Who Is She?

"How could you?"

"What do you mean, Dear?"

"Don't you call me 'Dear'. I never want to speak with you again."

"Wait! What are you talking about? I have no idea what's going on. Come on. Let's talk this out."

"There's nothing to discuss. You and I are through."

"Come on, Kate. You can't just throw four years of marriage out the window without an explanation."

"You want an explanation? I'll give you one. I read that text on your phone that you wrote to another woman."

"That's not what you think it is."

"You said, 'I love you.' What's not to understand about that?"

"Don't walk away. Let me explain."

"There's no way to explain the fact that you love another woman."

"It's not another woman."

"You're in love with a guy named Suzie?"

"She's a little girl. She's nine."

"Bob, what in the world is going on? Why are you texting a nine-year-old? Why do you love her? Are you some kind of a pedophile?"

"Oh my God, no! Kate, please, sit down. Stop making ridiculous assumptions. I'll explain everything. I'm sorry I kept this secret, but it's a painful story."

"I'm sitting. I'm listening, but this better be good, because I'm about to kick you out the door and throw your stuff out onto the lawn."

"This story started way before you and I met. I had an older brother, Fred."

"Had?"

"Please, Kate, just let me tell the story."

"Fine."

"Fred was a great big brother. We did everything together growing up. We played ball, we swam, climbed trees. All the usual guy stuff. When we got to high school, we kinda drifted apart a bit. He started hanging out with losers. He even dabbled with crack. Then, he met Jennifer. She was great."

"Was?"

"Yes. I'm getting to that. The two of them got married right after they graduated. I was a sophomore, and his best man. They were so happy. They had a daughter."

"Suzie?"

"Yes, Suzie. She was their everything. They struggled financially, but they made it work. I told you before that my parents died when I was a sophomore, remember?"

"Yes, I remember they were in a car accident."

"Right. What I didn't tell you was that Fred, Jennifer, and Suzie were in the car also. Fred and Jennifer didn't make it either. Suzie was injured. She had multiple surgeries. She ended up in a wheelchair."

"Oh, my God, Bob. Why didn't you ever tell me any of this?"

"Let me finish the story, Kate."

"Okay, sorry."

"I was too young to care for my niece. I got taken in by my friend's family. No one knew anything about Jennifer's family. She was estranged. Multiple searches were attempted, but it's like they never existed. Maybe they were gone too. Eventually, Suzie got adopted by a really great couple, the Rogers, who couldn't have kids of their own. I let her have time to adjust. We drifted apart just like my brother and I had."

"That's so sad."

"Yes, but finally, she texted me. We've only been communicating again for a month. I was going to tell you about her, but I felt guilty for keeping her a secret. It's not that I was ashamed of her. I don't even know why she never came up."

"I'm so sorry I misunderstood what was going on."

"It's all my fault. I'm sorry too."

"Can I meet her?"

"Of course, I told her about you, and she wants to meet you too. The best news is that her latest surgery was a huge success. She's in physical therapy, but she's learning to walk again. None of that would have been possible without the Rogers' help."

"I'm so happy that you have family again. I always felt sorry for you since my family is so close. Can we call her now?"

"Okay, sure. Thanks for listening, Kate."

"You're welcome, but don't keep anything from me again."

"I promise. Now, let's call Suzie."