Livy's Story

Although not spoken out loud, my first wife and I were heading to a divorce anyway when I was informed that she was cheating. We were barely twenty when we got married, thought we knew everything and were shell shocked when life proved we didn't know shit. Add three girls in five years and things went from bad to worse. My wife, Livy, didn't want three, I am not sure if she wanted any. In hindsight, number three put her over the edge.

I worked in a plumbing parts distribution center; I wasn't the owner, but the old man kept dumping more and more of his responsibilities on me. It did allow me standard working hours, so I was usually home by 4:30 every day.

The baby was three months old when Livy told me she had a job, working as a waitress in a pizzeria and bar about 15 minutes away three days a week. She had a great plan, she would leave as soon as I got home, work till 8:00 and be home in time to help me get the kids in bed.

We hadn't gotten along since she realized she was pregnant with number three. Maybe it was postpartum depression, but things went from bad to worse after the baby was born. I looked forward to her working, the extra money would be nice, but I really looked forward to the tranquility of not having her bitch in my ear when I came home.

Back when I was in high school, my friends talked me into taking a cooking class

so after my senior year I could flip a pretty good omelet plus a bunch of other things. Dinners three nights a week weren't a problem for me.

Three nights a week quickly turned to five nights a week and 8:00 eventually turned to midnight. That's if she didn't stay over at her friend Angie's house which was next door to the pizzeria.

I can't tell you how much better my life was the more hours she worked. Our arguments dropped to almost none but more importantly, I was having fun with my girls. With the exception of changing diapers, I tried to make everything fun. Tuesdays were making your own taco night. I would cut up a bunch of vegetables and cheeses and the girls could put anything they wanted on them. Fridays became make your own pizza night with store bought pizza shells. Saturday mornings became make your own pancakes. I would mix the batter, and the girls would decide what they wanted in the pancakes, bananas or apples or chocolate chips or whatever else they wanted. Sunday was something similar with omelets.

Bath time became a game where each kid washed their sisters' back and then turned around to wash another's back.

There was also plenty of playtime. Yes, I played with Barbies and sat for tea times. We went to parks and played on swings. The four of us would catch whatever new kids' movie was out in the theater. In the winter we would sleigh ride, in the summer we would visit the local swimming hole.

The girls never complained about their mother not coming with us, even if she wasn't working. It became the norm, either she was too tired or had stuff to do. The girls quickly stopped asking her to come with us.

Our sex life went from infrequent to nil. When she was pregnant with number three, we promised each other that we would quit smoking. I had been able to stop completely and became one of those ex-smokers that hated the smell of cigarette smell. I don't think Livy ever really quit, and when she would come into bed with me, I would find the cigarette smell in her hair revolting. It became worse when she started working because in addition to cigarette smoke, there was the smell of beer and pizza. She refused to take a shower when she got home because she was always too tired. I would usually end up sleeping on the couch.

Things were pretty good most of the time. Food shopping with three kids was always a challenge. Potty training number three was very challenging. I couldn't believe such a little thing could shit and piss so much and so frequently. And then there were the times when Livy would spend the night at Angie's and wouldn't make it home in time for me to go to work. I hate being late. That issue was probably our biggest arguing point until D-Day.

What I called D-Day was the day a woman was knocking on my door. The girls and I had just finished dinner, and I was putting the last of the dishes in the strainer when I heard the knock. I recognized the woman from one of Angie's many parties, but I could not recall her name. I invited her in, offered her a glass of iced tea and we sat at the kitchen table.

"You need to control your wife," she began.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," was my response and I didn't.

She pulled a manilla envelope out of her bag and proceeded to lay several pictures out on the table. In the pictures, Livy was sitting on some guy's lap. His hands were either under her skirt or under her shirt. They were sucking face in all of them. In one picture, Livy's panties were clearly around her ankles. There were no pictures of them having sex but a woman with her panties around her ankles while a man besides her husband had his hands up her skirt was clearly inappropriate. As I looked closer, the pictures were taken in Angie's living room and there were a lot of other people around.

I was lost in thought when I realized my oldest was standing next to me. The only way I knew she was there is when she asked if that was mom in the pictures. The other two were right behind her. I know it came out harsh when I told them to get to bed.

"You hired a private investigator," I asked?

"No, my brother took the pictures along with a lot of other people. Your wife didn't seem to care. My husband will when he gets hit with the divorce papers on Monday. That was the first time with my husband as far as I know. But according to my brother, it's the norm for your wife every Friday and Saturday night, just different guys."

She said I could keep the pictures and left.

The girls were crying because I yelled at them for no reason. I apologized and announced bath time with bubbles tonight. Did you know you're not supposed to let little girls take bubble baths? It was a good night to have a little fun.

Livy was home in time for me to go to work the next morning. I didn't say anything about the pictures, but I took them to work with me to make a bunch of copies. I made an appointment with a divorce lawyer. Our big conversation revolved around custody of the children. He said I would have to prove she was unfit and the three pictures I had wasn't going to get me there.

The rest of the week went normally. It hadn't been warm between me and Livy before I saw the pictures. I was probably colder, but she didn't seem to notice. I was surprised when she didn't leave when I got home Monday night. She was always off that night but would normally head over to Angie's as soon as I pulled into the driveway.

She sat down and had dinner with us. It wasn't anything special, just baked ziti. The girls were surprised that their mother was joining us for dinner. Livy didn't say much during dinner. She popped her head in when I was giving the girls their baths and she popped her head in when I was reading the girls their bedtime stories.

Livy was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a beer when I finished with the girls. I was surprised she had a beer; I don't normally keep them in the house. Beer doesn't taste as good without a cigarette, and I wasn't going to start smoking again.

"We need to talk," she said.

In my mind, 'oh really captain obvious' was playing. But I kept myself in check and said, "go ahead."

"I understand Vanessa came to see you the other day."

"Whose Vanessa," I asked. I wasn't playing stupid, but I did not know the visitor's name was Vanessa and I wasn't going to assume anything.

"Vanessa is the wife of the man I've been bopping for the last couple of weeks or was the wife since he was served with divorce papers this afternoon. She told me she gave you some pictures."

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't' say anything.

"He wasn't the first in case you want to know and I'm sorry his wife is divorcing him. But I have no regrets. Our marriage has been done for a while, even before I started working, probably before the baby was born."

