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I can't believe I'm married again.
After the messiness of my divorce with Maggie, I never thought I would be able to trust someone that deeply again.
No, that's not right, because I trusted Kelly more than I had ever trusted Maggie.
Looking back, a part of me had always known that something was incomplete in my marriage with Maggie, but I was so in love with her at the time that I would play it off as me overthinking things.
Admittedly, part of me initially thought that my constant hunger for Kelly was rooted in my two years of forced abstinence, which was after six years of very little physical intimacy. But our 10:00 pm calls had changed my mind.
I found myself not only craving Kelly's body but the easy conversational intimacy I had found with her. Within a few weeks, I knew that I would never be able to imagine a future that didn't involve her in some way or another. She never made me feel lacking or nerdy; instead, she made me feel like I was the king of our little kingdom.
Which is why Kelly was my perfect match in every way.
Completely distracted and brainless from the afternoon's events and sexual escapades, I walked into my office barely realizing that I had just passed Trish and Polly talking to the receptionist. Then I remember, that they were my 3:00 pm appointment.
Crap! I didn't want to deal with Trish Samson today. At least Polly would be there to act as a buffer.
Knock, knock!
"Dale, are you ready for us?" Polly asked, politely in my doorway.
"Of course! Come on in. Just leave the door open for me if you will," I said wanting to make sure my nosey receptionist could hear everything discussed and dissuade Trish from embellishing on our conversation to make everyone believe that we were a couple.
I'm married for Christ's sake. Even if no one but our family knew it, I did not want anyone in our community to second-guess my love and dedication to Kelly.
I'm married. Smiling to myself I took a moment to glance at the ring on my finger. It was still there.
Since Kelly never asked me to not to wear it, and she had been wearing my engagement ring since Sunday; hopefully, she wouldn't mind if I kept my ring where it belonged for a few more hours.
For the next thirty minutes of our group meeting, Trish droned on and on about the lack of parent interest and participation this year, while Polly was looking on with her usual amiable aura.
Polly and I had known each other all of our lives, and though neither of us had ever shown romantic interest in each other, there was always a comfortable camaraderie. I always felt like if I had been given a younger sister, she would have been a lot like Polly.
When the conversation shifted to talks about the need for volunteers at the faculty Christmas brunch, there was finally a long enough break for me to interject. "I believe Kelly Jenkins would like to help you that day. She even mentioned taking the day off work."
"Really?" Polly exclaimed with pure delight. "Let me text her now. I've only spoken with her a few times, but I can't wait to work with her."
"Kelly is pretty great!" I said with a smile.
"There's just something about her that always makes me feel like I've known her for years."
So, it wasn't just me.
"I completely agree with you. Kelly's been a great addition to our school family." And my family, I thought while scratching my face to cover my goofy smile.
Never wanting to be excluded from a conversation, Trish narrowed her eyes and interrupted with, "You two are just too trusting. I saw the way she looked at you Dale, that girl is only volunteering to get your attention, and I'm looking for serious parents to help with the party, not lovesick clingers."
Trying to collect my thoughts before I saying something I'd regret, I was relieved from acting on that need when Polly immediately interrupted Trish in a show of rare assertiveness.
"Trish, I'm going to have to disagree with you, and since I'm the head of this event, I'm going to go ahead and put her down as a volunteer. Plus, she's just texted me to confirm her interest. Remember, she said herself, she has a boyfriend named Fernando."
Feeling bad about my lie of omission, I was suddenly grateful that it was time for me to collect my kids. Well two of them at least, because in my heart I now had four.
There goes that goofy smile again.
"Ladies, I'm going to have to cut this meeting short so that I can pick up John and Katie. Please feel free to email me if you should have any further questions and/or concerns," I said before collecting the walkie-talkie I used during pick up and drop off times.
Unfortunately, before I could make it past my receptionist, Trish grabbed me by the arm in a vice grip that screamed of desperation.
"Dale," she said with her voice oozing with false sweetness. "As your close friend, I feel like I should warn you about girls like Kelly. They are so desperate for attention that they will latch on to men who are out of their league. Now I don't mind playing interference for you," she said while stroking my bicep. "But maybe if you had a girlfriend... someone you trusted... it would make your lack of availability clearer to someone like Kelly Jenkins."
Wow!
"Well, as much as I appreciate your offer, I'd like to remind you that I am in a committed relationship with Imogen. So, I am not in need of your assistance."
Completely, curdled by my rejection, Trish's venomous side started to show like daggers through her eyes. "Dale, we both know that you and this Imogen can't be serious, after all, you're still wearing your wedding band," she said with a victorious smirk.
Using all of the patience my father had taught me over the years, I looked directly at her and said, "Oh, Trish, you misinterpret the situation. This ring isn't my wedding band from Maggie." And then I casually strolled away.
Let that carp make her own conclusions.
After collecting John and Katie from the pickup point, I noticed Kelly bent over her car door trying to buckle Mazie into her booster seat and I couldn’t help but notice her lack of underwear lines. This made the view so erotic that I had to start reciting the order of US Presidents in my head to avoid making a scene in front of my colleagues and students.
I couldn’t see my wife and not acknowledge her existence.
Needing to be within her atmosphere I strolled over with the kids and softly whispered, "Hello, wife."
Startled by my sudden appearance, because I usually would have already collected the kids by the time Kelly usually arrives, she turned, put her hands on my shoulders, and leaned in for a quick kiss before realizing that she had just done so in public. Blushing a deep red, I was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry, no one saw us. I'm still your little secret."
"But I don't want us to be a secret anymore," she said so low that I almost missed it.
Teaming with joy, I quickly gave her another kiss on the lips before saying, "I will have to remember that in the future, Mrs. Wilson. Now, I figured after pick up was complete, I'd leave a little early, load the kids up in the van, and I could help you bring over a load from your mom's."
"That's perfect! I can't believe how scatterbrained I've been lately. Normally I would have already planned this all out."
"Well, in your defense, you did get married today. I think you're allowed to be little unfocused."
Two hours later, we were all sitting down in the dining room having our first meal as a family, when the euphoric joy of my new situation in life had me daydreaming of things that might have been. Once I realized the direction that my thoughts were going, I quickly tampered them and instead focused on enjoying this perfect day.
"So, girls!" I said, with mock seriousness. "Kelly and I were talking, and we think that it might be fun if we moved all of you into the room above the garage."
"But that's not fair!" John said, with a burst of anger. "I want to share a room with them too."
"Well John, as much as I would love for you guys all to share a room, the law says that a five-year-old boy is not allowed to share a bedroom with his sisters."
John and my dad talk a lot about his time as a judge when they buddy around, so I knew he understood the seriousness of the situation when I referred to "the law" in this manner. "However, on the weekends, we can still blow up the mattresses in the family room so that you guys can fall asleep watching movies. Does that sound fair?"
Thankfully this compromise did the trick, and soon we were able to distract the children by starting our new nighttime routine as a family. Since Kelly was only nursing Mandy in the mornings, this meant that all of the kids were asleep by 9:20 pm and I finally got to have Kelly to myself.
The best part was that all of our children were heavy sleepers, which meant that even if we got a little too noisy from the wedding night excitement, there was still a good chance that the kids would still sleep on through.
Meeting Kelly in the hallway after tucking in John, I silently snagged her hand, and we walked into our bedroom for our first night as husband and wife.