The Keepsake (Love at the Crossroads) (2 page)

She barely completed the forms without crying. The receptionist stood as she took the clipboard Desi handed her, knocked on a door and disappeared into another room. The reception area, with its cheerful colors and art décor, did nothing to relax Desi’s nerves as she retook her seat.

Soon, a
petite woman appeared in the doorway of her office. “Mrs. Bishop.” Attorney Annette Rush’s warm smile and compassion almost made Desi want to fly into her arms and cry like a baby. She extended her hand. Desi stood, accepted the handshake and followed the woman, who she guessed couldn’t be much older than her, back into the office.

Once seated behind her massive desk,
Attorney Rush asked if there was any chance of reconciliation or marital counseling.  Desi declined and the attorney explained the process, including how long it would take, and other legal procedures that made Desi feel like she was making funeral arrangements. “There is some information I need to get for the dissolution of your marriage from Mr. Michael Hunter Bishop.”

Desi nodded and couldn’t help but glance at the rock on the
lawyer’s finger, then she twisted her ring that should have come off. She swallowed and cleared her throat.  Desi warred against an internal struggle. She loved her husband, but with the reality of his betrayal, Matthew 19:9 justified her action. God always had a plan of escape for His people.

“
Where would you like your husband served, home or work?”

Pictures of
Michael kissing another woman flashed before her eyes. She and Michael had dated for six months before he had proposed, then they were married three years. Months ago, they had discussed starting a family. “Please don’t refer to him as my husband,” Desi corrected.

“I understand. I apologize. Where would
you like the sheriff’s bailiff to serve papers to Mr. Bishop?”

“At
his place of employment.” His employees knew. She was the last to know.

With the paperwork completed, her attorney was about to wrap up the appointment, but Desi stopped her. “I would like to file one more lawsuit.”

The attorney lifted her brow. “Against whom?”

“Brenda Johnson, the mistress.”

Attorney Rush didn’t blink. “Missouri doesn’t have an alienation of affection clause. We can sue her for ‘criminal conversation’. Do you have a home address or place of employment for Miss Johnson? You will also need proof of the actual sexual intercourse between your hus—Mr. Bishop and her.”

“Unfortunately, I have it.” She
twisted her lips in disgust and handed over the envelope with the snapshots of Michael and the hussy.

Accepting the package
, the attorney scrutinized the evidence. “Well, once these petitions are processed, both of them should be served by the end of the week or Monday at the latest.”

“Thank you.” Desi stood to leave and so did
Attorney Rush.

“I’m sorry for your loss. I can see how grieved you are about this
. I can tell you really want to be married. If I can cross the professional line for a moment and say that whatever the Lord allowed the devil to take away from you, God can restore your losses abundantly. ”

“Thank you,” Desi whispered as a tear fell
. She walked out the office. Regrettably, for her and Michael, it was too late.

***

Michael turned the corner into his cul-de-sac. Zachary’s sports car was parked in his driveway. Activating the garage door opener, Michael pulled up beside him and drove into the garage. Zachary was already getting out of his vehicle. Judging from his stiff posture, his brother was highly irritated.

“Hey
.”

Zachary nodded and followed
him into the three bedroom house. Desi had decorated it to her heart’s desire while Michael paid the note and the other bills. This was to have been their dream house to increase their family, but without Desi’s presence, he hated the place. She’d been gone five days. How could he miss one person so badly?

Entering through the kitchen,
Michael dumped his keys and laptop on the counter. His brother folded his arms, leaned against the door and watched his every move. Zachary was patient unless provoked, which could be the case tonight. Too bad, Michael had to eat something. He had been starving himself the past few days. He grabbed a Hungry-Man TV dinner out the freezer and popped it in the microwave. “Want one?”                           

“I didn’t come to eat, Mickey. Tell me what’s going on
, now.”

Although his brother was
older by three years, Michael, at six-three, had Zachary by two inches. They had similar facial features and interests. Both were entrepreneurs at heart; his brother owned and operated a franchise, while Michael was honing his managerial skills at the retail phone center.

“I cheated on Desi.” Michael didn’t see
Zachary’s fist coming toward his jaw until it was too late to duck. He retaliated with a punch to his brother’s mouth. They wrestled until they practically had each other in a headlock. Loosening his grip, he pushed Zachary away. “What did you do that for?”

“That was for my sister-in-law.” His nostril
s flared. “She deserves better and you promised her that. I was your best man, remember? I expected better of you,” he roared and shook his head.

“All of us were
pulling for you two. Even her older sister and you know how bitter Tracey was after her divorcee with those two small children. She admitted that watching you and Desi made her hope for love again. Then Halcyon kept saying that she was leaving Scott after living with him for I don’t know how long. Then she had a son, and the jerk didn’t even hint at marriage as a possibility. But she told me, you and Desi’s relationship had her re-evaluating whether she should cut her losses with him and wait for the love she saw between you and Desi.” Zachary scowled.

“Don’t you see, man? We’re the good guys.” He patted his chest. “If Christian men can’t keep their pants zipped, then why profess Christ?” After massaging his mouth, Zachary headed to the bathroom without waiting for an answer.

Ignoring the tingling in his own jaw, Michael had no comeback as he watched his brother scrutinize his lip in the mirror. Folding his arms, he ignored the microwave’s beep notifying him that his dinner was ready.  What little appetite he had was gone—again. His mind was telling him that what he had done in secret was starting to come to the light like a 300-watt bulb.

