Bouncing Back Up

By Chuck Dozier

This book is a continuation of the story that began in my first book, The Second Time Around. It depicts marriage disappointments and disillusions from a male perspective. Most men are fundamentally good and can resist the temptations of infidelity when given a choice. The challenges of dealing with a wife that constantly pushes them to the margin of her life can often be too much for some men to bear.

As a young man right out of college, Norman, was assigned by his company to a territory in southern Pennsylvania. While living there Norman met Gail, an attractive middle-aged woman that was ten years his senior with a teenage daughter. Gail and Norman became inseparable and very much in love. Neither of them felt any pressure to get married.

After six years Norman was promoted and had to transfer to another part of the country. Fearing that their age difference would cause their relationship to fade, Gail opted to stay in Pineville and they drifted apart. Many years later when their paths crossed again Gail realized that she was still in love with the man that she had considered her soul mate.

This book tells what happens as the star-crossed lovers struggle to forge a relationship that seems to be destined for a life of together ever-after. With admirers from several different angles, Norman struggled to maintain his fidelity to his marriage and disappointments in the effort threatened to derail his resurgent relationship with his wife.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664190955

Chuck Dozier

Authors Bio Chuck Dozier has been writing for nearly two decades with numerous published articles and his life changing manuscripts to his credit. His knowledge of the world and life comes from having traveled extensively. His travels have taken him to every state in the US and across much of four continents. He grew up in northeastern South Carolina where he was the seventh child in a family with ten children. He shares a very close relationship with his six brothers and three sisters, most of who still lives in the area. After graduation from Chestnut High School, an all black school in North Myrtle Beach, SC, he attended college at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. He was a member of Marshalls foot team in 1968 and 1969. His life suffered a tragic jolt in 1970 when he lost several close friends and school mates in the plane crash that took the lives of nearly the entire Marshall University football team. Years later he met and married his wife, Regina, in California where they lived for more than twenty-five years. They have a son together and now live in The Triangle area of North Carolina. Chuck enjoys hiking, fishing, golfing, traveling and writing. His biggest pleasure comes from spending quality time with his family and working in his garden.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Chuck Dozier.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/22/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

828901

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Prologue

Chapter 1

Norman Comes Back From Phoenix

Thursday Night in Bellevue

Gail Expecting Norman the Next Day

Norman Tells Nancy He’s Going Away

Norman’s Dilemma

Chapter 2

Gail Prepares For Norman To Come

Norman’s Flight to Gail

Gail Prepares to Meet Norman

Norman’s In-flight Decision

Tragedy for Gail

Fred on His Way Home from Scranton

Jeff and Samson Go Turkey Hunting

Emergency Personnel Arrive At the Scene

Attempt To Pull Truck Out Of Water

Getting Gail Out of Her Car

THE RATTLER Lifts Truck

Chapter 3

Cherry Receives Phone Call from Ambulance

Norman’s Plane on Final Approach

Gail At Hospital

Paramedics Take Trucker to Hospital

Cherry On Her Way to Hospital

Chapter 4

Norman’s Plane Arrives At The Gate

Nancy Cleans Out Her Old Office

Jeff Calls Cherry Back

Norman Arrives At Newark International

Nancy Reflects On Her Marriage

Jeff and Samson Driving to Paterson

Chapter 5

Norman leaves the Airport

Fred and Cherry in The Waiting room

Cherry Remembers Norman at The Airport

The Dr. Arrives to Report on Gail’s Condition

Cherry goes in to see Gail after Surgery

Fred Visits Gail’s Hospital Room

Chapter 6

Cherry Remembers Norman Again

Jeff At the Hospital

Jeff Goes in To See Gail

Chapter 7

Phone Call to Norman in Newark

Norman Arrives at The Hospital In Paterson

Saturday Morning For Nancy

Nancy Calls A Private Investigator

Back To The Hospital

Chapter 8

Sunday Morning

Pearl and Jerry Together

Nancy’s Phone Call To Pearl

Back To The Hospital On Sunday Morning

Pearl’s Advice

Chapter 9

Going Home Again

Jeff And Samson Head To Pineville

Chapter 10

Norman’s Return to Seattle

Nancy’s First Day At The Top

Norman In Flight

Nancy’s Day at Work

Norman is Back-Talks to Janice

Fred Tidies Up

Chapter 11

Nancy Gets Home After First Day at The Top

Jeff Returns to Paterson

Janice Calls Norman

He’s Back

Could It Be True?

