Purple Rain

"Where's your mom?" I asked the boys.

"She was going to come but ran into some problems. She'll try to be here later if she gets it taken care of," said Jerry.

"What sort of problems, Jerry?"

"The garbage disposal stopped working and the sink is full of crud. She's been so busy already and then this problem with the garbage disposal. It's the stuff Tom used to take care of."

I looked over at my dad. "Where do you keep the tool box with the plumbing and electrical tools?

"On the workbench in the garage," replied dad.

"I'd like to borrow it for a little bit if I may."

My dad knew I was going over to help Marci. "Do you need me to come along?" asked dad.

"No thanks, Dad. I think I can handle this." I told mom that I would be back in time for the cookout as I headed into the garage to get the tools.

A few minutes later I was at Marci's.

"Barry, what are you doing here?" she asked when she answered my knock.

"I heard you were in need of a repairman and I wasn't busy. So lead me to the garbage disposal."

The boys were right. The sink was full of crud and the disposal didn't work. I hit the reset button and it ran but nothing went down the drain. I was busy taking all the things out from under the sink.

"Barry, you don't need to do this. I was going to call a plumber."

"Marci, you need the help and I know what I'm doing. Besides, we have a cookout to be at in two hours."

I smiled at her then asked her for a bucket. Taking out the trap from the garbage disposal proved my hunch. A combination of egg shells and potato peels jammed the trap. The minute I took it out all the crud went into the bucket. I put the pipes back together and told her to try the disposal. When it worked fine, I gathered the tools and turned to her.

"Okay, the boys said your toilet keeps dripping. Is that true?"

"Yes but you don't need..."

"Marci, I'm here to help. Please let me try."

She smiled and nodded. While she put the stuff back under the kitchen sink, I checked the toilet. When I saw I would need a new part for it, I headed over to the hardware store. It took me longer to get the part than it did to repair the toilet.

"Okay, what else do you need to do before we go to the cookout?"

"The house is a mess. I can't just leave it like this," said Marci.

"Go do what you have to. I'll fill the dishwasher and mop the kitchen floor."

She looked at me as I reached for some dishes. I guess she figured arguing with me would be a waste of time, so she went into the family room and started vacuuming.

"What else do you want done?" I asked when I finished mopping the floor,

"I have to take those boxes of Tom's stuff out. Some I want put in the attic and the others I need to take to the Salvation Army. His kids took what they wanted; I don't have any use for the remainder of his clothes. The stuff to go up in the attic I'll try selling at a garage sale."

I carried the heavy boxes out to the garage and the clothes for the Salvation Army I put in my truck to drop off. While I was doing that the phone rang.

"Yes, we'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Yes, he got it fixed. I think so too. Okay, see you in a little bit," said Marci.

"That was Jane. She wanted to know if I was coming to the cookout. I told her we would be right there."

"What did she say that made you say, 'I think so too'?" I asked Marci.

"She thinks that you really are a caring person and have changed."

"Marci, if you need anything at all, please call me. I mean it. Now come on, we have to get to the Salvation Army and then to the cookout. I'm getting hungry."

We made our stop first and then headed over to moms. The food was ready and they were waiting for us.

While we were eating I talked to the boys.

"Tomorrow you two have to carry some heavy boxes up to the attic for your mom. Also, get your bedrooms cleaned up and the beds made each morning. You boys need to help your mom a lot more now; she's going through a rough time. Oh, and by the way, the grass is getting a little high. I'll leave it up to you boys on who mows and who trims."

Everyone was a little surprised that I spoke up; after all, I never interfered before in how Marci raised the kids. Even the boys looked surprised. But Marci didn't say a word.

"You two want to go to a ballgame next weekend? I got four tickets from work and thought you might be interested in going," I said to the boys.

"That would be great. We haven't seen a game since last year when—Tom took us," said Larry.

"It's all right to talk about him, Larry. He was a wonderful man and you should hold your memories of him close to your heart," I said.

"What are you going to do with the extra ticket, Dad?" asked Jerry.

"I don't know. Do you guys have a friend you'd like to bring along?"

"What about mom? She always went when Tom took us," Jerry replied.

I looked over at Marci. "Do you like baseball? Would you like to come with the boys and me next Saturday?"

"Yes, I like to go to the games; but I have so much to do," she said.

Jane spoke up. "Marci, you need to get out. I think you should go and enjoy yourself. Whatever you need done can wait."

I was surprised to hear Jane saying Marci should go out with me. Maybe I was a better person.