"When you file, put in for full custody. I don't think I was meant to be a mother and watching you tonight, you seem to be a great father and a great mother. I don't want anything because it would only be taking from our children. You can reach me at Angie's if you need anything. I packed most of my stuff when the girls were taken their naps today and it's already in my car."

She sucked down the rest of her beer and got up to leave. At the door she said, "I'll continue to watch the girls when you are at work for the short term, but you should start looking for a longer-term solution. I need to get out of this town."

And that was the end of our marriage, no arguing, no tears no violent protests. Not even a whimper. My biggest fear was custody and that was solved. I also worried about support, most of Ivy's earnings were under the table but she didn't have any interest in support. I could make a claim for her car, but it was 10 years old, so I didn't see a point.

The biggest worry was daycare going forward. With the exception that it was very expensive, I didn't know anything about it.

I am certain my mother is clairvoyant. They say that the mother ends up with both her DNA and her baby's. My mother had taken a buyout a few years earlier and had been helping my sister with her little girl since her husband left her. I guess her children did not marry well. Our conversation was short, she wanted to come for a visit the following Saturday. Of course I didn't say no.

My mother loved her granddaughters. She took my place at the tea party, made the girls lunch and played Candyland with them. It gave me time to get all the bedding washed. I heard her ask my oldest where her mother was. My oldest told her she was probably working or at her friend's house.

After the girls were in bed, I found myself sitting across from mom at the kitchen table.

"What's going on with Livy," she asked. "She hasn't been here all day and the way the girl's act, that's the norm here."

"We're getting divorced mom."

"You need to reconsider that, Jack. I put up with your father for a long time so you kids would have a two-parent household."

As I went to get the pictures, I said, "Living in that warzone between you two wasn't any fun either. Livy and I haven't gotten along since before your youngest granddaughter was born."

"How was she conceived if you weren't getting along?"

"I don't know, probably make up sex I think."

"So, why get divorced now Jack, your girls are so young."

I handed my mother the pictures and she started crying. The only other time I saw her cry was when my childhood friend was killed. That was before I turned 15.

"I'm so sorry Jack, I had no idea. I thought your father had cheated on me one time, but I never had proof. Where did you get these?"

"The wife of the guy with his hand up Livy's skirt gave them to me. If you look at the background you can see a bunch of people walking around. She wasn't even trying to be discreet. Livy told me she had been bopping him for a few weeks and he wasn't the first."

"Oh my god Jack. You can't let her get custody of the girls."

"Livy wants me to file for full custody and I already have my lawyer working on it. Livy said she wasn't meant to be a mother."

"Can you handle that? What about daycare?"

"I've been handling it for months now, almost since the baby was born. Daycare is another problem. Livy said she would continue to watch the girls for the short term, but I needed to find a long-term solution."

"I knew there was a reason I needed to see my granddaughters. Do you want my help?"

That was the question. My mother and I never got along. I left when I was 15 and came back maybe six months later. I was asked to leave right after I finished high school, so I wasn't 18 yet. Then there was some back and forth and I was done there by the time I was 20 and married Livy when I was 21. Asking my mother to get that involved with my life was going to suck. But in the end, I had no choice. I could not afford daycare for three kids.

"I need your help mom; I don't see how I can afford daycare when only one of them is in school."

"I'm done helping your sister so I can take over for Livy if that's ok."

We ended up agreeing that she would watch my kids while I worked in a month or two. She didn't live that far away. My mother agreed to help me for two years. At least by then, two of the kids would be in school.

Omelets were on the menu for Sunday morning and as cycled through the three omelets for the girls, washing and drying their dishes as I cooked, my mother enjoyed her coffee and breakfast time with her granddaughters. Finally, I was able to sit down and enjoy my omelet. My mother's breakfast always consisted of coffee.

"Jack, you're going to make some woman a fine wife one day."

"Thanks mom, I'm sure you meant that as a compliment."

She left around noon and had tears in her eyes again as she kissed her granddaughters goodbye.

On Monday I told Livy that my mother was going to start watching the girls in a month or two. Livy thought my mother and I would kill each other in weeks.

Once Livy was served with divorce papers, I think she no longer found any reason to hold back on fucking around. Somebody, I don't know who, began sending me videos of her antics.

The first was videos of Livy sucking off different men. The action always took place in Angie's living room. She was fully clothed when the video started, then topless at some point and then finally her panties were around her ankles. Livy was usually swallowing their come, some guys liked spraying her and she ended the night with a nice pearl necklace. Livy would never swallow my come and it was a running argument between us.

A few days later there was another video of Livy fucking some guy, riding him cowgirl style. It was hard to tell but it looked like there were multiple guys she fucked based on the time stamps.

The next video was worse with Livy getting spit roasted. In between there were videos of Livy walking around Angie's crowded living room in various stages of undress. I noticed she wasn't the only woman who was baring her tits or ass. In fact, most of the women in the room were topless or bottomless including Angie. The kicker was when Angie's 19-year-old daughter walked though one of the videos without any pants or panties.

It had been over a year since the last time I had sex, so my right hand had been very busy. Every day or two I would get a new one, but I would also watch the older ones carefully, looking at what was going on in the background. Angie's living room looked like a swinger's party, and I wasn't invited.

The Saturday after my mother's visit, Vanessa was knocking on my door, and I invited her in.

"Have you been sending me the videos Vanessa?"

"No, I haven't sent you anything. I don't even know your number."

I showed her a couple of the videos. She didn't recognize the number they were sent from.

"Angie has been a swinger for a long time. That's why her husband left her years ago. She wanted to swing, he said no, but she began to take on new lovers while her husband was at work. I think it was the third time he caught her that he packed his shit and left. That must have been five years ago, and no one has heard from him since. I don't know why it took him three times to leave since she never apologized or committed to stop."

"I saw her oldest walking around in one of the videos, I wonder what is happening with the youngest. Neither one of them usually wear a lot of clothes and have been sent home numerous times from school for inappropriate attire."

"As soon as I heard my husband was going there, I knew why. He tried to get me to join him one night and I slapped his face. I ain't no slut. That's why I had my brother follow him that one night."

"Livy told me she had been bopping your husband for weeks, did you know that?"

"I didn't, but I suspected it was more than once. When he got served with the divorce papers, he was begging me to take him back, swearing it was only once. I knew he was lying. I'm embarrassed to find out it was weeks, and I never noticed."

"According to Levy he wasn't her first, so she has been fucking around on me longer and I didn't notice. I'm just happy she's giving me custody of the girls. I couldn't live without them, and I don't know what I would have done if she fought me on it."

