Cafe - Epilogue

Erin kept on working with Shawn, learning more and more about his talent and abilities as a carpenter and handyman. Eventually he would teach her how to use some of the power tools necessary for his job. She also took it upon herself to go on the internet and start exploring aspects of interior design. It was an area in which Shawn was never comfortable, so she knew that if she could become more versed in currently popular design trends, they might be able to present options to their clients, thereby opening up even more opportunities to expand their business.

Both had met separately with Dr. Brown, who wanted to hear from each of them about the two months where Erin had strayed. When they finally met together, Dr. Brown had specific items she wanted them to discuss. In Erin's case, she felt they needed to explore together why flirting with Roger had brought out repressed memories of Erin's wild time while she was in college.

It was in that session that Erin decided Shawn needed to hear about her past, even though he hadn't requested she tell him. She explained that he knew her parents were very strict in her upbringing, similar to Shawn's upbringing as well. She had gone to college still a virgin, but once that was taken from her, it was as though the gates were opened up, and she felt she had a lot of time to make up. At that point, she began looking for guys not as potential life partners, but rather what they could do for her later that night, if not earlier. Shawn looked down as Erin explained that she really had no idea how many guys she had slept with, because keeping a count wasn't her priority at the time.

Finally she reached her breaking point. In September of her junior year, she had woken up nude in a bed in a frat house. She had no idea how she had gotten there, and no idea what had been done to her. As she searched for her clothes and tried to sneak out of the frat house for her walk of shame back to her apartment, she knew that she needed to make a change. In the shower, it was as if she was trying to wash away every single one of the guys she had allowed to use her body for their own pleasure.

She made a decision that morning to quit that lifestyle cold turkey, and concentrate on her studies as she prepared for the rest of her life. She made an appointment at the college clinic to be tested for STD's, and felt extremely fortunate when she came back clean. She stuck to the decision to settle down and give up the promiscuous lifestyle, so well in fact that she had not let another man even touch her in a sexual way until shortly after she had been placed at a table in a café with a man with whom she immediately fell in love. That was four years after the debacle in the frat house, and during that time, she had been celibate, waiting for the right man.

She and Dr. Brown were both trying to understand why flirting with Roger had brought the repressed memories of her past into the present. Seeing him desiring her so much had reminded her of the power she had discovered that a woman's body can have over a man. Part of the guilt she faced over her ordeal with Roger stemmed from the fact that she had tried to bury those college memories because she didn't feel that any man who knew of her past could possibly love her. For those horrible two months, she literally was in turmoil, and she felt powerless to stop, even though her marriage was on the line.

As Shawn heard her tell of her past, he could feel the pain she was experiencing. He had to admit that if he had known about her past like he did now, he might not have pursued a relationship with her after that first meeting in the café. But he also knew that he had said he wasn't interested in her past, but instead wanted to focus on their future. It was one of the reasons Erin fell so deeply in love with him.

As he looked at her now, he knew he needed to say something. As horrified as he was to hear of her past, he realized that the pain she must have endured to tell him must have been close to the same level of pain he experienced when he found out about her two month episode with Roger. During their first eight years together, he had never doubted her love and affection for him, and for the first time after Roger, he felt that her telling him her past might have shown that level of love again.

Under the watchful eyes of Dr. Brown, Shawn stood up and walked over to where Erin was sitting. He helped her to her feet, and cupping her face with his hands, said, "Erin, when I first told you I loved you, it wasn't for your past. It was for our future. I still believe the same thing now - I love you, and I always will. But now that you've told me, if you ever feel your past is compromising the present, would you please tell me, and let me help you through it before it threatens our marriage?"

Tears streamed down her face as she looked back as Shawn and said, "Of course I will - I promise not to keep anything from you ever again. I love you so much!" And with that, they hugged and kissed, signaling another breakthrough in the healing of their marriage.

Dr. Brown gave them a moment, and then told them that they needed to continue. She turned her attention to Shawn, and told him she had discovered his feelings of inadequacy about being married to Erin. She asked him to share his early experiences so that Erin could hear them. He told of also being raised by strict parents who felt it more important to learn a trade than go to college, since no one in his family had ever gone that route before. He had discovered in high school that he liked working with wood, and with that, combined with repair skills he had learned from his dad, he began advertising for jobs as a handyman, listing among his qualifications general repair and remodeling. It was slow going at first, but soon he was earning enough that he could move out of his parents' home at age 20 and strike out completely on his own.

Working hard and producing good results meant that gradually people learned about him and his work, and over a long period of time, he had built up a clientele list that meant he wouldn't have too many dry spells where he didn't have work. He felt comfortable with creating a brochure that displayed some of his before and after pictures of the work he had done.

In the process of building up his business, he didn't have much time for a social life. Often he worked long hours because he had underestimated the time frame necessary to complete a project, and he wanted to completely satisfy the customer by finishing the job on time.

So on that fateful day in the café when Erin was seated at his table, he was intimidated with the fact that this beautiful professional woman was talking to him, when he was just a lowly handyman with no formal college education. Even as they continued to hit it off and got closer to each other, he harbored his feeling of inadequacy in the back of him mind, always fearing that she was going to "wake up" and find out that he wasn't good enough for her.

