Amy Finds Her Muse

John pursed his lips and thought it over for several long moments before finally saying, "I guess it's time. Go ahead and bring her in and we can have a chat. There are things I need to tell her."

Lynn was effusive in her thanks and quickly rushed out the door and down to her car. John could see now that there was someone sitting in the passenger seat but he hadn't recognized that it was Amy. He left the door open and returned to the living room, seating himself on the sofa once again. He knew that this day had to arrive eventually and he was surprised he didn't feel nervous about it; rather he felt a satisfied state of calm.

In about a minute he heard the screen door open and the sound of footsteps in the hall. Lynn came around the corner followed by Amy. John's first impression was that she was slimmer now. Her outfit was not one he recognized and he could see she had cut her hair very short. She gave a nervous smile as she saw him and then joined Lynn on the loveseat situated on the opposite side of the coffee table from John.

"Hello John. You're looking good." She looked around the living room and seemed to notice that some of the furniture had been changed and other pieces rearranged. "I see you have made some changes in here. It looks very comfortable."

"Yes, things change. The business has been doing well lately and I thought it was time to invest in a few new pieces of furniture." John sat comfortably, his left arm stretched along the back of the sofa and his right on the arm.

"I'm glad to hear that it's doing well. I'm sorry that I left you with that extra debt. I'm sure it didn't make things easy with your business." Amy was nervously twisting a handkerchief between her fingers.

"Don't worry about it. I've been able to handle everything quite well thanks. There are a lot of things I guess I will have to explain to you while you're here." John shifted in his seat, preparing to explain to Amy the things she had not yet heard about.

"I came here to explain a few things to you too, John. I've been thinking about what to say to you for a long time and I'd really like your permission to just say what I have to say."

"If that's what you'd like, go ahead." John sat back, a bit puzzled by Amy's statement.

"Well, the first thing I have to say is that what I did when I left you was the biggest mistake of my life. I have found out that Peter lied to me from the beginning. I'm truly sorry to have done that to you." Lynn reached over and put a calming hand on Amy's shoulder. Amy had been looking down as she had said this but now looked up into John's eyes as she continued.

"Very soon after I got to Paris I found out that I was his third wife. He had been married and divorced twice before and I happened to run into his second wife when I was purchasing art supplies. I got to talking to another American woman in the shop and it didn't take long to find out that she too had been married to Peter Bridges. We went out for a cup of coffee together after she insisted that I had to know certain things about Peter."

"She was from Boston and like me she had been married when Peter talked his way into her heart just as he did to me. She left her husband and went to Paris with Peter a year before I met him. She told me how it didn't take her long to find out what he was really like, how he constantly chased the women in his classes. She warned me he would do it to me too. At first I didn't believe her but I soon found out she was telling me the truth."

"About three months after we got there Peter hired one of the students, a younger girl, as his assistant. I began to suspect almost immediately that he was seducing her. Within a few months it was obvious that I was right as he began to make no secret of his affair with her. I was enrolled in classes there and had invested all of the money I had in my studio so I felt trapped, forced to accept the situation I was in."

John held up his hand to stop Amy in her story and said, "I think I have seen the girl. We saw a picture on the Internet of you and your husband with his assistant. It was to do with your painting of Amanda and Her Nanny. I think I've got a copy of it here somewhere."

"Yes, that's her. That was one of several paintings that I had success with. I'm glad you got to see it." She smiled at John and stopped pulling at her handkerchief.

"I know that you painted the picture from a photo that Lynn sent you. I remember when it was taken. It's mistaken in one respect though; that wasn't Amanda's nanny in the photo. That was Mrs. Pierce from next door."

Amy was a bit confused and looked at Lynn before she said, "Oh, we both thought that woman was the Nanny you hired. Maybe while I'm here I'll get to meet her. Is Amanda here? I haven't heard her since we came in."

"She's out on a shopping expedition. I expect them home shortly." John got a serious look on his face as he continued, "Really, I should be explaining a few things to you as well, Amy."

"How about you let me finish my story first, if you don't mind. I really need you to understand how badly I feel for what I did to us. If only I could undo it all." Her eyes were shining now with unshed tears and Lynn reached over to once again offer comfort to Amy.

"I had a few meetings over coffee with Peter's second wife. I asked her why she hadn't gone back to Boston and she said there was nothing to go back to. Her husband had remarried and she had no family there. She told me how on her one trip home she found that almost none of her former friends even wanted to speak with her. She is resigned now to staying in Paris to try and begin a new life. It was at our second or third meeting that she told me about Peter's first wife. He had met her while teaching in Montréal two years before he met his second wife."

Amy was occasionally dabbing it her eyes now, obviously fighting back her tears. "Just like Jane and I, Jane was his second wife, she was married when Peter met her. She left her husband for him and discovered what he was like soon after they arrived in Paris. She left him to return to her first husband and discovered he had committed suicide shortly after she left for Paris. According to Jane his first wife, whose name I don't actually know, flew back to Paris intent on killing Peter; when she failed to do that she killed herself."

Amy was stopping from time to time to recover her composure. She was silent for almost a minute before she said, "I'd really like to think that there was hope that you and I could be friends again." She was afraid to catch John's eye again and was speaking to a spot near her feet. "I know how badly I've hurt you. I felt much the same when I heard that you were dating Lynn, knowing that it was more than a casual friendship. I cried when I got the email that told me you had spent the night at her place. I know it's foolish of me to talk like that considering that we were divorced and I was the reason for it."

There was another pause before Amy continued. "Last month Peter left for Venice for 2 months with Esmé, his assistant. He told me that when he returned he was bringing Esmé into our bed. That's his whole reason for doing all this. He wants to have 2 women to share him. As soon as they left for Venice I crated up all of my art, packed my things and sold what was left for airfare to come back home." She paused and then said, "And here I am. I'm staying at Lynn's for now but once my things arrive I'll have to find a place of my own."