****

We had a great time at the game. When the boys told me what they knew about the players, I thought again how Tom sure taught them a lot. Just sitting next to Marci and seeing her smile made my day. I felt like we were a family again.

After the game we stopped at a pizza joint. While we waited for our order, Larry tapped my shoulder.

"Dad, can we go to the amusement park this year?"

"That's up to your mom, but I'm game," I replied.

Marci gave me that "you want me to be the bad guy," look, which made me grin.

"I don't know. Why don't I talk it over with Aunt Jane and maybe she can bring the girls too."

Our pizza came and the boys began talking about the game again. I really enjoyed spending time with them all.

"Barry, I'll get back to you about the amusement park after I call Jane," Marcy said when I brought them home.

"That sounds good to me." I waved at the boys and left with a big smile on my face.

I couldn't believe it when I got a call from Jane the following week.

"Barry, what are your plans with Marci? I can tell you still care for her but what are you expecting from her?"

"Sis, I love her, and I always have. I screwed up big time and I know it. I'm just taking it a day at a time and hope I can win her back. I never interfered with her marriage to Tom. Now she's a widow and I'll do anything to win her back. I'll never hurt her again."

"Well, she called about the park and wanted my opinion. I told her I thought it would be fun. Jim wants to go too. Just promise me that you won't push her. She's vulnerable right now and could really use another friend."

"Sis, I want to be that friend, for both her and the boys."

The park was fun. We let the kids run ahead with the boys watching their cousins. All the adults rode rides together. Marci and I held hands a number of times, though I wasn't pressuring her at all.

I saw more of her and the boys the following month. One afternoon when I dropped the boys off I took a chance.

"Would you go on a date with just me?"

"Barry, what are you expecting of me?"

"Marci, I'm in love with you; I always have been. I'm willing to wait as long as I have to, and I promise never to hurt you again."

"Okay, we can see a movie and maybe have dinner. Don't rush me; I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing going out with you alone."

"Thank you," I said just before I left.

The following weekend we went to the movies. We held hands and I spilled Nacho cheese sauce on my pants. Marci started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Remember our first date when you spilled cheese sauce on your pants? Just now is like the same thing all over again."

"I'll have to change if you still want to go out for dinner. You can wait in the car if you like."

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm a big girl now," she said, then laughed.

At my apartment I went to change my trousers. Before I took even one step, I saw Marci staring at me. I stood there with my mouth open. She came up to me and kissed me. It was a lover's kiss and I returned it as such.

"I love you too, Barry. I want to make love to you; I've wanted to for a long time."

I was in a combination of love and lust. "I waited and prayed for this day for so long. I want you so bad, Marci."

I helped her off with her clothes and removed the rest of mine. I started by kissing her, first gently and then harder. I worked my way down to her breasts and sucked and kissed them. Next was her belly. I remembered how she loved her lower tummy kissed.

I moved my face down to her sparse mound and began kissing it. I went lower and started licking and sucking on her pussy. She was wet; making noises and talking to me as I ate her out. God, how I loved her.

"Do you want me to wear a condom?" I asked.

"Have you been with anyone lately?"

"Not since New Years," I replied.

"I'm on the pill so I'll leave it up to you."

I couldn't believe I was with the woman I loved. It felt so much better. It wasn't long before we both came. I kept feeling her pussy spasm and didn't want to pull out. Finally I rested lightly on her and kissed her before rolling next to her.

"Do you still want to go to dinner?" I asked, unsure of what she was thinking.

"Can we stay here instead and maybe take a nap and have a repeat performance?"

That was the beginning of our dating. We went out at least every other weekend, sometimes with the boys and others by ourselves. We went to dinner with Jane and Jim a few times.

I stopped by her house one day and she said her parents wanted to see me. I was scared shitless, even though I was a man. They were the people who never liked me, and I cheated on their daughter. With the boys outside playing, her dad looked at me and began explaining why I was there.

"Barry, I know you felt that we never cared for you, but that isn't true. We liked you but thought that you were just too young to get married. Marci's pregnancy was as much her fault as yours.

"Now that you're dating again, she wanted us to know. Barry, we're good friends with your parents and we know that you've really tried to straighten out your life. You don't need our approval to date Marci, but you do have it. Just think twice about what decisions you make. And above all, we don't want Marci hurt again."

"Mr. and Mrs. Billings, I've grown up and realize my mistakes. I have no intention of making them again. Know that I love Marci and our sons. They are my life. Marci and I are just taking it a day at a time."

"We can understand that, and appreciate your honesty."

