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Authors: Georgia Beers
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tell."
Laura shrugged. "It's not really anything earth-shattering. I was married to Stephen for eleven years. Two years ago, I met Amanda, the wife of one of his work buddies. She was
classy, gorgeous, and very accomplished in the art of seduction." She grimaced in a self-deprecating way. "I fell head over heels in love with her, and for the first time in my life I felt comfortable with who I was. And I was certain we would be together forever." She
sipped her coffee.
"What happened?" Molly asked, sitting forward, her elbows on the table.
Sophie watched Laura shrug, recognizing the movement as a way to make something appear
not as hurtful as it actually was. She'd used that same gesture herself many times when
talking about Kelly.
"My husband found out. He was livid, of course."
"Wait. You and this Amanda were together while you were stil married to him?" Nausea churned in Sophie's stomach. "You were cheating on him with her?"
Laura nodded. "Yes. I'm not proud of it, but I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to be with her." She sipped from her mug again, out of self-consciousness, Sophie suspected.
"Apparently, Amanda had
no such intentions. She was never going to leave her husband. In fact, I was simply a fling
to her. She'd had several with other women. I had no idea."
The table was quiet aside from the gentle murmurs of pity. Sophie watched Laura's face
seeing the hurt that hid just beneath the surface, but at the same time feeling that she
deserved it. "Your poor husband," she said quietly.
Laura's blue eyes turned to her, a split second of icy defiance visible in them before it
melted into guilt. "Yeah."
"Right, but what was she supposed to do?" Darby asked. "She's realizing she might be gay."
"How about talking to her husband?" Sophie tried not to make the suggestion through clenched teeth. "Telling him the truth? Giving him a chance?"
"A chance to what?" Darby countered. "It's good in theory, but doesn't really hold any water. There's nothing he can do to make her not gay, right?"
Laura's head cranked back and forth between the two as they spoke, as if she was
watching a tennis match.
"They still could have talked," Sophie said, her anger building.
"It wouldn't have mattered," Darby insisted.
"It might have."
"How? Was she just supposed to stay in a relationship where she wasn't happy?"
"Yes!"
Darby flinched as though Sophie had slapped her and fell silent, the pieces of the puzzle
falling into place. The entire table had grown quiet, the atmosphere suddenly filled with
discomfort as people focused on their drinks or their food, afraid to look up.
"Kelly cheated on me." Sophie said it matter-of-factly, as if remarking on the weather. She felt the stares of Amy and Jo, knowing this was news to them.
"What?" Jo said, surprise clear in her voice.
"Kelly was having an affair. With that...woman from the gym." She spat the word "woman"
with the same inflection she'd have given if she'd said "mucus" or "vomit." "That's who she's living with now. Evidently, they're very happy."
"Oh, Sophie." Amy reached over and placed her hand over Sophie's. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Sophie half-shrugged. "It's not really something that's fun to share. It makes you feel
worthless, like all your years together were a lie, like your partner has been settling for
second best the whole time." She glanced pointedly at Laura, who pressed her lips together and studied the contents of her mug.
"Wel , obviously Kelly was a moron," Molly piped up, looking slightly il herself.
Sophie chuckled, grateful for the comment of solidarity. "Thanks, Molly."
There was an awkward silence, the sounds of silverware on plates and the sipping of coffee
filling the room.
Jo cleared her throat. "So. How 'bout those Buffalo Bil s?"
Sophie felt a small smile make an attempt to appear on her face, acknowledging gratitude
to Jo for at least trying to lighten the moment.
Jo continued, her strong voice cutting through the quiet.
Laura shrugged. "It's not really anything earth-shattering. I was married to Stephen for eleven years. Two years ago, I met Amanda, the wife of one of his work buddies. She was
classy, gorgeous, and very accomplished in the art of seduction." She grimaced in a self-deprecating way. "I fell head over heels in love with her, and for the first time in my life I felt comfortable with who I was. And I was certain we would be together forever." She
sipped her coffee.
"What happened?" Molly asked, sitting forward, her elbows on the table.
Sophie watched Laura shrug, recognizing the movement as a way to make something appear
not as hurtful as it actually was. She'd used that same gesture herself many times when
talking about Kelly.
"My husband found out. He was livid, of course."
"Wait. You and this Amanda were together while you were stil married to him?" Nausea churned in Sophie's stomach. "You were cheating on him with her?"
Laura nodded. "Yes. I'm not proud of it, but I couldn't help myself. I just wanted to be with her." She sipped from her mug again, out of self-consciousness, Sophie suspected.
"Apparently, Amanda had
no such intentions. She was never going to leave her husband. In fact, I was simply a fling
to her. She'd had several with other women. I had no idea."
The table was quiet aside from the gentle murmurs of pity. Sophie watched Laura's face
seeing the hurt that hid just beneath the surface, but at the same time feeling that she
deserved it. "Your poor husband," she said quietly.
Laura's blue eyes turned to her, a split second of icy defiance visible in them before it
melted into guilt. "Yeah."
"Right, but what was she supposed to do?" Darby asked. "She's realizing she might be gay."
"How about talking to her husband?" Sophie tried not to make the suggestion through clenched teeth. "Telling him the truth? Giving him a chance?"
"A chance to what?" Darby countered. "It's good in theory, but doesn't really hold any water. There's nothing he can do to make her not gay, right?"
Laura's head cranked back and forth between the two as they spoke, as if she was
watching a tennis match.
"They still could have talked," Sophie said, her anger building.
"It wouldn't have mattered," Darby insisted.
"It might have."
"How? Was she just supposed to stay in a relationship where she wasn't happy?"
"Yes!"
Darby flinched as though Sophie had slapped her and fell silent, the pieces of the puzzle
falling into place. The entire table had grown quiet, the atmosphere suddenly filled with
discomfort as people focused on their drinks or their food, afraid to look up.
"Kelly cheated on me." Sophie said it matter-of-factly, as if remarking on the weather. She felt the stares of Amy and Jo, knowing this was news to them.
"What?" Jo said, surprise clear in her voice.
"Kelly was having an affair. With that...woman from the gym." She spat the word "woman"
with the same inflection she'd have given if she'd said "mucus" or "vomit." "That's who she's living with now. Evidently, they're very happy."
"Oh, Sophie." Amy reached over and placed her hand over Sophie's. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Sophie half-shrugged. "It's not really something that's fun to share. It makes you feel
worthless, like all your years together were a lie, like your partner has been settling for
second best the whole time." She glanced pointedly at Laura, who pressed her lips together and studied the contents of her mug.
"Wel , obviously Kelly was a moron," Molly piped up, looking slightly il herself.
Sophie chuckled, grateful for the comment of solidarity. "Thanks, Molly."
There was an awkward silence, the sounds of silverware on plates and the sipping of coffee
filling the room.
Jo cleared her throat. "So. How 'bout those Buffalo Bil s?"
Sophie felt a small smile make an attempt to appear on her face, acknowledging gratitude
to Jo for at least trying to lighten the moment.
Jo continued, her strong voice cutting through the quiet.
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