April's Fool

She paused for a moment, the guilt obvious on her face. "Then I met your father and seduced him. Your dad cheated on his wife with me and I was fully aware of that. He had to divorce his first love because I became pregnant by him. I, by that time, had ruined 3 marriages; that of myself, of the man I seduced before my ex found out, and that of your father."

June took a sip of her water and continued, "Your father's divorce was devastating for his ex-wife as well as for him. It took him years to get over that. Still, even now, he keeps tabs on her to see if she is doing alright. But that aside, it also took us years, sorry, probably a decade to gain that implicit trust in one another again. That innocent trust you originally had in your spouse, before you started cheating, is lost forever. There was always some doubt nagging. You see, when you cheat you destroy a threshold. You don't go over it, you just destroy it. With that threshold gone, the second time becomes so much easier. To be honest; it took me almost 20 years before I stopped worrying when your father went out with his friends and I am certain that he had the same doubts."

June looked hard at April and asked, "Now please tell me that it's not too late and you haven't gone all the way with that man...and be aware that your dad is checking him out right now."

April felt many emotions at the same time, fear, anger, and a shock at her mother's revelations, but, stupidly enough, relief too. She was relieved that she'd been caught by her parents and not by her husband. If Paul had found out...she didn't even dare to think about it.

Finally, she said, "I didn't sleep with him. Yet, I honestly must say. We met a few months ago while I was shopping and it clicked. I suspect he slowly and deliberately broke down my guard and slipped under my defenses. I already texted Paul that I would stay the spring holiday here, expecting us to sleep together during that period. But apart from heavy kissing and Charles feeling up my breasts through my clothes, nothing happened."

She wisely glossed over the fact that the last time she'd only worn a silk blouse and her bra had been in her bag. It had taken all her willpower not to give in to her lust. It had been so long ago that she had a man inside her.

Now it was April's turn to gather the rest of her courage and was musing what, and how to say next. Finally, she said, "Charles was subtly denigrating Paul and I fell for it. I treated Paul like shit the last few months. I blamed him for working too much and at the same time earning too little. I constantly gave him the cold shoulder. The poor man stood no chance at all with me, for anything, not even having a reasonable discussion with me."

June felt she'd gotten the message, so she put the pressure on her daughter, saying, "But what are you going to do about it? Either you divorce Paul, or you come clean and try to save your marriage. But you are going to tell him, otherwise we'll do it and we will do it sooner rather than later. The man deserves this, and honestly, mind you, he gets our support. Not you."

"I know, Mum. Please believe me. You really gave me a reality check."

April checked their shared online agenda and said, "I have an idea. I promised the kids to go to the zoo tomorrow so I can't go home tomorrow. However, I just checked his online agenda. On Saturday, the day after tomorrow, Paul has a morning shift. If you can have the children, I can go and surprise him, come clean and I hope that I can make up for it in bed. You're right. I've been so terribly stupid."

====

The next day

April was up early preparing for her trip to the zoo. May, Thomas and Lindsey were excitedly nattering on about what they could expect and what they wanted to see first. April listened to it with only a half ear. She was thinking hard about what to say to Paul.

Even May, with her 14 years, still loved zoos but in the car on their way she dropped a bomb, "Mum, when are we going back home to see Dad?"

"Your dad is working, so what's so different? Not seeing him at home, or not seeing him here?" April replied a little chagrined because the question struck a painful note.

Now Thomas joined the discussion, "Mum, we see Dad all the time. Even when he was working so much, he was always there for us. Making breakfast, or lunch. Dinner is always ready even when he's working a late shift. He is always there to help us with our homework. He's there at our sporting events. Nah, May's and mine. Lindsey is too young for that."

May took over, saying, "We can understand that Dad is mad at you, but why are you mad at him?"

Now April felt broadsided. "What makes you think that I'm angry at your dad?" she asked.

"Come on. Mum," May sneered. "We're young, not stupid, nor blind. We see you giving Dad the cold shoulder for I don't know how long. Refusing to talk to him. It eats him alive. And for what? Because you think he works too much? Or for your friend, that pervert Mister Marsh? You know that Dad's in line for a huge promotion, don't you? That's why he is also working so hard."

