I stopped in my tracks and stared at her.
"I couldn't wait until Sunday," she said.
"I didn't see your car out front."
"Your mom let me put it in the garage. We were afraid that you would keep on going if you saw it."
"That would have been a good bet. What do you want Gail?"
"In a nutshell - you."
"That doesn't make sense Gail Sue. You had me and you threw me away. You were very clear about your opinion of me and your need to get away from me and move on."
"I didn't mean it Rob. I made a big mistake. I expected you to miss me and decide that you didn't want to lose me and you would ask me to please come home. Then I was going to say okay, but only if you would loosen up sexually. The last thing that I expected was that you would file for a divorce. I thought you loved me. I thought that you would do whatever you had to do to keep me. I almost died when I was served with the divorce papers."
"Why would I even think about wanting to keep you after the way you trashed me? You had no use for me as I recall. You flat out told me that I was no good in bed and wasn't getting the job done and that your need for sex was greater than mine so goodbye Rob. Why, after hearing you say that, would I even think about chasing after you and trying to get you to come back?"
"I'm sorry Rob. I didn't mean to make it sound so harsh. You were great Rob, but only as long as we did nothing but make love in the missionary position. I needed more than that. My leaving you was supposed to make you come after me and agree to at least try the other things I wanted to do. I knew if I could get you to try them at least once you would like to continue them. The last thing that I ever expected was to have divorce papers served on me. I love you Rob and the last thing I want is a divorce. I've been trying to get you to talk to me ever since so I could get you to drop the divorce."
"Is that what you planned on talking about on Sunday?"
"Yes it was, but after last night I decided that I couldn't wait until Sunday."
"What happened last night?"
"I was driving by the house and I saw the same car that was there last Wednesday when I saw the woman come to the house and let herself in. I decided that I needed to do something quick before you got too attached to another woman so I asked your mother to help me. Honest to God Rob, I do love you. I want you back. I want you back even if I do have to settle for just missionary position sex for the rest of my life. Having you that way is one hundred percent better than not having you at all."
I sat there and looked at her across the table. I loved her. I missed her something fierce, but in the back of my mind there was the fact that she had caused me great pain with her denouncement of me and her walking out on me. And, as I had told my mom when she told me what I had to do to get Gail back, what would be the next thing she would threaten to leave me over? The pain had faded in the most part because of Veronica and Marge and their making me feel like I was pretty good in bed. The question was did I want to risk the pain again and the answer to that was a loud no! But how to get that across to Gail Sue in a way she could see it. I decided to be a hypocrite and go after her.
"I'm sorry Gail. I don't think that we can get back together after what has happened. If I took you back I would spend all my time wondering about you and the men you have been with."
"What men Rob?
"The men you have been with since you walked out on me."
"There haven't been any men Rob."
"Oh come on Gail Sue. We made love four, five and sometimes six times a week and then you made this big speech about how important sex was to you. Add to that what you told me about your sexual experiences before we got married and I'm supposed to believe that you weren't out getting laid as soon as you were out of the house? Get Serious!"
"I am serious Rob. No man except you has touched me since I put your ring on my finger. Knowing that and the fact that I fully expected you to come after me can you honestly believe that I would betray you?"
"I never would have believed that you could walk out on me like you did, but it happened."
"I screwed up Rob. I didn't think it through. It never even occurred to me that you wouldn't come after me. I miss you Rob. I need you. I need to come back home and be with you."
"And what happens the next time you don't get what you want? What will you do to me then?"
"I've learned Rob. I promise I'll never do anything as stupid as what I've done ever again. I screwed up Rob; I admit it and I'm begging you to drop the divorce and let me come home."
"I don't know Gail Sue. I don't know that I want to risk having to go through the pain again. I'll have to think about it."
I stood up and told her that I would be in touch and I walked out of the kitchen. Mom was sitting on the living room sofa and I didn't know how much she had heard, if anything, of what went on in the kitchen. I bent down and kissed her on the forehead and said:
"I behaved myself. I'll talk to you later" and then I went home.
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