Strolling back into the kitchen, Zachary went to the freezer. Instead of going for a dinner, he grabbed a couple of cubes of ice and applied them directly to his mouth. 
“So, are you still seeing this trash?”

Michael slumped into a chair.
“No. Yes, I lost my mind when I allowed it to first happen, but I did come to my senses and ended it. But it was too late. Desi found out and confronted me.”

Zachary grunted.
“Better Desi, than Tracey. You know her sister has a conceal-and-carry gun permit. She would have shot you. But, I’m still trying to understand why?” He frowned.

“I’ve asked myself that question so many times.”

“And?” Zachary prompted.

“I don’t have an answer.”

“Well, I hope you didn’t pick up HIV or AIDS and give it to Desi. Let me ask you… Would you have told her if she hadn’t found out?”

Michael shrugged. “I’d
like to think that I would because she is such a forgiving person, but seeing how she walked away without even raising her voice… You know how animated she is. I at least would have been able to tell her everything. When I checked the closets and stuff, it looked like she had already been planning to leave me.”

“Good for her.” Zachary got up, discarded the melting ice in the sink and rummaged through
the freezer before taking out a TV dinner. “Now, from the beginning, tell me how you messed up your life.”

It was one thing to rehash it in his mind, but to hear himself describe how he had broken his marriage covenant was heartbreaking. So Michael took his time and hit the timer on the microwave to reheat the dinner that was probably cool by now.
“About a month ago, this woman came into the store needing assistance with her brand new smartphone. My two other employees couldn’t master the program switch, so they came to me and I did it in record time. The woman thanked me, flirted and left, end of story—or so I thought.”

Once Michael’s dinner was reheated,
Zachary popped his in. “So this was a stranger encounter? You didn’t even know what corner she stepped off of.” His brother didn’t hold back the character assassination until he pulled out his dinner and blessed his food. He shoved a helping of mash potatoes in his mouth and nodded for Michael to continue.

“She returned
a few days later with another problem and wanted me to fix it.”

“One of my employees can help you. I have to get a bite to eat,” Michael had said, but that didn’t seem to deter her.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Are you eating close by?” She smiled.

“When I told her
I was headed next door for lunch, she basically invited herself…”

“Mistake number one.”
Zachary smacked his lips and then grimaced in pain.

Michael glared at him. “Don’t you think I see my hindsight crystal clear now
?”

“I’m just sayin’.” Zachary shrugged and continued to devour his processed
meal.

“Well, during lunch, we didn’t talk about her phone. When she saw my ring, she asked me if I was happily married
. I said yes. I should have rebuked the challenge in her eyes, but I ignored it. I paid for her lunch and we went back into the store and I reprogrammed her phone.”

“
Oh man. You bought her lunch? I won’t even tell you what I’m thinking.”

“Please don’t. She came again and insisted
I allow her to treat me. Again, she asked if I was happily married.”

“And all this time, what was going through your head?”

“Honestly, that this woman wasn’t going to try anything because I told her I was happily married.” Michael paused. “I know. The devil was setting me up and I didn’t even know it.”

“Go on.” Zachary pushed his empty plastic compartment
ed plate to the side and folded his arms.

“That same night when I closed
up the store, she was waiting for me in her car. I was surprised. I had let the last two employees go on home, so it was just me and her in that semi-dark parking lot. She called my name and when I turned around, she was walking toward me in a tight short dress. Her seduction was in high gear. God kept telling me to resist the devil, but my body parts said no.  As she kissed me, I just lost my mind.” Michael stopped there. Was he really talking about himself being that gullible or another fool? “I hope Desi will forgive me.”

“M
e personally, I wouldn’t. So many women think we’re dogs anyway and from what you’ve just told me, you proved it.” Zachary grunted. “Man, I can understand Desi packing up and leaving you. If you weren’t my only sibling, I probably wouldn’t speak to you either.”

“Thanks,” Michael said sarcastically. “You’re my
big brother, so what’s your advice?”

Zachary stood and gathered his mess. “I don’t have any. You are definitely on your own in this mess. You need to talk to your pastor and/or God because you need some direction on this.” He gathered his keys and headed to the door, then pivoted on his heel before he opened it. “You know what I think?”

“What?” Michael had shamed God and stopped going to church, so any piece of wisdom his brother wanted to impart, Michael would take it.

“I think you’ve lost her, man. And I’m really sorry about it.” Zachary walked out, leaving Michael to pick up his own pieces, it appeared, by any means necessary.

CHAPTER ~3~

The thought of being suddenly single again had Desi out of sorts
. But she wasn’t going to stay in a tainted marriage just to keep the title. Desi felt like a fool believing in Michael. She never doubted his excuses that he had to work on Sundays, because of some big programming change. Michael was probably with her—his mistress. “Clear your head, Desi. What’s done is done.  It can’t be changed,” she consoled herself.

Because of the chaos in her personal life, Desi had let it interfere with her spiritual life. N
ot up to pleasantries and queries about her husband’s lengthy absence, she had missed church two Sundays in a row.

Desi would have to get used to the fact that she was separated from her husband until the divorce was final. She twisted
her engagement ring and wedding band. She had cherished it since the day Michael slipped it on her finger with such love in his eyes—or so she thought.

Maybe she should pawn it
. Not because she needed the money but it would remind her that, whether it was death or other circumstances, love could be snatched away at any time. In the bathroom, Desi stared at her reflection and wondered what it was about her that Michael was no longer attracted to. Should she grow out her hair? Was it her short haircut? He always said not too many women could pull that off and be sexy.