Back to Work

Chapter 12

I’m Sorry

Norman Takes a Break

Hard Work At the Top

Cherry Goes Home

The Lunch Encounter

Chapter 13

The Repairs Are Made

Disaster Strikes Again

Secrets to Expose

The Hands of an Angel

The Investigator

Chapter 14

Home Sweet Home

Janice Calls

Fred In Scranton

Norman Waiting for Janice

Megan Reflects on Pricilla

Cherry Returns to Paterson

Janice Takes time with Nancy

Chapter 15

A Reminder for Norman

The Extra Move Goes Well, But…

Gail in Thought About Norman

Jerry Gets Out of the Hospital

An Unexpected Visitor

Barker visits Norman’s office and sees the flower arrangement

Chapter 16

Gail Comes Home from The Hospital

Norman’s return trip to Philly

Megan finds out who Pricilla is

Janice talks to Norman

Norman ready to reconcile

Chapter 17

Making Progress

About Steve

The Philly Connection

Janice and Norman Have Dinner

Late Night Phone Call

Norman Heads North After Breakfast

Hurt and Pain But Sweet Relief

Chapter 18

Back to the Family

Steve Springs a Surprise on Gail

Megan’s Dilemma About Pricilla

The Phoenix Encounter

Dinner with a Friend

Chapter 19

Trouble on the Road

The Courtship Days

House Hunting and Moving Plans

Party Time

Confessions of A Sister

Megan Tells Nancy About Pricilla

On His Knees for Love

Nancy Confronts Norman

Epilogue

DEDICATION

I WOULD LIKE to dedicate this book to my friends from all across the country and across the expanse of my lifetime, which encouraged me to open my literary creations to the world. I have allowed many people to view excerpts of my writings and each of you gave me positive feedback and encouragement. When I look back at the list of people that were involved in pushing me forward, they are too numerous to mention for fear of leaving someone out. When you read this, you will know who you are. Please know that your friendship is priceless and your words of encouragement were seeds planted that are now sprouting and ready to bear fruit. From the most essential essence of my being, I thank you.

Author, Chuck Dozier

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T O COMPLETE THE pages of this book has been a labor of love, adventure and excitement. I could not have reached this point without the support of the people around me…people I trust and admire. I would like to thank each of them for the kind words, the feedback, the critique and the constructive criticism. The end result is that the material between the covers of this book was born from the comments and help from these people, combined with my personality and expertise, it is reflected in the exciting story for your reading pleasure.

The following people helped me to bring this story for you to enjoy; Loraine Mitchell, Patty Vanteylingen, Jeanette Wills, Annetta Monroe, Brenda Jackson, Earnestine Allen, Karen Brown and many others who gave me ideas and encouragement for completing this work. Their valuable input helped to bring these words from my subconscious to the pages beyond this note.

I would also like to thank Patti Smith for inspiring me to start this story and for helping me to stay on track to its completion. Her longstanding friendship and compassion for literary excellence is reflected in this story.

I would like to also thank my lifelong friend, Paul Jackson, whose friendship and personality personifies the essence of many of the circumstances in this book. He has truly been an inspiration for my life’s journey.

I would like to offer a special expression of my gratitude to his wife, Brenda, without whose help to edit this manuscript would have been a much greater challenge.

PROLOGUE

N ORMAN PLACED HIS cell phone back in his pocket and handed his briefcase to Kathleen before taking his wife by the hand and walking over to where the kids were standing. Letting go of Nancy’s hand he reached down and picked up his little girl and squeezed her tight.

You look so good baby girl. I’m so glad to see you.

Then he moved his daughter to his left arm while still holding her to his chest. He looked over at his son and laid his right hand out, palm up, and Carl slapped him a five.

You da man dude. He said pointing at his son. Carl beamed back at him with a knowing smile that exuded the confidence he had in his appearance.

He turned to his wife again and didn’t speak. He simply looked at her for a long moment. He couldn’t decide whether to be excited or to be cautious. He had been through a lot in the past few years and he just couldn’t believe that it would all come to an end, just like that. Besides, his feelings for his old girlfriend had resurfaced and had grown very strong in the past few weeks. The harsh treatment and the lack of attention from his wife had caused his heart to slip from her grasp and he was feeling uneasy about handing it back over to her. He had made a commitment to Gail to come to her and he would need to go slow in changing his mind about that commitment. He finally decided that caution toward his wife’s newfound love for him would be the order of the day.

