Disclaimers
If you find any errors, please remember that I am striving to include something for everyone, and some people are always looking for mistakes.
This is a story. It is not a story about what you would do in this situation, or even what you think should be done. There would be no point in writing a story where everyone's reaction is the same. This overlooks the individuality of the characters and what they, as created by the author, would do. That may not align with what you would do. Please try to keep that in mind when reading.
I expect this to be heavy on the dialogue, with the exposition being hinted at or revealed during those conversations. I've broken this into 2 parts, a time-jump being the logical time to do so, but neither part is very long and are both included here.
Consider Yourselves Warned: While I have chosen to place this in Loving Wives, there is a heavy incest component here as well. If that offends you, you may wish to skip it.
Word Count: 7,492
[::::::::::}
KNOCK AT THE DOOR
Who's there?
[::::::::::}
There was a knock at the door.
It was a Sunday afternoon. I wasn't expecting anyone and, just like when my phone rings and I don't know the number, I was tempted to just stay seated in my recliner and ignore it. But I didn't, and I was glad I made the decision to open the door.
On the other side of the door was my sister, Karin. She had 3 suitcases with her, and I knew exactly what that meant.
"You caught him again?"
"Yeah," she confirmed as she nodded.
"Come on in. You know where the guest room is."
She carried one of her suitcases while I grabbed the other two. This was the third time she'd caught her husband cheating on her. She had gone back to him the last 2 times. We dropped her luggage in the room and I left her to get settled, but she was right behind me as I sat back in my recliner. She took the love seat to my left.
"Any chance you're going to forgive him again?" I asked.
"No. I already called daddy and one of his lawyer friends is getting things started."
"Good. You deserve better. You didn't walk in on them again, did you?"
"Oh my God, you won't believe it! I was up in the middle of the night and decided to check his phone. You remember that was part of his promise when I went back last time, that I could always have access to his phone and I could check up on him anytime."
"I remember."
"I grabbed it off the charger and...my God, I still can't believe it! Right there on his wallpaper was a picture of him banging that little tramp from the donut shop right down the street. I found the picture in his photos and it was date-stamped from 3 days ago!"
"Jeezus."
"Three times in 2 years. I can't take it anymore. I'll look for my own place in a few days, if that's okay?"
"You know you can stay as long as you want. There's always a place for you. You can move in forever, if you want."
"I'm sure Marty would love that."
"Yeah, well, I don't think that's going to be an issue for some time, if ever."
"Have you heard from her lately?"
"Oh yeah," I said, with a bitter laugh and a wave of my hand. "We talk on the phone a couple times a month and email a few times a week. Nothing of importance, of course. She's still trying to find herself or whatever."
"Any idea when she might come back?"
"I'm sorry, I haven't told you the latest. If you've been keeping track you'll remember her current appointment is up in 2 months."
"I knew it was getting close."
"Yep. Well, they've asked her to stay on another year."
"Oh no, Levi. Did she accept it?"
"She says she hasn't decided yet. She says she still feels 'unsettled', whatever the hell that means. That's why she took the curator exchange to Germany in the first place."
"I'm sorry, Levi. I wish it was different."
"Me too."
Caught up on the state of each other's personal lives, or lack thereof, we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening just talking. The TV was on in the background to fill the silence, and gave us something to look at when we were between topics.
I grilled some chicken breasts and added some asparagus and a salad. I've never been a particularly unhealthy eater but, when Marty left to go to Germany, I felt a need to get healthier and in better shape. I wasn't obsessive about it, but most of my meals were healthy and I'd started working out a few times a week.
After dinner, Karin had gone into her room to relax and maybe unpack a little, though I doubted the unpacking would get serious for another couple of days. I think Karin had it in her mind that she'd find her own place, but eventually she'd settle in and just move in here. Heck, I needed her here as much as she needed to be here.
[::::::::::}
There was a knock at the door.
It came around 9:00pm and once again it was my sister. She started walking right past me without a word.
"Oh, hi Levi. It's good to see you. How are you? Oh, I'm fine, Miri, and you? Oh, I'm fine, big brother," I said, lightly mocking her for ignoring me.
She stopped and waited for me to finish, giving me a look.
"Does that little conversation you just had with yourself cover me or do you want me to actually say those things?"
"No, I think that covers it."
"Good. Now I'm going to see my little sister."
"I'm only younger than you by 8 minutes," we heard Karin yell from the other room.
"But an important 8 minutes," responded Miriam, Karin's twin and, technically, the middle child of the 3 of us.
Miriam disappeared in the guest room with Karin, and I knew I wouldn't see them for the rest of the night. I closed the house and went to bed.
[::::::::::}
The next morning, Miriam's wife, Lupe (short for Guadalupe), showed up at the door bearing a whole box of breakfast tacos from a local restaurant. I grabbed one of each kind and headed out the door to work, leaving Miriam and her wife to take care of Karin.
I managed to focus on work, which was a welcome break from being worried about Karin and what might be going on at my house. The day moved quickly and I got home at about 6:00pm as usual. I went into my bedroom to change and found a wholesale move going on.
My wife's closet was now filled with Karin's things, while Marty's clothes had been moved into a bunch of boxes.
"What, uh, what's going on?" I asked Karin, who apparently hadn't heard me come in and was focused on the task at hand.
"Oh, hey, Levi. How was work?" she said as she walked to me and gave me a peck on the cheek.
"Work was fine and don't change the subject."
"I wasn't. I heard how you went after Miri last night for not greeting you properly. I didn't want to be scolded."
Said with a very mischievous smile on her face.
"Fair enough. Now, what's going on?"
"You've got a new roomie."
"And you've moved out of the guest room because..."
"Because Miri and Lupe have moved in there," she said, returning to the hanging and organizing of her clothes.
"What happened to their duplex?"
"They don't live there anymore."
"Karin, can we skip the 20 questions and you just tell me what's going on."
She stopped working and went to sit on the bed, motioning me to join her.
"A few weeks ago, they discovered what looked like hidden cameras mounted in the walls and stuff. They called the police and it turns out the landlord, who you'll recall lived on the other side, had put them there to record people changing and having sex and stuff. Apparently, they'd been there for years, even before Miri and Lupe moved in."
"They never said anything to me."
"Probably thought you'd kill the guy. Anyway, it turns out he only rented to women, or at least families with women. He had a whole catalog of videos that he'd taken, but it turns out there were some 14, 15, and 16-year-olds that he recorded, too. He's been arrested and probably will be put away for a long time.
"Of course, they can't live there anymore because it's a crime scene and the place will probably be torn apart, if not down completely."
"Where have they been staying since then?"
"They took what they could and moved into one of those extended-stay places. Their furniture is in storage. They've been looking for a place but haven't found anything they liked. I suggested the current arrangement last night and, well, here we are."
"Interesting that you invited them to move into my house," I noted, with mock indignation.
She looked at me, smiling.