Jerry wanted a divorce. He broke the news to me in his usual quiet way.
"We don't have anything in common," he stated.
My head was spinning with so many emotions: terror that I'd be out on the street or living in my car, hurt because I still loved him and I wanted our marriage to work, and wonder because I couldn't understand why, after ten years of marriage, I'd had no idea this was coming. I began to cry.
"Don't do that," he said. "It's no one's fault. We've drifted apart. It's no big deal."
It might not have been a big deal to him, but it was a huge deal to me. Those few words would forever change our lives and that of our daughter, Heidi.
I waited for Jerry to move out of our house, but he never mentioned moving, nor did he suggest that I leave. He had moved into the guestroom, but when I broached the subject of one of us leaving our home, he merely shrugged and said, "All in good time."
I wasn't sure what to think, and as the months passed, we fell into an amicable friendship. Heidi was doing well in school, and I hoped that my husband was just going through a phase and that eventually he'd see that we were meant to be together.
During the second month of our strange living arrangement, I embarked on an extensive self-improvement program. Each week, I went to the library and checked out a stack of self-help books. I read everything from why I loved Jerry too much to the book about which planet he came from and why women don't understand men.
I read diet books and exercise books and cookbooks. I trimmed the fat from my diet and worked out regularly. I even began attending a group for women like me who were having marital problems.
Jerry noticed. Oh, how he noticed. I was passing him in the hallway one evening, and all of a sudden, he grabbed me and pushed me up against the wall.
"You're lovely, Cora." He kissed me slowly and deeply. "You're more beautiful than the day we married." He kissed me again.
I could feel his warm fingers on my breasts. I thought perhaps he'd come to his senses and finally realized what a rash and ridiculous idea a divorce was. Read the Rest of the Story
