You're Telling Me There's a Chance?

"A year ago Jane and I separated. Did she ever show you the letter?" He shook his head, no.

"In that letter I explained that I needed time. I needed some space because I was unsure of where we stood. We were very close to committing ourselves to each other. I got cold feet. I said that I would get back in touch when I sorted myself out. When I saw Jane the other day I told her that I had finally come to my senses. My doubts had all been resolved. Jane is the woman I love and want to spend the rest of my life with."

"So Jane, who do you choose, asshole or me?

"You're asking me to chose right here, right now? Fine, Micah, I am sorry but I'm in love with Ron. I never expected to see him again, so I gave up hope."

"Well isn't that just fuckin' lovely."

He grabbed my hair and smashed my head face first into the table. The world went black.

--------

I could hear the usual hospital sounds and smell the antiseptic in the air. I couldn't see anything but I could hear a nurse.

"Mr. Grayson, you're at Grantham General Hospital. You can't see because your eyes are bandaged. You have been unconscious for 36 hours. You are concussed and have some eye damage, a broken jaw, broken cheek bones and a broken nose. I will have the doctor come and speak to you. We will get you some painkillers."

I didn't try to speak. I nodded my head which turned out to be a mistake. I must have fallen asleep. I woke up hearing Jane's voice.

"You're going to be okay Ron. Micah has been charged with assault. The police will want to interview you. They've already talked to me. Thank you Ron, you got me out of a tight spot."

I tried to talk, my speech was mumbled.

"Can't talk much. Micah in jail?"

"No, he made bail. There is a restraining order though."

"When home?"

"You have some healing to do. I called your office. They put you on sick leave. I will be here for you okay?"

It was two weeks before I could leave the hospital. I was never a really handsome man but I now I could scare small children with this face. Apparently Micah wasn't satisfied that I passed out after the first time my face hit the table. He continued to drive my face a dozen times until some good Samaritans pulled him off me. Hearing that made me damn glad I passed out when I did.

Jane got me back to her apartment. She put me to bed with a couple of pain pills and I slept soundly. I woke in the morning with Jane behind me, her arm draped over my chest. I was still hurting bad but there was a part of me that was quite happy to feel her hand lightly brushing my chest hair. I rolled over, painfully, and faced her. Her hair splayed out over her pillow. The scent of her perfume and her body, the feel of her hair on my cheek excited me. If it wasn't for this killer headache I would have made love to her. God knows my dick was ready to do the job but the pain in my head said not a chance.

When Jane woke up she smiled and said she would make some breakfast. Eventually I got up and wandered into the kitchen. We sat at the table and ate bacon and eggs. Over coffee she got a funny look in her eye.

"I really want to thank you for bailing me out when Micah was pushing me to decide. You said the right thing to let him know that my answer was no. You gave him a viable explanation, one that at least he believed. Mind you it nearly got you killed."

"Yeah, big hero. I didn't even get a punch in."

"Heroes save lives. You saved me. How long do you think it would have been before he bashed my face into a table? He and I never made love, all he wanted to do was fuck me as hard as he could till he came. I was usually bruised after a session with him. You saved me. Thanks for stepping up for me like that."

"All I did was tell the truth."

"But, you were exaggerating, taking liberties with the truth."

"No Jane, Do you still have the letter?"

"Long gone."

"I did ask for time to reflect on my life's errors. I did say I would be back in touch when and if I resolved these matters. That was all true. When you told me you had a boyfriend I felt defeated. I had hoped you were willing to reconcile with me and a boyfriend meant that was never going to happen, so I changed the conversation. What I told Micah I will repeat to you, Jane you are the woman I love and want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Oh my God you really feel that way! I love you so much Ron and yes, I want to spend my life with you."

We spent a lot of time working out our plans for our future. We found that we were not in the feverish hurry to marry that she felt a year ago. We planned it out. There was a peaceful confidence in our relationship that hadn't existed earlier. We were no longer desperate.

I returned to work, Jane moved in with me and found a good job downtown for higher pay than she was earning in Grantham.

The only fly in the ointment was Micah. There were plenty of witnesses to the assault and apparently he had been a bad boy before and had prior assault convictions. The judge wasn't kind to him and the sentence was reasonably harsh. He wouldn't be free for at least ten years and that would require him to be a model citizen."

Our love for each other grew stronger. Our being absent from each others lives had changed us. It made us realize that we had both been trying too hard when we were younger. Long term relationships are not based on a single thing or emotion, they are based on a myriad of daily interactions and constant self giving to the other. It was always wanting your partner to have the best possible outcome, no matter what the situation. To wrap up this story let me assure you that our romance didn't pick up where we left off, our relationship had matured, blossomed and yes, it bore fruit. Two months after our getting back together she announced that she was pregnant.

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