My wife asked me to try my hand at writing a story. So here goes. It is in two parts. The first part is how it ends and the second part is how it began. No explicit sex in part one. Anonymous be kind, or not.
Chapter One.
Mathew Collier stood proud to applaud his eighteen-year-old daughter Megan as she accepted her graduation certificate. Upon hearing their whooping cheers and with a big grin she gave a shy acknowledging wave to her family. Beside Mathew was his wife Jenny and to her side their two children Janet and John. To Mathews left applauding just as proudly was Sally, Megans mother and Mathew's ex, to the other side of Sally stood Greg her husband.
Although now on friendly terms it had taken years for Mathew to get to a place where he could even talk to Sally never mind forgive her, never mind be friends. Even then he had made the first steps to do so because he'd met Janet, who had told him in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't countenance being in a relationship that was overshadowed by a previous one. So, in order to lay any ghosts to rest Mathew had been forced to come to terms with what had haunted him for years, Sally's betrayal. The thing was, Janet had been right, and having made that first move it became surprisingly easy to take the next step and then the next and before he knew it, he had not only come to terms with Sally's infidelity and their break-up but was even softening towards his ex. In doing so Mathew genuinely felt a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Thanks to Janets prompting he was not only able to continue enjoying his new found relationship with her, but he felt happier in himself now that he was able to prioritise the nicer memories and the things he had liked about his ex-wife - he even, if begrudgingly, started to get along with Greg who she had married. Janet simply told him he was now acting like an adult.
Reconciling with his ex-wife had also helped Mathew build on his own relationship with Megan who's early years he now regretted missing. With the animosity he had felt towards Sally now gone, he no longer felt as though he had to steer clear of the big events in his daughter's life. Megan's birthdays and holidays became nice times in which he could now be involved.
Mathew turned to Sally, "She's a credit to you."
"Not just to me."
Mathew leaned forward to look past his ex-wife to Greg, "Hmph... I suppose Greg too."
Sally smiled and nudged him with her shoulder. "I was thinking Megan is a credit to us all, we all played a part in raising her to be the bright intelligent independent woman she is..." Sally then aped him by leaning forward to look past Mathew to Janet. "Between the four of us we didn't do too bad."
Mathew laughed... "Who'd have thought?"
With another nudge Sally smiled. "She taking after you... She tells me she'd applying for an Army bursary to go to university."
***
Seventeen years earlier.
Sgt Mathew Collier RM had been looking forward to being home for Christmas, it would after all be his first with his new daughter. Unfortunately for Mathew, as his flight was on the runway a group of insurgents launched an attack which included the firing of rockets into the airbase. Several of those rockets narrowly missed the plane he was on but with one missile did hit a nearby Apache. His plane was evacuated.
All outgoing and incoming flights were immediately cancelled while the surrounding area was secured. Mathew had no idea when he would now get to travel knowing that even when the airbase reopened, flights with a higher priority would take up runway slots. He phoned home to give Sally, his wife, the bad news. Sally was naturally disappointed, not only because she was looking forward to being with her husband who she hadn't seen in six months, but she too was excited about spending their first Christmas together as a family.
A few days later, Christmas morning back in barracks, Mathew telephoned his wife to wish her and their young daughter a Merry Christmas. Although in the early hours for him, with the time difference it was around breakfast for Sally. After saying how much he loved and missed her, he laughed about how he'd been really looking forward to opening their presents and carving up the Turkey. Sally laughed and told him not to worry about the Turkey, it was in the freezer and they would have their Christmas Day dinner when he did get home, as for the presents, Megan was too young to know any different and they could open all their presents when they were together. Mathew again apologised for spoiling her Christmas. Sally chided him, saying it wasn't as though it was his fault. Besides she had been invited to have Christmas dinner at her friend, Gina's house. Mathew knew Gina and her husband Paul, Gina and Sally had been best friends since kindergarten and Gina was one of Megans Godparents.
Four days later he received his orders, he was cleared to ship out, his flight left in one hour. With the last-minute rush getting his kit packed he didn't have chance to call home. He had missed Christmas but at least he would be home for New Years.
When Mathew landed at Brize Norton, instead of calling Sally to come and pick him up he decided to surprise his wife and hired a car. He figured it would make her New Years.
Pulling into the drive Mathew saw his house was in darkness. Letting himself in through the front door he found an empty house. To say he was both disappointed and surprised was an understatement, but mostly he was angry at himself for not having rang home. Thinking Sally would be at her parents; he could still surprise her. When he walked through the door Sally's parents were so happy to see him. He immediately noticed the absence of his wife and asked where she was. Sally's mother told him that as Sally wasn't expecting him, they had agreed to babysit Megan so Sally could go with her friend Gina to a New Years Party at the Hollander Hotel. They told him if he rushed, he could get there before they rang in the New Year. Mathew said he'd like that but first he wanted to check in on Megan.
After watching a sleeping Megan for ten minutes, and still in uniform Mathew told his in-laws that he had decided to go join Sally. Seeing the time perhaps he could still get there in time to see in the New Year with her. He got in the hire car and headed into town hoping he wouldn't be too late. By the time he pulled into the hotel's carpark it was ten to midnight and he knew he was cutting it close, but he was still hoping to surprise her. It was ticket only and he didn't have a ticket but the doorman, seeing he was enlisted, let him in wishing him a Prosperous New Year.
To no surprise Mathew saw the ballroom floor was choc a block with revellers. He climbed onto a chair by the entrance and looked and looked over the heads of the party goers but couldn't see his wife. Then with a few minutes to go he thought he saw Gina and her husband Paul. It was nearly midnight and he didn't have long. He pushed more forced his way through the crowd in the general direction he'd seen his wife's best friend, hoping they'd know where Sally was. As he got closer, he could definitely see Gina and Paul, they were less than ten feet away and in their own world. Ten, Nine, Eight... Then he smiled as he recognised the back of his wife's head.
Seven, Six... Then as the crowd seemed to part and as he made to step forward, he froze. There was his wife alright, but she was in the arms of another man and they were embracing. Sally's wife's face was pressed into the curve of the man's shoulder and her eyes looked to be closed as if she was enjoying, even savouring their closeness. Her arms were hanging about his neck, she seemed comfortable, seemed comfortable in leaning into him, the man seemed comfortable supporting her. Both of his arms were around Sally's waist and he was holding her real close as they slow stepped from side to side. Mathew could see that his wife was pressing her body up against the man and the man's hand was smoothing over the material of her dress.
He recognised the guy at once, it was Pauls younger brother Greg, he'd met him before, Paul and Greg ran a building supplies company, the same one where his wife worked behind the counter.