April was confused. Obviously, she missed out a lot in her refusal to communicate with her husband.

"Of course not. How could you? You don't talk to Dad. You just gave your orders and ignored him for the rest," May bit at her.

April freaked out and in panic she shouted, "Can we have a nice day at the zoo? Or should I turn back?"

May whispered sotto voce to her brother, "See, that's what she did to Dad, too, each time he wanted to talk with her. He just gave up in the end."

Thomas just nodded at his sister and April, now extremely frustrated, drove with white knuckles around the steering wheel to the zoo. The only one happily oblivious was the 6 years old Lindsey.

====

In the end, the day at the zoo proved a resounding success with the children, but not so with April. Charles was texting her and the texts became gradually more demanding, with him wanting her to call him.

Finally, she was fed up with the harassment and texted him a scalding reply that she was entertaining her children and when the time was right, she might, or might not, reply to his texts. After that the phone stayed silent at last.

Back home Jack lifted a sleeping Lindsey out of the car and all four went into the house.

June was preparing something to eat. Nothing serious, a light snack with lots of vitamins to counter the fast food eaten during the day. April sat down, getting the weight off her feet, thinking about Paul and when she heard the last from him. She realized that had been after her acerbic reaction on his last text: 'OK. I'll mourn our marriage in silence.' Just then, she was disturbed by the doorbell announcing a visitor. "I'll get it!" she called and groaned as she got out of the chair. Before her, when she had opened the door, was a young man standing, wearing a body cam and holding a fat envelope.

"I'd like to speak to Mrs. April Fowler please," the man said in a surprisingly deep voice.

"That's me," she replied. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I need to deliver this to you, but before I can do that, I need some sort of identification."

"One moment." April walked back and retrieved her driver's license out of her purse.

"Here you are."

The young man studied the license, pointed his body-cam at it, handed the envelope over to April and said, "You have been served, ma'am. Have a good night." He walked away mumbling, "A job well done."

April was stunned. Served? With what? she thought naively. She broke the seal of the plain envelope. First out came a letter.

April.

The way you confronted me with the end of our marriage was cruel beyond words.

I should have realized sooner that something was rotten when you stayed more and more with your parents, not wanting to talk anymore, and as you started to denigrate me. You had already decided not to continue investing in our relationship.

I have worked my arse off to give you the life you demanded and at the same time that was my undoing. I can understand that it was a strain on our marriage and I blame myself, too, for your need to upgrade to a better man.

If you showed the decency to talk to me and tell me that you wanted to get rid of me, I would have obliged and the divorce would be quite amicable.

But not now. I demand a paternity test for your children and invoke the complete force of the prenup your dad had us sign.

Against my principles, I made myself a Facebook account and found proof of your cheating very well documented by your lover. Thank him for that from me, will you?

Now something practical.

You can't access my (MY) house anymore. I changed the locks. You can come and pick up your things after one of your parents makes an appointment with me.

For the time being I don't want to see, nor hear from you. Your April Fool's joke to inform me that our marriage was buried (I did notice the date of the memorial on the card. I'm not a total idiot!) was too humiliating and cruel beyond comprehension.

If the children are indeed mine, I hope we can come to a mutually satisfying arrangement.

Paul.

April screamed when she finished reading the letter.

At that moment, Jack entered, deep in thought, mumbling, "Charles Marsh. That was easy. He has left a trail of ruined marriages. If you check his Facebook page, he even is rather proud of it too and you a prominent feature in the recent entries. It seems he made it his hobby to break up marriages and he is succeeding very well. I fear that he tried to convince you that Paul had a measly income? I found out what he is doing for a living and I found out that his company is hiring. His salary is barely half of what Paul brings in on his, even without the inconvenience bonus. The man is a scam."

Jack snapped out of it when he heard April screaming. He noticed the envelope, some pictures taken from the Facebook site that he had just visited, and some other documents. All of it was strewn over the floor next to his very, very distraught daughter.

