“I’m late Joe.” Catherine stood and walking to the sink emptied the dregs of her coffee into it, “Can’t it wait till later?”

Joe sighed, “I guess it’ll have to do, but Cathy we have to talk about this…” He leaned toward her intent on kissing her farewell as he normally did but she evaded his advance and his lips met nothing. Joe frowned if he was right his wife was definitely avoiding him at least once a month for reasons he could not put his finger on.

Leaning against the breakfast bar Joe watched Catherine grab her jacket and keys and leave the house, he turned then so he might watch her further as she walked down the drive to her car. His heart was troubled and he had ignored the problem long enough. For some reason once a month his wife changed and it had all to do with the passage of a full moon.

Joe thought back to the first time it had happened not long after they were married. He had joked about it then but her gruff reply had stopped his laughter and since then no amount of prompting had gained him any knowledge as to why Catherine loved gazing at a full moon. His boyish nature had at first found delight in her observations, but this had turned to one of curiosity as it had continued over the months until he had come to believe that it was almost an obsession his wife had with the moon, and an unhealthy one at that. But last night he had gleaned more than ever before when she had revealed to him that whatshisname had remembered the first time he had seen the moon, and Joe had made the connection. His wife still harboured feelings for that other fellow feelings that came to light once a month, though Joe suspected that they never entirely went away. It saddened him because he had hoped after all that they had become to one another Catherine might love him as he loved her before much more time had passed. Sometimes Joe cursed the fact that they had been forced to marry, perhaps had that not been the case things would have developed naturally instead their marriage was thrust upon her before she had fully accepted what was happening and he overjoyed at her acceptance had not stopped to examine why a woman that so obviously did not love him had agreed to marry him, apart from the fact that she expected his child.

That too was a mistake, Joe realised, in fact the number of times she had allowed him to make love to her since they had been married he could count on the fingers of one hand. He usually made the first move and if truth be told she only responded from some kind of misguided notion that it was her duty to do so. The warm loving vibrant woman he had worked with had become a mere shell of herself just prior to and during their marriage, and Joe reluctantly had to accept that it was not working between them and if she could not change then they should perhaps seek a divorce and that’s what he had wanted to talk with her about, but as always she couldn’t make time for him, or would not be confronted with the inevitable.

Half heartedly Joe poured himself a mug of coffee, sipped it and discarded most of it into the sink, then picking up his keys he followed Catherine out of the door and into his car feeling only half alive.

Catherine hadn’t gone far when she had pulled off the road into a cul-de-sac sitting there until she saw Joe’s car speed past some fifteen minutes later. From then she relaxed and head on steering wheel she sighed before leaning back and taking a deep breath to begin thinking straight. There had been no way she could have spoken with Joe about anything, yet she had anticipated that he would want to speak to her. He was an intelligent man, and she wasn’t likely to get away with such behaviour as she had displayed since their marriage for much longer. Last night seemed to have been the crunch that she had expected a long time, and now he wanted to talk about it. But what could she say? How could she tell him that her heart belonged to Vincent, even after all this time, she couldn’t because simply to do so would mean disclosing other secrets and ones that were not hers to divulge.

