My best friend's wife…
Chapter 2
"Til' death us do part"
Terry went back to his table, in a bad mood, but he was trying not to show it. He didn't want to ruin the joyous atmosphere on his father's wedding day. They continued celebrating and dancing. He tried no to think about Candy anymore, he looked at the table on the other side of the room and he saw that she was no longer there and he thought it was a good thing… But he thought about her emerald eyes. Could a woman who looked so hurt, capable of the betrayal he was accusing her of?
After the celebration, his father and his beloved when to their suite to finally consummate their love… Terry and Junior went to their suite to sleep.
- There, it's done! Dad is happy.
- Yeah…
- But you, you look like you're going to a funeral…
- I'm fine…
- Don't give me that bro, what's going on?
- Nothing…
- Terrence…
- I really can't hide anything from you… when I was dancing with Nelly, she admitted to me that she and dad were not intimate.
- Ok, too much information!
- I was stunned to hear that…. She's a good woman.
- Remember the announcement before the news on televions that said: "It's 11 o'clock. Do you where your children are?"
- Yes…
- Well tonight the roles are reversed: :It's 11 o'clock. Children do you know where your parents are?"
- Well, at least we're sure he didn't marry her because she's pregnant…
- She told you that, just like that?
- What do you mean?
- She likes you, the new stepmummy
- Let me remind you that she's married to our dad…
- Eveything is fine on that side… I'm waiting…
- It's Anthony…
- Anthony? Your best friend you lost around the same time we lost mum?
- Yes…
- What made you think about him?
- His widow, or rather his "merry widow"
His brother frowned.
- Why don't you translate?
- His very pregnant widow…
- I'm still not following you…
- From what I saw, she's going to give birth any time soon. Anthony has been dead for six months and we had just spent five months together on a special mission. Thus, he can't be the father…
- Ah!
- I don't give a damn about Candice Brown! But Anthony right before the demonstration, he discovered she was having fun elsewhere and the crash…
- Whoa! Hold off your horses, buddy! You can't judge her guilty of the accident!
- Why not? Said Terry with a defying tone.
- Because pilots like you and Anthony, are chosen according to your exceptional mental abilities. You can't be weak like us normal people. You have nerves of steel, as I know of.
- No more or less than race-car pilots. But nobody is Superman, Junior. Every man has his breaking point. We just hope that we never have the opportunity to test it. Anthony was crazy about his wife. Had he learned she was cheating on him just before having to do those aerobatics…
His sentence stopped and a long silence followed.
- Did you talk to her? Asked Junior.
- It was unavoidable, since she came to me…
- And…
- I clearly sent her to hell…
- That doesn't sound like my brother at all.
- I'm not the brother you know anymore.
- None of us know who we are at the moment. We still haven't gotten our moment of clarity yet. We still very emotional and hypersensitive.
- Since when are you a philosopher?
- Don't ask...
As a matter of fact, Terry knew the answer to that question. He looked at his watch.
- We're going to wake up early in the morning. Let's go to bed, said Junior
His cellphone started ringing… He looked at the display and he said:
- Darn! It's my ex…
- That doesn't sound like my brother.
Richard Junior looked at him with that fraternal complicity.
- Touché.
- Ok, I'm going to bed.
Before he fell asleep, he thought about his parents, he thought about Anthony…
"Til' death us do part…"
With his parents' example in front of his eyes, Terry had always thought, that all you needed is to find your soulmate. A week was enough to destroy his illusions. The soulmate didn't exist. And judging by Junior's upset mind, he must be thinking the same thing.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Candy was back from the hotel Spa. She had had a horrible night. She didn't understand Anthony's friend attitude towards her. She had a good memory of him and she thought he was likeable when he came to see them and they had spend the day together. Her mind went back to that famous day…
Anthony and her had just got married. He had come back from a leave to see her and to take her with him to his new job in Japan. They were in their bedroom in Lakewood after another family dinner quite shaken.
