What Goes Around... Ch. 03

I stood mute. Now that I was confronted, the speech that I had rehearsed in my head was totally forgotten. Then like a fool, I just blurted out the first think that came to me - "I love you, Tina. I can't stop loving you."

I was looking at her now. I saw her flush and her eyes blaze for a moment. I thought, "now it comes, now she's going to roast me over a fire." But she said nothing. She then sighed and said softly, "Look, Max. This really isn't the time and certainly not the place for this kind of discussion."

She reached up and slid her hand across my cheek and I could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "Max, come to dinner tomorrow. Betty will be away with Jim for the weekend, in fact they're leaving soon. We can be alone and talk. Come around 6 and bring some wine. We'll eat and talk. Is that okay, Max?"

I stood mute and just nodded. Tina smiled and suddenly reached up and gave me a quick kiss. She then turned and went back into the building. I looked up and could see Hank Elliot at his window. He waved and moved out of sight.

Suffice it to say, we did just that. I returned the following evening. Tina had made dinner, we sat and ate, albeit awkwardly at first. Then we both relaxed and Tina told me what her life had been like and I did the same. After dinner we sat in the living room and talked - and talked - and talked.

We found that we both had changed. Tina had realized that she wasn't very discriminating when it came to trusting others. She had also discovered that relationships needed much more attention that she had realized. To me she seemed much more mature and thoughtful - more insightful. I also had changed somewhat. I found myself being more sensitive to others and to situations. I had given my marriage too little attention, just giving in, not sharing any misgivings I may have had. I also discovered that being in love meant a lot more than just living together.

We didn't leap into each others arms. We sat and did what Tina wanted - we just talked. I stayed in Atlanta for another week and saw Tina every day. We walked, we sat, and we talked - learning new things about the people we had become. No, we didn't run to get married. We were..... we were....courting? Jeez, an old fashioned word, but apt, I guess. Maybe we should have done more of that before we had gotten married.

I returned from Atlanta, but kept in touch with Tina. I either traveled down there or she came up to see me. I hope that eventually we'll be together again. I think that we'll be much better spouses now, more understanding, more mature. I love Tina and she still loves me - we've established that. Now to see where all this goes.

The End