got home, but I was so afraid I would lose you. Now, I know I fucked up by not telling you and asking you to help me. Instead, I chose the cowardly option of hoping you'd never find out what I'd done. Well, we got away with it, but that led to Mary asking for a repeat. I was torn between helping her out and the guilt I felt for cheating on you. Again, I took the easy way and hooked up with Mary again. Robby, I didn't really want to, but I thought if I went along it would help save her marriage. Of course I enjoyed the sex with her, but afterwards, the guilt just ate me up.

As I sit here now, I realize I was just rationalizing my decision to cheat. I guess I thought what you didn't know wouldn't hurt you, but all I was really doing was delaying the hurt. Robby, I might have had some mixed feelings about it, but obviously the guilt I felt tells me that, deep down, I KNEW it was wrong.

So I'm not asking for you to forgive me, I don't deserve your forgiveness. I'm asking you,... begging you, please don't leave me. I've hurt you badly, but please don't let my stupidity punish our sons. Robby, please, I'll do anything you ask, if you will just keep our family together until the boys are grown. Once they are of age, I swear I will sign any divorce papers you bring me. While we are together, I will do anything you ask. You make the rules, set the requirements and I will agree to anything you want."

"Amy, you cheated. Maybe you were partially influenced by the troubles Mary and Steve were having. Maybe, but Amy you admit you enjoyed the sex and knew it was wrong, so no excuses! You have hurt me deeply, I thought I could trust you above anyone else, but now I know I can't.

It's the loss of that trust that most troubles me. I know it shouldn't, but the fact that you were with Mary and not some random guy, does lessen the pain a tiny bit. Had you been with some guy, I'd be packing my bags now. I know that is sexist, but it is how I feel. Still, married people should not be having sex with ANYONE but their spouse!"

"Amy, I don't know if it will work, but I'm willing to stay married until the boys are out of high school. I make no promises beyond that date. Now, we have to pretend to be happily married for another ten years and I have no fucking idea how I'm going to do that!"

"Thank you, Robby! I will do everything I can to make this as easy on you as possible. Anything you want me to do, just ask. And Robby, I do mean anything, nothing is out of bounds for you. I know this is a great sacrifice for you and it's all my fault. Oh god, I'm so, so sorry. Please just tell me how I can make this bearable for you."

TEN YEARS LATER

Amy sat at the kitchen table, tears streaming down her cheeks, waiting for me to say something. I thought back over the past ten years. True to her word, Amy had gone above and beyond to be the best wife and mother she could be. She was engaged with the boy's lives and I knew they loved her dearly. It took her about six weeks to wear down my resistance, but she finally got me to fuck her again. She fucked me as often as I would allow. She did everything, sucked me awake most mornings, and once, riding me cowgirl, she took me into her virgin ass without me asking for it. One night she handcuffed herself to the bed blindfolded and on and on.

After about a year, we actually began to make love every once in awhile, instead of just fucking. It was obvious she loved me and, of course, I had never stopped loving her. Slowly she built back some trust. She never flirted with another man, or woman, and always let me know where she was and what she was doing. She broke down when she told me I could take a lover, if I promised to be discreet. I never did, but I knew it pained her to make the offer.

Now the time had come to decide what our future would hold.

"Amy, we knew this day was coming. I know you've done exactly what you said you would do. I admit that these past ten years have been pretty good for me and you get most of the credit for that. But it's over, we no longer need to pretend for anyone."

Amy broke into sobs, "Oh god, Robby. I knew this day was coming, but I had hoped I could make you love me again. I thought things were good between us and I prayed we'd just carry on. Now, I'm just lost. I made you a promise ten years ago and I vowed to myself I'd never break your trust again. Robby, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I promised you a choice, please tell me what you want to do."

"Amy, I would like to renew my option."

"What? Renew your option? What does that mean?"

"Well, ten years ago, I opted to stay with you for ten years while the boys finished school. It turns out those ten years were pretty decent, so l want another ten."

Amy launched herself at me, kissing and crying, hugging and laughing.

"Okay, mister! I'll give you ten more years, and then ten more, and ten more until you're too old to remember why we ever had a ten year contract!"

Epilogue

Forgiveness can be a difficult thing. Sometimes it's the right thing to do for the guilty parties AND the injured party. Maybe it was the unusual circumstances of Amy's cheating. Robby knew he could not forgive his father for his part and then condemn Amy and Mary. He knew Amy had been half coerced by Mary the first night, but not the others. She cheated, but there was not another man involved and she did help save his father's marriage. It took quite a while, but Robby finally forgave Amy.