There was a pause in the conversation where we were both looking at each other.

"So why are you here Vanessa?"

"Loneliness mostly. It seems my friends are all swingers, and I don't. That and they all knew that my husband was stepping out on me and none of them said anything. I was thinking you might be as lonely as I am. I'm not looking for sex, it's going to be a long time before I'm ready to get that close to someone. But I miss having an adult conversation during dinner and then there are the other things like movies and stuff."

"How many children do you have?"

"Just the one boy, Elliot, He's about the same age as your middle girl."

"I don't want to assume anything, but did you come here to invite me out to dinner?"

Vanessa started crying and said, "It was really stupid for me to come here, I'm sorry Jack."

She started to get up and I grabbed her hand.

"Vanessa, I'm sorry if I misunderstood what you said. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to women. Please talk to me. It's easy to walk away but then we'll never get anywhere."

"Jack, I don't have the money to take you out to dinner. My ex is so far behind in his child support I'm not sure I'll be able to keep the lights on. But if you asked me out to dinner I would say yes."

"Vanessa, would you go out to dinner with me on Saturday night?"

"I would love to Jack."

Just then my phone pinged with a new video. It showed a variety of people fucking and then the phone focused on a mirror, showing the naked body of the woman doing the recording. I showed it to Vanessa.

"That's Angie's youngest, I recognize the rose tattoo on her left breast. Her mother and her sister have the same thing."

"And so does Livy. I don't remember when she got it, it's been ages since I've seen her naked except for the videos I've been sent."

"Another thing Vanessa, I thought you had to show up with a partner if you were going to a swingers' party. How did your husband get in if you didn't go?"

"The women that go to swinger parties always want more men. So, Angie lets unaccompanied men in for $50."

"And therefore, my soon to be ex-wife has been whoring herself out. God, can this story get worse."

"Look at it from myside Jack, we can barely keep the lights on, and my husband has been paying $50 to get laid."

"Please let me know where you want to go to dinner and what time Vanessa."

"Ok, I'll call you when I get my mom to babysit, and if you don't mind. I'll meet you there. I only live two houses away from Angie and I would rather keep things quiet."

I told Vanessa I'm going to have fun with Angie's youngest and she told me her name was Jenny. She looked a little worried when I asked her.

"You don't think I would get involved with any of Angie's whores, do you?"

She gave me a smile and left.

I shot Jenny a text message and said, "nice tits, what does your cunt look like?

She shot back a short video of her fingers rubbing her clit, then digging into her pussy and spreading her lips. I had something nice to jerk off to that night. After I came, my mind wandered to Vanessa. She was pretty, not supermodel gorgeous and maybe a little overweight. I thought the two of us rebounding from cheating spouses was a recipe for disaster.

Dinner Saturday night was fun. Vanessa slipped into gorgeous with her hair done nice, make up and a pretty dress.

"For someone who said it would be a long time before she was ready for sex, you're not making my life easy."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment Jack. And I think that young hussy may have eyes on you."

As I said, we had a great night. She was so refreshing from Livy who had been one of the nastiest people on the planet. Vanessa was smart, sharp retorts that made us both laugh. I realized I couldn't remember the last time I laughed with an adult. My daughters cracked me up all the time but it's different when someone your age is making you smile. With the exception of my mother's visit, it had been a long time since I had an adult conversation with dinner.

I told her about my text messages with Jenny. She wasn't happy. I tried to explain that the girl has been messing with me for a while. I want to find a way to mess back. "There is no way in the world I would ever touch her. One thing we both have in common is that you're a one-man woman and I'm a one-woman man.

I opened her car door for her. She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and got in her car showing me a lot of leg.

"I may have to speed up my timeline if I have to compete with that little hussy," she said with a smile.

I decided not to fuck with Jenny anymore but that didn't stop Jenny from fucking with me. The next day I received a half dozen videos of her, sucking cock, swallowing come, riding some guy's cock, getting spit roasted and then licking her sister's pussy.

Vanessa and I started texting each other several times a day. That night I told her I fucked up with Jenny and the stuff she has been sending me.

She said, "I heard Livy has been telling everyone what a great lover you are. Maybe she was fucking with my ex because she told him you were way better and larger than he was. He hasn't been back there since. Anyway, I think Jenny wants to try the best."

"The thought makes me want to vomit."

"That vomiting on her while you were fucking her would definitely be a blow to her self-esteem."

"I think I'll just block her."

"But will you delete the videos, or will you keep them for when you're in the shower?"

"I don't discuss what goes on in the shower."

"Well, if that's the way you feel, I won't discuss what goes on in my shower, good night, Jack."

We went to a movie the next Saturday. We met there like we did with the restaurant. I can't remember the last time I saw an adult movie on the big screen. And it was so much better when Vanessa snuggled up to me and I put my arm around her. I felt like I was fifteen again.

This time it wasn't a quick peck on the lips, but a long kiss with a little tongue and our arms wrapped around each other.

"Jack, my body wants one thing, but my mind is saying no, not yet."

"Vanessa, I think we are thinking alike. Although I may have to take an extra shower. I don't want to fuck this up. I'm thinking what we have can grow into something special and that's what I really want."

"For someone who says he's not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to women, you certainly have a knack for saying the perfect things."

I opened her car door and she sat down, exposing a whole lot of leg. She stayed like that and caught me looking, smiled and said, "Enjoy your shower Jack, I'm going to enjoy mine."

She closed the door, and I stood there with a dumb smile on my face as she drove away. The frequency of our texts increased, and we made plans for another dinner on Saturday. The dinner conversation flowed so smoothly. She began telling me about her son. I started talking about my girls and she told me she met them a hundred times. I looked confused.

"Before my ex started pressuring me into swinging, I was good friends with Angie. She has a nice pool in the backyard, I would take my son over there to swim, and Livy would take your girls over. The kids seemed to get along well with everybody."

"That brings up something I want to talk to you about Vanessa. I think before we fall madly in love with each other, we should see how the six of us would get along. You have the advantage since you met my girls. I think it should be somewhere that its not to obvious that we're involved with each other."

"You scare me Jack, I was thinking the same thing. My sister is having a party at Chucky Cheese on Saturday. I can get you an invite. You might as well meet the rest of my crazy family before you fall madly in love with me."