June stormed into the room and looked at the documents, "No, no, no. This isn't what it looks like. Please God, don't let this happen," she begged when she saw the petition for a separation and divorce papers.

Jack picked the letter out of April's strengthless fingers and together with June read what it said.

June turned to April and asked angrily, "What did you do to him? What did you do to make Paul so angry that he refuses all contact and demands a paternity test?"

So cornered by her mother and never having seen her this livid, April cried out in panic, "I didn't do anything! I never did a thing to tell Paul I want a divorce. I don't want a divorce. I've been stupid, I will admit to that but I wanted to go home tomorrow and talk it out with him. I wanted to confess what I had done and beg him for forgiveness."

April collapsed in the chair and just looked in front of her, seeing nothing. Suddenly she snapped out of it. "Whatever he writes, I'm going to talk to him tomorrow. I know I acted as a witch and was unreasonable and demeaning but I never pranked him, nor told him that I wanted a divorce."

Jack, June, and April talked about how to approach Paul. They agreed that if April went alone, she wouldn't stand a chance.

====

The day after.

Why are Saturday morning shifts always so hellish? Paul was thinking. Of course, he knew the answer, but it surprised him again every Saturday. He pulled on his rainsuit.

A while back, he'd talked with a colleague and the woman said that she needed 40 minutes on her bike instead of 50, or 60 with her car. Paul liked the idea of getting out of the car and having some more physical exercise so he'd investigated if there was an acceptable route for him to use a bicycle for commuting. Driving home after the night-shifts were dangerous; he'd almost fallen asleep twice while driving on the motorway.

Online he had found himself a used, but in perfect condition, randonneur bike. Since purchasing it, he'd commuted every day to his work on the bike and was feeling much better for it.

With the rainsuit in place, he was thinking about his, almost over, marriage and how his divorce papers had been received in the Nelson household. He shrugged, swiped a stray tear and started pedaling through the cold and wet.

Almost home, he took the path running along the back of the house so he never noticed the lone figure sitting on his porch. Inside, he shrugged out of his rainsuit, put his shoes under the radiator of the central heating system and got comfortable in a jogging suit.

Only when he was going out to check the mailbox did he notice someone sitting on his doorstep. He opened the door and the person turned around.

With teeth chattering, June said, "Paul, can I please come in? I need the loo and I'm so cold."

Paul immediately sprang to help her up and guided her, while she leaned heavily on him, to the bathroom. That settled, he went upstairs to run a hot bath and after she was done relieving herself, he carried her upstairs.

"Can you manage? or do you need help getting into the bath?"

"I'll try, I'll call you if I need help," June replied.

"Do that. I'll find you something warm for you to wear. Where's your phone? You're not fit to go back home tonight so you'll be using the guest room for the night. I don't want Jack worrying about you so you call him to let him know. I'll be downstairs making dinner."

Groaning with pleasure, June let herself sink into the warm but not-too-hot water. Finally immersed in the water, it felt so good and she started to get warm again. Thoughts randomly introduced themselves to her mind.

Warmly she remembered Paul's concern when he almost dragged her wet and shivering inside. She recalled how he lifted her up the stairs because she was almost too cold to walk. She drifted a bit until, with a shock, she realized that she had a mission to fulfill.

Between getting out of the bathtub and drying herself with one of the two big towels Paul had left her next to the door of the bathroom, she thought, What for fuck's sake was April thinking, almost throwing this caring and lovable man to the wolves. How am I going to convince him that she did wrong, toed the line, but never actually went over it? And what was written about an 'April Fool's joke about burying their marriage? That's the first question I'm gonna ask.

In the bedroom, she found panties, a merino woolen shirt, and sweater and jogging pants that Paul had laid out; she marveled at his foresight. The panties would fit, but she was sure that the rest was Paul's. While April was always dressed to the nines and was very self-conscious so her clothes were always bought for appearance with comfort well behind on the backburner, Paul couldn't care less how he looked at home as long as it was comfortable.