Norman’s reason for caution had been building for years. His wife had left him no choice but to file for divorce and try to find a life with the loving and caring he felt was required to keep a marriage strong. His marriage had deteriorated to the point of destruction and he was not sure he wanted to reconsider living with his wife any longer. He didn’t want to divorce her but his heart had changed.

He’d left earlier in the week on this business trip to Phoenix and was just returning, but with plans to leave the next morning and fly to the east coast to hookup with Gail. He knew she’d be waiting for him and he also knew that she was excited to know that he was coming. It was all she could do to contain herself when he told her he was coming. His plane was scheduled to touch down at Newark the next evening and an element of excitement was building inside him. But right now, he had to get home and make his way through another night with his wife and whatever she would come up with tonight.

CHAPTER 1

Norman Comes Back From Phoenix

N ORMAN’S PRIVATE COMPANY jet was going to touch down at six-thirty in the evening at Seattle Tacoma International. As if rehearsing for a drill they would perform later the plane’s gear unfolded from the belly of the G-3 and grabbed at the pavement at precisely six-twenty-nine in the evening and rolled out to a taxi speed. The pilot reversed the engines causing the nose of the plane to dip and then slow its roll. He took the first taxiway to the left and headed for the tarmac. As they were taxing to the boarding area that was designated for private planes the limo rolled out onto the tarmac near where his plane would come to rest. His personal assistant had stayed in the front cabin with him on the trip back to Seattle. They worked on a number of things that he needed to have done during his absence the next few days and they spent time talking about other aspects of the business, including future projects for his organization.

Kathleen glanced out the window of the corporate jet and saw that the limo was there. That pleased her. Once the plane stopped it took she and Norman a few minutes to collect their things and start off the plane. It was important for them to collect everything from the cabin because the plane would most likely take off again the following day, or maybe even later that night, carrying another company executive to some other destination across the country or around the globe.

Kate walked through the door first and carefully made her way down the stairs, placing one of those long shapely legs very carefully in front of the other until she was able to plant herself on the concrete, and then stood next to the stairs to wait for her boss. Norman came down next, a lot more casually and bouncing from one step to the next as she waited at the bottom of the steps and looking up at him with eyes that displayed appreciation and admiration. It was no mystery how she felt about him. From the very beginning she loved working with him. Everyone around knew that she was good at her job and that she would do anything to protect him and his career. She never missed a beat and as a result, he shined like a freshly polished diamond.

When he was on the tarmac, they started toward the long car which was obviously waiting for the two of them. Kathleen thought she had ordered a standard limo for the return trip to the office but didn’t think much of it when the longer, stretched model showed up. She surmised that the limo company must have run out of smaller cars and sent the luxury model instead. They often did that for their corporate clients and there was never an extra charge for the luxurious premium model.

There were people at the office late, waiting to meet with Norman and he and Kate would have to hurry in order to be on time for the 7:30pm meeting. This was an emergency meeting that he called because he was leaving town the following morning and would be gone for a couple of days. The problems that developed in Phoenix needed to be addressed right away and couldn’t wait until he returned the following week. He wanted to make sure that his people got on this thing before it got out of hand. He expected them to swing into action the following morning and get a handle on this issue so that business would not suffer in the Arizona market.

They were still about thirty feet from the vehicle when the driver opened the rear door in an apparent move to welcome them to his car. Instead of them getting in when the door opened, the lady stepped out.

She had spent the whole day pampering herself. She shopped and found just the right outfit that would make the statement that she wanted. The dress fit her to a tee. She was wearing a wide brim white hat that pulled it all together and four-inch stilettos that accented her legs like never before. When she straightened she stood tall and confident. She wore a pair of sunglasses to set off the entire outfit just for this occasion. She took two steps away from the vehicle’s door, but not in his direction.

Norman and Kate stopped, almost in mid-stride, about half way between the plane and the car. They both stood there with their mouths open in apparent shock, looking at the sight that they couldn’t believe. Nancy had never met him at the airport before. She was usually home with the kids, while waiting for him to return from one trip or another. This was something very different for both of them. He wondered where the kids were if she was here. He got his answer very quickly.

