Vicki wondered who could possibly be knocking on the door at that time of day. She went to the door of her little flat and opened it. John was standing there wearing a sport coat, white shirt, and tie. The only thing marring the image of a business professional was the pair of blue jeans. He looked uncomfortable. Whether it was due to being there or his clothes, Vicki wasn't sure.
She stepped back and gestured for him to come in.
"I didn't expect to see you," Vicki said.
While entering the apartment, John said, "I've been thinking about things."
"Same here," Vicki said.
John looked around the apartment taking in the spartan decor. There wasn't even a chair for them to sit upon. Unable to prevent the words from coming out his mouth, he asked, "Why are you living in such a dump?"
"It is cheap and rents by the month," Vicki answered.
She shrugged her shoulders. It was the only positive thing she could say about the place. There had been a time when she wouldn't have been caught dead in a place like that. Now she didn't care.
"You could have done better," John said.
He didn't like the idea of her living like that. He felt it wasn't right that she had moved out of the house that had been so important to her at one time. Her reasons for moving out were understandable. Having to leave it for extended periods of time must have been torture. At least this way she had a place to be.
"It doesn't matter," Vicki said. She didn't add that she felt she had lost the only thing that did matter. It was too bad that she hadn't recognized it at the time and acted before it was too late.
In a matter of fact voice, John said, "I sold the business today. We're now very rich."
"I don't know what to say. You loved that business," Vicki said.
She felt that he wasn't very excited about having sold the business. It was understandable in a way. He had spent more than sixteen years building it. Now it was gone.
"I was getting tired of it," John said. Seeing her cocked eyebrow, he added, "Really, I was."
Vicki said, "I didn't know that."
"I got a good deal. They paid thirty-two million for it and options on a million shares of stock. I had to sign a non-compete contract preventing me from working in the game business for five years. I can still work in the software industry," John said.
After distribution of the money to the kids, he was a very wealthy man. He wanted her to know that no matter how things worked out, she would be provided for for the rest of her life.
"That is a good deal," Vicki said.
Her paltry hundred thousand in investments paled beside the amount of money he was talking about. She couldn't believe how she had lorded that money over him. He must have thought she was an obnoxious bitch.
John said, "I was kind of surprised at the stock options. The options could be worth another five or six million dollars in a year or two. They saw the last game that I developed and increased their original offer. I had kept the game as a last minute bargaining chip. It worked."
"Good," Vicki said.
She was at a loss for words. It was hard to imagine that John was such a good businessman. He really didn't look or act the part. She wondered if she would have been more trusting in his ability if he had acted more like Sid.
Getting around to the real reason for his visit, John said, "I promised the kids that we would move to John's Farm after I sold the business."
"Are you moving?" Vicki asked.
The idea that the family was giving up the house that she had worked so hard for was painful. So much energy had been wasted by her. She had destroyed everything that she had work to achieve. The last blow would be selling the house.
"Yes. The movers are coming next Monday," John answered looking down at the floor.
"Ah," Vicki said feeling sick.
John asked, "Do you want me to move your stuff over to John's Farm?"
"Are you going to sell the house?" Vicki asked finding it difficult to breath.
"No. I thought we could keep it. My office is there and I kind of like the idea of having a place away from home to work. I've done that work at home stuff for too long. It tends to blur the lines between working and not working," John answered.
There wouldn't be much to do at John's farm during the winter months. He had some ideas for some software products. He could always experiment with making a smart house. It would be kind of fun to work on his ideas occasionally without having to worry about money.
"I would prefer to live there for a while. At least until things get resolved with our situation," Vicki said.
It seemed to her that the chances of her marriage lasting diminished each day that passed. She was falling into a depression that threatened to overwhelm her. Maybe moving out of the apartment would help her mental state.
"I'll instruct the movers to leave your stuff there," John said.
"Thanks," Vicki said.
John stood there not knowing what else to say. The tension in the room increased a notch.
She said, "I have to know – is there any chance for us?"
"I don't want to lose you," John said. "The idea of losing you tears me apart."
"Thank God."
She felt that her prayers had been answered.
"I've been ready to forgive you for a while," John said. He licked his lips and added, "I just didn't know how to approach you."
The discussion with David had clarified a lot of things in his mind. There were a lot of things she had done that he couldn't forget, but he could forgive. He had appreciated the fact that she hadn't tried to deny what had happened or her role in tearing apart the family. He didn't think he could have forgiven her if she had done that.
"Oh John!" she screamed.
She threw herself at him. Her hug squeezed his chest to the point where it was difficult to breath. She sobbed in tears. He held her in his arms.
Pulling back a little, she wiped her eyes. In a broken voice, she said, "I'm sorry. It seems like all I do is cry."