June hung her bra up to dry and dressed herself. She felt, despite the warm bath, a bit off so she thought for a moment about how to breach the topic of Paul's petition for the divorce and what he wrote about the April Fool's joke. As ready as she was going to be, she gathered herself and went to look for Paul.

He was waiting for her in the living room. On the table was a laptop, some prints from very damnable screenshots and an off-white envelope.

He asked, "Why didn't you wait in the car? Why did you let yourself get cold and wet?"

June shyly answered, "Cause I was afraid that you would slam the door in my face before I even could get a word in. This way, you'd have to listen to me at least until you were inside."

"I reckon that you're not here to collect April's things. You want to see if you can get us to reconcile, don't you?"

June was surprised at the perceptiveness Paul showed, let her head hang and answered affirmatively.

"I thought so. Now I have a problem with that.

"April was mad at me because I was completely absent from her for a prolonged time and she was right. Had she talked to me and showed a little more patience she would now still be a married woman. The difference is, she would be married to the head of the department I worked in. No more night-shifts, no evening shifts and once a month weekend duty from ten till six and the salary, I'm starting with, is more than my current, including inconvenience pay. But every attempt to talk to her was shot down before it was even airborne."

June felt as if the ground was slowly sinking below her feet, but after a moment she regained her equilibrium again. The implications of his remarks were obvious; she had her work cut out for her. Inwardly she marveled at her son-in-law, knowing that he could be as blunt as a drag line and yet with her...

She tried a different track.

"You're not angry, you're seething. That's not the Paul I know. Those pictures, and yes, I've seen the examples you sent with the petition, made you angry but what caused you to decide for a divorce?"

Paul, wordlessly, handed her the envelope she'd already ogled when she came into the room. She took it but was disrupted by a coughing fit.

Paul looked at her, his worry showing on his face when he observed, "You're not alright, are you? For how long were you there, in front of the house?"

June coughed, "I don't know, but I feel like shit, right now. I think I'm running a fever. But first I'll take a look at this."

She read the card and, almost physically, felt the pain Paul went through, by herself.

She whispered, "Oh dear Paul. I am so terribly sorry. We didn't raise her like that. It's beyond disrespect. When I'm back I'll tear her another one."

Again, she was racked by a coughing fit, leading Paul to lay his hand on the small of her neck as he had learned from his sister when his little nephew was ill. "You're burning up. I'll help you to bed and call a doctor."

Paul lifted June from her seat and carried her upstairs. When she was in bed, he found the thermometer. Luck had it that, at April's insistence, they acquired an in-ear thermometer. It saved a lot of unease and within seconds he had an accurate reading.

"Holy crap!" he exclaimed. "104°F!"

Paul called the health center. It took some convincing but the argument that the fever was getting so high within such a short time caused them to agree that a doctor would be there shortly.

Since the clinic was nearby, the woman, who introduced herself as Dr. Satapathy, arrived in fifteen minutes. Paul let her in and showed her upstairs, where he'd already placed a wet towel on June's burning forehead shortly before the doctor's arrival. Paul noticed that she was very young to be a doctor, not older than himself with his 39 years.

She turned around and said, "Can you give us some privacy? I need to examine the lady."

At that June croaked, "No. He stays. I don't care and you need him to help you lift me."

"Ok, doctor, please tell me what to do."

"First, please call me Amar and I need you to help me undress her upper body. I need to examine her body and listen to her lungs."

Paul replied, "One moment I'll fetch something warm over her shoulders."

He walked out of the room and came back with a down sleeping bag. When they divested June of her clothes, Paul noticed how much his wife looked like her mother. He felt grief washing over him, reflecting on how he'd always expected to grow old with April.

After the examination, Amar told them that she suspected an acute pneumonia and June should be examined further in a hospital. June flat out refused to be taken to hospital, telling Amar to take some blood for testing to be sure and to prescribe the appropriate medication.

Prescriptions in hand, Paul immediately went to find a pharmacy which was open at the time while Amar stayed with June. He soon returned with antibiotics, a cough medicine, and Tylenol. The last he had at home but purchased more just to be sure.