I was due to get off a double shift at 5:00 p.m. but Dan Keisner, my captain told me to take off early since nothing serious was going on anyway. I am a lieutenant with the Minneapolis police force and my name is John Taylor. I currently am the liaison officer with the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. I know it is a big name but just think of it as an arm of the DEA and you will be pretty correct.
I gladly took Dan's offer to leave early and was headed home by 3:30 p.m. I live out on the northwest side of the metro area in Maple Grove and it took me about a half hour to drive home. I was really happy to have gotten off early because after a double I was totally beat. There was nothing I wanted more than to just grab a beer when I got home and relax until dinner. Then I was going to pay some attention to the wife and get some much needed sleep.
When I walked in the door I noticed my wife Kathy and her twin sister Sharon sitting out by the pool talking. They were both topless and believe me when I say that there have never been four more beautiful sights in the entire world. This was nothing new either. They often sunbathed topless and yes even in front of me. I actually had dated and yes fucked Sharon before I even met Kathy. She was beautiful, hot as a pistol, fun and intelligent all wrapped up in one fantastic package when I dated her. She still was and I didn't mind seeing her topless one bit.
Sharon had introduced me to her sister Kathy and there were instant sparks. She was everything Sharon was but there was something extra that just drew me to her. Yes it was love at first sight and miraculously it was a two way street. Sharon saw it too and moments after we were introduced she said laughingly that she couldn't compete with love and bowed out with a hearty laugh. She kissed me and told me to take care of her sister and then she hugged Kathy and told her she loved her and to be happy. Then she walked out the door and left us alone.
Anyway, we married a few months later and have been married for five years. We have no children but have been talking about starting a family soon. I know we were both very happy with one another and we were ready to start building that family.
Back to the present, I smiled when I saw them and thought this is perfect. Go change into my suit, grab a beer and join them at the pool. Relax, soak up some suds, soak up some sun and enjoy the eye candy. What a way to spend the rest of the afternoon.
I walked upstairs and got my suit on and was heading back down the stairs when Kathy and Sharon walked in the kitchen door. They were in a heated discussion and I could tell that Sharon was not happy with Kathy.
Sharon's voice was rather elevated when she asked, "How could you do that to John? He loves you more than anything and he would be devastated if he found out you cheated on him. In fact I am pretty sure he would divorce you if you cheat on him. Don't do it Kathy, please don't do it."
Kathy responded, "John is never going to find out and you better not tell him either. I just have to do this Sharon, we have been talking about starting a family and then I will be a mother and I could never do this again. I just want to find out what it would be like. When Phil was dancing with me Saturday night he pulled me so close I could feel his entire package rubbing against me and I was hotter than hell right then.
"He was talking dirty to me the whole time and telling me all the things he was going to do to me if he ever got the chance and I wanted to fuck him right there on the dance floor. When we got home I almost tore John's cock off him I fucked him so hard.
"Then yesterday Phil called me and told me he knew John was leaving Friday for a seminar and would be gone overnight and he wanted to take me to dinner and then show me he wasn't kidding about how he would treat me if I went to bed with him. I couldn't help myself, I told him yes."
Sharon sounded so sad, "Kathy, it would be the worst mistake you ever made in your life to let Phil Swanson anywhere near you. He is a slime ball and you would be nothing to him. John adores you Kathy and you will break his heart. He is the best man in the whole world. He is handsome, fun to be with and yes he is a spectacular lover, you know I know that. How could you ever want anything else?"
Kathy responded, "I know John is wonderful. I love him to death too and I wouldn't want to hurt him but he won't find out and this will be the only time I ever cheat on him. It will be over and we will start our family and I will never have to wonder again what it would be like because I will have done it. Even if he would find out AND HE WON'T but if he did he loves me so much I am sure I could talk him into forgiving me and moving on."
"You know Kathy," Sharon added, "You are betting your future on that statement and I think you are a fool for thinking this way. You might get away with it, you might pull the wool over John's eyes, you might never get caught but you will always know you are a cheater and you will change and who knows what will happen to your relationship. If you go ahead with this plan you are going to lose.
"And Kathy, truthfully, you know I love you and always will but if you do this you will also lose my respect. Enough said; I am not talking about this anymore. Let's go back out to the pool and finish our drinks then I am heading home. Please think long and hard about what you are going to do."
Wow, I couldn't believe what I was hearing and I knew Sharon liked me and it made me feel wonderful that she was so supportive of me but I was already devastated with what I was hearing. Apparently Phil Swanson, one of our social friends, was as hot for Kathy as I was, but he wasn't her husband, I was and he would pay the price.
I knew I couldn't face the two of them right now because I was so angry. I might do something that would get me in a lot of trouble. When they walked out to the pool I slipped back upstairs and put on the clothes I had previously shed and headed back out the door to my car and I drove away.
Once I was away from the house I dialed our home number knowing I would get voice mail and left Kathy a message. "Kathy, I just got off work early and I am going to stop at The Cavern to have a few beers with some of the guys. It has been a long shift and we are just going to unwind a bit. You go ahead and eat dinner because I might be a little late. I will see you later, Love you."
I got plastered. No two ways about it, I let myself go and by 10:00 p.m. Bill the bartender at The Cavern called a cab for me and sent me on my way. I don't remember a thing until I woke up about 9:00 a.m. the next morning.
Kathy had left me a note and it was none too friendly either. She was totally pissed at me for coming home drunk and ruining her planned evening with me before I went out of town for the seminar. She made a point of telling me just what I had missed and how I would have to wait until I got back for any loving from her and maybe not even then if she was still pissed.
Little did she know that I got drunk intentionally because of her and I didn't want to make love to her, not last night and maybe never again.
I called the captain and explained the situation with him and begged off of going to the seminar. Then I spent the rest of the day doing the usual things husbands do after they have been cheated on only I did them sooner. I went to the bank and transferred half of our savings into a new savings account and a new checking account with my name only. I left the money in the general checking account because I had no intention of not paying bills. I didn't need the law coming down on me.
Then I called my broker and transferred one half of all of our investments into a new brokerage account with my name only on it. The one half of the cash in our money market account I had them wire into my new checking account.
I called all of my life insurance carriers and changed my beneficiaries to my sister in law Sharon Burke and finally I called my attorney and set him on the task of rewriting my will to exclude Kathy and leave my estate to my Sharon.
With all that done I sat down to contemplate how to do the rest of what needed doing.
At 5:30 p.m. my cell phone rang and I saw it was a call from Kathy. I didn't answer it and a few moments later I got the beep notifying me of a new voice message.
"John you jerk," she started, "You come home drunk out of your mind last night and now you don't even take my call? Well mister, don't bother calling me back because I won't take your call either. I will see you tomorrow when you get home! I hope you have a marvelous night. Goodbye."
I know I had tears in my eyes as I reflected on how she was reacting. She is going to cheat on me with Phil and gets mad at me because I get drunk. I guess I would just have to wait to see how things turned out after tonight.
Around 6:30 p.m. Kathy and Phil were sitting at a table in Vito's Italian Restaurant in Pine Springs an eastern suburb of St. Paul. It was about 40 minutes east of Maple Grove and obviously had been chosen for privacy. They were enjoying a glass of wine before dinner and both were looking forward to a great meal and the sexual liaison they had planned for later.