At that very instant his son stepped out of the car as if on cue. He was looking like a smaller version of himself…his mini clone. Carl was dressed in a navy two-piece suite with a sky-blue shirt and a darker blue tie. His shoes sparkled like they were wet. His hair had been neatly trimmed and he looked as dapper as a prince. He had one hand in his pocket and the other hung casually at his side. He also wore a pair of dark glasses. He took one step away from the car but not in the direction of his father. Instead, he moved next to his mom.

Norman and Kate looked at each other with amazement. Neither of them spoke, but their mouths were still a gaped. Then they turned back in the direction of the car just in time to see his daughter emerge.

Crystal was dressed in a beautiful little sundress that was the same color as the one her mom wore. Her hair had been done by a professional and she looked five years older than her years. Norman’s mouth dropped even further open as he looked at his little girl, who appeared to be a teenager.

Kathleen and Norman looked at each other again but still didn’t say anything. Nancy stepped forward to meet her husband but didn’t reach for him. She took a strong pose and stood in front of him for a moment allowing his eyes to wash over her. Then she spoke:

Norman. I’m back.

Norman still couldn’t say anything. He looked in the eyes of his wife, who still wore sunglasses. His mouth had gone dry and wouldn’t let him speak. He stood there as if frozen in time.

I know that I have been away from you. She went on. I know that I have put you through a lot of mess lately. I know that you didn’t deserve all the hardship I’ve caused you over these past few years, and I’m sorry. I’m going to make it up to you Norman. You’re the man I fell in love with and you’re the man I love now. I’m back Norman, and I’m here to stay. I’m going to show you how sorry I am for causing you the pain you’ve had to endure. I have to tell you Norman; I’m not going to let you out of my life. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I’m going to love you forever. Just trust me one more time. The second time around will be better; you’ll see.

Norman stood in front of his wife looking in her face without saying anything. His mind was racing eighty miles a minute. Even though this was his wife standing before him apologizing, his mind went to Gail. He could picture her standing at the gate in Newark waiting for him to exit the plane. All of the moments they had shared only a few days before were flooding his consciousness. The pain he had suffered at the hands of his wife was now front and center.

He slowly reached up with both hands and took the sunglasses from Nancy’s face. He continued to study her teary eyes as his brain began to focus.

He had a lot to think about and he knew that it would take some time to do so. He had, indeed suffered a great deal of pain over the last few years. He tried to reach his wife’s heart time and time again, and failed at every juncture.

He stood there thinking about the way things were during the early years of their marriage, and how they had lost it. He also thought about the way things were when he left a few days earlier. He thought about the pain he carried with him when he left for this trip.

With that thought he dropped his head and studied the ground for a moment. He thought about the meeting that he had been rushing to get back for. He looked back into Nancy’s face and thought about the commitment he had made to Gail. He knew that she would be crushed if he did not come to her. He had re-established his feelings for her and was looking forward to seeing her the next day, and spending time with her. Now he was conflicted.

Norman was not the kind of person to make a commitment and not keep it. He did not make the decision to divorce his wife on the spur of the moment. He had put a great deal of thought into the decision and had made plans to move on with his life. But now he was compelled to reconsider his decision. Her request was too strong.

He looked over at his kids and back to his wife. Tears began to weld up in his eyes, as he thought of the path he was about to take. It would be hard, but he was left with little choice.

After a long pause he pulled out his cell phone and pushed the speed dial.

Hello.

Hi. It’s Norman. My family is back. I won’t be coming.

43298.png

N ORMAN PLACED HIS cell phone back in his pocket and handed his briefcase to Kathleen before taking his wife by the hand and walking over to where the kids were standing. Letting go of Nancy’s hand he reached down and picked up his little girl and squeezed her tight.

You look so good baby girl. I’m so glad to see you.

Then he moved his daughter to his left arm while still holding her to his chest. He looked over at his son and laid his right hand out, palm up, and Carl slapped him a five.

You da man dude. He said pointing at his son. Carl beamed back at him with a knowing smile that exuded the confidence he had in his appearance.

