Aftermath of The Affair

He had insisted that they sleep in separate bedrooms and Julia hadn't protested, choosing to sleep with the children in the room next to the nursery. Yet, every night, he would pretend sleep as she checked on him after ensuring the children were all tucked up in bed, silently accepting the soft caresses she gave him as she drew the blankets over him. One night, Julia got bolder and slipped into bed, hugging him from behind. Terry had the best sleep he had in months and only awakened when he heard Julia slipping out of bed, afraid of his reaction when he woke.

A few weeks later, Terry took advantage of Julia's prone position and rolled over embracing her. Julia's surprise ended in a squeal of delight as Terry kissed her and swiftly stripped off her nightgown before he went down on her. The coupling was one filled with desperation and a keen sense of need borne out of months of pain and deprivation. Julia's scream of orgasm as she tightened around her husband was as much a cry of pain as it was of bliss. Terry poured himself into his wife with a passion he truly felt and had missed for the last 18 months. He was keenly aware of emotions coursing through him that were absent in all of the sexual intercourse he had had with Becky and all the other women over the last two years.

He felt her tears before he heard the soft sobbing.

"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

Terry mumbled as he tried to move off her.

"No!" Julia whispered as she clung onto him, their sweaty limbs and sated bodies tangled together.

"I just never thought we-we would have the chance to be to-together like this again." She sobbed as she clung onto Terry, fearful that once he left her embrace, she would lose him again.

Terry held her as they both drifted off to sleep, a silent question lingering in their minds.

Is there a future for us?

The question remained unanswered though both gave it much thought. It was going to take more than just sleeping together to repair the fractured marriage. There were moments where flashes of anger would emerge or when Julia's frustration at the distance between them flared up. The counselling helped but both knew they had a long way to go.

Terry's mind constantly reminded him how foolish it would be if he took her back while his heart said otherwise. Julia struggled with the torturous images of Terry with other women, particularly Becky. The children had known that Daddy had dated during Mommy's absence from home and this had slipped out in their conversation. Despite Julia's determination not to let the past stand in the way of the future, it still hurt to know her husband had strayed. They even had a fight over it with Julia drinking herself silly and Terry having to take care of her. They muddled through the weeks up to Christmas without any answers. Soon the festive season was upon them and both were too busy with the preparations to deal with the issue. Only now, after all the festive chaos of the day was over did both have the time to confront the question.

Terry pondered Julia's question, a question he asked himself ever since Julia was released and he had agreed to allow her to move back in. It was, as he told everyone else, for the kids. It had taken time for him and even the kids to readjust to being a family unit of sorts.

Perhaps it was the spirit of the season, perhaps it was the loneliness he'd felt deep down after the thirst for revenge was sated. Whatever it was, he had never felt closer to Julia since the discovery of her affair.

Deciding to go with his heart, Terry pulled his ex-wife close and whispered, "Let's work on it together. "

Both their hearts sent up a prayer for a miracle in the season of hope and they sealed their reunion with a kiss.

The End

Thank you to readers who made it this far, hope you liked the read. Peace, happiness and good cheer to all!