A large man in a dark blue pinstripe suit walked up to the table with a small smile on his face and asked, "Are you Kathy Taylor?"
When she responded yes she was Kathy Taylor he handed her a manila folder and said, "You have been served. Also your husband John asked me to deliver this envelope to you."
He looked at Phil and said, "Phillip Swanson?"
Phil nodded yes and he continued, "This is a copy of a letter that was delivered by messenger to your wife Sarah this afternoon. It was also delivered to every one of the couples in your neighborhood in Maple Grove and to your parents in Oakdale. You two have a wonderful evening." And he walked away.
Phil looked at the letter first and saw that it described in detail what John had heard about how Phil had been coming on to Kathy and the types of things he had been doing and saying to her. It also described the plans they had put in place for when he was out of town. He stated, "I have no knowledge if they have ever had sex before or if they will continue with their plans for later this evening after being confronted but their actions are deplorable and I just wanted every one of you to know what kind of a sleaze Phil really is."
Kathy opened the manila envelope and found a document she was familiar with. It was an order for legal separation. It was fully executed. She sat there with eyes wide and softly moaned, "Oh no, oh no, oh no." She couldn't stop moaning and the tears were streaming down her face now. "Oh no, oh no.....oh no, no, no, no."
Finally Phil said, "Kathy, I think I better take you home."
She looked up at him and said, "No Phil, this has to end right now and I cannot allow you to take me home. I will call a cab."
Phil said, "Ok, I understand," and he just got up, dropped some money on the table to cover the bill and walked away.
Kathy knew she had to be somewhere alone before she could read John's letter so she asked the hostess to call her a cab and as soon as it arrived she left for home.
When she got home which seemed to take forever she just sat at the kitchen chair and with dread opened the envelope with the letter from John.
Dear Kathy,
By now you of course know that I am aware of your plans to cheat on me with Phil Swanson. I know you will probably be trying to figure out how I found out and I know you will probably conclude I heard from Sharon. I must tell you that I did not. She had nothing to do with me finding out and in fact she is the best sister and best friend you could have. If only you had listened to her.
I got off work early yesterday. I came home and saw the two of you out by the pool and of course I couldn't wait to sit there and enjoy the beautiful bodies of both of you so I slipped upstairs to change and I was going to come out and join you.
I was standing on the stairs when you both came in the door to the kitchen and yes, I heard every word. I heard all about how hot Phil got you and you wanting to fuck him on the dance floor. I remember the total workout you gave me that night and it sickened me that it was because of him and not because you were hot for me. I heard all about how you liked his package rubbing against you and I heard how you didn't care about our marriage enough to resist him. How you had to have him just once before you became an 'old mom.'
I heard how much you say you love me and I heard you say how much you knew I loved you and because of that love you could get away with anything and I would forgive you and move on.
I also heard what a good friend Sharon is to me. She did everything possible to make you see straight what you were going to do to our marriage but you just wouldn't listen and insisted you were going to go through with it.
Kathy, I loved you from the moment I first saw you and you know it. I probably will always love you but I am not a person who will allow injustice. That is why I became an officer and that is what has guided my entire life.
I imagine by now you remember when we executed the document you have in your hands, the legal separation notice. When we became engaged your parents were in the middle of a nasty divorce and you were hesitant about even getting engaged much less married. We talked for hours about it and finally mutually agreed to write up these separation papers and I might add divorce papers too so if either of us ever wanted out of our marriage commitment all we had to do was deliver these documents to the courts. No questions asked, no fighting, no fault.
I have delivered the separation papers to you tonight and they will be sent to family court on Monday morning. As you recall, our separation is for up to six months. If we have not reconciled within the six months it is our mutual agreement that the divorce papers will also be filed. All of the necessary paperwork is in the hands of my attorney and it will be handled automatically by him unless he is informed by me to stop the proceedings.
Kathy, I want you to think long and hard in the coming months about what you have done. You are going to have a lot of time on your hands to do that thinking because I am gone. I have requested a permanent assignment to the Task Force and it has been granted.
As you are reading this letter I have already gone under cover and will be working toward breaking up one of the largest drug operations in the cities. It will take some time and effort to get into their operation and I expect to be out of circulation for quite a while. The only contact I will have will be through my handler, Carolyn Hofstetter. You are free to call her but know she will not be able to pass along messages. It would be just too dangerous should anyone find out. Dangerous for you and dangerous for me.
Kathy, I am sure I will have more things to talk to you about once I get my head on straight. Right now I just don't know what more to say and I don't want to listen to what you have to say. No matter the outcome I promise that we will talk at least once. I honestly hope that in the next few months you will be able to find out what will make you happy. Obviously it wasn't being married to me.
Goodbye,
And I do love you,
John
Kathy just sat there with tears streaming down her face and wondered how she could have been so stupid. She knew she loved John so much and yet she had driven him away. Even though she hadn't actually had sex with Phil she realized that she actually had cheated on her husband and he knew it too. Desperate, she did the only thing she could think of and called her sister Sharon.
"Sharon, John found out about Phil and he has served me with those separation papers we signed so many years ago. He told me he needed some time away to think this through and there is no way I can get in touch with him because he has gone undercover with the DEA. What am I going to do sis?"
"Damn you Kathy, you had the best man in the world, the best friend and lover that either of us ever had and you threw it all away over a fantasy with Phil. John is the only man I have ever loved and I gave him to you because I could see he loved you more than he could ever love me. I am sorry now that I did because I can tell you I never would have broken his heart like you did."
"Thanks Sharon, I really needed to hear that right now. But I know you are right. I am hanging up now and I am going to go cry myself to sleep. When you have cooled off tomorrow or Sunday please give me a call, please."
"Hey," Sharon said with a small laugh, "Yes I am pissed at you right now but you know I will get past it and be the sister who always bails your stupid ass out. You know that. Goodbye Kathy, get a little sleep if you can and I will be over tomorrow to help you pick up the pieces."
"Thanks Sharon, goodnight."
One month later on a Sunday afternoon I called Sharon on her cell phone. "Hi sweetie, this is John."
"Oh my god John, it is so good to hear your voice. How are you? Kathy and I have been so worried about you and there was no way to find out anything. She called Carolyn and we found out that you have gone off the grid. I thought you were supposed to keep in touch with your handler but they said they had no clue what you were doing or where you were."
"Well Sharon," he said, "To answer your questions first I am fine and I figured Kathy would be so busy feeding her fantasies with Phil that she wouldn't worry about me at all. Secondly, I have made some fantastic inroads in my work and I felt I could be more effective if I went totally off the grid so that is what I did. I know they frown on that and I am certain I will hear about it big time when I come out but for now I am also certain that they like my results.
"Now to the reason I called you. When I heard what Kathy had planned I was tremendously hurt and of course it morphed into anger. As you already know we had those agreements signed because of the shit that happened when your folks got their divorce. It was mainly Kathy's idea but as it turns out it was a good one. She is free to do whatever she wants now and it eliminates some of the conflicts.
"I just have a couple of questions and a couple of requests then I will be gone again. First, is she seeing Phil? Or is she seeing someone else? Did she sleep with him?"