If only she hadn’t married him, she should have thought more clearly before jumping into a commitment like that, but finding she was pregnant had completely thrown her. The thing was it had all been in vain as she had lost the child, and now with nothing to hold them together they were drifting apart faster than two halves of the same boat on the Mississippi. Except they weren’t two halves of the same boat, in essence only Vincent could ever be that close to her, yet at the same time, she had to face the fact that Vincent was lost to her, that she would never see him again. A sob caught in Catherine’s throat as it always did when she thought of Vincent and she hated the world for snatching from her the only man she would ever love and what would he think to her if he knew she had married Joe so soon after he had disappeared? Catherine knew the answer to that well knew Vincent’s thoughts on children being raised out of wedlock. It had been that knowledge and only that which had her agreeing to Joe’s proposal of marriage the day she had told him that she was carrying his child. If truth be told, it wasn’t the marriage that Catherine detested about her circumstances it was her stupidity of turning to Joe for comfort when Vincent had disappeared and the sexual act that had taken place within that comfort. Catherine hated herself every moment she remembered how gullible she had been to go to bed with Joe and not take precautions, and in fact apart from becoming pregnant from that one time, she would have dismissed it from her mind as one of life’s utter mistakes and perhaps never have seen Joe again. For how could she face him after that when he loved her so? It would have been too cruel, yet had she not been cruel by marrying him and making him unhappy ever since? For the one thing Catherine could count on in her topsy turvy world was Joe’s unhappiness, where even his work suffered, shown by the dissatisfied clients that complained about cases he had lost where he just did not seem to try anymore. Perhaps Joe was right, perhaps they did need to talk, the only thing was coming back to square one, what could she tell him that would satisfy him enough? Perhaps she should just quit feeling sorry for herself and move on, Joe was a good man he loved her and she should at least try to make their marriage work. At least Vincent would have approved of that, hadn’t he always maintained that she would be better off with someone from above? Trying to be positive Catherine resolutely removed Vincent’s face from her mind and replaced it with Joe’s. He had a boyish grin and warm brown eyes that used to make her laugh just by looking at him. It was a long time since Catherine had realised that. And his caring attitude had been what had taken her to him following the weeks and months of Vincent’s disappearance. Catherine sighed, “If you are going to get through this my girl you have to stop making comparisons.” And she again forced anything about Vincent from her mind. It would be hard she knew that, but for the sake of her marriage and ultimately Joe’s happiness she had to try. There was one thing though…and Catherine touched her abdomen…Joe must never know that she was taking contraceptives to avoid him giving her another child…for that she could not bear. She had long ago accepted the fact that any babies she might have would have kittenish faces and claw like nails, the bluest of eyes and hair the colour of the setting sun. Tears slid down Catherine’s cheeks, it would take insurmountable strength to forget Vincent, even to put him at the back of her mind, but for Joe’s sake she had to move forward with her life, put on a brave face and hope that she might make something of life without Vincent even if he would hold her heart for all time. Tears slid relentless down Catherine’s cheeks, but she wiped them away furiously and with her cell phone began dialling Joe’s number assessing that he ought to be in his office by that time. It rang a second or two, the long burring tone giving her time for second thoughts before she heard his voice tired that it was, answer, “Hello, Joe Maxwell.”

“Joe?” Catherine was surprised he hadn’t noticed it was she that called her name should have lit up upon the screen but obviously he hadn’t bothered to look as his stunned reply verified.

“Cathy? That you? What’s wrong? Where are you?”

“Near home, I didn’t go into work. Joe, I’ve been thinking…” She heard his sharp intake of breath and knew he’d be holding it while she explained. In that time Catherine took her own deep breath and went on before she had time to reconsider, “You were right. You know earlier, we should talk, but Joe I don’t know where to begin. Can you come back home?”

“What now?” Joe took seconds to decide, “Yes now of course, I’ll be there Cathy give me twenty.” Catherine smiled slightly relieved, she didn’t know what would be resolved but taking that first initial step had been good enough to hear the relief in Joe’s voice. “Okay Joe, I’ll be in the living room. Bye.”

“Bye Cathy.”

For a long moment Catherine stared down at her cell phone wondering if she had done the right thing. She sighed heavily, there was only one way to find out and things could not go on as they were, she owed it to Joe to sort it out, and maybe he would listen and not judge and not seek answers to impossible questions. At least she could give him the benefit of the doubt. When all was said and done her marriage was at stake, a marriage that her father had honoured with a son in law he was proud of. Catherine started her car and turning it around circled the cul-de-sac before heading back the way she had come.

On tender hooks, Joe inserted his key into the highly polished wooden door and wondered what might meet him on the other side. His journey back through traffic had taken more than the twenty minutes he had expected, and now forty five minutes after Catherine had rung him, he wondered if she might still be there. Of course the fact that her car sat outside in the drive did nothing to quell his nerves, only her cheery and unusual greeting as he came through the door seconds later did that. “Hi Joe, I’m through here, want a coffee?”

“That’ll be fine, traffic was the pits.” He slung off his jacket and loosened his tie, watching her pour hot coffee into two mugs and bring them both to the coasters positioned on the table. “Thought so, always is on a Friday this time of day.” Catherine told him before sipping the strong black brew.

Joe copied but his hands were unsteady as his nervousness grew and he put the mug down again before she noticed, “So?” He began with eyebrows raised, “You wanted to talk?”

“Well actually you did.” Catherine smiled and it was that which gave Joe courage. “So I did. Cathy…”

“Yes Joe?”

