Valentine’s Day Card - Another View

Sheri and I took Monday and Tuesday off work. There was very little discussion between us on either day. Our communication, gazing into each other's eyes and our physical intimacy made words unnecessary.

Part 9 - Tuesday, A friend departs

On Tuesday, the three girls brought John by on their way to the airport. He looked smart in his uniform with his captain's bars shining on his shoulders. John's smile said everything - he was alive once more. He shook Alex's hand and hugged Sheri. Sheri then introduced Alex to her three friends.

Alex turned to John and said "Be careful over there. I'm taking you for drinks and dinner when you get back."

John smiled and said "I'll look forward to that! Drinks and dinner but PLEASE, no skating and no dancing!! That almost killed me!!" His laugh was full and genuine. Neither Alex nor Sheri had never seen him so happy.

As John stood with Shannon on one arm and Joanie on the other, Shannon smiled, pulled at his arm, looked at Joanie and said "Make a wish" playing as though John were a wishbone. John smiled, pulled his arms free and then put his arms around both their shoulders and held them close.

John said, "I got my wish. I got my life back." He then reached in back of him and pulled Alyssa to him saying "Thanks to all of you, words can't express how grateful I am to have all of you as friends."

John then turned to Sheri, "Thank you for listening to me all those times, it really helped. You are the sister I never had and the best friend imaginable." Then he said something completely unexpected "You are so lucky to have Alex as your husband. Everyone in the office is amazed how thoughtful he is, the flowers and other little gifts and gestures sent for no special occasion. It is obvious to all of us that he loves you with all of his heart. If I ever get another chance, I hope I can be as good a husband."

Shannon laughed and then chimed in "Yes, we three girls all wanted to meet the one man who thawed the Ice Queen."

Alex had a puzzled look on his face "The Ice Queen?"

Shannon continued "Yeah, that's what the guys in the office call her. The guys will occasionally hit on her and she shuts them down hard and without an ounce of remorse. No one has ever seen even the hint of flirting. With Sheri being so gorgeous, she's a challenge to every man who sees her. Except Phil, he's gay."

All the girls laughed and Shannon continued "Most guys never even get a smile. And more than a few have been told off, just for good measure. If words alone could castrate..."

Joanie interrupted, "That's why we all wanted to meet you, Alex. We've heard more than our share about her passion for you and how you..."

Shannon interrupted, probably to save everyone from embarrassment, "Well on to the airport!" And John left with the three girls.

I looked at Sheri who had a few tears at John's departure. It was perfectly natural, seeing a friend off and knowing where he was going and the terrible dangers he would face. I fully understood, I felt a sadness at John's departure as well. I had never been jealous in our seven years together. Not before that day, that Valentine's Day. But now seeing her tears for John, a small pang of jealousy pierced my heart. Then I looked at Sheri and holding her in my arms, I thought of how beautiful she is, how kind, how compassionate, how caring. Then, for the first time, I admitted to myself that she wasn't perfect, but she was closer than anyone I had ever known.

I thought of Cynthia Gray's words. I found comfort in remembering her saying that sometimes our desire to help someone in distress overwhelms our judgement. I was obviously hoping this was the case with Sheri. But Cynthia's other words haunted me; how any happily married woman could conceive of any circumstances in which her husband would agree to such a request - card or no card.

We have a long way to go. My fear is that we will never be the same; that I will never be able to give her my 'everything' as I had before; that we will have irretrievably lost the closeness we had. Yes, I know we can have a 'happy' marriage going forward, we love each other very much. But will we have the same joy, the same exuberance as before? I don't know if we can recapture that.

The End

End notes: In Tx Tall Tales' original story, John was killed in Afghanistan. I prefer to think he survived. I ended this story with his departure. I had difficulty with some aspects the original story: that a man who really loved his wife could consent to her being with another man; that he would willingly accept blowjobs, kissing and showering together from her friends to keep him 'distracted' during his wife's adultery; or that he would accept an inheritance of money and a sports car from her now dead lover - that seemed like payment for her services. The husband's actions, even more than hers caused me to lose sympathy for both of them.

In this version, Alex and Sheri will need counseling, individually and together, to work through what happened and why, to answer all those unanswered questions, and to exorcise the tremendous hurt they both experienced. This story ends with them in the process of reconciliation, committed to receiving counseling and committed to each other. The road ahead will not be easy. For most men, and I include Alex among them, love for their wife (and their children) is their greatest source of joy and also their greatest vulnerability. When we open our hearts to love, we also open them to the possibility of the total destruction of our life and our very self.