"John, she didn't sleep with Phil that night and has not seen anyone or slept with anyone. After you had her served she didn't even let Phil take her home. She called a cab. Believe me I have been keeping tabs on her and she is being the faithful wife waiting for her love to come home. She is distraught at what she did to you and broken hearted that you have left her. I can honestly tell you John that your wife is suffering more than you can imagine with her stupidity. She will be so happy that you called but I wish you had called her instead. She needs you John. When are you going to come back?"
"Well Sharon, I am not going to call her. I feel bad that she is suffering but at the same time I want her to suffer. I want her to realize what her life would be if she didn't have me in it. I am suffering too, I miss her and you too by the way, but she needs to learn the value of the relationship she had. If she doesn't learn that then we have no chance of a lifetime marriage. I am at least glad you think she isn't sleeping around but it has been such a short time really, and she hasn't given in, but let's see if that will continue.
"I will not be back for a while. This project could take a couple of more months and it is safer for me and for her if I am totally separated. I will call you in another month to give you an update but I will not call her. And, I want you to think about it and if you agree don't even tell her I called you. I want no question in her mind that she misses me, wants me and needs me. I know it is harsh but I didn't create this problem and she is going to have to be certain what she wants.
"One last thing, I want to thank you for being the best sister in law a guy could ever have. I heard everything you two said in the kitchen that day and I only wish Kathy had listened to you. Thank you for your support that day even if she didn't follow your advice. A guy has got to love a sister in law like you.
"Sharon, I have to run. I will talk to you again in a month. Bye."
Sharon wanted to say more but could only get out, "Bye John, she really does love you." As she heard John hang up the phone she said to unhearing ears, "And I love you too John."
A month went by and Sharon was expecting another call from John but didn't get one. After two months with no contact she was getting frantically worried and decided to call Carolyn Hofstetter again to see what was up.
"Carolyn, this is John Taylor's sister in law Sharon Burke and I am worried about John. He called me a month after he went undercover and talked for a little while and promised me he would call me again in a month but now it is two months later and he hasn't called. Is there anything you can tell me?"
"Sharon, you are the name on our contact list for John Taylor but there really isn't much that I will be able to tell you. John has gone into deep cover and is totally off our grid. I don't know where he is, I don't know what he has been doing and I have no idea anymore if he is alright or not.
"The only hint I have to his wellbeing is that our office has been receiving a significant number of anonymous tips on drug dealers and deals that are going down. We have made numerous arrests and have been able to establish a number of CI's (confidential informants) that have helped us even more.
"Someone out there is doing a hell of a job in supplying us with information and it is making a huge dent in the drug trafficking here in the upper Midwest. My best guess is that it is John but I am not certain of that of course.
"As soon as I receive any verifiable information about John I will let you know. Until then all that either of us can do is wait and see what happens unless of course he is spotted somewhere."
Sharon was extremely anxious about this news and despite John's previous request she shared all of the information with Kathy. Even though her sister had been stupid to do what she did Sharon loved her and didn't want to see her suffer unnecessarily any more than she already was.
Almost another whole month went by and one morning Sharon got a call from Carolyn Hofstetter. "Sharon Burke?"
"Yes this is Sharon."
"I have some information about John Taylor but I cannot do it over the phone. I would suggest that we pick you and John's wife up and bring you to my office so we can talk here."
"This sounds very serious and now I am really worried, can't you please tell me what is going on?" Sharon replied.
Carolyn told her, "As I told you I am not able to discuss anything with you over the phone but I am available all afternoon so perhaps right after lunch would be the best time for us to pick you up. Make it 1:30 p.m. and we will have a lot of time to talk. The two agents who will pick you up are agent Pierce and agent Jackson. Be sure to ask them for ID's. And Sharon, discuss this with no one but John's wife, do you hear me?"
"Oh my god," Sharon cried, "This sounds awful and I am scared out of my mind but we will be ready at 1:30 p.m. for agents Pierce and Jackson."
The knock on the door was expected but still it startled the two women as they had been anxiously waiting for 1:30 p.m. to arrive. As Carolyn had told them two agents identified as Pierce and Jackson escorted them from the house to the waiting black SUV. It didn't make Kathy or Sharon feel any better though, just more anxious. They both thought, what is with this cloak and dagger stuff but kept silent.
Soon they were walking into Carolyn Hofstetter's office and Carolyn welcomed them, "I am glad to finally meet you both," she kind of laughed, "Which one of you is Kathy and which is Sharon?"
Kathy stepped forward and said, "I am Kathy Taylor and I am John's wife. This is my sister Sharon Burke and of course you can see we are identical twins."
"Yes of course," Carolyn smiled, "Please, both of you have a seat and I will explain all of this to you. Can I get you anything before we start, coffee or water or something else, perhaps a soft drink? I think we have Coke or Mt. Dew.."
Both women responded in unison, "No, I am fine." It made everyone smile. Twins are so often on the same page.
With a deep sigh Carolyn began, "I am sorry to have to give you some bad news but before you fear the worst I also have encouraging news."
The sisters were both startled and emitted the obvious signs of distress and concern. "Oh no, oh my god, what has happened?"
Carolyn continued, "Please ladies, calm down a little and I will tell you everything. Please. John has been shot. He was shot three times."
The women screamed and cried but Carolyn yelled, "Stop It! Let me finish PLEASE!"
When Kathy and Sharon finally settled down Carolyn began to finish the story.
"I am sorry I yelled at you but you must let me finish. John was shot three times and he is in critical condition but he is alive and at this time they expect he will make a total recovery. There are some internal injuries from two of the gunshots and head injuries from the third. The doctors are confident that with proper care none of his injuries are life threatening any longer. The bleeding has been stopped and repairs have been made. None of his vital organs were seriously damaged.
"There are two concerns. One is infection and so far nothing has shown up. They are monitoring him very carefully believe me and any turn for the worse will be quickly addressed. He is not out of the woods yet but I believe he will be okay.
"The second is that John is in a coma. At this time the doctors say that is not a bad thing. Some patients are actually put into a coma to aid in the healing process. John's coma is not induced but until some of the healing has happened they are looking at it as a pretty positive thing. Believe me, it really is a pretty common medical practice and has the benefits of reducing his stresses and pain significantly. It can be very disconcerting to family members but you have to trust me when I tell you they are looking at it as a positive for his benefit."
Kathy asked, "Where is he? Can I go to be with him? When did this all happen?"
"John was shot three days ago. He was shot by a hit man ordered by the drug leaders. It is a miracle that he is alive. The hit man obviously thought he had completed his task because he shot him twice in the chest and once in the head. Why the bullets weren't fatal we don't know but John was lucky. He was touch and go for the first two days and..." Carolyn hesitated slightly but continued. "I am aware of your marital situation Kathy because John specifically asked that you not be notified of anything related to his undercover work. Given that they expect him to make a full recovery I was prepared to not say a thing to you and let him tell you himself but I think it would best serve him, you two and even us to bring you into this situation so I made the call."
By this time Kathy knew that John had called her sister once before three months ago and Sharon had never told her. But, she had told her after the last call to Carolyn. She was not happy about it but there was nothing she could have done even if she had known.
"To answer the rest of your questions Kathy, John is in a secure medical facility receiving the best possible treatment anyone could get. And yes, you can go to be with him if you are willing to abide by the rules I will spell out for you.