My girls were a little apprehensive about the birthday party. I had taken them there just so the four of us could have some fun on a cold rainy Saturday or Sunday. I told them that Elliot's family had invited them. That eased their concerns a little bit. We got there and I introduced them to everybody. Then I took them over to play, after about a half hour, my middle daughter paired up with Elliot and my oldest ran off with a bunch of girls her age leaving me with my youngest. This is my future I thought, my girls all off doing their thing and leaving me all alone.

I got back to Vanessa and everyone in her family wanted to hold my youngest. Vanessa's Elliot was the last baby in the family, even though my youngest was a year old, they were happy to hold her.

On the way home with me thinking I so cool when i introduced another woman to my daughters, my oldest said, "You like Elliot's mom, don't you."

"Wait a minute, how old are you?"

"I'm almost six dad. It's alright, you deserve to have someone your age care for you and she's really nice. Her husband is a not very nice, always saying mean things to her like she's fat or stupid."

"Well, the good news is they are getting a divorce."

"Why are they getting a divorce?"

"The same reason your mother and I are getting a divorce, you saw the pictures of your mother on a guy's lap. The guy was Vanessa's husband."

"You and mom are getting a divorce?"

I realized I fucked up and never told them about it. Her sisters' heads popped up in the back seat.

"I'm really sorry guys for not telling you sooner, I was looking for the perfect time and I guess this is it. Your mother and I are getting a divorce. What she was doing with that guy breaks all the rules of marriage."

My middle one started crying, "Does that mean we're going to have to live with mom?"

"What? No! You guys are stuck with me for a long time."

That seemed to fill the car with smiles.

That evening, I shared all this with Vanessa. She told me that her family approves of her relationship with me. They hated her ex. And they couldn't wait to get to know my girls better.

Later, I was in bed getting ready to fall asleep when I got a text from Vanessa with a video attached. I opened the video and there was a woman taking a shower. The camera panned down to a hairy pussy and the woman took and electric razor to it. Then a regular razor with some shaving cream. The woman rinsed off the remaining shaving cream leaving a bald pussy. She played with her clit for a second and the video ended. My cock was rock hard, and it only took a few strokes, and I was coming into a towel.

In the morning, I received another text from Vanessa, "Did you enjoy that? I hope so, and please delete it. I would die if someone else saw it."

"I enjoyed it very much, and I did delete it which was almost as hard as some other things."

We spent the rest of the week exchanging some lewd text messages. We made plans for dinner again on Saturday, this time Vanessa wanted to meet at my house before we went. We had another great dinner. Vanessa told me she had only one more year of college when she fell pregnant with Elliot. Her ex was drunk and forgot to put on a condom. That was the end of her college career. The guy was such a prick.

After dinner, I opened the door for her and as she sat in my car, she slid her dress up revealing the tops of her thigh highs and just the edge of her panties. She left her dress like that, and I kept reaching over with my hand which she would slap and tell me to keep my eyes on the road and my hands on the wheel.

We pulled into my driveway, and I opened her door, still staring at her legs. She stood up, pulled me close and told me to invite her in.

"Vanessa, would you like to come in for a bit?"

"Why certainly Jack."

She sat on the living room sofa, and I offered her some iced tea. I apologized for not having any wine or anything like that and explained that since I stopped smoking, I lost my taste for alcohol. She said she had never been a big drinker.

I sat down next to her on the couch, and we began kissing. She grabbed my hand and placed it on her leg. "Now you can feel my leg, Jack."

And that's what I did. I love stockings, I love the smooth flesh of a woman's thigh, I loved the feel of her mound.

She ran her hand over my bulge and said, "I think the rumors are true, but I need a closer look."

She slid down on her knees, unzipped my fly and pulled out my cock.

"Yes, I think the rumors are true, but there's one more test." And she took my cock in her mouth. "And by the way Jack, I swallow."

Maybe it's been so long since a beautiful woman had my cock in her mouth but I'm pretty sure that was the best blowjob I ever had. When I started coming, she just sucked harder. I was thinking she was going to suck my balls right through my dick. I kissed her when we would done, since Livy never swallowed, I usually kissed when she was done. Vanessa seemed a little surprised when I did but I was busy grabbing her hand and leading her to my bedroom announcing it was my turn.

Vanessa undid her dress when I shut the door, and I began to lick around her pussy. She lifted her ass to allow me to slide her panties off. I love a bald pussy. I like the way it looks, and I love not getting pubic hairs stuck between my teeth. I was still playing and teasing when she had her first orgasm. And then she had two more before she pushed my face away.

"I want you inside me Jack."

I obliged. She came again as I entered her. She was tight so I went slow. She came again when I was all the way in. I started some nice slow strokes, and she came again. She had me roll over, so she was on top. Vanessa began grinding herself against me and came again. Then she began to slowly rock back and forth while I played with her tits. It felt like she just kept coming. I warned her that I was getting close. Vanessa had me roll over, so I was on top again.

"Fuck me hard Jack and come inside me." I looked at her funny. "Livy told me you had a vasectomy. I want to feel you come inside me and not worry about getting pregnant."

I slowly increasing my pace, fucking her harder on each stroke. I could feel her coming and then it was my turn, but she never stopped coming.

We fell asleep in each other's arms. I didn't even realize how late it was until my oldest was sitting on the edge of the bed. Vanessa and I both woke with a start and my oldest said good morning to Vanessa.

"It's Sunday dad, it's time for omelets. I put coffee on for you guys."

Vanessa pulled the covers over her head and said she was going to die of embarrassment.

"Come on," I said. "I think its best if we act like this is no big deal."

"Can you get my overnight bag out of the car so I can get dressed in something besides what I wore last night."

"Sounds like someone was planning on getting lucky last night."

"I certainly did, now please get my clothes Jack."

On my way through the kitchen, I asked my oldest to get the omelet stuff out, ran to get Vanessa's car and got her bag out, delivered it to her, grabbed the baby and changed her diaper, sucked down some coffee and began the omelet process.

Vanessa came out rocking a pair of jeans. There's something about a good-looking woman in a tight pair of jeans and the way it wraps her ass. She caught me looking and smiled. She watched me prepare the girl's omelets and wash their dishes and then I started on hers. She chose to wait until mine was done before she ate hers.

The girls went to play as Vanessa, and I ate.

"You're like a machine in the kitchen Jack, and you were like a machine last night. I can't remember coming that many times in my life, heck I don't even know how many times I came."

"You were fantastic yourself young lady. I'm glad you decided to move up the timeline."

