by S.C. Wade
Her smile brightened. “It’s understandable given the circumstances.”
Moody nodded and swallowed hard. “I defended you to no end, Jess… Now I’m not so sure Paul’s wrong about you.”
“I’m sorry?”
He faced her. “Are you trying to come between me and my wife?”
She tucked strands of hair behind her ear. “Moody, what do you think my morals are?”
“All I know is that you keep telling me I’m a good guy and that you’re fed up being single,” Moody said.
“You think I’d go so far as to break up a marriage?”
“Right now, I really don’t know.”
Jessica’s mouth twitched and she looked away. “Moody, if your wife doesn’t want to speak with you…” She let it trail, and Moody didn’t know whether she was refuting his claim or justifying her actions. “Your marriage is already failing,” she added. “It has been for nearly a year, and…”
Moody grimaced. “You thought you’d help it fail?”
Jessica’s eyes started to water. “I’m not helping it fail, I’m just--”
“You were pushing it in that direction, Jess.”
Her voice quivered. “What’s the difference if your marriage ends now or two months from now? The sooner the heartbreak happens--”
“The sooner I’m on the market.” Moody tightened his jaw. “Did you ever stop to think how great a man I’d really be if I left my wife for you, Jessica?” Moody walked away.
~~~~
Tuesday, the 6th
(Part Three)
Saundra had driven to Paul’s apartment. She knocked for several minutes but became discouraged when there was no answer. She trudged out of the building and slid into her car, turning on the engine. Maybe Moody was sleeping. Maybe he was in the shower. Maybe if she knocked a little bit longer he’d have answered the door.
But what if he wasn’t there? Where else would he be? Out? Doing what? The thought of Moody lying in bed with someone else surfaced in her mind.
Saundra dropped her head on the steering wheel and cried. A few minutes passed before she lifted her head and wiped her eyes. She pulled out of the parking lot.
When she arrived at her house, she didn’t bother to put her car in the garage. Once Kellie called again, Saundra’s poise would be restored, and she knew she’d feel compelled to drive back to Paul’s apartment.
Saundra entered the house, and she heard her husband’s voice in the kitchen.
“No, she’s still not here,” he said in a concerned tone.
She froze when Moody turned the corner into the foyer with the phone pressed against his ear. She couldn’t help but smile from relief.
He stared at her, mouth ajar. “Um, she just walked in.” A pause. “Okay.” He pushed a button on the phone and dropped his hands to his sides. “Hi,” he said.
Saundra’s joy was quickly replaced by the burden of all that transpired over the past week. “Hey.” She turned away.
Moody sighed heavily and said, “We have to talk.”
Saundra walked into the living room and sat on the couch, her hands between her knees.
She watched him take a seat at the opposite end of the sofa and wondered why he didn’t sit closer. Was he interested or was he uninterested? Had he cheated or had he been faithful?
“Kellie just told me you were thinking about leaving me because I hadn’t called.” He readjusted his position, fitting his right foot beneath his left knee.
Saundra noticed that his eyes were glossy. “Yes… Why didn’t you come home? Why didn’t you call?”
After a long silence, Moody said, “There’s no excusing what I did, Saundra, but when you stopped talking to me--”
“You stopped talking to me, Moody.”
“You’re right,” Moody said. “I realize that I pushed you further away with every game. But when you started attacking me I felt like I couldn’t have a normal conversation with you anymore. I figured if you wouldn’t talk to me, I’d go elsewhere.” He played with the tassels on a pillow.
Saundra’s gaze roamed the room as she silently tried to interpret what Moody meant by I’d go elsewhere.
Moody continued. “I made friends with the receptionist at work – Jessica,” Moody continued. “And she’s had my ear for a few months now. After our fight on Thursday, I confided in her, and she advised me to stay away until you begged me to return.”
Saundra cocked an eyebrow.
“It was stupid, Saundra, I know. Believe me, I know.” He looked to the ceiling. “But I was just frustrated because all you and I ever seemed to do was fight, and I didn’t know what to do.” He rested his head on his fist.
Saundra rocked her legs side-to-side, disheartened now that she knew there was another woman involved. And that she spoke to her! She wanted to slap Moody and demand how he could take such stupid advice. But then she considered her own reaction to Barbara’s advice.
Saundra took a deep breath. “I understand your position. It’s similar to what you put me through.” She expected Moody to object, but when it became apparent that he wasn’t going to, she squirmed in her seat. “It wasn’t even that you didn’t speak to me, Moody…because you did. It’s just that you only paid attention to me once the games were over. I felt inferior. And I was mad…” She focused on her hands.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I would’ve come home, but…”
“Jessica,” Saundra said firmly.
“Yeah.” Moody’s voice was a whisper.
Saundra swallowed hard. She didn’t know the extent of Jessica’s involvement, but if Moody had cheated…
“I realized today I was stupid for listening to Jessica instead of Paul,” Moody said. “He hit everything right on the head, but I just didn’t want to see it.”
Saundra watched as Moody seemed to stare at nothing.
He turned to her. “I’m sorry. I wanted to continue talking to her. I made excuses. I rationalized being with her.”
Saundra looked down, tears welling in her eyes. Being with her. Why did he word it that way? Saundra could only draw one conclusion – he had been unfaithful at least once.
“I figured you were cheating on me,” Saundra said accusingly.
Moody looked at her quizzically. “I didn’t cheat on you, Saundra.”
Saundra gasped and covered her face to hide the tears. Those were the best words she could have imagined hearing.
The cushion beside her sank, followed by Moody placing a hand on her back. Saundra knew she couldn’t convince herself that everything was fixed because she cried and he was consoling. There were a lot of issues and habits that needed to be addressed. But for that moment, she felt everything was perfect.
~~~~
Saturday, the 10th
A roar of thunder rattled Saundra awake. Her eyes shot open, and she listened to the gusting winds and the heavy rain attacking the roof. She was tense for a moment until she felt the hand resting on her hip.
She inched her body around to face Moody. He was still asleep, the sheet draped over his right shoulder. Saundra knew the past few days of putting opinions, desires, and feelings out in the open had made an improvement in their marriage, despite the inclusion of raised voices and tears.
She was sorry for her part in the dysfunction and how she almost made it worse by considering divorce, but she still couldn’t bring herself to apologize. That was eating at her the most. She wanted to tell him, but her pride made it difficult.
Saundra admired Moody for being mature enough to apologize for his faults. He’d started down a dangerous path with Jessica but had enough sense to evaluate it, turn around, and admit he was wrong.
Moody’s eyes fluttered open. He looked at Saundra. “Hey,” he said, hugging his pillow.
“Hi.”
As Moody yawned, Saundra envied his seemingly carefree appearance. Her heart beat faster and her breathing became weighty. She had to let him know.
“You okay?” Moody asked.
She shut her e
yes. “I’m sorry.”
Moody grabbed her hand. “Saundra, it’s okay.”
“No, Moody.” She opened her eyes and a tear rolled over her nose. “I’m so sorry,” she said. She wiped her face while Moody rubbed her arm up and down.
“Me too,” he said.
Saundra slid closer to Moody so he could hold her in his arms. She felt a kiss on her forehead and enjoyed the cuddling. It was something they hadn’t done in a while. And while Moody’s arms around her felt more foreign to her than familiar, it was the safest and most liberating feeling she’d had in a long time.
###
About The Author
S.C. Wade resides in the sunny state of Florida. As a writer, his goal is to make fiction that is believable, relevant, and entertaining to his readers. He can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and also on his website, scwade.com. S.C. Wade’s work has been published at DailyScienceFiction.com and also in Villipede Publication’s first anthology, The Glass Parachute.
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