"John was undercover and has provided us with information to completely break the entire upper Midwest drug distribution system. He was ordered to be killed by a hit man and it was ordered by the leadership. He had already gotten thirty names of lower, middle echelon members and three or four upper echelon leaders. There are several branches involved and every one of them wants John dead. Their organizations are on the verge of total destruction.
"John is in our witness protection program at this time. If you decide you want to go to him you will have to enter the program with him if you remain married. Otherwise you will need to be off the grid for as long as it takes for him to recover and be released from the hospital. Anything you have planned must be cancelled. You will have to quit your job or take a leave of absence and you will have to separate yourself from all family and friends. It is for his protection and yours too. There is to be no exception. You must follow the rules or you could both die. Also, you must understand that this could be a permanent situation. They are never going to stop trying to have him killed, never."
Shocked, Kathy said, "I will do anything to be with my husband. I love him and will do anything. What you heard about our marital situation is true and I made a horrible mistake but I will also do anything to make it right for John. If he wants me I will be there for him forever. Please take me to him."
Sharon sat there with her head bowed and tears streaming down her face. She had not said a word during this entire time and the pain and shock were evident on her face. She whispered almost too faintly to be heard, "I love him too."
Carolyn and Kathy both jerked their heads to face Sharon when she continued, "I couldn't bear to be away from John and I can't bear the thought of being away from Kathy either, can I go too? I will do everything Kathy has to do too, I have always loved John and Kathy you know I love you. Please let me do this."
Carolyn saw the truth in Sharon's eyes and demeanor and though unusual would agree to the request if Kathy agreed. Kathy had known of Sharon's feelings for John all these years and she loved Sharon too so there was no way she could possibly deny her request.
"Yes, I think that would be a good thing for all of us. I know how much John loved me. At least he did before I was so stupid. I also know that he loved you too sis and you love both of us. Yes it would be a good thing for all of us. Take us to see him."
Carolyn threw a bit of cold water on the pair as she said, "Okay, I can make that happen but right now you will be escorted to your homes to pick up any belongings that you must have now. Then you will be brought back here to make all arrangements to sever your ties for an extended period of time. I am guessing you will not be able to get that accomplished yet today so you will be given lodging for the night. Then tomorrow you will be able to complete everything you need to do and I would guess by early afternoon you will be taken to see John. Any questions?"
The sisters were beside themselves. "Why do we have to wait that long?" they spat in unison. "We want to see him now!"
"Sorry ladies, as I told you before, they are my rules and you must follow them without fail. Believe me it is in the best interest of everyone if you do."
Later that night in their guarded bedroom at the safe house the two women wept together. They both knew that they would miss parts of their life for a while and miss those they were close to but they also both knew they would do anything to be with John. They had both been estranged from their parents since their ugly divorce so that wasn't going to be their biggest problem. There were a few distant relatives they would miss and a few close friends but no others.
Kathy knew that John had no family left at all and he was pretty work absorbed so his friends were also limited. This would work she was sure if only John would forgive her stupidity and allow her to remain his wife.
Kathy hugged Sharon and said, "Sharon, I am so sorry about all of this. You cannot imagine how I feel right now. If only I had listened to you none of this would have happened. If only I had been satisfied with John's love and not wanted to toy with Phil. John wouldn't have left, he wouldn't have gone undercover and he wouldn't have been shot. You wouldn't have had to give up everything to be with us and I wouldn't be feeling like I am the one who shot John. Why didn't I listen to you?"
"You are right about everything Kathy, you shouldn't have gone there but you did. To your credit you had enough brains to stop it before you actually had sex with Phil but you still cheated and you will always have to live with that. Fortunately I believe you and John will be able to work past that stupidity and I am praying that you do. I want everything to be as wonderful as it was before you had your mental lapse." With that she hugged Kathy back. "I love you sis, you are part of me and I am part of you."
Sleep came quickly for Sharon but for Kathy it was an extremely long night. She lay there thinking and crying, thinking and crying for hours. She finally was able to drift off to sleep but it was early morning and she was sure she had only had about three hours of sleep when they were awakened by a knock on their bedroom door.
Agent Pierce called out, "Breakfast will be ready in one hour and then we have to get moving so get up ladies."
By 11:00 a.m. they had showered, dressed and packed everything. They had eaten a light breakfast to keep them going and they had made all of the final calls and arrangements needed before going to John.
The SUV glided into the driveway a couple of minutes after 11:00 a.m. The windows were blacked out and the partition between the driver and the rear compartment was also blacked out. The sisters would have no way of seeing where they were headed. At 12:30 p.m. the SUV pulled into the emergency entrance of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN an hour and a half south of the twin cities. They were ushered into the hospital and taken to a guarded waiting room.
They knew the reasons for all the security but it was still disconcerting to them. Finally a representative of the US Marshall's office came in to brief Kathy and Sharon. It was decided that they would not have to officially enter into the witness protection program until John had totally recovered and decided if he wanted them with him or not.
John lay on his back on the hospital bed. His eyes were closed. Bandages were evident on his head and there were some tubes coming out from under the thin blanket that covered him. By looking at him you never would guess that he had come so very close to dying at the hands of a gunman.
The sisters both looked at John with tears streaming down their faces.
The doctor in charge of John's case, Dr. Mark Gordon, came into the room and requested a short conference with the two ladies.
"I need to give you some instructions on what you are to do if you are going to be around John.
"He is in a coma but in all likelihood the subconscious mind is still working. Therefore we need you to be soothing and gentle in your actions and words when you are in his presence. The lack of stresses while he is in this coma is good for his healing process and we don't want that interrupted with difficult situations caused by his environment conscious or subconscious. Do you understand what I am asking?"
Kathy and Sharon chimed in together, "Yes we understand perfectly."
The doctor smiled. It was always amusing to him how twins responded in unison without even being conscious of it. Interestingly, he also thought, "These twins are gorgeous and this is one lucky guy to have two such beautiful women caring about him the way they obviously do."
"Now you two go spend some time with John but remember to keep it low key at all times."
"Thank you doctor," the chimed again, "We will do whatever is asked of us to help him recover."
The twins were lead back into the room and sat side by side along the bedside of John's bed. Kathy reached out and touched John's hand and with tears again streaming down her face spoke to him for the first time in four months.
"John, it is Kathy. I am here with you now and will do whatever I can to help you recover. Just relax and don't worry about a thing. I am here with you now and forever. Sharon is here for you too. All we both want is for you to get better. I love you John."
Sharon put her hand on John's leg and said, "John this is Sharon. We are both here for you now. You just get better for us. One or the other, or both of us will always be by your side from now on. We want to see that smiling face of yours again soon."
The days went by and as they had promised John was never alone. One or the other and sometimes both women were at his side. They held his hand. They stroked his arms and face. They talked to him. They read books and magazines to him. They listened to music with him. Both cried over him often dripping a tear onto his hand or arm. They both kissed him gently.
The witness protection organization had set them up in an apartment near the hospital and they had worked out a schedule to be sure one of them was always with John. Doctors and nurses were all amazed at the dedication and love that these two women showed for their patient.
The days continued to fly by. It was almost three months since John had been shot and his physical healing had been completed. Doctors could find no physical problems any longer. His head was healed and the chest injuries had healed completely. Test after test were run on his system and all results were positive.