"I was told that for divorced couples, the third date was do or die. If you weren't willing to have sex with the person, then don't go on a third date," she said.

"Well, that was our fourth date."

She had such a devilish grin on her face I had to reach over and kiss her. It was hard to stop after one kiss.

Vanessa left around noon. Her ex had Elliot overnight, and he was to bring him home at 5:00. She wanted a good shower before she held her son.

Once a month, I had to spend my Sunday ordering for the store. I didn't like it, but it was one of those responsibilities the owner gave me without any additional compensation. Normally the girls and I would play something beforehand, but I didn't have time today. Plus, I had prepared a pot roast in the crock pot.

As I was sitting there, my older two daughters sat across from me and the baby was at my feet. I picked her up, looked at my kids and said "what."

"We like Vanessa dad," began my oldest. "You always smile when you play with us, but you look sad a lot of times. You're always smiling with Vanessa."

"And we like to see you smile," said my middle daughter.

"Ga ga goo," said the baby and we all laughed.

"One thing guys, you really should knock before you come into my room. There's going to be a time soon when you're going to insist, I knock on your door before I enter your room."

Vanessa called me after the kids were in bed. It seems her ex dropped Elliot off with his mother and then followed her. He knew we went to dinner and that I spent the night at your house. They got into a big fight. He was calling her a slut and threatening her. She ran inside and locked the door. He was trying to break down the door. The neighbors had called 911 and he was still threatening her when the police arrived. He was arrested for making terroristic threats. Her lawyer got a restraining order issued against him before they released him on bail.

"Jack, I don't regret any of the decisions I made last night. Kind of absurd that he was upset that I slept with you when we were legally separated but it was okay for him to fuck your wife while she was still married to you. There's a rumor that him and Livy are going to head to Virginia when the divorce is finalized."

"Are you believing that rumor?"

"Well, the one that said you were bigger and better turned out to be true. I'm just afraid how it will affect my child support."

"I think we should find a way for you to complete your degree and then you can become self-sufficient and wouldn't have to worry about what he was doing."

My mother had done a lot of research for my sister when her baby's daddy left when the baby was two months old. Using state and federal grants, my mother got her through a business school, and she landed a job in the payroll department of a large company, good job, good pay, good benefits.

The following Saturday, I got my mother to sit down with Vanessa. By the end of the week, Vanessa was enrolled in college again with classes starting in two weeks. Since her ex was arrested for terroristic threats, she was considered a battered woman and even her books and lab fees would be paid for.

As far as our life was going, it kept getting better and better until it didn't. Right before she started classes, Vanessa would stop by to get her itch scratched in the middle of the week. I thought she was using that as an excuse to check up on me.

It must have been our tenth Saturday night date that she seemed off. She was quiet during dinner, and it seemed like she was going through the motions when we had sex. She was up before the kids in the morning and said she didn't feel well and was going home. The kids missed her in the morning.

When I got home on Monday, Livy was sitting at my table. It was a surprise since my mother had been watching the girls for me.

"What's up Livy. Where's my mom?"

"I sent her home Jack; I wanted to talk to you."

The girls came running in and the normal "daddy's home" chaos ensued. That always was the best part of my day. I shushed them back to their room so their mother and I could talk.

"There's no easy way to put this Jack, but Vanessa isn't what she seems."

I know a look of anger crossed my face. Tears were welling up in Livy's eyes.

"Jack, I know I kicked your teeth in, and I don't want to see it happen again. I need to go."

Livy got up to leave, on the way out the door she said, "Ask her about Jeremy."

The girls and I went through our daily routine for the rest of the week. Vanessa did not stop by for her mid-week romp, saying she caught a bug and was recovering slowly. She barely texted me all week, but we made plans for dinner on Saturday night.

For the first time in weeks, Vanessa wanted to meet me at the restaurant. I'm pretty sure even without Livy's warning I knew what was coming, but I wanted to make Vanessa live through it. I sat down across from her, and she looked like shit, she had tears in her eyes.

"Jack, I need to tell you I met someone."

"Livy told me about Jeremy."

"Then why did you come?"

"Because I wanted you to look at me when you kicked my teeth in. Have a nice life, Vanessa."

I got up and left, she tried to follow me out of the restaurant, asking me to wait but I was in my car before she got out of the restaurant.

My cellphone started chirping. I knew it was her, but I answered it anyway.

"Jack, please let me explain."

"In what universe is that going to make me feel better Vanessa. Fuck off and die."

I turned my phone off. When I pulled in my driveway, I saw Livy's car parked up the street. She pulled up and blocked the driveway as I entered my house. There was a bottle of scotch in my fridge I picked up after Vanessa called off our midweek tryst.

While I was sipping my first alcohol in over a year, I watched the confrontation between Livy and Vanessa unfold from my front porch. Every time Vanessa tried to get out of her car, Livy would slam the door shut.

"You know if I let you out of that car bitch, I'm going to rip your tits off. I told you what would happen if you hurt him."

"I just want to explain to him what happened."

"He doesn't need your explanation; all he needs are his girls. Now leave him alone."

Vanessa wouldn't stop and Livy reached through the partly open window and grabbed a handful of Vanessa's hair and began pulling her through the car window.

"I fucking warned you, but you had to go and hurt one of the best men on the planet. I'm going to let go of your hair and if you don't immediately drive away..."

Livy let go and Vanessa drove away. Livy gave me a smile, got in her car and it looked like she was chasing after Vanessa.

Vanessa didn't try to see me again. I began receiving daily letters from her which I would collect and then send back to her unopened.

About a month later, Livy was sitting at my kitchen table when I got home.

"What's up Livy?"

"How are you doing Jack?"

"Fine Livy, tired I guess."

"Why are you here Livy."

"I want to start watching the girls again while you're at work."

"Why? Is this some other way to fuck me over?"

"I deserve that. No, it was something I said to Vanessa that night. You may remember I told her you didn't need her explanations; all you needed was your girls. It was about two hours later I realized having children wasn't all about them needing me, it was about me needing them. A rock to hold onto when the shit storm struck."

"This isn't about us getting together again?"

"No Jack, I know I kicked your teeth in and that can't be undone or forgiven."

I said, "Ok, I'll call my mother. She may not be happy, but she'll suck it up like a good warrior."

"Thank you, and I moved. Here's my new address. Angie got popped for prostitution. Thankfully I had already left by then. To be painfully honest, I picked up a couple of STDs. I'm all clear now and I'm not going to make that mistake again."