- Don't think about it anymore, said Anthony.
- Dinner time in your family is trial on it's own!
- I know…
- Your cousin Eliza…
- Dreams of sleeping in my bed, so she hates you, she will never like you.
- Thanks for the information.
- I love you, Candy, don't ever forget it…
- I love you Anthony…
- Tomorrow, my best friend is coming to see me…
- Your best friend…
- Yes, the one who is with me on the pictures, I showed you…
- Yes, the tall dark and handsome…, she said joking.
- Yes, the tall dark and handsome… you're probably going to fall in love with him!
- No, I already have my tall blond and handsome! I don't need anything else!
- I love you Candy!
He took her lips and they made love before they fell asleep, satisfied of each other.
The next day, at the breakfast table…
- Anthony, said the great aunt Elroy, are you sure you want to go that far? Japan is so far away…
- It's for my work, grand mother…
- But you can work here… or even at Nellis in Nevada?
- Did you do research on American bases, grand mother? Asked Anthony smiling.
- I don't want you to go so far away from me!
- Grand-mother, I have to grow up and live my life too…
- Your father was always gone on one of his ships…
- Looks like I'm more like my father than my mother…
The great aunt turned to Candy.
- You should've convinced him to stay here with his family
- Aunt Elroy, said Candy, I love Anthony and I stand by his decision…
- She' s just a gold digger! Said Eliza with disdain, she wants nothing better than to leave America for a foreign country!
- For your information Eliza, Candy comes from Australia, she has taken a plane already and her family is far from being poor… so, she's not a gold digger…
- Thank you honey, said Candy smiling, shall we go? Your friend is going to arrive soon…
- You're right, I don't want to make Terry wait… you're done?
- Yes…
- Let's go! Grand-mother, have a goo day. We're going to get Terry and we're going to spend the day with him…
- You are going to bring him here and introduce him to us too, right?
- Of course grand-mother, he said leaving with his wife.
The family stayed at the table and the great aunt Elroy was disappointed… Anthony was going to leave for Japan with his young wife.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Candy and Anthony went to the airport in Chicago with their car to go pick up Terry. The ride had seemed long to Anthony who was eager to see his best friend… They parked the car and they went to wait for their friend in the arrival section of the airport. Terry was coming from New York… A lot of people came out before Candy recognized the tall dark and handsome man she had seen in the pictures… Anthony had seen him too, he approached him to hug his friend warmly. The latter had a bag and a suitcase like everybody. He let go of his suitcase to hug his friend hard they were screaming and laughing, joking. They were talking at the same time and they burst out laughing. People around them were looking at them smiling and Candy was smiling too. She liked seeing her husband so happy… when the two friends were done hugging and laughing, Anthony finally remembered his wife… He turned to her and took her hand…
- Terry, let me introduce you to Candice, we call her Candy…
Terry looked at her smiling and he euphoria of the moment, and to Candy's big surprise, he took her in his arms and hugged her, saying:
- Candy! It's a pleasure to finally meet you! The pictures don't do you justice, you're even more beautiful!
Candy screamed and burst out laughing while Terry spun with her. When he put her down…
- I'm sorry I couldn't come to your wedding…
- It's ok, said Candy, you're here now…
- Let's go, said Anthony, let's take the elevator to go to the parking.
The two men continued talking and joking while they were walking and during the whole ride. Candy was sitting in the back so that the two men would sit in the front… they were trying to include her in their conversation when it was possible.
Candy had to go to the Pony Home, so they went with her. They had fun like crazy with the children… at dinner time they went to the manor to introduce Terry to Anthony's family. They greeted him very well and Eliza stuck to him like glue, which curiously got on Candy's nerve a little. But fortunately, Terry didn't seem like the kind to have a little fun, and not with Anthony's cousin… He didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize his friendship with Anthony… He was very likable and Anthony and him looked more like brothers and he was very nice to her… When came the time for him to leave, at the airport, they had looked at each other:
- It was a pleasure meeting you Candy…
- Well, you should get married too, said Anthony.