They didn't know when he would come out of the coma but those in the know thought it could be any time now. They of course couldn't provide any indication of the time but they were hopeful. As far as his mental condition when he came out of the coma they again had no clue. The only thing they were certain of was that his bodily functions were operating normally so they felt there was probably no significant brain damage.
Then one morning around 8:00 a.m. while Kathy was sitting with John he opened his eyes and looked at her. At first Kathy didn't notice his eyes open but when John tried to speak she snapped her head around and saw him staring intently at her.
She screamed, "Doctor, Nurse, John is awake!"
Needless to say the staff started scrambling around like chickens in a hen house with a fox in it. It appeared as if no one knew what they were doing but before long everything had settled down and the doctors were examining John. They were shining lights in his eyes, ears and nose. The poor guy was being pummeled every which way and being asked a myriad of questions. At first John couldn't speak with only squeaks coming out.
Eventually John could answer yes and no and the questions continued. By the time they were done with their questions Sharon had arrived to take her turn being with John. She immediately sat and took John's hand and with tears streaming down her cheeks said, "Oh John, I am so happy to see you awake. We have missed you so." And with that she just sat there sobbing.
All this time Kathy had pretty much stayed in the background and hadn't said much to John. She was fearful of his reaction to her. John did look over at her with a questioning expression though and she could see he was confused. She was sure he was asking himself, "Why isn't Kathy saying what Sharon had?"
The team of doctors were able to determine that John had lost a significant part of his short term memory. It seemed that he hadn't retained much of what had happened over the last year. He couldn't recall being undercover and he knew nothing about the drug operations he had shut down. The staff refrained from discussing anything about his personal situation because they didn't want to create a trauma that could push John back into a coma.
Kathy and Sharon were looking at each other intently with the same question on both of their minds. Should John be made aware of what had happened with his marriage. The doctors told them to give John a few days to see if those memories from the last year came back and not push him too hard.
After a couple of days Kathy sat down in the chair alongside John and reached out to take his hand. She had decided she needed to tell John what had happened and this was the time.
"John, I have something I need to talk to you about. I love you so much and am so happy you are doing okay now. I was so afraid for you when we first came here and I wanted you to come back from the coma so bad.
"I am sorry you lost your short term memory. There were a lot of very good things that happened in our lives during that time and I will do everything I can to help you recall what they were.
"But John, there was one really bad thing that happened during that time that I am ashamed to tell you about but I must tell you."
She started sobbing and couldn't continue. John hugged her closely and said, "It is okay Kathy, just go ahead and tell me."
Kathy finally got it together and said, "John, I planned to cheat on you with Phil Swanson. You found out and had me served with the separation papers we had executed when we were married. Then you left and went undercover. I had not spoken to you since then until here in the hospital.
"John, I am so sorry I did that. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I am sorry. I can tell you that I did not have sex with Phil and have not had sex with anyone the entire time you were gone from me. I know just planning to do it was bad enough but I never completed my plans. I even took a cab home from the restaurant.
"Oh John, I wish I could go back and change all of that, I can't, I did it and you left me over it and I can't take it back. I am so sorry."
John asked, "Why are you telling me this now Kathy? You could have kept it from me and I probably never would have remembered it."
"Because I love you John and because I couldn't go forward in our marriage with a lie as the foundation. I want you to love me, to forgive me eventually for hurting you and for being so stupid, I want us to have a life together but it has to be on the basis of truth not lies. I was ashamed to tell you John, but I had to tell you if there was going to be any chance for us."
John was extremely hurt by the revelation Kathy laid on him but it did nothing to worsen his condition. He told Kathy that he would have to spend some time thinking about what she had told him and he would talk to her later about it. He asked to be left alone totally for a couple of days.
It was a Monday, three days later that John called a meeting with Kathy, Sharon, his doctor Mark and a nurse who had cared for him named Carol.
Ironically during that three day period John received an envelope from William Barkley, attorney at law. It was a letter from his attorney explaining the documents enclosed.
The letter read:
Dear John,
As you had requested of me, the legal separation papers you and Kathy executed when you were married have been officially filed with the courts. Also, since the six months from that filing date have passed the divorce documents executed back then too have also been filed with the courts. You are officially divorced from Kathy.
Please contact me if there is any additional work you wish me to do for you.
Sincerely,
William Barkley
Attorney at Law
With that letter in hand, John began his meeting with those he had called.
"I just want to thank you for being here for me during this long time of recovery and during these days when I couldn't recall things that have happened over the past year.
"I want you all to know that as of yesterday I believe I have total recall of what was previously lost to me. Dr. I assume there will be those who will want to test out that theory but I believe they will confirm my statement.
"Now, I want to discuss my personal situation."
Dr. Gordon and Carol moved to leave the room but John told them to sit tight for a few minutes.
John continued, "Kathy, I have received notification that our separation and in fact our divorce papers were filed with the court systems per my request and as of this moment we are officially divorced."
A gasp went up from both Kathy and Sharon. "Oh God John, no!" wailed Kathy. "Why did you do this without giving me a chance to make this up to you and work this out?"
John said, "Kathy, it was all automatic once I requested the official separation. It was part of our agreement so many years ago.
"I am going to tell you that I will allow the divorce to remain as it is now. But, I want to explain why to you. You know that I loved Sharon and still do. Then I met you and I knew that we clicked somehow and I loved you at first sight, even more than I loved Sharon.
"That same situation doesn't exist today. Oh, I still love you a great deal, how can I stop that?
But, I don't love you more than I love Sharon anymore. Your actions hurt me so much and it tore a part of my heart away.
"One other thing Kathy, I don't know if I can trust you anymore."
"Oh no John," Kathy piped up, "I will never ever do that to you again."
"But," John continued, "I have an additional reason for believing I can't trust you. Dr. Gordon and Carol, the reason you are here is that I want you to confirm a conversation that I heard in my subconscious brain while I was in a coma.
"This is what I heard. 'Mark, those twins sure are two beautiful women. I bet you have already hit on the sister in law.' 'Well yes I did Carol but she wasn't having any of it. She appears to only have eyes for John. But, one day I thought I was flirting with her and it was in fact the wife and she told me that she wasn't interested. Then she smiled and said that maybe after things settled down she might think about it.' "
Kathy gasped rather loudly. Mark and Carol got weird looks on their faces. John knew that what he had heard was accurate or at least close enough that the total meaning couldn't have been misunderstood.
"Mark and Carol, is that indeed the conversation you had in this very room when you thought I would not hear you? I need an honest answer. Just for once I want to know the truth."
They both looked embarrassed but nodded their head 'yes' to the question. John looked at Kathy and there were tears streaming down her face.
Sharon glared at her sister and yelled, "How in the hell could you do that? What is the matter with you?"
John was very saddened to have this confirmed but held it together. He turned to Mark and Carol and said, "You two can leave. All I wanted was verification of what I thought I heard. I guess you have learned that a person in a coma does indeed have a connection to what is going on around them."
Dr. Gordon and Carol left the room.
John turned to Sharon and said, "Sharon, I am planning on going into witness protection after I testify in court against all of those indicted because of information I have provided. It will be necessary because others connected to them will certainly try to kill me after I testify.