And yet that never happened, and by the time they got married six years ago, his fears had been virtually removed from his mind. When they would go to social events for the accounting firm, the fears would surface from time to time, since he felt like he was the only uneducated person there. But Erin never made him feel inferior, and he realized that she loved him for who he was, not who he thought he wasn't.

So when he found out about her episode with Roger, all of these feelings of fear came flooding back all at once. And while he was very angry with her for doing this to their relationship, he was also afraid that whatever Erin saw in Roger would also be present in any number of potential colleagues with whom she worked. Part of his decision on whether to stay or go centered on the fact that maybe he should walk away so she could pursue someone who was as educated as her.

When Erin heard this, she couldn't wait to address these issues with Shawn. First, she said, "Shawn, have I ever indicated to you that I didn't think you were my equal? It's the opposite - I consider you to be the strong anchor of our relationship! Do you know that now? Do you see how much I need you? It should be more evident after the episode than before. I need you to be my rock."

He looked at her and said, "No, it's never been you that has caused my feelings. It's one of the things I love about you."

She said, "Good. In fact, after being with you at work for the past week or so, I can see just how much skill you have. It's been thrilling to watch you work, and that you're being patient with me and showing me how I can help you."

Dr. Brown was surprised to hear that they had been working together. She concluded that session, marking the positives she had seen in their growth. She recommended they reduce the number of session to once every two weeks, and eventually moved it back ever further, to once a month.

******

The final event in the restoration of Shawn and Erin's marriage came as a complete surprise. It presented itself in the form of a phone call. It was now nine months since the near break-up of their marriage. By this time, Erin was heavily involved with several aspects of the business: doing all of the financial work, creating design options for clients, and daily working beside Shawn as her skill set increased under his instruction. She had even designed an advertising logo for the company, and they now wore matching shirts with that logo printed on them. Those shirts had become their company uniform, and anytime they were on the job, they wore them.

She had also taken over answering phone calls and scheduling jobs. So when she answered the company phone one morning while they were on a job, she figured it was just the usual things they deal with - perhaps a request for a bid, or a supplier calling and telling them something was in.

She was surprised when the caller said, "Hello, I'm Rachel Boone, and I own the Hometown Café downtown. It's been over 10 years since we've done any remodeling, and it's time for a new look. I've been given the name of your company because you did some outstanding work for a friend of mine. Is there any way we can get together to talk about this?"

Erin nearly dropped the phone - it was their café, or at least the one that used to be their café. They had neither one stepped foot in there since what they had begun calling "decision day." She pounded her knuckles on the wall where they were working to get Shawn's attention as she said, "Yes, I think we can work something out. How soon would you like to sit down and visit?"

Rachel answered, "As soon as possible - we are heading into a slow season, and I was hoping we could arrange the remodeling to take place during that time. Do you know where the café is?"

Erin smiled. "Oh, yes, my husband and I have been there many times in the past, although not lately. Shall we arrange for a meeting tomorrow?"

"Yes, that would be fine. How about if you come in for supper tomorrow evening? The meal will be my treat. I'm very interested in hearing your opinions of what a new remodel would look like."

Erin paused, and then said, "Please hold for a minute while I confer with my husband - he's the other half of the company." She put the phone down and told Shawn, "It's the café - OUR café! The owner wants to do a complete remodel, and wants us to come to dinner there tomorrow evening to talk about it. Are we up for this?"

Shawn looked at Erin and said, "Of course - I don't have any hesitation going over there. I think we've moved on pretty well from our last meeting there. This could be a lucrative job. Can you handle it?"

"If you are with me, I can handle anything! Let's do it!"

She returned to the phone, and set up a dinner meeting for 7:00 the next evening. She cut off the call, and told Shawn it was set up.

Erin thought for a minute, and then said, "You know, we kind of left that place with a bad taste in our mouths. I know we've moved on with our lives, but I wonder what our feelings will be, seeing the café again, and seeing my former office just across the street?"

He reassured her. "Remember, if it's a struggle, tell me, and we'll get through this together."

The next evening, they walked in together, hand in hand. The hostess who was working on that fateful day nine months ago was there again, and she recognized them. She smiled when she saw them holding hands. They told her that they were meeting with the owner, and she immediately took them to a table towards the back of the café, on the other side of the building from what used to be their table. Rachel Boone was already sitting there, along with a man who looked to be about her age.

Rachel stood up to greet them. "Shawn, and Erin, it is a pleasure to meet you face to face. You look familiar. Are you customers here?"

Shawn answered, "Yes, many times, although it's been a few months since we were last here."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Was it because of the food, or perhaps the service?"

Erin decided to answer her question - after all, it was her fault they had quit coming. "No, it was nothing to do with the café or the food. We have always enjoyed coming. It's just that sometimes life gets in the way and changes your plans."

Rachel nodded. "I understand - I do know how things like that happen. This is my husband Dale. Together, we are the owners and operators of the Hometown Café."

