The Politician's Wife

The decision was made for me three years into Steve's second term.

We were lying in bed after making love.

"Harry, we can't see each other anymore."

I sat bolt upright.

"What? Why now, after all this time?"

"Steve has decided to run for President."

"Good for him, but that affects us, how?"

"We've been incredibly lucky to have made it this long without being discovered, but there's no way that we'll be able to escape the scrutiny of a Presidential campaign."

"So leave him already. The scrutiny cuts both ways, he'll never dare to do anything to us."

She looked down at her hands.

"I know it's a cliché," she said, "but our country needs him, and that's more important than our happiness."

I was dumbstruck; I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if there was anything I could say. She obviously had her mind made up.

She slipped out of bed and I heard the shower running. She came out of the bathroom drying her hair, and silently dressed.

She walked over to the bed, bent over and gently kissed my lips, then stood up straight.

"Good-bye, Harry," she said, and walked out the door and out of my life.

Epilog

Of course it couldn't be that simple. Their faces were all over the news. Steve was an early favorite for the nomination, and being the hometown guy he was featured prominently on the local news as well as the network programs.

I tortured myself watching the items at first, though every time she looked up at him adoringly I wanted to hurl. My breaking point came when they did a joint interview on the Today Show.

They were sitting side-by-side, fingers intertwined, alternating between looking at the interviewer and looking at each other. The only things missing were the kids and a dog, then it happened.

Savannah Guthrie asked them about children.

Kelly took a deep breath, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "I . . . I can't have children. Early in our marriage we tried and tried. I eventually got tested and found that I couldn't conceive or bear children. I was blessed that Steve stood by me. I know how much he wanted to be a father."

She was now weeping openly as Steve put his arm around her shoulders.

Savannah said, "Maybe we should take a break," and they went to commercial.

I turned off the set, and nearly threw the remote through the screen.

"That lying bitch," I yelled to the empty room. I knew she'd had her tubes tied because old "family man" Steve didn't want to be tied down with any "brats," and now he's using her "infertility" to get the sympathy vote. What love I had for Kelly died with her going along with that ruse.

Steve did get the nomination, and Suzy once again came looking for me to volunteer. I tried refusing her politely, then impolitely, and when I finally blew up and told her that the only way he'd get my vote was if it was to send him to Hell, she backed off.

He lost the election in a landslide, including our state. No, I didn't rat him out. I guess the people of the country decided they didn't need him as much as Kelly thought they did.

Steve finished his term and became a lobbyist, and they had a quiet divorce.

I received a message from Kelly, hinting at getting back together but I never returned it, and she never tried again.

I'm still young, hopefully there's someone out there for me. I wonder if Suzy's available?