"I'm sorry that I've made you cry," John said.
Displays of emotion made him uneasy. He never knew what to say in these situations. He always felt that he should have come up with something profound or moving, but he never did.
Sensing his reservations, Vicki knelt in front of him. Looking up at him, she said, "John, I swear before God that from this day forth I will love, honor, and cherish you. I will obey you in all matters, great and small. I will treat you with respect. I will deny you nothing."
She rose from the floor keeping her eyes locked upon his. She undressed without looking away. Standing naked before him, she said, "Husband, reclaim me as your wife and lover."
John reclaimed her. A long time passed in which all communication was physical rather than verbal. At times it was gentle and other times rough. Their passions ebbed and flowed like the tide in a storm. Finally, too exhausted to continue, they laid side by side on a bed that was nearly too small for even one person.
"I needed that," Vicki said.
"No more than I," John said.
"I love you," Vicki said.
"I love you, too."
After a moment, John asked, "Will you move to John's Farm with us?"
"If you ask me to," Vicki answered after a moment's hesitation.
"Don't you want to live with me?" John asked feeling a little hurt by the delay in giving her answer.
Vicki answered, "More than anything. Are you ready for the fights and arguments that will result from me living there with you and the kids?"
"No, I'm not," John said sadly.
"I thought so," Vicki said.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. It is my fault that things are this way," Vicki said. "Until things turn for the better, remember that my door is always open to you."
"I'll keep that in mind," John said.
They cuddled on the bed, enjoying the feel of being in each other's arms. Both realized that it had been a decade since they had done anything like this. It felt nice.
"I like this."
"Me too."
At the house, Rose was pacing nervously around the living room. Every few minutes she would pause to glance at the clock. It seemed like time had slowed to a crawl.
She asked, "Where's Dad?"
"You know where he is. He's signing the contract to sell the company," Lisa answered.
"He should have been done hours ago," Rose said.
"You don't know that," Lisa answered.
"You don't think there was a problem, do you?" Rose asked.
"I doubt it," Lisa said.
Rose said, "I hope not. I want to move out of this shit-hole so bad that I can't stand it another minute."
"I know what you mean. This whole house stinks of Mother," Lisa said bitterly.
"Where is he?" Rose asked.
"They are probably celebrating at the office there or something," Lisa said.
"Should I call him?" Rose asked.
"You know that we are never to call him when he's doing business unless it is a dire emergency," Lisa said.
"I know. I'm worried," Rose said.
"Why?"
"I want to move out of this shit-hole," Rose answered.
She kicked the sofa and then hopped around when her foot hurt. It was a less than satisfying gesture of frustration.
"You've already said that," Lisa replied.
Rose brightened. "Maybe he stopped by a lawyer's office to divorce the bitch."
"That would be great," Lisa said.
David entered the room. Looking at the gleeful faces of the two girls, he asked, "What's up?"
"We were wondering if Dad stopped by a lawyer's office to divorce Mother," Lisa answered.
"Just stop it," David said.
"What?" Rose asked.
David answered, "Dad is never going to divorce Mother. He loves her. Don't you get it?"
"He's got to," Lisa said.
"You think you're going to get a new mother? When? In two years? Don't believe it. He'll never remarry if he divorces Mom," David said.
"Don't say that!"
"It's not true."
David stared at his two sisters. He said, "It would kill Dad to divorce Mom. He would feel like a failure. He would be depressed."
"It would all be her fault," Rose said.
David said, "And you would have no role in it."
"No. She deserves it," Rose said.
"You can say that again," Lisa said.
"Does Dad deserve it?" David asked.
Reverend Billings had been so right about the dangers of being consumed by anger. He felt his sisters would do as much damage to the family as their mother had. It really disturbed him to think of the kind of people they were becoming.
"Why are you taking her side?" Rose asked.
"I'm not taking her side. I'm taking Dad's side. I don't want to see him go through the rest of his life unhappy," David said.
"He'll be happier if he gets rid of the bitch," Lisa said.
"Do you really think so?" David asked.
"I know it," Rose said.
David looked up at the ceiling. "God save me from the women in this family."
"What do you mean by that?" Lisa asked.
"You're just as pig-headed as Mother. You won't listen to anyone. You think you know everything and you know nothing. I'm sick of it," David said. He left the room in disgust.
Rose looked over at Lisa. She said, "He looked a little pissed."
"Right. I wonder what his problem is," Lisa said.
"You'd think he was on mother's side," Rose said.
"That bitch. Dad will be so much better off without her," Lisa said.
"You can say that again," Rose said.
Lisa asked, "You don't think that David was right about it taking Dad a couple of years to find a new wife, do you?"
"Don't be ridiculous. He'll have his choice of women," Rose said.
