This is my first story. Everyone is over 18 and this story is pure fiction. I hope you like it.
The letter had taken Ellen completely by surprise. She thought there was some mistake when the dark green courier van pulled up to the curb. She answered the door for the driver who had rung the bell.
"Ellen Davis?" Asked the driver.
"I'm Ellen Davis, but there must be some mistake."
"I don't know anything about that, but this is 24107 Laurel Way. I have made deliveries here before. Maybe it's addressed wrong. Sign here please." Asked the polite driver.
Ellen took the cardboard envelope from the driver, thanked him, and closed the door. The world she thought she knew turned upside down.
It was early June, and the fog had burned off from her home in the Anaheim Hills about 2 hours ago. Ellen sat down at the picnic table in the back yard with a glass of tea, and examined the contents. The first thing out of the envelope was another smaller envelope with Ellen written across it. It was written in Mark's distinct writing. The envelope was followed by a clipped stack of legal documents. She knew immediately that her marriage was over when she saw the words. State of California, Application and Petition for Divorce.
It was dark when she stopped crying. She opened the letter from Mark and began to read:
Ellen,
Nothing I say to you can ease the pain that I am about to put you through. It's unavoidable, and I am sorry. I thought that I loved you when I married you. You were the prettiest girl that ever paid me any attention. We were great friends, and never having felt love, I thought I loved you. It was never my intention to cheat on you. I wasn't unhappy in our marriage, and you didn't do anything wrong. We just weren't right for each other.
On my last trip to Dallas, I met Linda. We began working long hours together and soon we were together every waking minute, seven days a week. I resisted my feelings, really I did, but late one night, after a few drinks, that first kiss happened. It should never have happened, but it did. It was at that point that I realized that I was in trouble. I had fallen for Linda.
I woke up in terrible distress. The guilt I felt nearly killed me. I ended the relationship, and promised myself I would never think of her again. When I came home from the trip in April, I swore I would dedicate my life to you. I tried Ellen, I really did, but it wasn't long before I realized that I was not in love with you, and that I had never loved you. I thought I did, because I had never experienced love before. Not before Linda.
When I returned to Dallas, Linda was waiting for me. She pulled me into an office, and I thought she was going to kiss me, but she did something much stronger. She said two words that set this divorce in motion. I'm pregnant.
Ellen, I have sent you papers asking for a mutual agreement divorce. This must be horribly difficult, but please Ellen, agree to the divorce. Because of the laws in California, there is no legal means for the baby to be born within wedlock, but I would like to make things right for the baby. It's only right. I know this hurt you, and again, I'm so sorry. Ellen I also know you are a good person and will do the right thing. I don't deserve your consideration Ellen, but the baby does.
Please send the signed papers back to me as soon as you can. There is a label in the envelope.
Mark
For the next week, Ellen vacillated between intense sadness and rage. But by the end of the week, she had signed and returned the papers to Mark. She had come to the reality that she had never been in love with Mark either. They were great friends and treated each other well, but there was never that romantic spark between them. She never felt this overwhelming desire for Mark. She had made sex available to him out of marital duty, but she had no real desire for him. Not like she had for Tom Selleck who she thought about when she fingered herself to orgasm in the tub.
Ellen knew she was being played when her older sister called her and asked her to fill in for her for a week at Summer Camp. Both Ellen and her sister Elaine had been involved with the Idylwild Winds Summer Camp since their teens. The Camp brought troubled youths to the mountains in Riverside County. The Camp was beautiful and had a lake, and stables.
It was the last week of June, and the fog was still lingering in the early morning at the meetup spot at the parking lot. There were two passenger vans and a large stake bed truck lined up. Ellen was getting out of her car when Sharon Freed the Camp Co-Ordinator came running up.
"Oh Ellen, I'm so glad you are here. Can you leave now and go up the hill? We need two people to make the trip, but Joe Wilson called me this morning and said he could not make the early run."
"Yeah, I don't see why not." Replied Ellen.
"Oh, good. Come right this way. Stewie, Stewie, I got you a partner." Hollered Sharon. "Ellen do you remember Stewie Farmer?"
Ellen was shocked. She had been Stewie's counselor fifteen years ago. A scared little seven year old. Not anymore, there stood Stewie all grown up. Of course, Ellen had heard that he had returned home from the Army. "Hi Stewie, do you remember me? It's me Ellen Davis. I was your counselor."
"You haven't aged much, you still look great." said Stuart extending his hand.
"OK, you two, have the reunion on the road." Said Sharon with her usual nice but bossy tone.
Ellen was taken by complete surprise. Sergeant Stuart Farmer had transformed from a troubled child to a formidable man. He was tall and tan, and he had muscles, Lots of muscles. His curly brown hair was sun bleached and made his brown eyes gorgeous.
"Sorry about the setup in here, I was expecting Joe Wilson." Said Stu, in reference to the inside of the truck. "I have coffee but it has cream and sugar the way Joe drinks his, and the donuts he likes."
"Cream and sugar is perfect and a doughnut is a doughnut" Replied Ellen Cheerfully.
The coffee turned out to be perfect, and Ellen found that she liked the cream filled eclairs that Stu had brought for Joe. "Where did you get this stuff?" Asked Ellen. "It's so good."
"You aren't going to believe this. I got them from the roach coach at the construction site Joe and I have been working at for the last few weeks. The company let me use the truck for the week too."
"Wow, that's really nice of them." Replied Ellen.
Ellen watched as Stu drove the truck. It was quite the handful, but Stu handled the lumbering beast with ease. He had obviously had some training. Ellen couldn't believe that this was the same little boy that had been in her tribe at 7 years of age. He seemed so .... confident and capable. No sign of the lost and wounded little angel she had known 15 years ago. It made her happy. Ellen smiled for the first time since Mark's letter had arrived.
Stu had Ellen in his strong arms and he was kissing her. It was delightful, and she was kissing him back, full tongue kissing and she was .... Ellen heard the squeal of the brakes as Stu expertly brought the truck to a stop. Opening her eyes, Ellen realized she had drifted off to sleep, and that it had all been a dream. Too bad. Thought Ellen. She was enjoying the dream. She watched as Stu climbed down from the cab and unlocked the gate to Camp Idylwild Winds or Camp Wild as they had always referred to it.