A Late Husband brings back bad feelings.

Simon was late again, but this time his whereabouts could not be concealed. She had called the bar and the manager on duty confirmed it. Opening the door, the young man eased into the house. Immediately, the sound of dishes and tableware clanking in the kitchen caught his attention. “I’m home,” was all that he could muster in matter-of-fact manner. Moving to the closet, Simon removed his jacket and slipped it onto an empty hanger. Turning back toward the kitchen he repeated,
“I’m home Ellen…what’s for dinner?”
“That’s not the right question. Where were you?” She knew, but wanted to hear it from him. The long pause confirmed that he had something to hide.
“Well, I had to stop by Jilly’s to meet with Brad Gilbert. He owed me some money and we agreed to meet there so that he could pay me back.”
“And how much did you loan that scumbag?” she sarcastically pressed.
“Fifty bucks, I loaned him fifty bucks last week and he wanted to pay me back today. Got an extra ten and a beer for the trouble.”
“That’s just great, now you are Simon the loan shark, huh?”
Simon cringed. Money was tight since Ellen had been laid off her job at the market. His paychecks were just barely enough to make the payments on the house and handle the incidentals until she was called back. Loaning money to a seedy character seemed odd, only making the matter worse. But there was another reason for Ellen to be concerned about his meeting at Jilly’s. As he entered the kitchen Simon opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a beer. Twisting off the cap, he took a long swig.
“So was Doreen there?” she questioned, her tone now much more confrontational. Simon pursed his lips and nodded. Ellen was pulling out a meat loaf casserole from the oven. She would not look at him and he could tell that she was concerned. Walking over, he touched her shoulder.
“Look Ellen, that was over long ago. I can’t help that she still works at Jilly’s. It’s where Brad wanted to meet. I couldn’t tell him that Jilly’s was off limits to me because of what happened with Doreen. He’d laugh right into next week and then tell all the guys that I’m still hen-pecked.”
“Still henpecked? So now you’re worried that your buddies will laugh at you. What about me? I guess I don’t count as much as they do now.” She scowled.
Simon was losing the battle. He had promised Ellen not to set foot in the bar where Doreen worked. After six months the affair with the waitress was still fresh in her memory and although Simon had become a more attentive husband, lingering questions remained.
She turned quickly to face him, tears welling in her eyes. “Did you talk to her?”
“Well, yeah, kind of. She came over and asked me how I’ve been. Asked about you too - said that she was sorry about what happened.” Simon took another gulp of the beer.
“I don’t care about her,” Ellen quipped, throwing down a pan of meat loaf from the oven. It hit the table hard and tomato sauce spattered over the rim. “You had no right to go there. You promised that you’d stay away from Jilly’s…and Doreen.”
“Yeah, but that was months ago. I had to go to get my money from Brad and quite frankly, I never gave it a thought. I’m telling you, it’s over between Doreen and me. You can trust me now.”
Ellen noticed the spatter of tomato sauce and grabbed a kitchen towel from the counter. Tears began to stream down her cheek. Quickly, she used the towel to brush them away. Then she wiped up the sauce.
“I’ve been wondering why you needed to be with another woman. Was it me? Was I not the wife that you hoped that I’d be?”
Simon bowed his head slowly as the beer slipped from his hand onto the table. He didn’t want it anymore. Ellen was more important now and Simon understood that the question of his infidelity was still not fully resolved.
“It was never you Ellen. It was me. I needed to grow up and the affair with Doreen was the last step in that process. I was bored, not with you, but with myself.”
Ellen sighed, remembering that her mother had said that they had married far too young. She pressed him to continue. “So what’s different now?”
“I still can’t explain, but I didn’t mean to get involved with Doreen. I guess that it was a challenge, or maybe the excitement of being wanted by another woman. I don’t really know what drove me to do it.”
“Didn’t…didn’t I give you everything that you needed?” she stammered.
“Yes you did, but when Doreen came onto me, I lost my head. But you know, after awhile, the affair made me feel like…”
“A cheater?” she barked, recovering her acidic tone.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I felt. Every time I was with her, I thought of you. I know that sounds bad, but I did think of you…of how I felt when we were together for the first time.”
“And what if I had cheated on you?” she asked.
“Oh, you wouldn’t have done that.” Women don’t need sex like men do.” Simon realized that he’d stepped right into a pile of horse manure. “I didn’t mean it like that. What I meant to say is that women have different feelings. They need to be desired, maybe put on a pedestal to be worshiped.”
“I might have cheated on you just for spite, Simon. I’d have cheated, and then I would have confessed just to prove to you that it is wrong to hurt someone so badly.” She looked him in the eyes. “Maybe it would be with someone that you didn’t know, just so that you’d always wonder about him. You know, like if he is a hunk or whatever.”
“But you didn’t,” Simon, now somewhat in doubt acknowledged.
“Want to know why, Simon? It was because of what mother confided to me after I told her about your affair. She said that my dad had cheated on her just after I was born. It was very brief, but when she found out about it she went to see his lover.”
Simon grew uncomfortable, but asked, “And so, what happened?”
“She told the gal to cut it out and to tell my dad that she knew about their affair. That’s all.”
“That’s all? She didn’t try to get even or punish your dad otherwise?”
“No, she didn’t, dummy.” Ellen shook her head disdainfully. “Mom told me that the woman confided to her that my dad loved us, but he was afraid of being a dad. She said that he was vulnerable and that she’d taken advantage. Having met my mom, she understood how good he had it at home. The other woman cut off the affair in a way that shamed my dad into reality and he never cheated again.”
“Okay,” Simon pleaded, “Now let me make this very clear Ellen. I did not go to Jilly’s to meet up with Doreen and I did get the sixty bucks from Brad.” He waited for Ellen to absorb the first part of the confession. “But here is the rest of the story. Doreen did come over to talk to me. You see, she’s three month’s pregnant with another guy’s kid, someone that she met just after the affair. They’re getting married next week. That’s the honest-to-god’s truth and if you want me to take you down there right now to prove it, I’ll be happy to oblige.”
For the first time since he arrived home, Ellen’s face softened. “No, I believe you Simon.” She came to him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and straddled his open legs on the kitchen chair. Then she kissed him hard. The faint residue of beer and cigarettes mixed with the tomato sauce from her lips and his mouth widened to accept her probing tongue. After a deep wet kiss, she hugged him, playfully scolding,
“Now you must pay for your broken promise. Let’s forget the meat loaf. It’s dry now anyway from being overcooked. Take me out to dinner and we’ll celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?” Simon questioned. Her eyes quickly brightened.
“Our new edition silly, I’m late again.” I faint smile lit up her face. “Confirmed it with the test kit and was going to tell you at dinner.” Her lips tightened. “Your little side trip spoiled my surprise. Then…” she stopped before completing the thought.
Simon grabbed her gently. “I love you honey, I really do.”
“We’ll see, now let’s go. I’m starving and you owe me one big steak.”
THE END