I spent the night at the big house in Ashley's arms. "Milo, I have regained my zest for life. Actually, I have more zest now than I had with Calvin. I loved Calvin, but he was nowhere near as outgoing as you are. My life now is opening up.
"With Calvin, he and I were as one, which meant we were enough for each other and self-contained. If he had lived we probably would have been ecstatically happy together, living and excluding all around us. We would have lived on this street not knowing many more people than I did growing up.
"With you, I'm going to be the center of the community. I just feel it. It is like either scenario would be wonderful. I can't have one, so I'm embracing the other with open arms. Both different, but both lives would make me happy. I'm not saying this well. Don't be mad if sometimes I travel back in my mind to when I was with Calvin. Just know that I'm with you now and so happy you are by my side."
"I think you just said you love me and that you loved Calvin. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Over coffee in the morning, we both heard the Sunday paper hit the porch. I went to retrieve it and Ashley grabbed it when I came in. She spread it out on the table and together we opened it to the supplement. The story was in the centerfold. Eight columns of text and several pictures. One of the columns was a sidebar split halfway between Ashley and myself with a bio. Ashley's service with the county prosecutor's office was recounted. Her widowed status and that her husband was killed serving in Iraq.
My business as a restaurant owner was mentioned, as well as the fact that I was divorced, and shared custody of two daughters with my former wife, Jean. Jean, now married to James Burgess, attorney, of this city. Also that I claimed to be a handyman, but in actuality was an artist working in plaster, doing ceiling treatments. Lilly had taken a photo of the bluebells in the girls' room and a small likeness was shown in the sidebar.
The curator of the city's museum raved over the find that a local handyman had discovered stored away for more than fifty years, unattended, in a garage. Full descriptions of the paintings were given as well as the possible auction value of each. There was speculation as to what Ashley's ancestors had paid for the items. It was determined that they had made an unbelievably good investment. "Still glad you gave them back to me?"
"Yes, no regrets at all. I just don't see where I had any claim to them."
"That's what I love about you, your unswerving sense of what is right. You wouldn't have asked me to be your wife if it wasn't right."
As far as I was concerned, the paintings were a non issue. They made Ashley richer and I suppose that was nice. I wasn't after her money so it didn't matter to me. The phone rang. "Ashley, this is Jean. I can't seem to contact Milo. The girls want to show the Burgess kids the camp. I know you own half of it so I thought you might give me permission to take them all up there for the afternoon."
"Milo is around the place somewhere. I'm sure he won't mind. Is your husband going with you?"
"No. He doesn't have much to do with any of the young ones anymore, even his own. He goes off somewhere every chance he can." Jean didn't say anything for a moment. "If you are not doing anything and can find Milo, we could meet you up there and he can bring the girls home with him."
"I'll look him up, and in fact I'll stop at the deli and pick up some picnic stuff. It'll be fun."
"Do you think it would be okay to bring Shannon Burgess too? She could ride in Milo's truck if he won't mind Mark driving it up there."
"By all means, bring her. She was telling me yesterday she never gets away from the half-way house very often. She can leave anytime as long as she is with family."
Ashley had motioned to me to listen on the phone with her so I knew what was developing. When Jean disconnected, I asked Ashley, "You don't suppose James is running around on Jean already? Maybe she will get a good dose of what it feels like to have your spouse cheat on you."
"If he is, and she is free again, are you going to want your wife back? It would certainly solve the problem of you having the kids with you permanently. Where would that leave me?"
"Think, sweetheart? Would I do that to you? To fall in love with you and then drop you? I was committed to Jean and she broke it. I'm committed to you totally now. If my commitment gets broken, it will have to be you that breaks it."
"I knew that, but I had to say it. She is beautiful though, and no one would blame you."
"I couldn't live with myself if I did that to you. I think I can be friends with Jean, but I can't ever love her again. The trust just isn't there. Do you want to go up to the cabin then? You can say you couldn't find me to go with you if you don't."
"I want to go. I can go there in any and all circumstances."