My now ex-wife and I met of all places on Facebook. She was a hot woman, probably the hottest woman I ever laid eyes on but she was also for the lack of a better word, Krazy with a K. But this is not her story.
Her whole family was a mess, but I was dumb and I guess horny. A couple months in to our marriage and I had realized we were done for. If I was smarter I would have gotten out at that time.
Her father was bipolar and had been bedridden after an accident for a few years by the time we got married and needed a full time caretaker, being raised by him had done a real good number on all of his kids. His eldest daughter was involved in some financial frauds and drugs during the course of her professional life before she got married and became a housewife, and the son in law was a heavy drinker. They would fight and separate anywhere from 3 days to 3 months at a time at least once or twice a year. His only son was the youngest, a narcissist and a liar among other things, and the middle child was Krazy with the K my beloved wife.
The only sane person in the family was my mother in law. She came from a relatively well-off background and had connections from her long academic career as well. She would dress to the nines to host kitty parties and when there was trouble she would track down the cop or politician she needed to get her family out of said trouble.
She was the man of the house in all senses of the word and had managed to keep the family afloat. She was the epitome of mature grace and she knew it, wherever she went she was the life of the party, be it karaoke night or a current events discussion she had to ace it and rub everyone's faces in it for good measure.
After I have had a while to get settled from the wedding and all the trauma that came with it in the first couple of months I noticed the signs of my wife possibly being bipolar like her father. It took me a while to understand her condition and take her to a therapist and a psychiatrist and pretty soon she was huffing 7,8 pills a day for anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and what not and with that all the crazy sex went down the drain as well.
We rarely engaged sexually and I always insisted on using protection, "it wouldn't be fair to the children", "we aren't settled yet." and "you can't get off your medication yet" and thank fucking god she understood this at least. I was sexually frustrated and relied a lot on masturbating and getting car blowjobs from random gay guys that I would hookup with on Grindr. I am queer as a button and she was at least bisexual given her sexual history.
Her mother tried not to involve herself with us, letting us solve our issues ourselves but when it became too much for me to handle her daughter alone, we came to an understanding. I would drop my wife off at her place when I left for work and at night I would pick her up from her place.
I had started taking lunch and dinner in office, but then she started calling me up to have dinner at their place when I came to pick her up. I was in my hustle phase and took on as much work as I possibly could and my wife was either stoned or medicated or busy doom scrolling or shopping and pretty soon I started taking work home and started working weekends as well.
And then the dinners turned into overnight stays as I would get off work really late and then they turned into 2,3 sleepovers during the week and then 1 sometimes 2 nights on the weekends. I had gotten pretty comfortable at my mother in law's house. I wouldn't bother anyone and had my laptop pulled out and headphones in all the time and nobody bothered me.
...................
After one such dinner we sat in their living room on their over-sized couches casually chatting away and watching TV. My mother in law had lied down on one end of the couch and my wife had snuggled in with her as best as she could, she was in a good mood and a show of affection towards her mother was her usual way to display it. I was on the opposite end of the same couch and was turned away from them chatting with the brother in law on the other couch. I felt my wife's feet beside me slightly pressed in my thigh.
I acted as I was putting my phone in my pocket and got my hand under the large blanket that all of us were under and gently started teasing her with a couple of fingers, stroking the sides, a little scratching with the nails, tickling around the ankles and what not. After a while when I noticed there wasn't much response except a slight shiver I checked on her to see if she had fallen asleep, No, she hadn't, and as I tickled the pair of feet she didn't show any hint that she had felt it, but my mother in law's eyes almost popped, my blood froze as I realized who's foot I was playing with, she had a very serious and stern look, like she was watching something very captivating on the TV or had zoned out.
She, thank god, did not embarrass me at the time. A couple of hours later only my mother in law and I remained in the living room as was our late night ritual on most nights I stayed here. She was watching TV and scrolling on her mobile and I had pulled out my laptop catching up on work emails. My wife had taken her meds and was out for the night already and her brother had gone out with her wife, finding us alone I cleared my throat and decided it was time to apologize.
"I didn't know, I am sorry, I thought it was her." I was really sincere in my apology and delivered it without looking at her or towards her even, just looking down.
She chuckled, like saying it was no big deal.
"I too am sorry you know." I looked at her questioningly.
"For my daughter. You guys are young. My son and daughter in law are out enjoying the night, you guys should have that too." Her apology also sounded sincere, she had gotten up and now sat straight in her corner of the couch.
"It's alright. My work keeps me busy, and she will get better, eventually, if she keeps up with her medication." I didn't sound sure as I delivered this with pauses and she immediately looked like she didn't trust a word I said.