Someone Knows by Mark Atteberry

Author:Mark Atteberry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Published: 2022-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

- 36 -

I

t was after 10:00 the next morning before I finally connected with Mary Beth. I called her every twenty minutes or so because I wanted her to see those missed calls on her phone. I wanted her to know I was trying. Finally, she called. I was talking with Alice and excused myself to step into my office.

I said, “Hey there. Thanks for calling. I was getting a little worried.”

“I’m sorry. I saw your calls, but doctors have been in and out all morning. This is the first chance I’ve had to get back to you.” She had definitely softened.

We talked first about her mom. She gave me the rundown on her tests and the doctors’ thoughts regarding the likelihood of her pulling through. They thought she had a good chance, but it was going to be a slow process. They predicted several days in the hospital and then a stint in rehab. Mary Beth told me she thought she needed to stay until her mom was back on her feet, which might take weeks.

It’s hard to describe how those words hit me. On one hand, I felt a little jolt of excitement. The very idea of having total freedom to do what I wanted with no wife around to answer to, especially in light of my connection with Faith, was heady stuff. But I also knew my relationship with Faith was trending in an unhealthy direction, and more freedom to fuel the trend could be dangerous. Those thoughts and their related concerns were tangled in my gut like a bowl of spaghetti. But at the moment, I needed to give Mary Beth my full attention.

I said, “I agree you should be there with her, but I’ll miss you.”

“Maybe you could drive up some weekend after she’s a little better.”

“Or just fly. That would give us more time together.”

“That would be good.”

Thankfully, Mary Beth and I were back on track, which was a load off my mind. It also gave me confidence that I would be able to do the right thing with Faith. I’m no psychologist, but I don’t need to be to understand there’s a strong connection between marital tranquility, or the lack thereof, and temptation. When Mary Beth and I were emotionally disconnected, Faith seemed even more attractive. When we healed the rift between us and got back to being our real selves, I suddenly couldn’t wait to distance myself from Faith. I hate the thought that I am so incredibly shallow, but denying it is pointless.

After hanging up with Mary Beth, my mood soared. Alice even commented that I seemed more chipper. I simply said Mary Beth’s mother was doing better and we were relieved. The rest of the day went well. I had no brush fires to put out and got quite a bit of work done at my desk. Then, at 2:30, I got this text from Faith:

There’s a little place called Brady’s Pub about two miles east of the prison on route 23.

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