He turned to his wife again and didn’t speak. He simply looked at her for a long moment. He couldn’t decide whether to be excited or to be cautious. He had been through a lot in the past few years and he just couldn’t believe that it would all come to an end, just like that. Besides, his feelings for his old girlfriend had resurfaced and had grown very strong in the past few weeks. The harsh treatment and the lack of attention from his wife had caused his heart to slip from her grasp and he was feeling uneasy about handing it back over to her. He had made a commitment to Gail to come to her and he would need to go slow in changing his mind about that commitment. He finally decided that caution toward his wife’s newfound love for him would be the order of the day.

Norman’s reason for caution had been building for years. His wife had left him no choice but to file for divorce and try to find a life with the loving and caring he felt was required to keep a marriage strong. His marriage had deteriorated to the point of destruction and he was not sure he wanted to reconsider living with his wife any longer. He didn’t want to divorce her but his heart had changed.

He’d left earlier in the week on this business trip to Phoenix and was just returning, but with plans to leave the next morning and fly to the east coast to hookup with Gail. He knew she’d be waiting for him and he also knew that she was excited to know that he was coming. It was all she could do to contain herself when he told her he was coming. His plane was scheduled to touch down at Newark the next evening and an element of excitement was building inside him. But right now, he had to get home and make his way through another night with his wife and whatever she would come up with tonight.

Thursday Night in Bellevue

T HEY ALL CLIMBED back into the limo and headed back to the office to pick up Norman’s car and to drop Kate off.

The ride to the office was one of solemnest. Norman had been taken by surprise and was confused about what to do next. He looked at the kids sitting across from him teasing each other and wondered what was on their minds. They were excited about the opportunity to meet their father at the airport but did not realize the gravity of the situation. They were both taking the whole trip in stride. Norman found himself deep in thought and was reluctant to look directly at his wife. She was sitting next to him in the stretched, and opulently appointed luxury car. He knew that there was a lot to consider in this situation and that he would have to weigh every option carefully.

Kathleen sat in a position adjacent to Norman and Nancy but did not say anything. She pretended to make notes and leaf through some papers that she had on her lap. She sat with her legs crossed at the ankles and tilted to one side. The bright yellow business suite she wore suited her personality and position perfectly. She didn’t appear the least bit nervous or taken aback by the surprise that Nancy had orchestrated that evening. She knew the details of the atmosphere and stayed on task with her duties. The personal affairs of her boss were not her responsibility, although, she knew that she was the ultimate keeper of his secrets. Not for any reason would she reveal the details of anything that she thought might be construed or misconstrued as an indiscretion on his part. Her job was to protect him and to protect his reputation at every juncture. At the same time; she had to make sure that his professional needs were absolutely flawless. She was one of the best ever at doing so and this day would be no different.

When they arrived at the office he was tempted to go in for a few minutes and address the people that were there, waiting for him to return. His better judgment prevailed and he entered the building. The first to greet him was Barker.

Kathleen had gone into the meeting ahead of Norman and alerted Barker that her boss was there. She wondered if it would be appropriate if he stuck his head in for just a moment. Barker left his seat and went out into the hallway with Kate. When he stepped out he saw Norman immediately.

I thought you weren’t coming.

I had to come over here to pick up my car so I thought that I would, at least, stick my head in. After all, it was me who called this meeting.

Well come on in, everyone is still here. They’ll be glad to see you. I’ve been trying to brief them on the circumstances in Phoenix and I’m not sure that I’ve done a very good job. Maybe you can clarify a few things.

Norman went into the conference room and apologized to the group gathered there. He had called Barker from the airport to tell him that he was not coming and that had left everyone curious as to why. When he showed up in the conference room there were signs of relief on the faces of the people in the room. It was very much out of character for him to call a meeting and then not show up for it himself. He let them know that he had a personal situation that came up requiring his immediate attention and he asked Barker to brief them for him.

He went on and briefed them on the situation in Phoenix. In the process he clarified some of the things that Barker may have been confused about and gave direction to a couple of people in the room on his wishes for action that should be taken. He apologized again for not being able to stay for the rest of the meeting, and left.