- Well, I didn't have the luck like you to have met the perfect woman…
- It was a pleasure meeting you in person, Terrence…
- Terry, call me Terry, Mrs. Freckles…
She burst out laughing. He had said that with so much tenderness… He hugged Candy and she felt like there was more affection than the first time… But it was probably just her imagination.
Candy came back to reality…Why was Terry so rude to her? She wouldn't rest until she talked to him. He lived in New York, she managed to get his address and she wrote him a letter. After all, if this man was treating her that way, she had the right to know why. She had to solved this enigma, even if it's just to sleep in peace. Terry had nothing personal against her, she didn't know him that well. So it had to be Anthony… Anthony might have in a way or another, ruin the friendship with the friend he adored? Candy didn't know how, but that's all it could be.
Anthony, must have, unwillingly, done a mistake, and unconscious blunder that had arrived to Terrence Grandchester's ears after he sent his condolences letter. If that was the case, Candy was not in a position to fix it, but she could try to apologize in her husband's name. Terry had told her there was a wedding… he got married? She regretted that his best friend Anthony couldn't be there… she was sad to learn that Terry was hostile against her, probably for something Anthony had done.
She knew Terrence lived in New York when he came to America, that's where his brother and his father lived. She had his address in her electronic agenda, because she had replied personally to all the condolences letters they had sent to her. She was sitting at the desk in the room and she started writing. When she was done…
- Georgie?
- Yes sweetie?
- I have an errand to run…
- Here in town? You want me to come with you?
- No. I'll be fine, I'll manage. You take advantage of your time without your children, with your husband…
Georgie burst out laughing.
- All right sweetie. Thanks.
Candy got out of the suite and she took a cab to go in person at the Grandchester's. They called a cab for her at the hotel reception, which didn't take long to get there. She asked the cab driver to wait and she got out of the car and went to the villa door and rang. A maid opened the door.
- Yes?
- I would like to see Mr. Grandchester…
- Which one? Senior, Junior or Mister Terrence?
- Mister Terrence.
- He's not in…
- What about Junior?
- He's not in either.
- Senior?
- He's on his honeymoon.
So Terence wasn't the one who got married. She didn't know why, but that news rejoiced her…
- All right. Can I leave a letter for Mister Terrence?
- Of course…
oOoOoOoOoOo
Meanwhile, the Grandchesters were at the airport with their father and his new bride who sere leaving on their honeymoon. They hugged each other.
- Thank you my sons, said their father, I love you.
- We love you too, dad, said Terry.
- When I come back, I would like us to have a big conversation the three of us; Rick, you and I
- All right, said Terry, we'll be waiting.
- See you later, Terry, Rick…
- Have a great trip, dad, said the brothers at the same time.
- Goodbye children, said Nelly hugging them with love.
Terry still felt a lot of love coming from Nelly. He hugged her back, smiling.
- Have fun! He said winking at Nelly.
The parents left and the two brothers went back home. When they arrived, the mad gave them an envelope and Junior took it.
- A Candice Brown, left this letter for Mister Terrence.
That Candice Brown had some nerve! Since Terrence wasn't doing anything to take it, so, Junior took it.
- Thank you Netta, said Junior.
- Anthony's widow…
- It's for you, said his brother giving him the letter.
- She wrote me…
- After your unexplainable rudeness, what's so surprising?
- I thought you were on my side.
- Always.
- I have no explanation to give her. She knows she can't tell me stories, since I was with her husband before he died. Apparently, this woman has no scruples.
- Yeah… appearances are against her, that's the truth, whispered Junior.
- The appearance of her pregnancy that's real!
- You should read the letter…
Terry took the letter and threw it in the garbage. But Rick picked it up and put it in the inside pocket of his blazer.