Anything Joe might have been able to say changed in an instant, and he blurted, “Do you love me Cathy?” Quickly followed by, “No don’t answer that, of course you don’t. You didn’t marry me because you loved me, you married me because I’d made you pregnant, but I hoped you would grow to love me in time, however I realise that hasn’t happened…”

“Joe.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.” Catherine grinned and the way she did made Joe’s heart somersault.

Joe grinned, “Sorry guess I did go on.”

“Just a bit.” Catherine laughed. Then in the silence that followed sipped more of her coffee before telling him, “Everything is my fault. I should never have married you Joe, I’ve made you totally unhappy, but I want to change that.”

“You want a divorce?” Joe’s eyes filled with sorrow.

“No, not yet that would have to be the last straw. I want to try and make it work Joe, but there are things we need to put behind us first. Personal things, my things, things I have never told you, many of which I cannot take into detail because the telling of them are not mine to reveal. Do you think you could listen and accept and not demand more than I am able to tell you? I know how you are at exacting the truth Joe, how the nitty gritty rankles, but in this case can you shelve what you do not know in favour for what you do?”

“If it brings us closer together Cathy, I’m all for it and I’ll try, I promise, just so long as you’re straight with me.”

“Joe, you’re a good man. Good looking, witty charming…”

“Don’t patronise me Cathy, just tell me how it is. I know that you are still in love with what’s his name. What I don’t understand is if you are then why are you here, why aren’t you with him instead of here in a loveless one way marriage with me?”

“His name is Vincent.” Catherine whispered and in her eyes Joe saw so much love even as the name tumbled off her lips like a warm caress.

“Vincent?”

“Yes, and like I told you no one knows where he is. He might be dead.” The word brought with it a guttural sob but Catherine maintained her equilibrium and waited for Joe to speak.

“I take it searches have been made?”

“Yes.”

“But then the world is a big place.” Joe told her. Catherine agreed but shied away from meeting his eyes and he could tell this was the first of probably many little things that she could not tell him.

“So let’s take it from the bottom shall we? You love him, will probably always love him and if he walked through that door right now, it would be bye bye Joe without hesitation. Therefore aren’t we acting just a little too hasty by endeavouring to save this marriage?”

“Ordinarily, yes. But if Vincent is never found, if he never returns, you and I might have missed out on something we could build together, and you do love me.”

“I love you to bits Cathy, and it would grieve me to throw it all away but I need to know the facts and to know if there is any chance of my hoping to turn this relationship around, and that in so doing if Vincent does come back you won’t just turn your back on me and all we have achieved together to be with him, otherwise Cathy we’re not going to make it and I’m not even going to begin to try to make it happen. What would be the use?” Joe sounded so bitter Catherine felt his pain stab through her like a knife.

“I want to make it work between us, and I wasn’t patronising you. You are a kind sensitive person and we are good together. You make me laugh, I used to be able to make you laugh, but we must face the fact that but for the baby we wouldn’t be married, might never have got married, but since we are we have to make the most out of a bad thing.”

“Well that’s plain enough for me.” Joe’s voice rose, “A bad thing you say?” Joe sighed heavily, “Look let’s just get the divorce papers drawn up and call it a day, huh? Drawing out the inevitable isn’t going to lessen the pain of ending it now.”

“I’m sorry Joe.”

“Not half as sorry as I am.” Joe pushed back his chair and stood, “Do you want me to leave? Pack some things and go?” Catherine shook her head, “I don’t want either of us to go. Look Joe, I’m not good with words, but in some ways I do love you, but its not the sort of love I knew with…well its not that kind of love…that was the kind one finds only once in a lifetime…but we might be able to make it work, Joe, there is that possibility. It would be a shame to throw in the towel without first trying.”

“Then tell you what. You spend some time away from here, go wherever it is you have to go and make darn sure that this Vincent is never coming back. Then when you’ve done that you can come back and tell me and we’ll take it from there, cos I tell you Cathy, I’m not putting another ounce into this marriage until I have some assurance that he’s not going to suddenly reappear and snatch you from under my feet. Okay got that? Good. Now will I see you at the office today?”

Tears in her eyes, Catherine shook her head, “No.”

“And will you be here when I get home tonight?”

Again Catherine shook her head. “No.”

Joe left the kitchen without a backward glance. He didn’t even say goodbye, and as he drove away he felt like the last trace of light that had been hope for love returned putted and died and went out forever.

