"Why didn't you tell me right after it happened?" she asked. "I would have been here for you through the whole ordeal if I'd only known!"

"I was just so ashamed." The agony in her husband's eyes pierced her soul. "You almost never hear of a man being raped. Men are supposed to be strong, able to defend ourselves. I tell you, Erin, I've never felt so helpless in my life as when he tied me to that bed post."

"I know." She held him close, and he buried his face in her bosom as she gently stroked his dark brown hair. "The judge understood, too. That's why he gave you a suspended sentence."

"I'm not a killer, Erin. It's just that seeing that bastard walking around free was more than I could stand, knowing how much I'd suffered, how much all his victims had suffered. I knew there was only one way I could make sure he'd never rape anybody again."

"I know you're a decent man, Lenny." What could she say to comfort him? "I don't blame you for what you did, but you shouldn't have kept it all bottled up inside. You should have told me."

"I know." His voice sounded weak. "Can you ever forgive me for putting you through this?"

"There's nothing to forgive, Lenny. It's all over now, and we have to try to put it behind us and get on with our lives."

"I don't know how." She heard the sob in his throat and it touched her deeply. "Life will never be the same for me again."

"I know. It'll never be the same for me either, but we have to be strong and somehow survive. It's the only choice we have."

"I know." He stood and took both her hands into his own. "I love you, Erin."

"I love you too, Lenny. It's gonna be all right." As they silently embraced, he felt the coldness inside him begin to thaw just a little.