Chapter 4: The night before the verdict

Well, that was both sides. We were told it was late and that we would recess till 10:00 the next morning. Bob looked at me and said, "We did good. Lets just hope the jury agrees with us. I believe Mary won it for us."

I looked back at my family, just about all in tears. Marie came up to me and said, "No matter what happens, daddy, I know you did the right thing. I love you. We all love you. As you can see we are all sticking together as a family. We all need you, daddy. Mom needs you too.

I said, "I know, sweetheart, I know." I had to leave out the back door as Marie went back with the rest of the family.

I stopped at a little diner to get a bite to eat on the way home. As I sat down to order June came in and asked if she could join me. I was rather surprised but said sure. I haven't ever talked to June one on one since her divorce almost a year ago so this was really a surprise. I told her she might as well order also, I know she was in the courtroom all day and must be hungry. We both ordered a dinner and while we were waiting she started to talk.

She said, "Dan I'm really sorry for having to testify. I had no choice."

I said, "I know, it wasn't your fault."

She said, "I need to talk to you about a few things. Can we stay long enough for me to get it off my chest?"

I looked at her and said, "I would be willing to listen."

She started off with saying that Mary loved me.

I said, "I know.

She then said she didn't know what happened with this date thing. She thought Mary really believed I wanted to have the three-way until it got out of hand. She said Mary was almost possessed to get it accomplished. June said she should have tried to talk her out of it instead of into it. That's what a real friend would have done.

I said, "Don't be so hard on yourself, June. It was still Mary's call and she called it wrong."

Then June asked me about Roger. She said even though they were divorced he was the only man she had ever loved. She said this trial made her understand love between two people, like Mary and I have. She said she felt the same way about Roger but it was too late for them.

I asked why was it too late? She said all they do is argue when they see each other.

I told her, "Roger still has feelings for you also but that your cheating on him made him totally distrust you and it's hard to overcome. Trust is earned and once broken it's twice as hard to trust that person again. I suggest that instead of fighting with him, you should try to understand where he is coming from. You two are divorced and can start from a clean slate. You have to start by talking to each other, then take it from there. Your kids are grown so that shouldn't be a problem. I don't think they would have a problem with the two of you talking."

I continued, "Roger has some hate issues. You never told him who you had the affair with. I think he knows who it is now."

She said, "I was afraid he would do something crazy and didn't want to see him hurt."

I told her, "That's not the way Roger sees it. He sees you hiding a lover which hurt him even more."

She said, "That's not true. Roger is the one I love but I made too many mistakes since then. I don't know if he will even talk to me."

I said, "You can find out by approaching him and taking it from there."

She looked at me and said, "You know, you have the same kind of problem only you're not divorced."

I said, "I know. It's something I have to deal with."

We finished up dinner and then we each went home. When I got back to my apartment there were my two sons waiting for me. I asked them what this was about?

They said their mother didn't think I should be alone so they came to take me out. There she was thinking about me again. My boys and I went to the corner hangout. We spent time having a few beers, talking, playing darts and pool. It was really good spending time with them, something we didn't do very often anymore. I told them how proud I was of them sticking up for their mother.

They said they had to say something because she didn't deserve that kind of abuse. She was wrong in what she did but she's paying for it big time now.

About midnight they dropped me off at my apartment and went home. They didn't push me at all about coming home. They knew it had to be my decision.