"I want you to come with me. I always did love you and you have proven your love for me and loyalty to me beyond belief. I am not offering marriage because I think I am done with that, but I would love you no less because of that. Will you come with me?"
"John you know I do love you I would love to go with you," Sharon said, "But, no matter how stupid my sister is I cannot leave her out of my life forever. She and I are part of each other and I just couldn't do that."
John nodded, he somehow knew that would be Sharon's answer so he added, "I knew you would tell me that, I knew that is the kind of person you are and I fully expected that answer. I already said that I still loved Kathy even though I am terribly hurt and disappointed in her I still love her and if you agree I will ask her to come with us.
"I am not going to remarry her though because I don't love her more than you as I did before and still don't trust her.
"Will you come with me if Kathy comes with us?"
"Yes I will," Sharon said with a smile.
"Kathy, I know this is an awful shock to you but you have to confess that you brought it all on yourself. I do love you but I don't trust you. I will never remarry you because if you ever are unfaithful to me again I will just walk out of your life. No muss no fuss as they say. That you have earned.
"If you agree to come with us my intentions are to live with both of you, to love both of you and make love to both of you. I would like to have children with both of you. Yes you will both have to share me equally. Our relationship will never be what it was before your actions destroyed the trust. You will live under this threat Kathy; if you ever are unfaithful I will walk away and take any children we do have away from you. This is my promise to you.
"So, under these conditions do you want to go into witness protection with Sharon and me?"
By this time Kathy was sobbing but was able to respond, "Yes John I want to be with you. No matter how stupid I have been I do really love you and my life would lose its meaning if I couldn't be with you. I promise you I will never be so stupid again."
"It's settled then, Kathy and Sharon, from here on I will love both of you equally. I want to build a life for all of us that will make us all happy."
With that John reached out to the twins and brought each of them into his arms and kissed both of them. Kathy's tears had dried up and both smiled at John with the smiles that had melted his heart for years. Somehow he knew this was going to work out.
Epilog:
John did testify in all of the cases against the drug dealers and bosses and every one of them was convicted of one or more offenses. His information was spot on and the prosecution had little trouble proving their cases. They were all sentenced to prison for varying terms from 5 years up to life without parole. These cases were a landmark event in crime prosecution.
For his participation and testimony John was relocated along with the sisters. His location is of course confidential since he is high on the list for retaliation. Exactly what efforts have been made to conceal their identity cannot be disclosed but effectively John, Kathy and Sharon do not exist anymore.
John is now a successful businessman and as a further reward he of course has two beautiful women in his life. He loves them both and they love him. They always sleep together and he often makes love to both of them in the same night in the same bed. There is no apparent jealousy between the sisters and John never has trouble sleeping.
It has been four years since this all happened and John and Kathy have two daughters ages three and one. John and Sharon have a son aged three and a daughter on the way, due in two months.
Every night John goes to sleep with a smile on his face.
Every night Kathy remembers how stupid she was and how lucky she is that she still has John and Sharon in her life and vows to herself that she will never make that mistake again.
Every night Sharon thinks how fortunate for her that Kathy was so stupid. Now she gets to share her life fully with John whom she always loved.
Every night I wish I was John.
I gladly took Dan's offer to leave early and was headed home by 3:30 p.m. I live out on the northwest side of the metro area in Maple Grove and it took me about a half hour to drive home. I was really happy to have gotten off early because after a double I was totally beat. There was nothing I wanted more than to just grab a beer when I got home and relax until dinner. Then I was going to pay some attention to the wife and get some much needed sleep.
When I walked in the door I noticed my wife Kathy and her twin sister Sharon sitting out by the pool talking. They were both topless and believe me when I say that there have never been four more beautiful sights in the entire world. This was nothing new either. They often sunbathed topless and yes even in front of me. I actually had dated and yes fucked Sharon before I even met Kathy. She was beautiful, hot as a pistol, fun and intelligent all wrapped up in one fantastic package when I dated her. She still was and I didn't mind seeing her topless one bit.
Sharon had introduced me to her sister Kathy and there were instant sparks. She was everything Sharon was but there was something extra that just drew me to her. Yes it was love at first sight and miraculously it was a two way street. Sharon saw it too and moments after we were introduced she said laughingly that she couldn't compete with love and bowed out with a hearty laugh. She kissed me and told me to take care of her sister and then she hugged Kathy and told her she loved her and to be happy. Then she walked out the door and left us alone.
Anyway, we married a few months later and have been married for five years. We have no children but have been talking about starting a family soon. I know we were both very happy with one another and we were ready to start building that family.
Back to the present, I smiled when I saw them and thought this is perfect. Go change into my suit, grab a beer and join them at the pool. Relax, soak up some suds, soak up some sun and enjoy the eye candy. What a way to spend the rest of the afternoon.
I walked upstairs and got my suit on and was heading back down the stairs when Kathy and Sharon walked in the kitchen door. They were in a heated discussion and I could tell that Sharon was not happy with Kathy.
Sharon's voice was rather elevated when she asked, "How could you do that to John? He loves you more than anything and he would be devastated if he found out you cheated on him. In fact I am pretty sure he would divorce you if you cheat on him. Don't do it Kathy, please don't do it."
Kathy responded, "John is never going to find out and you better not tell him either. I just have to do this Sharon, we have been talking about starting a family and then I will be a mother and I could never do this again. I just want to find out what it would be like. When Phil was dancing with me Saturday night he pulled me so close I could feel his entire package rubbing against me and I was hotter than hell right then.
"He was talking dirty to me the whole time and telling me all the things he was going to do to me if he ever got the chance and I wanted to fuck him right there on the dance floor. When we got home I almost tore John's cock off him I fucked him so hard.
"Then yesterday Phil called me and told me he knew John was leaving Friday for a seminar and would be gone overnight and he wanted to take me to dinner and then show me he wasn't kidding about how he would treat me if I went to bed with him. I couldn't help myself, I told him yes."
Sharon sounded so sad, "Kathy, it would be the worst mistake you ever made in your life to let Phil Swanson anywhere near you. He is a slime ball and you would be nothing to him. John adores you Kathy and you will break his heart. He is the best man in the whole world. He is handsome, fun to be with and yes he is a spectacular lover, you know I know that. How could you ever want anything else?"
Kathy responded, "I know John is wonderful. I love him to death too and I wouldn't want to hurt him but he won't find out and this will be the only time I ever cheat on him. It will be over and we will start our family and I will never have to wonder again what it would be like because I will have done it. Even if he would find out AND HE WON'T but if he did he loves me so much I am sure I could talk him into forgiving me and moving on."
"You know Kathy," Sharon added, "You are betting your future on that statement and I think you are a fool for thinking this way. You might get away with it, you might pull the wool over John's eyes, you might never get caught but you will always know you are a cheater and you will change and who knows what will happen to your relationship. If you go ahead with this plan you are going to lose.
"And Kathy, truthfully, you know I love you and always will but if you do this you will also lose my respect. Enough said; I am not talking about this anymore. Let's go back out to the pool and finish our drinks then I am heading home. Please think long and hard about what you are going to do."
Wow, I couldn't believe what I was hearing and I knew Sharon liked me and it made me feel wonderful that she was so supportive of me but I was already devastated with what I was hearing. Apparently Phil Swanson, one of our social friends, was as hot for Kathy as I was, but he wasn't her husband, I was and he would pay the price.
