Two Loves Pt. 03

Emma shook her head in disbelief and whispered, "Weren't you jealous?"

Megan said, "It's funny, at first I was -- or I thought I should be. My upbringing was to have a knee-jerk response that would have been anger, rage, and jealousy. Frank Summer said something to me, maybe it was even at the first meeting when he was telling me about Matt and you; he said, 'You have a choice about how you think about what I'm about to tell you. Before you settle on a traditional response, I urge you to think of all the options.' And, do you know, I did."

"Frank told me that jealousy is a learned response: we're taught if this, then that -- if infidelity, then divorce; if unfaithfulness, then breakup, but the world is not so black and white. One thing most people in the world couldn't imagine -- or tolerate -- was a man loving two women, or a woman loving two men. This was the 70s and we had the 60s as prologue to my discovery. Matt loves you and me. When I got past how other people might like me to think about that, I actually found the idea rather acceptable -- certainly tolerable."

"Did it change how we interacted?" I asked Megan.

"Oh, most definitely," She laughed. "In the early days of your relationship with Emma, I learned you had tremendous respect for her professional skills -- her work. Frank Summer pointed it out to me. You two talked about your work a lot. I was working as a part-time volunteer guide at a nearby museum back then -- a not very challenging position. I realized if I didn't turn my own life around and do something challenging, I'd lose Matthew. We'd only been married six months I think; I decided on a career in medicine. I got deeper into it as the years went by; the rest is history."

Emma asked softly, "Why didn't you let us know that you knew?" She continued to hold Megan's hand.

Megan thought for a moment. "At first I was shocked and puzzled. I had to work things out in my own head. I started to heed Frank Summer's advice, and looked at things differently. If I said something, it could have upset everything. As I got into my studies and career, your relationship was like a safety valve for me. I could be more selfish, because you two had each other; I could study more or work more, and not feel guilty. I soon liked the way things had turned out."

I asked, "Did you ever want us to stop -- to break-up?"

Megan shook her head, "No, never."

I tried again, "Is there anything we can share with you -- something you've wondered about?"

"Yes," She smiled between the two of us, "What will you two do after I die?"

I recoiled slightly at her question and noticed that Emma did as well. We hadn't talked about Megan's death or, for that matter, anything that would change the relationship between us.

She continued, "I'd like it if you two continued your relationship -- maybe even got married."

Emma and I looked at each other. We both held one of Megan's hands.

"There is one thing you need to do," Megan said thoughtfully; "you need to figure out how to tell your daughters about Emma -- about us. I'll go along with whatever you decide." She paused and then said, "Now, you two go off someplace; I'm tired again and need to sleep."

Next: The Last Chapters