Intent

This is another very short story.

David looked around the small, dimly lit waiting room. There were a few odd magazines (mostly women's magazines) scattered on an end table next to his chair. A speaker perched on a shelf above his head softly played classical music. The music was almost loud enough to drown out the soft murmur of voices he could hear through the wall, but not so loud as to be overbearing.

The door opened and she came in. Susan looked at him and gave him a small smile when his eyes flicked to her face. He quickly looked away. He did not speak to her. Even though there were six chairs in the room, she sat in the seat next to his.

"Thank you for coming, David. I'm hoping Dr. Marks will be able to help us move forward."

David didn't speak. He made eye contact and she saw the disbelief in his eyes. Just as she was about to launch into another apology, the inner door opened and a tearful woman walked out, dabbing her eyes with a frilly handkerchief. The woman quickly crossed the room and exited the office.

Moments later a short plump woman stepped through the inner door and walked up to them. She had short hair and wore very little makeup. Her brown sweater clung to her sagging breast and failed to hide her bulging tummy. Her green skirt hung to mid-calf and her plain brown flats did little to improve her short stature.

"Mr. And Mrs. Stillwell? I'm Fran Marks. Thank you for coming in today. Will you please join me in my office?"

Dr. Marks didn't wait for a reply, she simply turned and walked back to her office. Susan was directly behind her and David reluctantly followed his wife. Once everyone was seated, Dr. Marks spoke.

"Okay, I see the court has ordered you here for counseling because Susan's attorney requested it after David filed for divorce. Do I have that right?"

Both David and Susan nodded then Susan blurted, "I'm hoping you can convince David to drop the divorce and come back home to me and the kids."

Dr. Marks nodded and turned to David. "And you, David, why are you here today?"

David raised his tired eyes to Dr. Marks, "I'm here because the Judge said I have to be here."

"I see. Well, we are here for up to 11 more sessions. I hope we can resolve some of the issues between you and allow you to move forward with your lives."

David said nothing, he just stared blankly at the doctor. Fran Marks sighed softly and forged ahead.

"Okay, Susan, why don't you tell me why you're here."

"As I said, I want David to stop this silly divorce and come back home. I do NOT want a divorce. His parents, my parents, our children, and our friends, all agree he should drop this stupid divorce and come back home."

"David, It would seem that everyone who knows you thinks you should not be divorcing your wife. What caused you to file for divorce?"

"She said she doesn't love me anymore. I can't be married to a woman who doesn't love me."

Susan huffed loudly, "That's not true! I never said I don't love him, in fact, I have repeatedly told him I DO love him!"

"David, if Susan says she still loves you, why do you not believe her?"

David looked at Susan with disgust and then turned to the doctor. "Actions speak louder than words."

"But I didn't DO anything!" Susan wailed.

David folded his arms across his chest. "Yet!"

Fran raised her eyebrows, "I'm going to need you to explain this to me, David."

David flicked his left wrist up and looked at his Apple watch. He tapped it a few times and then spoke. "It was five weeks ago this Friday. I came home from work and she was sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of wine, waiting for me. It took me about 20 seconds to see something was wrong. She said we needed to talk and asked me to sit with her.

"I got a drink and sat down. She proceeded to tell me she had accepted a date with another man and would be going out the next evening. She said if the date went well she may not be home until mid-day on Sunday.

"Now, Doctor Marks, I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even I could understand what that meant. I knew, then and there, that if my wife was planning to spend the night with another man, she no longer loved me."

Again Susan wailed, "But I didn't DO anything! I didn't go on the date, I didn't sleep with anyone! You left me and filed for divorce even though I didn't do anything!"

"Is that right, David? Susan says she didn't go on the date and has not cheated on you. If that's true, why would you have filed for divorce?"

"Intent."

Dr.Marks looked confused, "Intent?"

David nodded at her, "Yes, intent. She intended to fuck some other guy and she expected me to allow it. After I packed up and left, she claims she canceled the date and spent all weekend trying to find me."

"Do you have any reason to believe that is not true?"

"Not really, but it doesn't matter. She fully intended to fuck some guy, presumedly, because I am no longer enough for her."

"I never said that!" Susan screeched.

"You didn't have to say it with words, your intentions screamed it into my humiliated face."

Dr. Marks tried to recapture some control. "David, I can see why you would have been upset by what Susan suggested, but she didn't do it. When she saw that you disapproved, she abandoned the idea. Surely she deserves credit for that."

David was shaking his head, "That's like saying I deserve credit for NOT robbing the bank next door." He paused, but he could see the doctor was still confused.

"Look, if I planned the robbery, arranged a getaway car, bought a mask, wrote a note for the teller, and handed it to her, I think that shows my intention to rob the bank. Then, after reading the note, the teller simply says "NO," and I run away, I'm still guilty of trying to rob the bank!"

Dr. Marks sat back in her chair. She turned to Susan and then back to David. She slowly shook her head.

"I've been doing this for 17 years and have heard this same kind of argument many times. Until today, each time I have tried to defend the spouse who stepped back from their plans to cheat because they had, in the end, remained faithful to the marriage.

"Now, I am struggling to find fault with your reasoning, David. I am not a lawyer, but I know intent to rob a bank is a felony, even if you don't succeed in getting any money."

David nodded at Dr. Marks, pleased that she was now able to see his reason for filing for divorce.

"What's happening?" Asked a worried Susan. "What does bank robbery have to do with anything?"

Fran raised a hand to David, "Please explain it to her."

"Susan, you spent time getting to know your new friend. Maybe you had a few meals together, or maybe more. You developed an interest in him and it grew to be a sexual interest. That interest spurred you to accept a date with him. When you accepted the date you knew full well what his intentions were. You were so sure of his intentions that you felt compelled to inform me of your date and the likelihood that it would require an overnight stay. By doing that, you also confirmed your intention to go along with his plans.

"In other words, you confirmed your intention to fuck another man. Just because you canceled the date after I objected, it didn't change what you had intended to do. I believe that if you loved me as I love you, there is no way you would ever agree to a date with another man.

"But you DID agree to that date, therefore you cannot possibly love me the way I love you. I'm sorry, Susan, but I can't be married to someone who doesn't love me enough to steer clear of men with those intentions."

Susan hung her head and sobbed. Dr. Marks stood as David rose from his seat. She stuck out her hand.

"Thank you for coming in today. I will inform the judge that there will be no need for additional sessions for you." She turned to look at Susan, "However, I think I'll be spending a bit more time with her."