After our talk, I stayed for dinner. I felt like Marci and I were dating for the first time, only older. And now I had her parents' permission. Since it was in the open, we were together more often. I never did spend the night at her house. We wanted the boys to know we were working on our relationship but weren't quite there yet.

One night she told me the people at work were glad to see her back to normal since Tom's death. Very few knew she was dating her ex-husband. But some people didn't think she should be dating anyone so soon.

"Barry, I need to tell you about Tom and me. Please don't interrupt. I have to tell you this if we are to go any further.

"When you cheated on me, I hated you. I can't tell you how much I wished you would just die. After the divorce my feelings changed. You see, I hated what you did to our family, but deep down in my heart, I still loved you. It was tearing me apart.

"That's when I met Tom. He was good looking, strong, older and wiser. He told me to stop carrying around all the hatred. It wasn't good for me and life was too short to go around hating people."

None of what she had said so far was new to me. I did hurt her when I cheated. More than that, I hurt what we had as a family.

"We became friends. He told me about his family and his wife's death. After we spent more time together, we became good friends. You asked me years ago if I loved him. At the time I cared for him very much, but I didn't know if it was love.

"He helped me through some very difficult times. When he asked me to marry him, I said yes. He was a wonderful husband; good to me and to the boys. We got along fine and rarely argued. When you came back into the picture, he asked me if I still had feelings for you. I told him the truth and said that I did. But I made sure he knew I would never jeopardize my marriage with him. He understood and had total trust in me.

"If you asked me today if I loved him the answer would be yes. I don't know how to explain it but it was different from the love I felt for you. Please understand that if we're together there may be times that I compare you with him, or might even call you Tom. I'm still shaky about our relationship but I'm willing to give it a try. I just want you to know that I did love Tom and I do love you."

"Marci, I love you and we'll work it out as we go. I have no intention of letting you go again," I said when she finished.

Thanksgiving came up before we knew it. Mom asked Marci and I to invite her parents over for dinner. The Billings agreed and that was going to be the game plan.

I decided to go one step further and ask Marci to marry me again. I figured we were ready, and wanted the whole family to know my feelings.

The boys and Jane's girls sat at a table of their own, and I was sitting next to Marci. When it was time to eat, my dad asked me if I would say grace. Everyone was surprised, including Marci, but dad and I had set it up earlier.

I stood up and started grace as soon as everyone bowed their head.

"Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this wonderful day of Thanksgiving and forgiveness. Lord, we thank you for family and friends who are all here to share this wonderful meal together.

"Lord, I especially want to thank you for Marci and my sons, who mean the world to me. This is what I hope to be the first of many Thanksgivings that we share together. In saying that I would like to ask Marci to be my wife again, to have and to hold, till death us do part. Amen."

I turned to Marci and got down on one knee. Then I opened up her ring set from years ago. "Marci, will you marry me?"

"Barry, why are you asking me now? Oh my god, that's my wedding ring that I threw at you."

After all these years, I had kept them for just such an occasion. Today they sparkled as they had done so long ago.

"Marci, I love you and I know you love me. We have two great sons and wonderful families who support us. I want to be married before Christmas morning so I can be there to watch my boys and my wife open their presents. I promise you that I have matured and will be the best husband ever if you say yes."

Marci looked around at all the faces around her. No one said a word. Even the boys were quiet. I was still on one knee. When she didn't say more, I hoped I hadn't pushed the envelope too soon.

She folded her hands and said a prayer. When she finished, she had tears in her eyes. "Yes, Barry, I'll marry you."

Everyone at the table begin talking at once. I leaned over to kiss her before I slipped the engagement ring onto her finger.

"When are you getting married? Can we be there?" asked Larry.

"Probably in a couple of weeks. Give us a little time to make plans. And yes, you can both be there," replied Marci.

"Are we having only one Christmas this year?" Jerry asked.

Marci told him it wouldn't change much. We would still go by Grandma Billings on Christmas Eve, open presents at home Christmas morning and then go to Grandma Hopkins that evening for dinner.

"Dad, will you take us Christmas shopping at that store again so we can buy mom something nice? Last year she was really surprised and all she got was a pretty box."

"Jerry, I'll tell you what. Since you liked the store so much, you, Larry and I can go back to Victoria's Secret this year, and I'll find something for your mom for Christmas."

Marci looked at me with her mouth open as everyone laughed. This year, I was excited as the kids about Christmas. My family was together again, and that was all that mattered.

I'm singing in the rain, Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin', I'm happy again
The sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love
I walk down the lane
Just singin', singin' in the rain.

Thank you for reading my story
Comments are welcome and appreciated
DG Hear