Growing up, she was always a big girl. Tall and thick, not what a person would call fat, but at five foot, ten inches tall and 180, she was a big girl. Her full hips and large bust was not her most outstanding features, it was her dark red hair and pretty face. Even though she was a larger women, she looked petite next to her husband, Elwood.
Elwood was a head taller than Elise, and over 250 pounds of muscle that was sculpted from hard work on the farm as a teen, and working asphalt as an adult. A 'C' student at his best, he wasn't a scholar, but he was a hard worker and he became his boss's right hand and 'go to guy' when the boss wasn't available. The only thing bigger than Elwood was his heart, and he gave it to Elise over fifteen years ago.
The couple had been friends as children, as they were always the largest in their classes. Their friendship blossomed in a romance, and they were married straight out of high school. They found that they were perfect together. The couple had a wonderful love life for the first twelve years of their married life. That was before the accident.
Elwood had worked two jobs so that Elise could go to college in a nearby city. She commuted 45 miles each day to and from school for five years until she got her Business degree with a minor in accounting.
Elise was able to gain employment with a local manufacturer of siding. Her position in accounts receivable and accounts payable gave her a great outlook on the company and it's products, and she met her future best friend, Angela.
She and Angela became 'besties', and ate lunch together and shopped together on Saturdays. Angela was also married with three small children. Elwood didn't like her husband, but tolerated him when the couples got together. Angela's husband was always checking out other women, and would hit on the women in front of Elwood.
All their lives would change after the accident.
Every Saturday, Angela and Elise would go shopping. Most of the time, the children were watched by their father, but sometimes, "Uncle Bear" would watch them. Her Children were shocked by Elwood's size when they first met him. Her oldest said, "He's like a bear size.", and the nickname took. Angela's children loved their Uncle Bear.
On this particular Saturday, Angela drove her car for their outing when a car ran a red light and 'T-Boned' her car on the passenger door where Elise sat.
Elise received a broken right leg and forearm, several ribs, and her jaw was broken in several places from the airbag deployment.
She spend several weeks in the hospital. Angela felt so guilty about the accident. She sat with Elwood at the hospital every opportunity that she could get. She went with Elwood when he was finally allowed to see his wife.
A leg and arm were held immobile so she could move them, and her pretty face was bruised around where her jaw was wired shut to heal properly.
After bringing Elise home to recover, Elwood's mother would come and stay with her during the daytime while he worked, but Angela would come over almost every evening to help out.
Over the next few months, Elise would get thinner and thinner,as if the pounds were melting away. Her fluid diet was healthier than her regular diet, even as she lost pounds, strangely so did Elwood. His fear about his wife's health had diminished his appetite.
Her accident as tragic as it was, was better for his physical health as well.
While Elise slowly recovered, Angela's marriage suffered by her attention to her friend. Angela's husband felt left out, and she came home from work a few months later, and he was gone. His stuff was missing, and she might never see him again. Without his additional income, she was forced to move out of their apartment.
Elwood's mother came to their rescue by allowing Angela and her brood stay in an old house trailer that Elwood's father kept on the farm for seasonal labor to stay in. It took a lot of cleaning, but it became their home.
After three months of healing, and two months of physical therapy, Elise was cleared to return to work.
Her fellow office mates were excited to see her, especially the men. Elise was eye catching. No longer the thick cute fat girl, now she was like a model. Tall, thin but shapely, no longer 180-190 pounds, she was a thinner 135-140 pounds.
She loved this new attention. She had never had men hit on her before, except for black guys looking at her formerly big ass. The new her got promoted quickly to In-House sales desk. The Boss knew that the walk-in customers would love dealing with her at the front sales desks. He asked her to wear shorter skirts for her long legs, not a mini skirt but above the knees a few inches, and less conservative tops. Show a little cleavage, not a lot. " Keep 'em coming back." He said to her.