Livy was there every morning when I was ready to go to work, usually early. The girls seemed to like having her around. I was shocked one time I came home, and Livy was having a tea party with the girls talking in some haughty English accent. The girls were laughing hysterically.

As she was leaving, she held my hand and said, "Thank you Jack for letting me set right one of the biggest fuck ups in my life."

And Livy did make it right, she hardly ever missed one of the kids' games, parent-teacher conferences or anything else. She was as active in the girls lives as much as possible.

We would normally chat for a few minutes when I got home. One time she told me that Vanessa came to see her, "Somebody must have told her where I was living. I wouldn't let her in my house. She had caught Jeremy fucking both of Angie's daughters and she asked if I would speak to you on her behalf. I was originally going to tell her to fuck off, but I didn't want to make that decision for you."

"If you see her again, please tell her I said fuck off." Livy smiled at my response.

Our youngest was starting half-day kindergarten. Livy and I were both there to see her off on the bus and waiting for her when she got home. She was so proud of herself because she was a big girl now like her sisters.

It was the following day that the girls asked if their mother could join us for Taco Tuesday. My first thought was to say no, but I saw the pleading faces on my girls and Livy's pleading face, and I said sure. By that time my older two girls could cut up the vegetables for the tacos and they showed their mother how to do it.

Livy was waitressing Thursday through Saturday, but she was eventually joining us for dinner on the other nights. One day she reminded me she knew how to cook and took over a couple of nights each week. I also noticed that she had quit smoking and drinking.

The next big surprise was when my mother joined us for dinner one night. It must have been five years since Vanessa kicked my teeth in. After Livy left, my mother had that look on her face that told me she wanted to talk to me, and I wasn't going to like the talk.

Bracing myself, I sat across from my mother and she got right to the point, "How long are you going to punish that woman?"

"How long did you punish my father, and you never had any proof."

"And I was a fool, Jack. My punishment pushed him into drinking and an early grave and as a result I am the one who is punished every day. I was stupid and bitter. It's too late to undo what I did to him but it's not too late for you. Just think about what I said please."

She got up to leave and I said, "Did Livy ask you to talk to me?

"Absolutely not Jack. I asked her about it a couple of years ago. She told me she never expected to get back with you. Livy said she made her bed and she's going to make the most of it. At least she has the girls back in her life and she's thankful that you have given her that."

If you asked me, I would have told you the answer to my mother's suggestion was a hard no. I don't remember when my mother became convinced that my father was stepping out. What I remember was the increase in his drinking, how frequently he would be passed out drunk in front of the TV when I got home. How many times we found burning food on the stove. He had bottles of whiskey stashed everywhere. I despised him for so long it embarrassed me. One of my biggest regrets growing up was not helping him and instead I turned my back on him. I thought of my father and then I thought of Livy.

Maybe two weeks later, Livy was getting something out of the oven, and she was rocking the jeans she was wearing. She caught me looking and smiled. On the nights she wasn't working we began alternating who was helping the kids with their homework and who was doing the dishes.

I felt bad about keeping her so late and apologized. "Jack," she said, "every moment I get to spend with the girls is a gift from god. Besides, I only have an empty apartment to go back to."

"No boyfriends anymore."

"Nope, not since I left Angie's. I threw away the best and no one else comes close."

Then she ran out of the house crying.

We didn't expect to see her again until Sunday. I don't remember how she became a fixture at our Sunday dinner table and whatever plans during the day. Movies were on the agenda that Sunday. When she came in, the girls exclaimed that their mother was wearing makeup. It was one of those kids' movies, more for my youngest than anyone else. During the movie, Livy held my hand, and I gave her hand a squeeze. We held hands for the rest of the movie. I looked over at her and she was crying.

As we were leaving my oldest turned to her mother and said, "Mom, that movie was bad but not that bad." And then she looked at our hands and pulled us both in for a hug. On the way home her sisters were asking what was going on. My middle daughter has no volume control, and she may as well have been sitting in the front seat where Livy and I were still holding hands. "What do you mean they're holding hands?" followed by a big "oh."

After the girls were in bed, we sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"What are you thinking Livy."

"I'm thinking I'm not going to say or do anything to fuck this up."

"So, you're going to leave it all up to me?"

"Maybe not all, but if I know you Jack, you're going to want to take it slow. And I'm ok with that."

She smiled as she left to go back to her apartment. Of course, she was over on Monday and had dinner ready for me when I got home. And she was wearing a similar pair of jeans. After we had the girls settled, she reminded me that the Giants were on that night. Livy had always been a big football fan. We sat watching the game and she held my hand. And then her head was on my shoulder. I never watch past half time because I'll never get up in time for work. And for the last few seasons that Giants were usually done by half time anyway.

Livy got up, gave me a kiss on the cheek and literally ran out the door. I watched her sitting in the car. She never started it and just sat there with her head on the steering wheel. It broke my heart. I went out and opened the door, scaring the shit out of her. She had been crying. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her tears away, but I wasn't keeping up.

"Livy, would you spend the night with me tonight. Not for sex though, I just want to hold you all night."

"Like you said Jack, I'm going to leave it all up to you."

Not doing anything sexual with Livy that night was hard. She was wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of my gym shorts, they were both too big for her. I was also in gym shorts and a t-shirt. Livy laid her head on my shoulder and draped her leg across mine and we fell asleep. More than once, I woke up to feel Livy crying on my shoulder. I always loved the feel of Livy's legs draped across mine and I felt my dick getting hard. It was still hard when the alarm went off.

Most families have chaotic mornings but ours was mostly routine. Livy was helping the kids getting their breakfast, normally she wouldn't be there that early.

I was finishing a cup of coffee when my oldest said, "Mom, you didn't go home last night."

"The football game got over really late," I said.

"Oh yeah, what was the score," as she took out her phone to check out the score.

"I need to get to work," I said as I scurried out the door.

I called Livy during the day and said we need to talk to the girls.

"What are you going to tell them Jack?"

"Well, I was hoping it would be us telling them."

"And what about the 'what' Jack"

"I don't know?"

"Why don't we stick with the truth Jack. We both have feelings for each other and we're trying to figure out where that will get us. This isn't a race, and we have no idea where it's going to end."

"I like that Livy."

That's the speech we gave the girls. They seemed happy about it. My oldest had a big smile on her face. I was worried that we would squash that.

