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She gasped. “Don’t cut that pretty hair off, girl. You crazy?”
I rolled my eyes then winked. “Come on, woman. I’m starved.”
With my coat and purse in hand, I grabbed the Do Not Disturb tag on my way to the door.
“You leaving the television on?” Lisa asked from behind me.
Opening the door, I fastened the laminated hook onto the doorknob. “Yup.”
I tried to manage my expression. “Really?”
Lisa nodded. “Cheated on me, girl. We’ve been married for almost six years, and he was sneaking around with her for over a year.”
“And his job was how you found out?” The story sounded crazy.
“Yup. HR was made aware of it from them being ‘inappropriate’ a few months ago in a storage room,” she repeated the detail. “And I really think they were caught on tape having sex.”
“I’m not sure about that.” My brows met as I considered several scenarios of similar incidences in my line of work. “Depending on their policy, Aaron could have been terminated if they were caught in an actual sexual act. They were likely in too close of proximity or petting in an unauthorized zone of the building.”
“Maybe you’re right, but that’s the reason he told me.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “I couldn’t sleep for a week.”
“This was back in the summer. Right?” She nodded. “So, you guys are working through it?” She hadn’t said they were splitting when she began this story as we finished our salads and fries.
When Lisa said she wanted to talk, this topic was the furthest thing from my mind. I was still confused as to why she’d only share it with me privately. We had been good friends since our college days, but not more than any other girl in our crew.
“I forgave him when he told me. He cried, saying he didn’t want to lose me and the kids. He even put in for a volunteer transfer.” Lisa shrugged. “That made me believe him. When it got approved, I thought maybe it could work. Maybe he’s sincere. Now, he has to drive an hour and ten minutes to a remote office.” Her attention drifted to the piano where a woman sat and fondled the keys melodically. “I just…” Then her eyes landed on me. “I hope I’m not a fool for staying.”
Aaron was an older man in mid-level management at a tech firm in Pennsylvania. Lisa met him sometime after we’d graduated. They dated for years, and had their first child, AJ, a namesake for his father. Seven years his junior, Lisa was in love with a man who’d been married before. The previous marriage lasted all of two years, and no children were produced from the union. By all accounts, Aaron had lived a full life before Lisa, something her parents warned her about.
Needless to say, once he proposed when AJ turned a year old, Lisa quickly obliged. She’d been living with him practically since they met, refusing a long-distance relationship, considering Delaware was nearly three hours south of Easton. She earned a degree in English when we graduated, but never had a plan for it exactly. She eventually got her teacher’s certification, and began to teach in Pennsylvania. However, when AJ was born, Aaron insisted she stay at home with him. That was where Lisa had been ever since.
With my fingers splayed over the base of the wine glass, I noted, “You’re not feeling secure about your decision to stay.”
Lisa’s eyes roved away. I didn’t push. This was a touchy subject. I was the queen of domestic, touchy subjects.
That led me to ask, “Is that why you’re pulling me aside to share this? You want my opinion?”
Lisa snorted, confidence visibly low. “Mya would have a printout of all the local shelters and divorce attorneys ready for me by the end of the weekend. It would be her way of calling me stupid for still being there all these months later.”
I shook my head. “Mya’s life isn’t perfect either.”
Lisa’s tone was low, but brows arched when she challenged, “Can you prove it?”
I could but didn’t participate in talking shit about anyone’s marriage. I’d grown beyond that. I also understood how intimidating Mya could be to surface readers.
Skipping over that topic, I placed a hand over hers. “I cannot stand in judgement of your decision to stay with your husband. Mistakes happen. I think marriage can be a series of joy, pain, and recovery.”
“Damn.” She chortled wryly. “That sounds depressing.”
I shrugged. “I think it’s human nature. We’re talking two human beings, trying to walk one path. Both will get it wrong several times over.”
“Yeah, but to the point of pain?”
I nodded. “I think a successful marriage has less amounts of reckless pain and more joy. But please believe, they have both.”
“And the recovery?”
I twisted my lips. “It’s like…grace. That period of vulnerability, which requires understanding. It’s needed after the pain.”