The house seemed strangely cold after Joe had left and Catherine stared after his retreating car as if her life were being torn away from her. That hadn’t been how she had imagined they would talk, but upon reflection she hadn’t exactly told him what she had meant to say, or if she had then she had misjudged his reaction. Of course he felt used and unloved, it would be a rare man that would help his wife get another man out of her head especially one she loved more than her husband. Whatever Catherine had been hoping for had not happened, that being she had not envisaged that she and Joe would part. A huge sigh escaped her lips and she looked around her, ‘what to do now?’ that was the thing.

Strangely noticing the little things that were out of place, Catherine idly tidied her kitchen, then satisfied she could not be called to blame, she mounted the stairs slowly to the bedroom she had shared with Joe for the last year passing a closed door on the way. Catherine stopped hesitated and turned back opening that door and entering the small room beyond. Tears rushed to her eyes as memories flooded her mind, Joe had lovingly decorated the room as a nursery and its sunny yellow walls mocked her disapprovingly. “Its not my fault.” Catherine told the unknown, “you weren’t meant to die.” Yet she had lost their baby and deep down inside wondered if it had left her because of the deep sadness and pain that she felt by carrying it. “You should have been Vincent’s child.” The thought galloped to mind, and Catherine instantly regretted it, a life was a life precious in every way, and it had still been at part of her, even so Catherine felt ashamed because she deemed that her wicked thoughts and unhappiness at carrying the child of a man she felt little for had died because of how she had felt about it.

Catherine stepped out of the room closing the door firmly behind her and continued her way to the bedroom, there she sat on the edge of the bed a moment looking at its full length envisaging Joe there alone that night. She lay down, staring up at the ceiling and told herself never again would she lie there in that room doing that very thing. How many sleepless nights had she stared up at that ceiling? How many more had there been when she had visualised instead a ceiling made of stone?

“I’m sorry Joe, we never stood a chance.” Catherine mouthed the words, then rolled from the bed and walked toward the wardrobe. From it she lifted a large case and began filling it with her clothing. She didn’t know where she would go, but there were several options. Her father’s, Nancy’s, Jenny’s or she could book in somewhere until she had fully decided where she wanted to be, or there was that other option…she could return to the tunnels. Catherine pondered that idea a moment longer than the rest and decided against it. For the time being anything Vincent related would not enable her to move on, she had to stay away, go elsewhere until she felt strong enough to go into the tunnels and not become a crumbling mass of emotion, for Catherine knew she would not be able to stop herself from crying her heart out from the moment she saw Father’s face, or worse Vincent’s chamber. Tears pricked at her eyes at just the thought of it, and she wondered if everything was still the same in his chamber. Or had it been reassigned, or had his belongings been stored away, then she wondered who would have undertaken such a heart rending task, and her heart went out to them.

Her clothes finally packed Catherine took a smaller case and placed inside all her personal effects. Her make up, perfume, hairbrush that kind of thing and at the last minute her passport, cheque book credit and store cards, and some photographs, but she took nothing of Joe’s not even his picture. Finally from a secret box she stowed all the personal things that she had acquired while with Vincent, invitations to recitals, notes to meet at the threshold, a rose, her crystal and a lock of his hair braided with a bow at each end. That she held for a long time before depositing it into the carry case loving the feel of it, the texture and the colour, and for the millionth time wondered whatever had happened to him. Tears coursed down her cheeks relentlessly now, and Catherine choked back a sob, being blinded by tears would not make her task any easier and she quickly locked her cases with all their belongings both precious and otherwise and carried the large case in one hand and the smaller of the two under her arm, leaving the bedroom with a quick backward glance just to check she had left nothing behind.

Downstairs she filled a small carrier bag with bits and bobs belonging to her and carefully wrapped among her clothes in the big case some ornaments that meant a lot to her, and then finally she was almost done. She went to the utility and through the soiled clothing extracted items belonging to her and from the washing machine just washed clothes that would need drying elsewhere. Finally sure she had missed nothing or if she had it would be too bad, she collected her purse and car keys and headed out of the house down the drive toward her car.

Joe drove like a madman back to the city but driving into the parking lot beneath his office building he began to regret his decision to have Cathy leave and picked up his cell phone to call her, it was switched off and he left a message, “Cathy, I’m sorry, please stay, we’ll work something out, I love you.”

The call went unanswered, for the one thing Catherine had forgotten in her haste to leave was her cell phone, it lay on the coffee table between two dinky sofa’s the only other remnant of her past that she had to leave behind and Catherine would never know that Joe had sent that message.

