SERIAL FICTION
Not Being Honest Meant She Crossed A Line
Shadows Of Mayday #28: Kaitlyn #3: She couldn’t let go of her soulmate, and needed to make a choice
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In all earnest and with every good intention in the world, Kaitlyn started the relationship therapy with her husband. The therapist was wonderful and open-minded. Instead of telling them what they should do, she coached them into finding their own way.
After some weeks, Kaitlyn briefly touched on the subject of opening their relationship to others. Her husband didn’t dismiss the idea, but asked for time to think about it. This earned him praise from the therapist.
Kaitlyn fell in love with her husband again. There were butterflies in her tummy. They spent a lot of time together and realized their marriage was worth saving.
Things were going well, but two things bugged Kaitlyn.
First, even though her husband had told the therapist he would think about opening their relationship, he never spoke about it with her. After several sessions, he admitted he didn’t want to do it. He was jealous of the man whom Kaitlyn had fallen in love with. He didn’t want an open relationship because he didn’t want her to be with ‘that bastard’ again.
The other thing bugging Kaitlyn was that she was still not honest with her husband. She stayed away from her soulmate for only two weeks. She had not seen him since she and her husband started their relationship therapy, but she had contact with him every day.
They sent each other text messages. Kaitlyn didn’t want to go a day without his words of love. This was unfair to her husband. She knew this, but she seemed unable to stop.
In their next therapy sessions, she tried again to talk to her husband about letting other people into their relationship. The therapist didn’t offer her opinion of such an arrangement, but coached them to reach their own conclusions.
“Do you only want to open your relationship so you can allow your soulmate in without feeling guilty towards your husband?” the therapist asked Kaitlyn.
“What are your exact fears about opening the relationship?” she asked Kaitlyn’s husband.
“Kaitlyn, how would you feel if your husband falls in love with another woman?”
“Have you never wondered how it would be to make love to a woman other than Kaitlyn?”
They didn’t have to answer her questions. The therapist asked the questions and left them to reach their own conclusions. All the questions made her husband doubt himself again, and he asked for more time to consider trying it.
Then disaster struck again. One evening before bedtime, Kaitlyn showered while her husband lay in bed. Her phone rang while she was in the bathroom and it woke her husband, who had dozed off. Thinking it might be an important call, her husband reached over to her phone.
It was her soulmate calling.
Her husband recognized his name.
When Kaitlyn came out of the bathroom, he sat on the side of the bed, his face contorted with anger.
“You’re still seeing him, right?” he accused her.
“No, I’m not. I promise, I’m not.”
“But you’ve had contact with him all this time?”
Kaitlyn couldn’t lie to him.
“I wanted to break off all contact with him, at least for as long as we’re in therapy, but I was weak. I don’t know how to stay away from him. I don’t know what role he will play in my life, but I cannot think of a life without him in it.”
“And what about us, then?”
“I want us to be good,” Kaitlyn admitted.
Her husband kept quiet.
“I want you both,” Kaitlyn spoke again.
“You’ll have to choose,” her husband said and with those words, he slammed the door on ever opening their relationship and hearts for others.
Kaitlyn was back to where they had started.
All the weeks of therapy seemed to have been for nothing, and it was because she hadn’t been truthful to her husband. She was dishonest with herself and with their therapist. She should have broken off all contact with her soulmate.
The couple lay together in bed that night, but neither of them slept. Kaitlyn was cold and sad all night. In the early hours of the morning, she reached a decision: she would go away for a couple of weeks. She needed to get away from both men to decide how she wanted to continue with her life. She told her husband about her decision the next day.
“Where will you go?” he asked.
“To my cousin in South Africa.”
He nodded.
Kaitlyn grew up with her cousin and if there was one person able to help Kaitlyn see things straight, it was this cousin.
Kaitlyn called her work and consulted with her departmental head and the personnel officer. They granted her six weeks of sick leave. She only told them she had a marital crisis, because she didn’t want to admit to outsiders that there was more than only that.
A pushback tug moved the plane away from the gate. Kaitlyn glanced sideways and saw that the plane was full. She had heard that this was common for flights to South Africa. Flying to South Africa, the planes were always full, as opposed to those flying back to Europe. She returned to her own thoughts.
Will he still want to be my husband if I decide to stay with him? He will also have time to think. Will he ever forgive me? Let alone forgive me. Will he ever trust me again? What about my beautiful soulmate? Will he miss me if I end things between us?
A pang of jealousy cut through her heart thinking about the other two women in her lover’s life. They had an uncomplicated relationship with him.
Why could she not?
The answer was obvious.
Those two women weren’t married and had chosen never to be. They had the best of both worlds — freedom to do whatever they wanted, a loving relationship and great sex. If she left her husband, he would be alone, but if she left her lover, he would have his two ladies to comfort him.
Will I ever know what I want? Kaitlyn wondered.
Her cousin was one of the most rational women she knew, and she had always untangled Kaitlyn’s thoughts.
Two years ago, her cousin married a South African man and moved to his country. Kaitlyn was sad to see her go. This would be the first time she saw her cousin again after she had moved.
Would they still have the same bond as they had before her cousin left? Would her cousin still be able to help her?
Kaitlyn sighed and shrugged her shoulders. In the next four weeks, things would become clear. She was sure of that.
By then, the plane was already in the air and they had switched off the lights for the seatbelts off. Kaitlyn had to disturb the other two passengers in her row to go to the lavatory. Back in her seat, she took the book she had bought at the tax-free shop, opened it, and started reading.
Continued: Shadows Of Mayday #29
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This story is a work of fiction, and the author’s tribute to all victims of air crashes. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
