The Epiphany

Story Sentence: When the glass is empty you can finally see clearly.

Story:

It was a somewhat melancholy Brent Schofield, having finished his third beer, who tucked himself back in, zipped up, gave a doleful sigh, and headed to the sink to wash up. He was hoping for a lot more from this rare evening out with his wife of twenty years, Amanda. At first, he and Mandie both thought that their malaise was simply the typical empty nest syndrome parents go through. Especially the parents of an only child. But their daughter Shelly was well into her sophomore year at college and things hadn't improved. In fact, they had gotten demonstrably worse. They didn't argue. They barely spoke to one another. They were two singular individuals rooming together.

Brent finished washing, put his hands on the granite counter and leaned in as he studied himself in the mirror. He didn't really recognize the tired and dull eyed middle-aged man staring back at him. What happened to me? Where did the young. Vibrant, and ambitious young man that I used to see every morning, go? Brent shook his head bitterly, tossed the towel in the trash and headed for the door.

The bar they had decided on, was a quaint little anachronism tucked into the corner of an upscale Italian restaurant they used to frequent. It was quiet, so it would be a good place to talk. There was a piano player. She was an older, emotionless woman, who never lifted her eyes from her keyboard. Her tip jar was empty. She wasn't exactly playing funeral music, maybe elevator tunes, or something for a dentist's office? But in any case, her tinkling of the keys, while technically skillful, wasn't doing anything to improve Brent's sour mood. The Christmas lights draped casually across the back bar, twinkled year-round. Brent thought the place smelled a little musty. How appropriate.

When he turned the corner, he immediately spied Mandie. Her legs were crossed suggestively, displaying plenty of her firm creamy thighs. He sighed. She was still a striking woman. Her sparkling blue eyes and outgoing personality, that had helped her to be one of the most successful real estate brokers in town, were now obviously on full display.

As Brent stopped in his tracks, she continued to bounce her leg, with her black stiletto heel hanging loosely from her toes. She simultaneously twirled a lock of her dark brunet shoulder length hair around her fingers. She was casually resting her other hand on one of the two younger men's biceps as the other one leaned in and told her something amusing as he lightly grasped her forearm? The two gentlemen were probably 5-7 years her junior. Maybe even more.

Brent stared at the erotic tableau unfolding before him. He felt like a sleazy voyeur. He glanced around cautiously. No one paid any mind to what he was witnessing. He reached into his left pocket and felt for the keys to his family sized SUV. They were there. He clutched them tightly and turned right, for the exit door.

45 minutes later, his cell phone rang. "Where are you, Brent?"

"At home packing." He answered flatly.

There was a prolonged silence. The only sound being a slow rhythmic breathing through her nose, while she thought. It lasted way too long. "Oh, I suppose...well, I mean...I'm sorry Brent."

"Me too, Mandie. At least we tried. I hope we can be adults about all this?"

"Yes of course...Umm. Listen, Brent. It didn't mean anything. I mean, I know I was flirting, and I shouldn't have been, but I just felt so alive for a couple of minutes."

"It's ok, Mandie, I understand." And that's when it hit him. An epiphany if you will. His future became clear to him. He didn't really give a shit. "We were just kidding ourselves anyway, Amanda." Brent heard a measured sigh of recognition, and agreement from Mandie. There was another prolonged silence.

"Brent, I know it probably doesn't mean anything now...but for some reason it's important for me to say it. I never cheated on you, not once, sweetheart."

Now it was Brent's turn to give a thoughtful pause. "I never did either, Mandie. I guess that at the end of the day though, that isn't enough, is it?" What's fidelity anyway, without devotion?

Mandie was gently crying now. Brent too, was choked with emotion. The finality of it all, having hit both hard. Twenty years houses an abundance of memories. Neither could think of anything more to say. So, they softly disconnected.