Chapter 6: The Final
I had not planned on continuing this story. I didn't think Rose and Bob had anything left that would not be repetitive. Several people have urged me to continue with this sexy mature couple and I hope this lives up to your expectations. Thank you for reading and thank you for voting.
When Rose arrived at her daughter's house less than a half hour after dropping Bob at the bus depot she was almost smothered by their hugs and kisses. She felt better than she had in years and her daughter noticed her mother even looked younger. Her face was relaxed and happy. For the next two days she played with her grandchildren and had a wonderful visit with her daughter.
Her husband had always demanded that she call home each evening that she was away but for three days had not answered the phone and had not called her even though she had left messages on the answering machine. On the third day she was concerned and called their next-door neighbor to ask that they check on him.
When the neighbors called back an hour later they said his car was not in the driveway and that the house looked deserted. Worried, she asked them to go back and use a hidden door key to go inside. When they called again she knew something was wrong by the tone of her neighbors voice.
"He left a note, " the neighbor said. He went on the read the note to her. It's contents told her that her husband had taken half of their bank accounts and securities and was filing for a divorce. He said he was sorry but he had met someone else and was moving to Arizona to live with her. He said he would call the kids after he was settled and explain to them.
Rose was not sure whether to laugh or to cry. After thanking the neighbors for checking for her she hung up and then went to sit on her daughter's back deck. She sat and smoked several cigarettes while staring into the sunset. When she finally went inside she was confronted by her daughter who demanded to know what was going on.
Rose told her about her father's note and it's contents and was shocked at her daughter's reaction. She blamed Rose. She accused Rose of not making her father happy and taking care of his needs. Her daughter had always been daddy's little girl and she was sure that her mother had neglected him and caused him to seek love elsewhere.
They wound up having a terrible argument, and Rose packed her bags and left. She made the long drive all the way home with only a couple of stops for gas and coffee. Rose was a sensitive woman who had devoted her life to her children. What if her daughter was right? Rose let her emotions run wild and by the time she drove up her driveway she was crying and blaming herself for her failed marriage. She felt deep guilt over her affair with Bob and didn't even think about her husband's affair.
Down deep she had no idea what she could have done differently. She had always done everything her husband had asked and until the last few years when he became cruel and demanding she had given him every sexual favor he had desired with few given back in return. Now, with her daughter's accusations and her emotions running high she blamed herself and was in deep depression over affair.
The trouble was, she was falling in love with Bob and she wondered if her husband had somehow sensed that. Could she have done more to make their marriage successful? The next day, she called Bob's home knowing he would be working. She left a message telling him that she was back home but did not want to see him or talk to him. She did not explain why and did not realize that her voice was charged with emotion and sounded angry on the answering machine.
When Bob came home that evening and listened to the message he was devastated. He had given a lot more than his body to Rose and now his heart was breaking. When he tried to go to bed that night all he could think about was how Rose sharing that bed with him had been the happiest hours of his life.
Bob lay sleepless for hours and during the small hours of the morning he got up and packed a bag and some food. Taking his sleeping bag and air mattress he loaded his truck and drove south into the mountains. Bob had always craved solitude and the loneliness of the deep woods when he was upset or depressed.
For several days Rose mourned her failed marriage. She realized there was not much to mourn but blamed herself. Finally, on the afternoon of the fourth day her daughter called. She was shocked when her daughter apologized and told her how much she loved her.
Rose's husband had called her daughter and they had talked for hours. At first he blamed Rose for not being a good wife but when her daughter questioned him as to why, he finally admitted he had been seeing an old high school sweetheart off and on for many years. Her daughter finally realized what Rose had been living through and told her she understood.
One of the last things she said before they ended the conversation was that she knew her father's behavior could have driven Rose to almost anything and she understood her mother's pain. Both women wound up crying but were closer than they had been in years.