"You're right. He's young, handsome, and rich," Lisa said. "What woman wouldn't want him?"
That comment about him being rich reminded Rose of a new issue. She'd seen lots of programs and news stories about women who went after rich men for their money. She could just imagine some big breasted woman standing by his deathbed just waiting for him to die.
"We'll have to protect him from gold-diggers," Rose said.
Lisa said, "It would really be bad if he hooked up with a gold-digger. She wouldn't give a damn about him or us."
"She'd grab his money and dump him in a minute," Rose said.
She knew that would really hurt her father. It would also be bad for her. All she wanted out of this mess was to have a real mother.
"Right," Lisa said. "Maybe it would be best if he didn't remarry very quickly."
"No. We need a mother," Rose said.
"I don't know about that. We've gotten along all right without one," Lisa said.
Not liking the direction the discussion was headed, Rose glanced at the clock. "Where is Dad?"
"I don't know," Lisa answered.
David rode off on his motorcycle without having a real destination in mind. For thirty minutes, he took random turns on various roads. Somewhat to his surprise, he ended up in the neighborhood where his mother was living. All he knew about where she was living was the name of the apartment complex. He parked his bike in front of it thinking that it was a dump.
After stopping by the manager's office, he headed towards his mother's apartment. He ran into his father who was just leaving it. The two men looked at each other. Both were surprised to see the other.
"Hello, David."
"Hello, Dad."
"Are you here to see your mother?"
"I guess," David said.
Thinking about the state in which he had just left her, John said, "You might want to give her a minute."
"Why?"
"She's not ready to receive visitors," John answered.
"Why not?"
"Um ... well ... you know," John said.
"No," David said. "Oh..."
"Yes," John said.
"So you're getting back with her," David said.
"Yes," John said.
David said, "I'm glad."
"You are?"
"Yes. I know how much you love her."
"Ah."
"Rose and Lisa won't be happy," David said.
He could just imagine how they would react to the news particularly in light of the discussion he had just left. They'd kill her if they were ever left alone with her.
"I imagine."
"They were celebrating your divorce when I left the house."
"They were?"
"Yes. I couldn't take it any more and had to get out of there."
"Why would they think I was divorcing her?"
David answered, "As far as I know, they decided you had stopped by your lawyer's office to draw up divorce papers."
"No. I've been here for the past two hours."
"I guess you two really have made up," David said.
"Well ... yes ... I guess you could say that," John said. Uncomfortable with the conversation, he added, "I guess I better head home and face the girls."
"I'll talk a little with mom," David said.
Still wearing her house robe, Vicki answered the door. Surprised, she said, "Hello, David."
"Hello, Mom."
Vicki glanced over her shoulder into the room behind her. Her bed was unmade and bore signs of her recent activity. The smell of sex hung heavily in the air. She didn't want to invite him into the apartment, but his visit was too precious to delay.
"Do you mind waiting out here while I change my clothes?" Vicki asked.
"I've got a better idea. How about I meet you at the diner down the street in fifteen minutes?" David asked.
He had seen more than enough to know that he didn't want to go in the apartment.
"That is a good idea," Vicki said.
It was closer to twenty minutes later when Vicki arrived at the diner. She made her way to the table where David was drinking a milkshake. There was a cup of hot coffee on the table across from him.
"Thanks," Vicki said sliding into the booth.
"You're welcome," David said. "I'd like to apologize for the other..."
Holding up a hand, Vicki said, "There's no need to apologize. You were right."
"I shouldn't have yelled like..."
"You don't need to apologize," Vicki said.
"Okay," David said.
His dad had been right about how she wouldn't let him apologize. He had also been right about how the attempt conveyed the intent. There was a lessening of his guilt.
"I was a little surprised to see you," Vicki said.
David said, "I ran into Dad outside your apartment."
"Ah," Vicki said.
"I'm glad you're back together," David said.
"Me too."
David asked, "Will you be moving with us?"
"Not until things get a little better with you and the girls," Vicki said.
"I'm fine with it," David said.
"Really?"
David said, "Dad will be happy."
"How about you?" Vicki asked.
"I won't have a problem with it," David said realizing for the first time that he wouldn't have a problem with her coming back. "Rose and Lisa will. They'll have a big problem with it."
"I kind of figured that out," Vicki said.
"Did Dad tell you?"
Vicki said, "I heard all of you talking the day I fainted in the house."
He didn't remember what they had been saying, but he was pretty sure that it hadn't been very nice.
"If you thought it was bad then, it is even worse now," David said. "They were celebrating your divorce when I left the house."
"What divorce?" Vicki asked.
"The one they believe Dad is getting," David answered.
"That doesn't sound very encouraging."
"No it doesn't."