February Sucks in 750 Words

Someone had to do it. Someone had to write a version of Feb Sucks into this 750-word challenge, so I thought why not me? Thanks to George Anderson for his permission.

If you haven't read his original, you should - //rosa-blanca.ru/desixxxphoto/s/february-sucks

*****

It was cold as fuck. You know what many have said before me... "February sucks."

We missed Valentines's Day because of the weather but went out two weeks later. Four couples all celebrating the love of their partners. Drinking and dancing, Linda, my lovely wife in her blue dress, committed all dances to me.

Then that asshole, Marc LaValliere, a local pro-football hero, walked in. Everyone noticed. Minutes later he walked to our table and asked Linda to dance. She dropped my hand without any thought and was off to the floor with him. WTF?

They danced, closely, slowly. I was angry, but Dee from our table urged me not to intervene.

Then the dances were over. Linda came back to our table. She and Dee headed to the bathroom. Dee came back but not Linda.

"Where is she, Dee?"

"Jim, she is spending the night with Marc."

"She left me?"

"Listen, she didn't leave you. She loves you, but she had to do this for herself. She will come home to you tomorrow."

I looked over at my friends. They all nodded their heads then looked down. I ran out the door, but they had already left. I went back to the table.

"My marriage is over."

"Jim, it's one night. You love Linda. Everything will be back to normal tomorrow," Dee said. "Any woman would have left. He's Marc LaValliere."

My former friends nodded again and agreed.

"We all have said previously, it's one and done. I'm divorcing her," I shouted.

"Jim, think of your children."

I went home and eventually slept.

Around noon, "Jim, I'm home," sounding normal, like she hadn't ripped my heart out.

I looked at her, stunned, then said, "Who are you?"

"It's still the same me," Linda said.

"Yeah, I guess I don't really know you. Was it everything you thought it would be?"

"Jim, I could tell you everything, but I don't want to hurt you."

"A little late for that, huh?"

"Jim, I can fix this, I--."

I picked up her favorite vase, a wedding gift from her parents, and smashed it to the floor.

"Fix that if you can. It's the same as my heart. Fix that and you can fix us."

She was shocked, tears rolling from her eyes.

"Oh, god Jim, please. It didn't mean anything. It was only sex."

"Yeah, right."

"Jim, you mean everything to me. Marc means nothing. I had a great time but it's over now."

"Nothing to you, to me it was everything. What about Emma and Tommy? How are you going to explain it to them when I'm gone."

Linda wrote a letter explaining herself. She had left with him without thinking. Marc was wonderful in bed but, if he asked to marry her, she wouldn't. She loved me.

It sounded like bullshit. Now I needed to decide. Could I stay with her?

We talked that night.

"What if I left with some woman?"

"Jim, it was Marc LaValliere."

"So you chose him over me?"

"I don't know why I left with him, Jim, but I choose us," Linda was sobbing.

"So, NOW you want both?"

"It's not like that. I haven't changed. I want you."

"Maybe you haven't changed but I have. I'm not the same gullible Jim anymore."

"Don't say that, Jim. We can get it back."

"I don't think so, Linda. Go back to him. I don't want you anymore."

Linda wailed and slumped to the floor.

Now, I really needed to make a decision. Did I want to try to make it work?

I met with our lawyer, LW. He was wise beyond his years.

"Has she apologized? She hasn't because she's not sorry she did it. She thinks men like Marc deserve more than we mortals, and women should bow to their wishes.

At home that evening I told her, "I saw LW last night." Linda knew what that meant.

"Please Jim, no. You are the strong one. You have to find a way we can get past this."

She was right. I was the strong one, and I had to do what I knew was right. My marriage was over. I buried it. I did my best to shelter the kids. We split but lived close. My love for her was dead but life would go on.

Early the next season, Marc had a career-ending injury. Linda never remarried and lived alone.

Three years later I met Kelsy and remarried. Everyone isn't as thoughtless as Linda.