Sophia Continued Pt. 03

Don looked at Barbara and replied, "Thank you. You will always be a part of our daughters' lives. Also, regardless of the result of the court cases, I will not be seeking any money. The original two million dollars was a fair settlement. Richard tells me you placed the additional million in trust for Megan's and Robin's education cost. I propose we leave it in the trust fund, but that both you and I are named to the fund to administer it jointly." Barbara agreed and the meeting was over. 'After that first meeting, we held the remaining ones at Richard's office. They were very helpful in clearing the air and setting things in place for the upcoming trial.'

Otherwise the next couple of months were paradise, compounded with happiness when that little test stick turned blue. That was even more so a week later when a second test confirmed the first. It hadn't taken too long, either. I think Don may well have done the job right the very first time. What else would we expect from him? I was just happy that inside me there was a new life growing that would be both of ours to nourish.

I think that Megan and Robin were just as thrilled as Don and I were when we told them. That they were going to be big sisters was the best news of all. 'Just wait till we get back to school to tell!' was their biggest thrill. I thought This little one, boy or girl, is going to be one of the most spoilt children alive.

The trials were over quickly. Once all the defense lawyers saw the evidence that Barbara had provided, most of the fight went out of them and all they could do was try to minimize the damage. Don's testimony was pretty much what he had said in the original divorce proceedings. Barbara's original lawyer was finished after Barbara as well as Don's sisters testified, as to the way he counseled them to testify in the original divorce. He was found guilty of suborning perjury and conspiracy to impede the course of justice, as were Barbara, Diane and Michelle. He got a 3 year sentence; Barbara, Diane and Michelle were sentenced to 2 years, which in Barbara's case was suspended, plus 200 hours community service, which wasn't. Barbara is now volunteering at a local hospice for the terminally ill.

In the Judge's case, it was decided she was not part of the conspiracy since there wasn't sufficient evidence against her. The Bar Association stepped in though, and revoked her license to practice law which, was also required to act as a Judge, and meant she could no longer sit as a Judge.

The hottest contention that Don and I had was when I said, "Don, I want to invite Barbara to the wedding."

"Why on earth do you want to do that!?" he exclaimed, his cheeks a bright pink. "I can't think of any reason why you would want her there!"

"Because this wedding is going to be the first big positive event in your daughters' lives. It is almost as much their day as ours. She is still their mother, and I bet they would love to have her see them that day."

Don grumbled and mumbled until I said, "Okay, let's ask them. They are in their rooms" We called them in, and I asked them, "If you have the choice, when your Dad and I marry, would you like your Mom to be there to see you or not?"

Megan excitedly asked, "Do you really mean it?"

I answered, "If you want her there, we will send her an invitation. We can't force her to come, but she can if she wishes."

"Can we sign the invitation as well?"

"Of course you can!"

"Then, yes!" they both said.

Of course, I didn't tell Don or the girls of my other reason. I was making a statement to Barbara that I didn't want her to miss. "You had this man and threw him on the scrap heap. Now he is mine, and he will be until the day I die!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yesterday was the big day. I could barely hold back the tears as I watched Robin, my flower girl, followed by Megan, Cathy and Vanessa slowly walk down the aisle ahead of me, followed by Freddie. Smiles followed them as they walked down the aisle. Richard murmured to me, "Knock them dead, girl, that dress really emphasizes your little bulge that is developing," and, with a grin, offered me his arm.

As we walked down the aisle, I looked ahead and there was Don, handsome in his tux, alongside Ken, who was his best man. I thought for a minute, Ken you had better have those rings. He had made my engagement ring and had made matching wedding rings for Don and me. I hadn't even seen them yet! With a great deal of satisfaction I saw Barbara sitting there watching. I especially gloated at her obvious surprise that I was pregnant and showing already.