The new Elise was addicted to flirting. Angela would come by to see her, and there were always men around her desk. She was worried about how this was affecting Elwood. If he was aware of it? Should she say anything?
As the weather got warmer, Elise wanted to go to the lake for the weekend, and invited Angela and the children to join them. She couldn't help thinking that it was an excuse for Elise to show off her new bikini. Elise had never owned one, and now she was thin enough to wear one, she was going to.
Angela sat with Elwood as he watched his wife parade around the area, talking to men and women that they had never met before. That he had never met before. Angela saw some faces from work along the lakefront. She could see that Elwood wasn't happy so she got the children to drag him into the water and play with them.
She smiled as she watched Bear play with her children. He would make a wonderful father. Why couldn't her soon-to-be ex husband be like Bear? Instead, he abandoned them without a thought.
As Elwood stood up in the lake, she couldn't help but notice his swim trunks. What was Elise thinking? Elwood was obviously more than average in the cold lake water. She looked away as he came and sat back down beside her. "Your kids wear me out." He flopped backward onto the blanket.
As summer turned into fall, things were different at home for Elise and Elwood. He didn't mind eating better and he had even bought some dumbbells to use around the house to exercise with.
At first he was a little excited by the new Elise, but sometimes when they made love, he felt like he might smash her smaller form. It was all in his head, but her new size had opened up newer positions. He had to admit to himself that at first, her flirting was exciting to him, but after only a couple of weeks of watching her flirt, he realized that his jealousy was too strong.
The company Christmas party, he barely kept his anger in check. He watched his wife act like a different person than the Elise that she was at home. She danced and flirted with the men that she worked with. After watching several men touch her inappropriately on the dance floor, he took her by the hand and drug her home. As you can have guessed, a fight began immediately, and it the feelings involved forced a unhappy holiday season for the couple.
As winter ended, they put things behind them, and forgave each other. Angela's divorce would be granted soon, as the year of abandonment was ending within a few weeks.
Spring rain and warmer sunlight made their lawn sprout up quickly. Elwood finished cutting the grass and weed eating, and as he grabbed a glass of ice water, he sat at the table with Elise.
She was mulling something over in her mind. He knew that look. There was something that she wanted and she was trying to figure out how to broach it with him.
He sat in awkward silence.
She sipped her green tea before asking, "Baby, have you ever heard about open marriages?"
His mind sounded the alarm. "Of course. I've known of a few from the guys at work. The stories they tell, it never works out well."
"Oh." She paused. "Why is that?"
"Jealousy, usually. I get the fantasy of it, but the reality of it is different. Most of the guys found out that they really didn't want to see someone bang their wife. Some of the wives that wanted an open marriage, were set-up by their divorced friends so they could snatch away the unsuspecting husband after the divorces." He paused. "Why are you asking?"
"Nothing. I heard several of the salesmen talking about it. They get lonely on the road, and their wives get lonely without their husbands."
Nothing more was said about 'open marriage'.
Two weeks later, Elwood cooked steaks for Elise, Angela, and the children. Her divorce was final. She should receive child support for the children, but she knew it would never happen. No one knew where he had fled to when he left that night.
During the dinner, Elise had an 'idea'. "Angela, now that you're all single again, how about we get the girls from the office and go to Honkey Tonks this Friday night to find you a new man?"
"Who'll watch my babies?"
"Oh, Uncle Bear can do it. He'd love to."
Elise put him on the spot. He would have gone with them, but now, if he doesn't watch the kids... "Yeah, I'd love to do that."
Mom came over to help Elwood with the children while the girls went out to dinner, then over to Honky Tonks for the evening. Elwood introduced the children to his childhood favorites shows that he collected on DVDs. As they laughed, he noticed that his mother had a look that said, 'I need grandchildren'.
His phone buzzed with a message. It was from Angela. A simple picture of his wife kissing a man on the dance floor with the message. "You need to get over here NOW!"