Tuesday night we went to sleep together. Livy had stopped home and filled and overnight bag. When we hit the bed, Livy dropped her head on my shoulder and draped her leg across mine. I started rubbing her shoulder and she said, "Jack, if you keep doing that, you're going to start the launch sequence, and I think we should wait a little bit longer."

"Ok Livy."

She was crying as we fell asleep.

Wednesday night we were in the same position when Livy said we need to talk. That's usually an omen of bad things to come.

"Jack, I'm going to spend the next three nights at my place. I've got work anyway. I've been seeing a counselor, your mother set me up with her. I'm afraid Jack of so many things. It was great to have her to talk to. I'm afraid by holding your hand in the movie theater I pulled you along faster than you were ready. I'm afraid when you saw me crying in my car you brought me into your bed because you felt sorry for me, and you weren't ready. I couldn't bear to lose you again. And I'm afraid I'll do something stupid again and I'll never get you back. My head has been racing in these circles since the movies."

"My counselor suggested that we hit the breaks for a few days and then decide. She said the scariest part of love is you never really know where it will end. Give us three days Jack and then tell me if you can truly love me again, like before I fucked everything up. The counselor blames my fuck up on post partem depression, but I think that's just a convenient excuse."

"And what about you Livy."

"Mostly, I'm going to miss having my head on your shoulder and knowing a slight move of my leg will start your launch sequence and how happy that will make me."

"Most women when they ask for a break are looking for one last fling Livy."

"I'm not like most woman then, I had my fling and regret it more that you can imagine."

"I need to know you are sure Jack."

"Ok Livy if that's what you want."

She began crying on my chest again and we fell asleep. During our morning routine she seemed quiet and nervous. The girls picked up on it and asked if she was ok. The youngest gave her a hug. I thought she was going to lose it.

Things were weird the next three nights without her around. The girls and I all seemed off. On Saturday, we had just finished a family movie around 9:00 when Livy was knocking on the door. I didn't expect her that night and usual she doesn't wrap up work until 11.

"Mom why are you knocking," said my oldest.

The middle one wanted to know why she was crying. The youngest just gave her

another hug.

"Girls, your mother and I have some things to discuss so I need you to go to bed a little early tonight." They all looked worried, but I assured them things would be ok, they didn't look confident.

We finally got them into bed, it wasn't any earlier than their normal bedtime.

Livy and I were sitting across the kitchen table again.

"Well Jack, what do you think?"

"About what Livy?"

"Don't fuck with me Jack, I'll come across the table at you and you're not going to like how you'll look in the morning."

"Livy, if you're referring to whether I can truly love you again, like before things went off the track, the answer is yes. It was clear to me when you held my hand in the movie theater that I loved you as much as ever. I didn't need three days to think about it."

She was crying again.

"And what about you Livy, are you certain you want to be with me forever and ever and they'll be no more fuck ups."

"Yes Jack. I'm certain."

"Let's go to bed Livy."

"I need a shower first Jack. I smell like spaghetti sauce. Tonight was my last night shift; I switched to the lunch crowd."

I was lying in bed playing a game on my phone when Livy came out of the master bath wearing some sexy lingerie. She cleared her throat to catch my attention.

"You know you just started my launch sequence," I said.

"Good, because mine started while we were sitting at the kitchen table."

We started kissing and then my hands were on her ass. I went to go down on her and she pulled me up and slid her panties off.

"There'll be time for that later Jack, right now I want to feel you inside me where you belong."

Livy came as I entered her, we began a slow fuck and spent most of the time kissing and caressing each other. Several times Livy let out an "oh Jack," and shuddered.

I grabbed her ass and began fucking her harder. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer and came as I slammed into her. There was a much louder "oh Jack' as she shuddered.

We laid there for a bit and Livy said she had to get up. Reluctantly I rolled off her. She stood up and a large load of my come started pouring from her pussy and she tried to catch it in her hand.

"Jesus Jack, how long have you been saving that?"

"Since the movies."

When she got back in the bed, she started licking my cock but stopped as soon as

it got a little hard.

"I had to clean that bad boy off. I know I won't be able to walk tomorrow, but tomorrow night Jack... You may want to take those little blue pills."

"I don't think I'll need any blue pills. You rock my world."

Livy laid her head on my shoulder, and we were asleep in minutes, and for the first time since we got back together, Livy wasn't crying on my shoulder.

We woke up with the three kids in bed with us.

"I thought we discussed knocking first."

"Dad, we heard you guys talking last night. It made us so happy that we were going to be a family again. You don't know how hard it was to keep them out of your room until now."

We did our normal omelet routine on Sunday morning, but Livy pushed me aside and did the dishes. The day was a normal Sunday, and we spent some time in the park.

Sex that night was a disaster. It started off good, Livy let me go down on her and she had some earth-shattering orgasms. Then I started fucking her, she came a few times, and we rolled over. Then she started riding me like Vanessa did. That made me uncomfortable, and I could feel my erection slipping so I switched to doggy style. We both came a few minutes later. We laid there a few minutes enjoying the afterglow

After cleaning herself off, Livy started licking my cock. It didn't take me long to get hard again and I realized that she was trying to deep throat me. She had never done that before we split so it must be something one of her clients at Angie's taught her. My erection disappeared in a heartbeat. Livy knew immediately what happened, rolled over, curled up in a fetal position and started crying. She laid there sobbing and rocking and wouldn't allow me to console her.

Livy wouldn't budge. "Don't try to sugar coat it Jack, I reminded you that I had been a whore, and the thought disgusted you so much you couldn't keep your erection."

"Livy, we need to talk about this."

"In between sobs, she said I know you're right. But I can't talk about it right now because I'm disgusted with myself. And you were losing your erection when I was riding you. Jack, I fucked us up forever."

"I don't think so Livy. I truly love you. We didn't believe this reconciliation would be without hiccups and I believe we can work through this one. Let's go to sleep and we'll figure this out tomorrow."

Livy said OK but remained in her fetal position facing away from me.

I said, "Livy, don't take away my favorite thing since you've been back. Please snuggle up to me. Lay your head on my shoulder and drape that leg across me."

She thought about it for a minute and then relented. As soon as her head hit my shoulder she was softly crying again.

Work the next day was a classic Monday with the exception that Livy called me and asked if I would go to counseling with her, I said of course. She gave me the address and said my mom would be watching the kids and she'll give her money to feed them.