43301.png

T HAT EVENING WAS one of suspense and cautious joy for Norman. He tried not to be too judgmental of Nancy but he couldn’t help it. He had taken the ultimate step in moving away from her and it would be hard to get his mind back into their relationship. From the airport to their home, he didn’t say more than a dozen words to his wife. He didn’t know exactly what to say. He spoke to the kids as if nothing was wrong but he could not bring himself to say anything to Nancy until he could get a good reading on her motives. The atmosphere between them was so thick that you could scoop it up with a shovel. When they finally reached home and was safely inside, she followed him to the bedroom where he would set down his travel bag. When they were in the room together Nancy closed the door and leaned against it with her back pressed firmly against the opening. She was trying to decide what to say to Norman that would get him to speak to her and tell her everything would be alright. She had a sinking feeling that things had gone too far. This was going to take a lot more than dressing up and meeting him at the airport with an apology.

She walked over to him and slid her arms around his waist. His body stiffened for a moment and began to relax. She looked up into his face. She explained to him again how sorry she was for what she had put him through in the past few years. Her voice came out as just above a whisper but with complete sincerity. Still Norman remained skeptical. She even told him about her promotion to Jr. Partner of CLC and all about how Harry Lopes had come to her office and apologized for the past omissions and how he was going to pay her double her salary, retroactive for three years.

She thought that Norman would be excited for her, and he was, but not in the way she had hoped. He took that news in stride and gave her a cautious hug to honor the occasion. She was clearly more jubilant about the news than he was. He seemed to weigh the news with everything else that had happened and began analyzing for how that played into the whole scheme of things.

At first, she was a little miffed that he didn’t express a more joyous and animated response to the news of her good fortune at work. Then she realized that it had not been all that long ago that Norman had called her at work with similar news about himself and she treated the news very casually. She had set the standard for this and now she was reaping the benefits. What more could she expect from a man that she had, basically ignored for the past four or five years.

When Nancy told him about the events with Harry Lopes and how she had confronted her immediate supervisor at the time of her review Norman toned in a little closer. Something seemed to click. He couldn’t quite place his finger on it but he began to feel a little more respect for his wife. Before he could completely wrap his head around the feeling his attention shifted again.

Norman’s mind went to Gail. He knew that she would be very disappointed if he didn’t come, but he had to make a decision. He found out that he still loved her and she was still in love with him. They had both started down a road that would be a challenge to return from. Gail was excited and he knew that if he reneged on his commitment to meet her a lifetime of friendship and respect would be destroyed, not to mention the woman herself. Even though that was true, his wish for his wife to come back to their relationship had come true, or so it seemed.

All evening Nancy tried to talk to him and he knew that in her heart she didn’t want to lose this marriage, but the pain from the disappointments, time after time, had left him somewhat cold. He had lived with her antics and isolation for far too long and it left him with little hope for their future together. He tried to talk to her before filing for divorce and she was not listening. He agonized about the decision and ultimately decided that being apart from her was going to give her time to find out what she wanted and it would give them both a way to move on with their lives. She had treated him like an object that she could handle any way she wanted and it would be there when she returned to play with it again. He had built a great deal of anger inside and couldn’t clear it out of the space between him and Nancy. He felt that his wife was mostly sincere about her recommitment to their marriage but he was having problems pulling himself back into it after having gone this far.

Gail loved him. She had always loved him and he knew it. The time they spent together a few weeks earlier made him realize that the spark was still there and he knew that she would be there waiting for him to come to her. He didn’t want to disappoint her. She had, obviously spent years trying to carry on life without him while holding a place for him in her heart. He knew that Gail would never treat him like anything other than her soul mate. In the six years that they had spent together all those years ago, they had never argued about anything serious. They had the ultimate respect for each other and never strayed from it. Gail was very attentive to Norman’s needs and he to hers. They communicated easily and held a genuine fondness for each other.

On the other hand, Gail had tried to help him to understand what might be happening with his wife. She had even suggested that they try to seek professional help and try to mend their relationship. "Did she really mean that or was she just trying to stay above the fray; take the high road as it were", he wondered. At the time, he felt that she was sincere about seeing him patch up things with his wife, and had given a great deal of thought to that before moving on with the decision to file for divorce.

Gail Expecting Norman the Next Day

G AIL WAS SO excited that she couldn’t sleep that night. She tried every trick she had learned over the years to help her get some sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see Norman and she imagined something happening to keep him from coming. Her eyes would pop back open and sleep would slip away again. She turned the TV to a news channel to be sure that there were no tragic news stories from the northwest and walked back and forth across her bedroom floor trying to calm herself. She wanted so badly to call Norman on his cell phone but she knew that was certain to be a bad idea, but why not, she thought. She picked up the phone and began to dial the number a couple of times. Before she could complete punching in the number, she changed her mind.