I knew I couldn't face the two of them right now because I was so angry. I might do something that would get me in a lot of trouble. When they walked out to the pool I slipped back upstairs and put on the clothes I had previously shed and headed back out the door to my car and I drove away.
Once I was away from the house I dialed our home number knowing I would get voice mail and left Kathy a message. "Kathy, I just got off work early and I am going to stop at The Cavern to have a few beers with some of the guys. It has been a long shift and we are just going to unwind a bit. You go ahead and eat dinner because I might be a little late. I will see you later, Love you."
I got plastered. No two ways about it, I let myself go and by 10:00 p.m. Bill the bartender at The Cavern called a cab for me and sent me on my way. I don't remember a thing until I woke up about 9:00 a.m. the next morning.
Kathy had left me a note and it was none too friendly either. She was totally pissed at me for coming home drunk and ruining her planned evening with me before I went out of town for the seminar. She made a point of telling me just what I had missed and how I would have to wait until I got back for any loving from her and maybe not even then if she was still pissed.
Little did she know that I got drunk intentionally because of her and I didn't want to make love to her, not last night and maybe never again.
I called the captain and explained the situation with him and begged off of going to the seminar. Then I spent the rest of the day doing the usual things husbands do after they have been cheated on only I did them sooner. I went to the bank and transferred half of our savings into a new savings account and a new checking account with my name only. I left the money in the general checking account because I had no intention of not paying bills. I didn't need the law coming down on me.
Then I called my broker and transferred one half of all of our investments into a new brokerage account with my name only on it. The one half of the cash in our money market account I had them wire into my new checking account.
I called all of my life insurance carriers and changed my beneficiaries to my sister in law Sharon Burke and finally I called my attorney and set him on the task of rewriting my will to exclude Kathy and leave my estate to my Sharon.
With all that done I sat down to contemplate how to do the rest of what needed doing.
At 5:30 p.m. my cell phone rang and I saw it was a call from Kathy. I didn't answer it and a few moments later I got the beep notifying me of a new voice message.
"John you jerk," she started, "You come home drunk out of your mind last night and now you don't even take my call? Well mister, don't bother calling me back because I won't take your call either. I will see you tomorrow when you get home! I hope you have a marvelous night. Goodbye."
I know I had tears in my eyes as I reflected on how she was reacting. She is going to cheat on me with Phil and gets mad at me because I get drunk. I guess I would just have to wait to see how things turned out after tonight.
Around 6:30 p.m. Kathy and Phil were sitting at a table in Vito's Italian Restaurant in Pine Springs an eastern suburb of St. Paul. It was about 40 minutes east of Maple Grove and obviously had been chosen for privacy. They were enjoying a glass of wine before dinner and both were looking forward to a great meal and the sexual liaison they had planned for later.
A large man in a dark blue pinstripe suit walked up to the table with a small smile on his face and asked, "Are you Kathy Taylor?"
When she responded yes she was Kathy Taylor he handed her a manila folder and said, "You have been served. Also your husband John asked me to deliver this envelope to you."
He looked at Phil and said, "Phillip Swanson?"
Phil nodded yes and he continued, "This is a copy of a letter that was delivered by messenger to your wife Sarah this afternoon. It was also delivered to every one of the couples in your neighborhood in Maple Grove and to your parents in Oakdale. You two have a wonderful evening." And he walked away.
Phil looked at the letter first and saw that it described in detail what John had heard about how Phil had been coming on to Kathy and the types of things he had been doing and saying to her. It also described the plans they had put in place for when he was out of town. He stated, "I have no knowledge if they have ever had sex before or if they will continue with their plans for later this evening after being confronted but their actions are deplorable and I just wanted every one of you to know what kind of a sleaze Phil really is."
Kathy opened the manila envelope and found a document she was familiar with. It was an order for legal separation. It was fully executed. She sat there with eyes wide and softly moaned, "Oh no, oh no, oh no." She couldn't stop moaning and the tears were streaming down her face now. "Oh no, oh no.....oh no, no, no, no."
Finally Phil said, "Kathy, I think I better take you home."
She looked up at him and said, "No Phil, this has to end right now and I cannot allow you to take me home. I will call a cab."
Phil said, "Ok, I understand," and he just got up, dropped some money on the table to cover the bill and walked away.
Kathy knew she had to be somewhere alone before she could read John's letter so she asked the hostess to call her a cab and as soon as it arrived she left for home.
When she got home which seemed to take forever she just sat at the kitchen chair and with dread opened the envelope with the letter from John.
Dear Kathy,
By now you of course know that I am aware of your plans to cheat on me with Phil Swanson. I know you will probably be trying to figure out how I found out and I know you will probably conclude I heard from Sharon. I must tell you that I did not. She had nothing to do with me finding out and in fact she is the best sister and best friend you could have. If only you had listened to her.
I got off work early yesterday. I came home and saw the two of you out by the pool and of course I couldn't wait to sit there and enjoy the beautiful bodies of both of you so I slipped upstairs to change and I was going to come out and join you.
I was standing on the stairs when you both came in the door to the kitchen and yes, I heard every word. I heard all about how hot Phil got you and you wanting to fuck him on the dance floor. I remember the total workout you gave me that night and it sickened me that it was because of him and not because you were hot for me. I heard all about how you liked his package rubbing against you and I heard how you didn't care about our marriage enough to resist him. How you had to have him just once before you became an 'old mom.'
I heard how much you say you love me and I heard you say how much you knew I loved you and because of that love you could get away with anything and I would forgive you and move on.
I also heard what a good friend Sharon is to me. She did everything possible to make you see straight what you were going to do to our marriage but you just wouldn't listen and insisted you were going to go through with it.
Kathy, I loved you from the moment I first saw you and you know it. I probably will always love you but I am not a person who will allow injustice. That is why I became an officer and that is what has guided my entire life.
I imagine by now you remember when we executed the document you have in your hands, the legal separation notice. When we became engaged your parents were in the middle of a nasty divorce and you were hesitant about even getting engaged much less married. We talked for hours about it and finally mutually agreed to write up these separation papers and I might add divorce papers too so if either of us ever wanted out of our marriage commitment all we had to do was deliver these documents to the courts. No questions asked, no fighting, no fault.
I have delivered the separation papers to you tonight and they will be sent to family court on Monday morning. As you recall, our separation is for up to six months. If we have not reconciled within the six months it is our mutual agreement that the divorce papers will also be filed. All of the necessary paperwork is in the hands of my attorney and it will be handled automatically by him unless he is informed by me to stop the proceedings.
Kathy, I want you to think long and hard in the coming months about what you have done. You are going to have a lot of time on your hands to do that thinking because I am gone. I have requested a permanent assignment to the Task Force and it has been granted.
As you are reading this letter I have already gone under cover and will be working toward breaking up one of the largest drug operations in the cities. It will take some time and effort to get into their operation and I expect to be out of circulation for quite a while. The only contact I will have will be through my handler, Carolyn Hofstetter. You are free to call her but know she will not be able to pass along messages. It would be just too dangerous should anyone find out. Dangerous for you and dangerous for me.