Suddenly we were there in front of the altar. Richard passed my hand over to Don and then stood to one side. Our vows passed in a blur of time until Don slid a beautiful diamond ring on my finger, and I slid a matching ring on his. When the Minister told us we could kiss, I felt fulfilled, at last.

After we signed the register, we turned and started back up the aisle. I looked over and Barbara was in tears, her head down, and I realized just what it had cost her to come. It had to be a tremendous blow to her pride, but she had come for the girls. Later, as she came through the receiving line, I thanked her for coming as it meant a lot to the girls. She leaned forward and quietly murmured, "Be good to him. Be the wife I should have been and wasn't." Then she left. She didn't come to the reception. I guess I wouldn't have either. Did it make me feel great or triumphant? Not a bit. I was surprised, but I actually felt sorry for her when I realized just what it had cost her to be there.

Barbara

When I went into the church, it was almost déjà vu seeing a much more mature Don in his tux standing waiting by the altar. It sent my thoughts back many years to the day when I was the one making that walk down the aisle. I was proud to watch Megan and Robin play their part so well. They must have practiced their walk for hours.

Then, when Maria came down the aisle, I was devastated. She was obviously pregnant and had that special glow that mothers-to-be have. Then, after the ceremony, when Don and Maria came down the aisle hand in hand, the tears started to flow. I knew that any hope I might have had with Don was gone. If I never had before, I finally realized what I had thrown away by my actions. I held myself together for as long as it took me to congratulate them, then I had to leave.

I don't know how I drove home.The tears were flowing well into the night for what might have been, but now would not be. I finally fully understood the consequences that I had not dreamt of when I decided to break my marriage vows.

Epilogue - Don

Well, I get to get a word in again. With a wife, two teenage daughters and three female friends who delight to be with us, it gets kind of hard, but -- hey, I'm not complaining. In about a month I will no longer be the only male around. That is when Donald Hendricks Junior is scheduled to show up; yes, it's a boy, or so I'm told. I still have problems figuring out the ultrasound, but I have it on good authority that he is definitely a boy.

All I know is that he is a powerful little guy as he kicks away, letting Mom know he is still there, and Dad, too, if we happen to be in bed cuddling. Half the time Maria is giving me a hard time, telling me that this is entirely my entire fault, making her look huge and making her waddle around. The other half of the time she is sitting on my knee with her tongue down my throat urging me to head for the bedroom. I know we won't be able to do that for a while after he arrives, so I always take advantage of Maria when she feels in that mood.

We left the legal scene up to our lawyers. The last we heard, they had settled with the Judge, Barbara's ex lawyer and my sisters, and they were up to around 4 million. My former company had acknowledged that my former boss had breached the company's morality clause. Barbara's journals showed that he had been trying to get into her pants from the day her met her, long before she ever betrayed me, and it is now just a matter of how high the insurance carrier will go.

The A to Z Women's Wear Company is flourishing. That's why we see so much of Freddie, Kathy and Vanessa. We were talking with our lawyer one day, and he asked if we wanted to dissolve the company. Marie felt we should hang on for a while. She and the girls kept on talking, and between them they decided to go into business together selling fashionable clothing to some niche markets that were not adequately targeted: the pregnant, mature and disabled women who were not being served .

Maria was the first pregnant model for the company. The other girls started handling the mature and the disabled, and right now they seem to be having a pretty good run of business. They picked up a couple of good recent fashion graduates and an excellent clothing production company, and it seems to be going full speed ahead.

Even Barbara has an admirer. The girls tell us that Peter has taken her out for dinner and to some shows, and they spend the occasional evening with them. In a way it doesn't really surprise me, as, during the trials, Peter told me that he admired Barbara for her persistence in the face of her obvious personal pain. Once she decided her course of action, she stayed right with it. I wish them good luck, something I never would have thought possible before that irresistible force came into my life, and changed it for the better.

There is one rule I have to obey, though. On our wedding night I was told in no uncertain terms, "Don't even think of Sophia, it's Maria and always will be!"

The end