He told her that he had spent the night in the guest room the night before the last time they talked. She wondered if he was in that room this night or even if he was still at home.

It was two-fifteen when she finally lay down for the last time and forced herself to succumb to the urge to close her eyes. She drifted off a while later and woke up at five-forty the next morning. She was awake about thirty minutes before the phone rang. It startled her and she jumped straight up in bed, reaching to grab it before it could ring the second time.

Hello. This is Gail. she said before clearing her throat, which left her voice sounding groggy.

Wake up heffa.

She cleared her throat and answered her friend.

Hey girl. She said while trying to keep an even tone in her voice.

She knew that her girlfriend could tell if there was something on her mind if she gave her even the slightest hint that there was a problem. She didn’t want to get into a discussion about Norman that day with Brenda. She was too excited to talk about it. Besides, she wanted to wait to be sure that he would actually come before she let too many people know what was happening. She had already gotten Cherry involved and if things didn’t work out, she knew that her daughter would feel bad for her.

She and Brenda talked for nearly half an hour before she cut the call short to make a trip to the bathroom to relieve herself. When she returned, she began tidying up and doing different things to keep her self busy. She knew that it would be a long day and she would have to find things to keep herself occupied. She had planned to spend some time with her daughter and granddaughter at some point in the day. She knew that would relax her. She always looked forward to spending time with her two favorite people in the whole world. She had also thought about getting some beauty treatments like hair, nails, and maybe even a facial.

Norman Tells Nancy He’s Going Away

I T WAS AFTER eleven o’clock that evening when Norman told Nancy that he would be traveling to the East Coast the next morning. She didn’t ask any questions. She simply rolled her head toward him and looked for a long moment. She knew instinctively that he was going to see someone else. She could tell that there had been something bothering him all evening. This must be what it was. She wondered how serious it was but couldn’t muster the courage or the energy to discuss it right now. She was also afraid to discuss it at this time. Norman was at least back in bed with her. To her that was a sign that he was moving in the right direction and she did not want to push her luck with him. The night before he left for Phoenix, he had spent the night in the guest room.

Before coming to bed, she took the time to shower, using one of her many body washes that made her skin smell like a flower garden. She put on a sexy little piece that usually said to her husband; I want you in my arms tonight. She wasn’t sure that it was working on this occasion, because she had been in bed for nearly an hour and he had not made any attempt to reach for her or get closer to her. She thought that her performance at the airport could have been enough to convince him that she was indeed serious about rekindling their relationship but she couldn’t be sure. She was a little disappointed by his seeming lack of interest in her sexually, but not surprised. After he told her he would be leaving town the next day she was not sure she wanted to be intimate with him.

The day had been one full of emotions for her, and she wasn’t sure what to do for Norman. It had taken her all day to get her self ready for meeting him at the airport. She wanted to make the meeting something special. Everything had to be just right and she had pulled it off but she wasn’t sure she had won her husband’s confidence back. She put him through a lot in the past few years and it had become apparent that it wasn’t going to be easy for him to bounce back.

Norman was a good man and had always been loyal to his wife. He never gave her even the slightest reason to believe that he had been or would be unfaithful to her. He was a family man. His kids meant too much to him to risk the destruction of his relationship by sleeping with another woman. He had always loved Nancy. Even now he still loved her but he was simply tired and wanted to find peace in his life. She had been the one to tame his heart. Giving all that up had not been an easy decision for him, but that was the conclusion that he reached.

Nancy knew that he was a desirable man and that he would not be on the open market for long if he were to slip from her grasp. Somehow, she would have to make sure that didn’t happen. Right now, she was not sure how to reverse the slide down the slippery slope that the divorce filing had created. She wanted to reach out and grab him and hold on as tight as she could, but she resisted. Why; she didn’t know. Instinctively she felt that if she did, he would push her away and the pain might be more than she could bear. The chasm in the pit of her stomach was aching so badly that she wanted to throw up.

He lived a fun life before he married Nancy and women were never a problem for him. He had lived all over the country and had been with some of the most beautiful women that each of the towns he lived in had to offer. When he moved to Seattle, he was still a bachelor. None of his new found friends could understand how such a nice, yet, good looking man could be completely unattached and be in his thirties. He had gotten the same reaction from