Amy was about to continue when the side door to the kitchen opened quickly and they all heard, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. We're home! We got ice cream. Can we have some now?" Amanda came dashing into the living room and jumped straight into her father's arms, never noticing the two women on the loveseat.

"I think the ice cream can wait for after supper. We have some company Amanda." John turned her around on his lap and felt her stiffen a bit when she saw Amy. "That's Lynn and that's your first mommy." John had pointed to each of their guests as he made the introductions.

"You remember your first mommy, don't you Amanda?" Lynn and Amy had both looked at him as he referred to Amy as Amanda's first mommy but both shifted their gaze to Amanda as she slowly nodded her head.

"How about you go give her a hug and a kiss, Amanda?" John set her on the floor and she walked slowly around the coffee table, her eyes on Amy the whole time, until she got to her feet. Amy was obviously crying now and reached down to pick her up. She and Amanda traded a hug and kiss each while Lynn looked on, a tear on her cheek.

As Amanda moved back a bit to look at her mother the side door opened again and there was the sound of heavy bags hitting the tabletop. Amanda bolted from Amy's knee and ran to the kitchen hollering, "Mommy, mommy, we gots company. First mommy is here."

As Amy and Lynn looked on in surprise Barbara entered the living room with Amanda in her arms. Amy immediately jumped to her feet and rushed forward.

"Babs! What are you doing here? My God, you've grown! Where are your braces? I can't believe how good you look." Barbara put Amanda down and embraced her older sister.

"I got rid of the braces almost 2 years ago. I'm in university now."

"University! I can't believe it. I've tried to call you and mom and dad since I returned to town but all I get is the answering machine. Where have you all been?"

"Well, mom and dad are in Arizona right now. They were in Las Vegas last month."

"Arizona and Las Vegas? How long have they been there? What about you?"

"They have been traveling pretty much for the last 2 years. Ever since you left. John made an arrangement with us. They could finally start their retirement and I came here to live as Amanda's nanny."

"You're her nanny!" Both Amy and Lynn said the same thing and then looked at each other and Barbara.

John realized it was time to join the conversation and said, "Barbara has been a wonderful nanny for Amanda and has done a fantastic job of nurturing her while I worked evenings. She's been a mother to her in every way for over 2 years."

"Yes, I heard her call Barbara her mommy. Do you think that's wise, John?" Amy had regained some of her confidence and was looking directly at John as she said this.

Amanda had moved beside Barbara and was hugging her leg as she watched the adults talking. Everyone was standing now and John moved beside Barbara. When John finally answered Amy he spoke softly and said, "Barbara is Amanda's mother now. She legally adopted her and the final papers arrived this week. You'll always be her birth mother but Barbara is her legal mother now." As John was speaking Amy's mouth had dropped open and she looked on incredulously as John finished talking.

"How... What do you mean; she adopted Amanda. How can she do that; I'm her mother." Amy's neck and face were beginning to redden and John could see she was getting angry.

"You gave up all of your rights Amy; remember? Everything is perfectly legal." John didn't want a shouting match in front of Amanda and was still speaking softly to Amy.

"But why would you do this," Amy asked, her voice rising. Lynn was holding Amy's arm now and it was clear from the look on her face that she was siding with Amy on this.

John moved beside Barbara and put his arm around her before he said, "Because Barbara and I are married. We got married on the March break in Las Vegas."

Lynn was too shocked to say anything but Amy was able to whisper a quiet "Noooo, not married," before she turned shakily and walked out of the house.

Lynn was clearly stunned by John's revelation but said, "I'll help her to the car and come back." as she rushed after Amy.

John and Barbara walked to the door with Amanda and watched as Lynn caught up to Amy and helped her into the car. Amy was obviously upset, sitting with hands to her face and gently rocking back and forth in her seat. After speaking to her for several minutes Lynn returned to the house.

John had picked up Amanda and was holding her with one arm while his other held Barbara firmly to his side. When Lynn got to the door they separated and moved back into the foyer.

"I'm not sure but she may be in shock. Those were two very heavy pieces of news to drop on her, John."

"I wish I'd known she was coming. I could have let you prepare her Lynn. I tried to call you before we went to Vegas. We wanted to ask you and Mark to join us. As it was, just Vicki Pierce and Barbara's parents were there. And Amanda of course."

"Barbara's parents are OK with this?" Lynn looked surprised.

"Absolutely! They suggested it and bought our tickets out there. They knew we were living together as husband and wife since last November. Since my birthday as a matter of fact."

Barbara, who had been quiet until now spoke up and said, "I think they wanted him to make an honest woman out of me." She gave a small chuckle and then kissed John on the cheek.

Lynn watched the two of them and said, "You do make a lovely couple. Congratulations to all three of you. I'm just not sure how Amy is going to cope with this. Also, she's broke and doesn't really have skills beyond painting. She can stay with me until something comes up, I guess."

John looked at Barbara with a raised eyebrow and she retuned a small nod to him. He turned back to Lynn and said, "We can probably help her a bit. She could have asked for a lot more in the divorce. I'm sure her parents will want to help her too. We'll set something up. The business, our business I mean, is doing very well now."

They said their goodbyes and John and his family watched as the car pulled away. Amy still had her hands over her face but was now slumped in her seat. See didn't look back.

Barbara and John stood side by side, each with an arm around the other. Amanda stood in front of them and asked, "Why is first mommy crying?"

A few seconds passed before Barbara answered, "She's sad Amanda. She's very sad."

"How come, mommy? How come?"