Prologue

Pete came into my room and handed me the laptop.

“Well, that explains a LOT!” he said. “I didn’t understand just how badly you were hurt by Jennifer when you came back from Sweden. But you have to admit you were out of control.”

“Yeah, obviously. I’m just glad that we could patch things up, Pete.”

“Jennifer just dropped that second bomb on you like that? Just after graduation?”

“Yeah, she did. It was like the issue with moving to Seattle all over again, only worse.”

“Again, I knew only the broadest outline. I know you talked to Melanie, but she was pretty careful to keep your confidences.”

“Good practice for her current job, don’t you think?!”

“True. The rest of the story, well, there’s a lot there that I not only didn’t know, but didn’t even suspect.”

“It was a wild year, Pete.”

He shook his head. I was happy he hadn’t said anything specifically about my little sister, but really, what was there to say?

“Well, Melanie AND your wife are here. I think they had lunch together.”

“Of course they did. I’m sure they were plotting against me. Or rather, against us!”

Pete chuckled, “So, then, the same as always! I’ll send them both up. Good luck!”

“Thanks, Pete.”

My wife and Melanie came into the room.

“I’m a bit worried,” my wife said. “Melanie told me her thoughts as well.”

“Babe, don’t worry. You know we have a place we can go if it’s really that bad. I just don’t think it is,” I said.

“You’re taking a big risk,” Melanie said. “You know my advice.”

“I do. But I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to do this my way. I’m not hiding. Besides, my way solves a few big problems.”

“That’s true. Well, you’ve heard my advice, but in the end, you have to decide what to do.”

“Let me speak with my wife, Melanie.”

“Alright. I’ll go hang out with Pete. Here’s all the paperwork, drawn up the way you wanted it.”

“Thanks, Counselor. And here’s something for you.”

I handed her a printout with quite a bit of detailed information.

“Holy shit, Steve! Really? This is poetic justice! I love it.”

“I thought you’d like it. Now do you see why I wasn’t worried?”

“I do! Oh my God! Have you turned this over yet?”

“No, I haven’t. Read it thoroughly and then you can give it to them. It’ll stick. All of it.”

She nodded and put the sheaf of papers into her briefcase and left the room.

I pulled my wife into my lap and we discussed the options for the future.