- I'll keep it for now…
oOoOoOoOoOo
Candy, her sister and her brother in law had gone back home. The children were very happy to see them.
- We missed you! Said Joey, the eldest.
- Yes, said Axel, did you bring us presents?
- Of course, said their mother…
- Yay! Yelled the boys.
The children opened their presents and they were all happy.
- When are you going to have your baby, aunty Candy? Asked Joey
- In a few weeks, in about three weeks, said Candy.
- Are you going to have a boy?
- No, I might have a girl, said Candy.
- We would rather have a little boy cousin.
Lowell smiled.
- God is the one who decides, he told his son.
- And God didn't want any girls in our house, said Joey.
- Heu… I'm not so sure, said Georgie.
Candy looked at her. Lowell looked at her.
- Did I hear you right my darling? He asked with a soft loving voice.
- Yes…
- That's wonderful! He said taking her in his arms to spin with her.
Georgie screamed laughing.
- What's going on? Asked Joey stunned.
- I think you're going to have a new little brother or sister, said Candy smiling.
Georgie approached Candy to hug her warmly. It was like her sister pregnancy had chased away the cloud of sadness in her life. She made the decision at that moment to stay in New York with her sister. She would need to be near her to cheer her up.
oOoOoOoOoOo
The Grandchesters had ordered a pizza for a guys' night. While going to the kitchen to get some drinks, Terry saw that Rick had pinned the letter on the fridge with a magnet. He almost forgot why he was in the kitchen. He took two sodas cans and closed the fridge slamming the door so hard that everything came down. He wanted to leave everything on the floor, but it showed him how childish his behaviour was. How could a grown man, well built, who had seen everything, lived everything, let the action of a flaky unfaithful woman guide his emotions? He put the soda on the counter. Then with measured gestures, he picked up the magnet and put it back on the fridge and he opened his mail.
Fortunately, she had limited her prose to one page.
Dear Terry,
Maybe I should write "Major Grandchester", but the title didn't come under my hand. Anthony had always called you Terry and that's how I've known you for all those years.
My husband admired you a lot.
Ever since Saturday night, I thought a lot about the way you treated me. I can't find any other motive aside from Anthony doing something wrong to you.
If he offended you in anyway, I can assure you that it was not voluntary on his part. I'm sure he didn't even realise, otherwise he would've been very unhappy and would've told me about it.
Anthony is now gone. He can't make up for it, or beg your pardon. I would like to do both. I would've done it if I knew what it was.
Anthony loved you like a brother, and I'm very sorry to think that you're that angry with him. What did he do that was so unforgivable to erase all those years of friendship? That beautiful and deep friendship you expressed in your letters?
I wish with all my heart that your anger would calm down enough so you could explain to me what happened. I live in New York. I enclose my phone number and my cellphone number and I'm waiting for your call.
I supposed you're only here on a short permission and you're going to go back to Leeuvarden soon, that's why I allowed myself to drop the letter at your parents'.
Maybe it's human from my part to hope that life is perfect. But I found out, a long time ago that it takes us on roads we never expected to travel on.
Where ever our roads take up, Terry, I sincerely hope you the best. Anthony's carreer in the Air Force wouldn't have given him the same joy if you hadn't been there with him from the start.
Fly high and looked at your wings.
Candy.
Terry looked at the phone number at the bottom of the letter and remained in shock. If he expected anything, it was attempt to justify herself about her adultery or pleading some extenuating circumstances…
That woman didn't even mention her own guilt! She wasn't feeling anything to repent for. Was she always that immoral? Anthony had married her barely out of high school. She was taken from her parents house to find herself between four wall in different foreign countries, being bored for weeks and months at the time, waiting for her husband to come back from missions…
Terry closed his eyes, Candice Brown was a very beautiful woman. As stunning today as she was all those years ago. It's not surprising if loneliness made her vulnerable to men's attention?