As soon as we sat down, Livy started talking about sex the night before:

"We were having sex, and we switched position with me being on top and he started to go soft. We switched positions again and I think we both had pretty good orgasms. After which, I started to give him a blow job, as I was trying to deep throat him, his erection evaporated. I know I reminded him that I had been a whore, and the thought disgusted him so much he couldn't keep his erection."

Livy got that all out before she started crying.

The counselor faced me, "Jack, I'm really glad you could make it. Would you like to add anything?"

"I'm not sure what you know and don't know but some important points involve one of the men that Livy was having a sexual relationship with, and I dated that man's wife, a woman named Vanessa. When Livy and I switched positions and she started riding me, it was the same way Vanessa would ride me. I don't really know what I was thinking but I wasn't thinking about Livy. When she went to deep throat me, my mind went immediately to who taught her this. Vanessa's husband came to mind."

"But something else that I hadn't told Livy and probably should have, is that someone was sending me videos of Livy having sex with other men besides Vanessa's husband. Every couple of days she would send me a new one. With Vanessa's help I eventually figured out it was Jenny, Livy's friend's 18-year-old daughter. Then she started sending me videos of her having sex with other people including her sister."

"Livy were you aware that someone was sending him videos."

"No, I didn't. People walked around Angie's all the time with their phones out. That's how Jack found out I was unfaithful in the first place because Vanessa's brother took pictures of me with her husband and then shared them with Jack."

"Did you care that people were filming you."

"No."

"Jack and Livy, this isn't an unusual problem when infidelity creeps into a marriage and then during the reconciliation some new tricks come up. I have never seen a case where it's a form of ill intent. Remember, neither of you were virgins when you got married so in one way, you came together with new tricks you learned from previous lovers."

I said, "I think the difference is that I never saw Livy doing any of those pre-marriage tricks with anybody. There are going to be things that I saw her do in the videos with a lot of people and those images are going to pop into my head."

Livy started sobbing and curling up to a fetal position.

"Livy. Please it doesn't mean I love you any less than when we said I said I do, I don't know what the answer is either."

"Jack, I'm sorry if I put that picture in your head. I love you so much and I'm so thankful that we can be together again. I just want to do everything I can to make you happy."

"I have a somewhat unorthodox idea. Go home and watch porn. Livy, you want to try things with Jack that he may not like. He also may want to try things that you may not like. Watch porn and if you see something you may like, talk about it. Maybe you'll try some things you didn't think you like. And when you're trying them out, you can think of the porn star and not some illegal videos."

What guy doesn't like porn, so I said ok and so did Livy.

"And none of that threesome or foursome, hot wives or any of that shit. None of those couples last more than a handful of years," added the counselor.

"There's a question I have, all the twosomes and threesomes that you did with Angie, are you sure they are over?"

"That's a fair question Jack and the answer is I never want to be that degraded ever again."

"There's one more thing I want," I said. "I want the rose removed."

"What does the rose mean," asked the counselor.

Livy bowed her head and said, "First let me say, I've wanted to have the rose removed since I left Angie's. Tattoo removal is not cheap. Angie's place was supposed to be a place for swingers and therefor there would be a lot of couples. But there were men who wanted to come but their wives refused. So, Angie started charging solo men $50 to come in. Angie, her daughters, other women and I were supposed to offer these men anything they wanted. The rose on our breast meant we were one of Angie's women or more accurately one of her whores."

Livy started sobbing again and going back into a fetal position. I went over an took her into my arms. "Livy, that's all in the past. Let's erase what we can and move on. I want you. I want to go to sleep every night with your head on my shoulder and listen to our girls shout mom all the time."

"I think we made a lot of progress here tonight. But Livy, I think it's important that you discuss with Jack how you ended up at Angie's. We've discussed this several times."

Livy still had her face buried in my shoulder. "You know I wasn't happy with that third pregnancy. I felt trapped, barefoot and pregnant is all I could think of. I had this picture of taking care of kids for the rest of my life. Which isn't fair to you because you always took on your share of the responsibilities. Working at the pizzeria seemed like a good idea at the time. It was really a bar that served pizza.

As evenings got later, drunken men would get handsy. We weren't getting along, and I began to enjoy the attention. We weren't getting along because I was a fucking bitch to you and hated any attention you paid to me."

"The pizzeria became the escape I needed, an escape from being a mother, an escape from being a housewife. I didn't want to go home anymore."

"I had known Angie for years. I used to take the kids swimming in her pool all the time. But I had never been there at night. One time after work, I decided to go over Angie's instead of going home to mommy hood. I dropped by and boy was I amazed. I've seen porn movies where people were laying around having sex and never believed it was real."

"Angie's was the opposite of motherhood, and I saw it as a bigger escape then waiting tables. Vanessa's husband was there, I had met him several times at her pool, and I let him seduce me. It's not a pretty picture, and you've seen the pictures. Once I let one man fuck me it was easy to let the second and the third. Then you saw the pictures and I ended up moving in with Angie and became one of her girls."

"I don't remember exactly what the trigger was. Maybe it was when you started dating Vanessa that I realized what I had given up. I hit bottom when I found out I had two STDs and I had to tell the medical people all the people I had been intimate with. The list was long, and I didn't know many of the names. I went home to Angie's and realized I had become a whore."

"I moved out, got a small apartment, really just a room. I think it was my STD list that clued the police in on what was going on at Angie's. Fortunately for me I hadn't been there for weeks, so I didn't have to do a perp walk."

"Sitting in that shitty little room made it perfectly clear to me that I had fucked up my life and there was little hope of making it better. The only chance I thought I had was the girls. I had no hope of you ever loving me again but maybe I could have a second chance with the girls, even if it was just taking care of them when you were at work, I was so happy when you said yes, I almost did cartwheels to my car. I never expected that I would be a welcome guest at your dinner table."

"I think you know everything from there, at least I hope you know how happy you've made me."

"I would like the two of you to come back in month," said the counselor as she handed us a stack of DVDs.

The DVDs worked out well, we would each pick out things we would like to try, and you never really knew whether it was the scene that drove the pick or a past experience. I had deleted all the videos of Livy a long time ago, so I never knew if she tried it before.

We were happy, we continued to see the counselor every few months, sometimes the two of us and sometimes Livy would go by herself.

Livy also added some new anniversaries to our list. The first was when I let her take over watching the girls because then she knew she had her girls back in her life. The second was when we held hands in the theater because then she knew there was a chance that she would have me back. The third was when we got remarried, which was also the third time I saw my mother cry.