Another quick one from an idea that popped into my head while working on one of the longer pieces currently occupying much of my time.
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TWO YEARS LATER
She wants to try again.
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The knock on the door interrupted the silence. I had just gotten out of the shower of my one bedroom apartment. It's not that I couldn't afford more; I just didn't need more. At least not at the moment.
I pulled my robe on went to answer the door. I rarely had visitors so this was an unusual occurrence. It was usually Girl Scouts selling cookies or Boy Scouts selling popcorn, and the very occasional neighbor in need. Mostly it was quiet.
I opened the door expecting one of the aforementioned intrusions but the reality was even less inviting. It was my ex-wife.
"What are you doing here, Beverly?"
"I wanted to talk for a few minutes."
"This really isn't a very good time. I'm going out soon."
"It's just for a few minutes. Surely you can spare that for me."
"Fine," I said finally, with exasperation. "What do you wanna talk about?"
"Can I come in? I'd rather not do this standing in your doorway."
I stepped aside and opened the door, allowing Beverly to come in. She perched herself on my couch, the one I had picked up used after the divorce because I wasn't interested in any of the furniture she had selected for our place when we were married.
"I'd offer you a drink but you won't be here that long. Now, what do you want?"
"Henry...I...well, I thought perhaps we might give things another try."
"You can't be serious."
"Please, let me get this out. You once loved me enough to ask me to spend my life with you, and I loved you enough to say yes. I made a mistake but I've learned from it and I still love you enough to say yes. All I need to do is get you to love me enough again to ask."
"A mistake? Is that what you call fucking your boss for six months?"
"Well, that's what it was..."
"No, Beverly. Fucking him once could be called a mistake. Fucking him repeatedly and lying to me about it was an intentional...hell, it was multiple acts of intentional deception."
"What I'm trying to say is that whole time of my life was a mistake. You were working so much and I got caught up in the excitement. He said all the right things and I fell for it. I was weak and foolish and I understand that now. Please don't make me...don't make us pay for my weakness for the rest of our lives."
"I don't intend to pay for it for the rest of my life, Beverly. That's why I have no intention of giving you another chance."
"That doesn't make any sense. I'd do anything for another chance with you, Henry. How is that making you pay?"
"I'm not gonna live that life, Bev. I'm not gonna spend my time wondering if you're lying to me when you say you have to work late or even if you're out grocery shopping. You've shown me you can't be trusted."
"I'm not saying we have to get married right away. We can just date. Let's just get to know each other again like when we first started dating."
"Why would I do that? I already know you're willing to cheat on me."
"That would never happen again, I swear."
"But I don't believe you, Bev. I'm sorry that things turned out...
"Henry, baby, who are you talking to?"
The voice from the bedroom broke my train of thought. In the course of this confrontation with Beverly it had slipped my mind that she was there. I could tell that Beverly was shocked not just by the fact that a voice came from the bedroom, but that it was one she was familiar with