Driving out of the city Catherine headed to the first place she knew she’d be made welcome without accusation, Nancy’s. Her friend had been a firm confident in the past but there were times when Nancy would let Catherine muddle through working things out for herself and not interfere unless asked Catherine hoped that nothing had changed in that area, because right at that moment she didn’t think it was possible even to face what was happening let alone trying to explain it to someone else. One of the reasons she had given her father’s a wide berth. She would call him tonight, or he would call her, no doubt Joe would fill him in, they worked together it would have been difficult not to say anything. All three of them worked together, and that was another thing Catherine would need to find herself other employment, she couldn’t expect that Joe should just to avoid her it wouldn’t be fair. He had worked hard for the position he had gained and Catherine felt her father would miss his right hand man too much if Joe were forced to leave because of her.

Arriving at Nancy’s Catherine pulled into the drive and noticed how quiet everywhere was. Usually the house would look lived in as washing hung out on the line, or one of the children’s bikes or toys were left propped against the house wall. Everything looked spick and span and nothing was out of place and it suddenly dawned on Catherine why that was, Nancy Paul and the children were on vacation and they wouldn’t be back for another eight days. Catherine sighed heavily wondering what she should do but decided whatever it would be she simply had to stretch her legs and walked around the house trying not to peer into windows and just enjoying the garden with its fragrant roses in brilliant colours.

There was a swing on the front porch and Catherine lounged against it, it had a sun shade and it was cool there and Catherine leaned back and closed her eyes telling herself she would only be there a moment and then she would call Jenny and ask if she might stay there instead.

The sound of the birds song lulled Catherine to sleep, that and the whisper of the wind in the trees and the soft tinkling sound of a fountain somewhere to her left. Soon Catherine was deeply asleep, and only the sudden shuffling of something wet and warm against her bare leg had her eyes flying open to find a large brown and white dog looking at her with tongue lolling.

“Timba!” She heard a shout and looked around and watched as a young man bounded after the dog, up the steps of the front porch and stopped dead when he saw her there. “Cathy?” His face lit up, “Well you’re a sight for sore eyes, what are you doing here? Didn’t you know Nancy and Paul are away?” Catherine smiled back at the affectionate grin Buddy sent her way and told him, “Hi Buddy, I forgot, I needed to get away and came straight here without thinking. Then this cosy swing caught my eye and I fell asleep until your dog woke me. Timba’s an unusual name by the way, for a dog.”

“My girlfriend’s idea, she thought people would think I was felling a tree whenever I called him and dive for cover. I usually call him Tim, and only Timba when he is misbehaving.”

“Oh.” Catherine grinned, “Well its as well he was, or I may have slept all afternoon and then I would have been caught in rush hour on my way to Jenny’s.”

“Tell you what if you prefer, rather than go to Jenny’s you could stay here. I have a key, I’m minding the house and watering the plants, and we both know Nancy wouldn’t mind, in fact she would appreciate someone being here all the time, have you seen her birds?”

About to protest Catherine asked “Birds?”

“Yes as in budgerigars Paul built her an aviary and there are tons of the things. Nancy was real concerned about going away and leaving them, but with you here while she was gone she would rest happier and enjoy her holiday. I can only come afternoons and late evenings, and sometimes not even then. Tell you what I’ll call her put her mind at rest and tell her you’ll be staying…how long for…a couple of days?”

“If it’s alright with Nancy I’ll stay till she returns. Right now I could do with some quiet time to do some thinking and this appears to be just the place I need to recharge my batteries.” Something in her tone however brightly she glossed over it concerned Buddy, “Anything I can help with?”

Catherine shook her head, “Personal stuff, just need to get my head around it that’s all, don’t worry.” She smiled brightly but he was quick to notice it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll call Nancy, why don’t you come in and make yourself a cool drink while I do?”

Catherine followed him into the cool interior of the house and went to the kitchen where she drew herself a cool glass of mineral water from the dispenser, added ice and sat sipping it while Buddy spoke to Paul and then handed Catherine the telephone telling her, “Nancy is there now, she’d like to talk to you.” Then Buddy made himself scarce on the pretence of checking on the birds.

Nancy’s concern was evident in the tone of her voice but she did not pry, “Oh Cathy that would be wonderful, if you could stay till we get back and longer if you wish, we get so little time together, how long can you stay any ideas?”

