By Corey Colombin | A Novel Idea
Recap of Chapter 10: While Troy and Callie enjoyed an evening together, filling him with new hope of a reunion, the rest of the family continued to speculate about the trouble between Frank, Jr. and his wife, Charlotte. And when the family is left in the dark about one of its members, they won’t rest until they get to the bottom of it.
Out on his usual morning jog, Troy was surprised to get a text from Frank. He answered immediately. Sure, he’d meet him at a brewery to “catch up.” It seems that Frank with the wayward wife needed to chat with a guy friend. It looks like he might be the first one in the family to learn what’s really going on in his brother-in-law’s marriage. Ironic, considering that the rest of the family was dying to know. He drank some water and picked up the pace for the last 2 miles on his route.
Hours later, Troy stepped into the brewery and spotted Frank sitting at the bar, nursing a craft beer. He looked rough—not quite his usual, put-together self. It struck him that his posture resembled that of a man defeated. He hoped those thoughts didn’t register on his face when he approached him with a casual hello and back-slapping hug. “Ah, man,” Frank began, “it’s great to see you!”
“I was hoping you could shed some light on what I might do to get in my wife’s good graces again.”
“You too,” Troy replied, flagging the waiter for a beer. “Seems you’ve hit a few snags lately.”
“That’s an understatement!” He rubbed his face with both hands. “I’m sure tongues are wagging with the juicy news of my problems.” Troy shrugged and Frank continued. “That’s why I asked you to meet me today. I was hoping you could shed some light on what I might do to get in my wife’s good graces again.”
Troy snorted. “Sure, I can try. But two things come to mind. First, I take it you’ve done something to fall out of grace? And two: why on earth would you ask me for advice—me, the brother-in-law who couldn’t keep his marriage together?”
“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, dear brother-in-law. You see, I know something about you and my sister that you are probably unaware of.”
Troy took a long swig of his beer. “Is that so? Well, do enlighten me.”
And, he did. Frank let it spill about a certain conversation he overheard between his wife and his sister that revealed Callie thought of Troy as her one true love and that she regretted the break-up. This, after the worst thing that could happen in a marriage: divorce. “If you can still be painted in that light after a divorce, you have some kind of Zen secret in that brain of yours that I need to know about. I need some kind of magic to put my marriage to rights.”
Recent developments were promising, but that Callie thought of him as her one true love was the best news he could have heard. And Frank didn’t even know about recent developments. Troy brought his beer to his lips to keep from smiling. This was not the time to celebrate, not when Frank was in turmoil. “I’m not sure I have any magic. Maybe you should tell me what kind of trouble you’re in before I can try to help.”
Troy hesitated for a moment, fidgeting with the paper coaster on the table. “I had an affair. It was stupid and selfish, I know. It’s over now, but not because of any oath I took or any promise I made to Charlotte. When Charlotte disappeared without a note, I confronted the girl I was seeing on the side. I accused her of telling my wife—you know, the classic push to get a commitment out of the philandering husband? She dumped me.” He assessed Troy’s expression. “I know what you’re thinking. How could I be so stupid? Well, you’re not wrong. It was stupid on every level from start to finish. You know the really stupid part? I love my wife. I love Charlotte. Well, she saw me at the hotel, heading up to a room—caught me red-handed. There’s no denying it, no way to not address it with Charlotte. When I found out where she had gone—to her sister’s in Colorado—I went there to try to convince her to come home, but she’d already left. It was her sister, Sharon, who filled me in on what Charlotte knew. Now, I’m sitting here having a beer with you, hoping you have some insight on what I could possibly do or say to make it right again with my wife. A magic potion or spell would be great!”
Troy shook his head. “That’s a lot. I guess the big question is, what are you willing to do to make things right with your wife? I mean, have you thought about whether you want to be married?”
“I have. I had a lot of time to think about it. I couldn’t get ahold of her for days. I couldn’t easily jump into an excuse or backpedal. The only thing I could do was think about how incredibly stupid I was. I don’t know if it was the thrill, or the chase? And I couldn’t undo it. I know I want my marriage to last. I want it to be like it was before this mess. But then when I talked to her sister, she filled me in on something about Charlotte that I hadn’t realized. And it doesn’t bode well for her forgiving me.”
He was on a roll, talking fast, and Troy recognized that his brother-in-law had a lot to get off his chest. Without interrupting, he hailed the bartender for another round and simply listened.
Frank continued. “Sharon said that at the core of Charlotte’s personality is the need to be understood and, more importantly, to be recognized for her worth. Growing up, the one thing that she could never forgive is when people underestimated or overlooked her. Of course, she’s an adult now, and she seems to take things in stride. But, as I thought about what I’ve done and how to fix it, I realized that by having an affair, I did both of those things: I underestimated her contribution and importance to our marriage, and I overlooked her by turning my attention elsewhere.” He pushed his empty out and grabbed the full glass. “I’m screwed.”
“And you’re hoping that I might have a suggestion as to what you could possibly say or do to make this right?”
“Yes! I haven’t seen Charlotte yet. I didn’t want to show up to the house with nothing to say—without a plan. I need some serious help here.”
“Okay, I might have an idea, which may or may not work. I figure you’re out of options here, so a half-assed plan is better than no plan, right?”
Later that day, while Charlotte was making a fresh salad, she was alerted by the ring camera that someone was at the front door. She opened to reveal a delivery man, his face barely visible behind an obscenely huge bouquet of flowers. She thanked him and set the vase on the kitchen counter, immediately plucking the card from the bouquet. It read, “I will not make excuses. I will not harass you for forgiveness. I only ask that when you’re ready to hear what’s in my heart, you let me know. As long as it takes, I will wait. Yours, Frank.”