After shaking Dale's hand, they sat down. A server came and took their order. After that, they started talking about what they had hoped to accomplish with the remodel. Shawn watched with pride as Erin basically took over the meeting, asking about themes, color schemes, floor plans and such. She seemed to be in her comfort zone as she fielded questions from the Boone's and tossed them back, jotting notes at every step of the way.

They continued talking after their food arrived. One of Shawn's concerns was the timing of the remodel. The Boone's had agreed to close the café for two weeks to allow the remodel to take place without interruption from customers and staff. As big of a project as this was going to be, that wasn't a lot of time, so he knew they would have to build in the expense of sub-contractors to do much of the work.

They continued discussing the project for 30 more minutes after dinner was finished. When it was time to go, Rachel said, "Shawn and Erin, visiting with you tonight has made me that much more sure that I want you to take on this project. Erin, you have some fantastic ideas, and I'm excited to see where you will go with this. Send me an estimate as soon as possible - let's become partners!"

They walked out the door holding hands as they did upon arriving. When they got to the car, Shawn escorted Erin to her side to open her door, but not before he grabbed her and pulled her closely to him, planting a huge kiss on her surprised lips.

"What was that for?" Erin exclaimed.

He replied, "Two reasons - first all of, we handled going back to the scene of the crime, if you will. I'd say we certainly have moved on and left that stuff behind. But secondly, you were amazing in there! You took over that meeting, discussing remodel ideas and color schemes and themes like you've been doing this all your life! Can you believe you started out just wanting to be with me one day at work, and now you're running design meetings with people who probably have far more money than we do!"

"Do you think I was too pushy? I didn't mean to dominate the meeting like that!"

"Relax, Erin - they were obviously impressed, because they've given us a lot of work to do!"

They got home and immediately put in a couple of hours' work before they went to bed. Shawn was so impressed with the start Erin had gotten that he had her stay home from their current work project the next couple of days to get more of a handle on the design choices she was going to present. When he got home the second day, she had three rough sketches drawn up of the inside of the café, each with a different design and color scheme. He made a couple of suggestions, and then she got to work on the final designs. She wasn't an art or architecture major by any means, but her drawings were professional enough that the focus of the design scheme came through.

Once the designs were complete, the two of them sat down to figure out a bid estimate. There was a slight difference in one of the designs as far as cost was concerned, but it probably wasn't enough of a difference to sway the Boones' selection process. Shawn had contacted a couple of potential sub-contractors for the electrical work and flooring. He believed he and Erin could take care of the rest. It would be a long two weeks, working up to 16 hour days, but they both believed in this project, so they moved forward.

Eventually the Boones selected the most expensive design, which happened to be the favorite of Erin. They established a construction timeline and blocked out a two-week period where the café would be closed, allowing for the most work possible without interruption.

The time came for the work to begin. Shawn and Erin put their heart and soul into the remodel. It turned out to be even more work than they had anticipated, but that fact did not deter them from wanting to reach the end goal. The sub-contractors arrived on schedule, and Shawn had the project ready for them to begin immediately. The Boones had ordered new tables and chairs, and they arrived unassembled, so Shawn starting putting the tables together while Erin worked on the chairs.

It was a race to the end of the project. Shawn and Erin pulled an all-nighter the day before the scheduled re-opening. In fact, the morning breakfast crew started in with their food prep while Shawn and Erin were still working. When the doors opened at 6 a.m., they had just loaded up their tools and finished with the final cleaning. The café was opened on time with a completely new theme and color scheme.

Shawn and Erin didn't wait around to hear the compliments. They both were exhausted - all they wanted to do was shower and get some sleep. They had been invited back later in the evening to be the guests of honor at the official grand re-opening party. Until then, there was nothing but sleep on their agenda.

When they finally did wake up later in the afternoon, they decided they would dress up a little, since it was a party. Erin had lots of clothes to choose from, since she didn't wear her business suits anymore. But Shawn had other ideas for her. He chose a dress she hadn't worn in a couple of years. It was form fitting, and showed off her graceful curves very well. In addition, it was fairly short, so her legs would be well displayed. He chose to wear a long sleeve sweater over gray slacks. They looked like a very modern couple as they walked in to the café.

After sitting down, there were introductions, followed by lots of good food. The Boones' sat at the table with them. In the midst of all of the commotion and celebrating, Shawn looked down at his phone to see what time it was, and also saw something else that surprised him. He looked over at Erin and said, "Do you know what today is?"

Erin said, "Yes, it's the day that our company is celebrating our greatest success to date!"

"Yes, but something else. It was nine years ago today that you walked in door of this café, sat down at my table, and changed my life forever!"

Erin smiled at him, and then frowned. "That means it was one year ago today when I about threw that all away."

Shawn reach out to stroke her hair, as he said, "I choose not to remember last year's anniversary. In fact, I think this is certainly the most appropriate way to remember this day. Nine years ago we met, and today the café opened with its new look, thanks to us. I think we will remember this day fondly for the rest of our lives!"