“Right now, none, but when you return we’ll spend some time I promise, and thanks you Nancy, I really need some time out right now.”

“That’s alright what are friends for? Now Bud will fill you in on the birds’ upkeep and there shouldn’t be any other problems.” Nancy hesitated on the verge of asking after Joe, but sensing he might be the problem Catherine wanted to be alone, she refrained from asking, even so Catherine felt fit to tell her, “I’ve left Joe, Nancy and if you hear from him I’d be grateful if you didn’t tell him where I am.”

“Okay honey, I thought it might be something like that. Call me okay, if you need to talk, you know I’ll listen and not condemn.”

“I know, Nancy, thanks.” They chatted a little while longer, mainly about the vacation Nancy and her family were enjoying in Florida and then the two friends hung up, by that time Cathy found Buddy hovering in the doorway, not eavesdropping but waiting to say goodbye. ”I’m going now Cathy I’ll be over again tomorrow afternoon, so if there’s anything you need you can tell me then. I’ve taken the liberty of bringing your bags in and have put your car out of the sun beneath the car port, you can use the garage when you have decided you don’t need it anymore today. I’ve left the keys to the doors just here,” he touched a small table at his side, “And all that remains is for me to wish you well.”

“Thanks Buddy, its appreciated.”

“That’s okay, see you tomorrow then?”

Catherine nodded and Buddy left whistling for his dog as he entered the garden and Catherine watched the big brown and white collie bound toward its master, eyes bright and tongue lolling as the pair of them met. Then arms folded Catherine leaned her brow against the cool window and closed her eyes until a deep sigh had her leaving that place and going to where Buddy had left her bags intending on carrying them to the room she normally stayed while there and unpacking them.

Joe detoured, rather than go to his office he called in sick something he never did, and returned to his home intending to stop Cathy from leaving, but he was too late. The ominous silence greeted him and he knew the moment he opened the door that she had gone, even if the absence of her car had not told him beforehand. Joe sat on one of the dinky sofa’s his head in his hands. How had it come to this? He had known she never truly loved him but she had never even given them a chance. And there was that strange obsession with the moon, what had that been all about? It wasn’t mild interest for the great luminary it went deeper, there were times when Joe had decided if he had seen his wife throw back her head and howl he wouldn’t have been surprised. There was a big secret surrounding his wife and he had never been able to get to the bottom of it, and it couldn’t just be that someone she had loved could remember the first time he saw the moon surely, that would have not accounted for the way she sat beneath it month after month, hour after hour eyes glued to the bright round object in the sky. It was unhealthy and Joe worried about her obsession with the moon. He’d even begun to notice things, like when he was at a bookstore or a video hire store he would see books and films depicting werewolves and his mind would instantly conjure Catherine before his eyes, then he’d shake his head, grin and say, ‘nah’ and forget all about it until the next month when it happened all over again and he was forcefully reminded of it. So he’d begun just minimally to research the legend of werewolves and of people turning into them every time there was a full moon. He didn’t seriously think that his wife was one though did he? A nervous kind of laugh came from Joe’s mouth, ‘nah of course not’ but he was rankled and the thought wouldn’t entirely be dismissed from his mind, and then there was that other thing, that other person she harboured affection for, she had said he was different, how different would that be? And how come he remembered the first time he had seen the moon?

Joe sighed heavily, it was all becoming too much and too science fiction for him, and he leaned to the table where he had dropped his keys and instantly noticed Catherine’s cell phone. So she didn’t want any contact did she? Or had she mistakenly left it behind? Well it didn’t matter she had another, but Joe suddenly realised that he hadn’t yet made a note of the number of her new cell phone, purchased recently for its slim pocket sized design. No doubt she had taken that one with her. Joe despaired, wondering where his wife had gone, and how he might contact her if he needed to. And right then he needed to, with the cell phone on the table she would not have heard his message. Joe picked it up to check and sure enough found his last message unread. So she had never received it or had chosen to ignore the ringing of her telephone, whatever Joe would have to find her address book and since she likely took the one from home, he would have to look at the one in her office drawer to find the contact numbers of her friends. Knowing how it would look if he should walk into the office now after saying he was sick, Joe went anyway. Suddenly he didn’t care how it looked or what people thought, he just needed to get a message to his wife, had to tell her that he loved her, had to make her know that he was there for her and that whatever their problem he’d see it through so long as they could see it through together.

To be continued in Chapter Two