In the army, long separation didn't help loneliness in marriages. Terry remembered his father's word when he chose that career: "It's great to be a flight pilot, but you have to thing about the other side of the medal. There's a price to pay, Air Force and family don't work well together."
Back then, Terry took the warning lightly. But in fact, he never got married and he had observed a lot of divorces around him. Anthony's marital problems just perfectly illustrated what his father was saying.
Anthony never said anything, but evidently, that's why he barely talked about his private life?
- The pizza is getting cold…
Terry turned around to look at his brother who seem to have suddenly materialized in the kitchen.
- I thought you were finally reading the letter. What did she say?
He gave him the letter.
- Read it and you'll see. I didn't make a mistake about her. It's worse than I thought.
On that note, he took the cans and went to the living room. Rick had put the chess board on the table. His brother was eager to play to beat him. Terry was not like him, he beat his father every time they played but that evening, he felt like defying his younger brother.
To his biggest annoyance, Rick came back with the damn letter in his hand. Terry cut to the chase.
- Are we playing or not?
But Rick was still standing.
- If Candice Brown is as guilty as you think, she has to have guts to write you a letter like that, after the way you rejected her.
Rick was sounding like their mother, when there was an impossible problem they had to solve, the latter always went with logic to find a solution.
Terry mumbled.
- Stop thinking about it. That woman doesn't know good from bad, period.
- You don't want to ask her?
His brother was the only person in the world who had the joy of bugging him and getting away with it.
- Stop annoying me Rick, we're not kids anymore
- Exactly! Kids judge pretty fast without thinking about the consequences or having all the cards on the table.
- But she's eight months pregnant, bloody hell!
- That's the visible part. Inside, there's a woman suffering deeply from your rejection, otherwise, she wouldn't have confront you with that letter. Maybe she needs to tell you things she wasn't able to write… I've never seen you dwell on someone else's suffering like that.
Terry was getting on his nerves.
- Anthony's widow is happy with a guy who fathered her baby! That's all I need to know, Anthony was my friend.
- You mean your friendship didn't include the woman he loved?
- I've never known her… I've met her only once before that…
- You knew her threw her husband's eyes. She knows you the same way. On a lot of points, it's even more intimate…
Rick took the letter again and put it on the table.
- If Candice Brown needs to confide in someone, it seems normal to me that it would turn to you, Terry. Give her half of another chance.
Terry crossed his arms on his chest.
- What about that chess game? Is it for today or tomorrow?
Rick sat on his chair.
- Ready to get your beating?
- Your success on the racetrack is making you arrogant.
- Your combat mission made you inhuman.
Terry didn't expect his reply. Not from her brother at least. He looked at the floor and he wondered if those comments were true.
- It's your turn. The ball is in your camp.
According to Rick's tone, he wasn't talking about the chess game.
An hour later, Terry still couldn't concentrate on the game, they looked at each other and they decided to stop there. Rick was the first one to get up from his seat.
- Good night buddy.
Terry looked at him go and his eyes saw the letter. Without touching the chess game, he reached out with his arm and unfolded it to read it again.
The text which had stunned him at first, was poking a suffocating rage the second time around.
In what kind of perverted mind, that woman had managed to put the fault on her late husband? With her unfaithfulness big as a house, how dare she suggest that Anthony was the cause of his disgust she inspired him? Who did she hoped to fool?
Feeling sick, Terry turned off the lamp and went to his bedroom, the letter in his fist, which was now just a crumpled ball, which he threw in the garbage.
He was taking his clothes off.
"…it seems normal to me that it would turn to you, Terry…"
What would Anthony had done in his place? If he had met his hypothetical widow, pregnant with a baby who couldn't possibly be his?
Anthony wouldn't have ran away.
He would've looked for an explanation, and risk the confrontation.
Grinding his teeth, Terry lean towards the garbage. Then slowly he smoothed the letter where the phone number was.