Kathy, I am sure I will have more things to talk to you about once I get my head on straight. Right now I just don't know what more to say and I don't want to listen to what you have to say. No matter the outcome I promise that we will talk at least once. I honestly hope that in the next few months you will be able to find out what will make you happy. Obviously it wasn't being married to me.
Goodbye,
And I do love you,
John
Kathy just sat there with tears streaming down her face and wondered how she could have been so stupid. She knew she loved John so much and yet she had driven him away. Even though she hadn't actually had sex with Phil she realized that she actually had cheated on her husband and he knew it too. Desperate, she did the only thing she could think of and called her sister Sharon.
"Sharon, John found out about Phil and he has served me with those separation papers we signed so many years ago. He told me he needed some time away to think this through and there is no way I can get in touch with him because he has gone undercover with the DEA. What am I going to do sis?"
"Damn you Kathy, you had the best man in the world, the best friend and lover that either of us ever had and you threw it all away over a fantasy with Phil. John is the only man I have ever loved and I gave him to you because I could see he loved you more than he could ever love me. I am sorry now that I did because I can tell you I never would have broken his heart like you did."
"Thanks Sharon, I really needed to hear that right now. But I know you are right. I am hanging up now and I am going to go cry myself to sleep. When you have cooled off tomorrow or Sunday please give me a call, please."
"Hey," Sharon said with a small laugh, "Yes I am pissed at you right now but you know I will get past it and be the sister who always bails your stupid ass out. You know that. Goodbye Kathy, get a little sleep if you can and I will be over tomorrow to help you pick up the pieces."
"Thanks Sharon, goodnight."
One month later on a Sunday afternoon I called Sharon on her cell phone. "Hi sweetie, this is John."
"Oh my god John, it is so good to hear your voice. How are you? Kathy and I have been so worried about you and there was no way to find out anything. She called Carolyn and we found out that you have gone off the grid. I thought you were supposed to keep in touch with your handler but they said they had no clue what you were doing or where you were."
"Well Sharon," he said, "To answer your questions first I am fine and I figured Kathy would be so busy feeding her fantasies with Phil that she wouldn't worry about me at all. Secondly, I have made some fantastic inroads in my work and I felt I could be more effective if I went totally off the grid so that is what I did. I know they frown on that and I am certain I will hear about it big time when I come out but for now I am also certain that they like my results.
"Now to the reason I called you. When I heard what Kathy had planned I was tremendously hurt and of course it morphed into anger. As you already know we had those agreements signed because of the shit that happened when your folks got their divorce. It was mainly Kathy's idea but as it turns out it was a good one. She is free to do whatever she wants now and it eliminates some of the conflicts.
"I just have a couple of questions and a couple of requests then I will be gone again. First, is she seeing Phil? Or is she seeing someone else? Did she sleep with him?"
"John, she didn't sleep with Phil that night and has not seen anyone or slept with anyone. After you had her served she didn't even let Phil take her home. She called a cab. Believe me I have been keeping tabs on her and she is being the faithful wife waiting for her love to come home. She is distraught at what she did to you and broken hearted that you have left her. I can honestly tell you John that your wife is suffering more than you can imagine with her stupidity. She will be so happy that you called but I wish you had called her instead. She needs you John. When are you going to come back?"
"Well Sharon, I am not going to call her. I feel bad that she is suffering but at the same time I want her to suffer. I want her to realize what her life would be if she didn't have me in it. I am suffering too, I miss her and you too by the way, but she needs to learn the value of the relationship she had. If she doesn't learn that then we have no chance of a lifetime marriage. I am at least glad you think she isn't sleeping around but it has been such a short time really, and she hasn't given in, but let's see if that will continue.
"I will not be back for a while. This project could take a couple of more months and it is safer for me and for her if I am totally separated. I will call you in another month to give you an update but I will not call her. And, I want you to think about it and if you agree don't even tell her I called you. I want no question in her mind that she misses me, wants me and needs me. I know it is harsh but I didn't create this problem and she is going to have to be certain what she wants.
"One last thing, I want to thank you for being the best sister in law a guy could ever have. I heard everything you two said in the kitchen that day and I only wish Kathy had listened to you. Thank you for your support that day even if she didn't follow your advice. A guy has got to love a sister in law like you.
"Sharon, I have to run. I will talk to you again in a month. Bye."
Sharon wanted to say more but could only get out, "Bye John, she really does love you." As she heard John hang up the phone she said to unhearing ears, "And I love you too John."
A month went by and Sharon was expecting another call from John but didn't get one. After two months with no contact she was getting frantically worried and decided to call Carolyn Hofstetter again to see what was up.
"Carolyn, this is John Taylor's sister in law Sharon Burke and I am worried about John. He called me a month after he went undercover and talked for a little while and promised me he would call me again in a month but now it is two months later and he hasn't called. Is there anything you can tell me?"
"Sharon, you are the name on our contact list for John Taylor but there really isn't much that I will be able to tell you. John has gone into deep cover and is totally off our grid. I don't know where he is, I don't know what he has been doing and I have no idea anymore if he is alright or not.
"The only hint I have to his wellbeing is that our office has been receiving a significant number of anonymous tips on drug dealers and deals that are going down. We have made numerous arrests and have been able to establish a number of CI's (confidential informants) that have helped us even more.
"Someone out there is doing a hell of a job in supplying us with information and it is making a huge dent in the drug trafficking here in the upper Midwest. My best guess is that it is John but I am not certain of that of course.
"As soon as I receive any verifiable information about John I will let you know. Until then all that either of us can do is wait and see what happens unless of course he is spotted somewhere."
Sharon was extremely anxious about this news and despite John's previous request she shared all of the information with Kathy. Even though her sister had been stupid to do what she did Sharon loved her and didn't want to see her suffer unnecessarily any more than she already was.
Almost another whole month went by and one morning Sharon got a call from Carolyn Hofstetter. "Sharon Burke?"
"Yes this is Sharon."
"I have some information about John Taylor but I cannot do it over the phone. I would suggest that we pick you and John's wife up and bring you to my office so we can talk here."
"This sounds very serious and now I am really worried, can't you please tell me what is going on?" Sharon replied.
Carolyn told her, "As I told you I am not able to discuss anything with you over the phone but I am available all afternoon so perhaps right after lunch would be the best time for us to pick you up. Make it 1:30 p.m. and we will have a lot of time to talk. The two agents who will pick you up are agent Pierce and agent Jackson. Be sure to ask them for ID's. And Sharon, discuss this with no one but John's wife, do you hear me?"
"Oh my god," Sharon cried, "This sounds awful and I am scared out of my mind but we will be ready at 1:30 p.m. for agents Pierce and Jackson."
The knock on the door was expected but still it startled the two women as they had been anxiously waiting for 1:30 p.m. to arrive. As Carolyn had told them two agents identified as Pierce and Jackson escorted them from the house to the waiting black SUV. It didn't make Kathy or Sharon feel any better though, just more anxious. They both thought, what is with this cloak and dagger stuff but kept silent.
Soon they were walking into Carolyn Hofstetter's office and Carolyn welcomed them, "I am glad to finally meet you both," she kind of laughed, "Which one of you is Kathy and which is Sharon?"
Kathy stepped forward and said, "I am Kathy Taylor and I am John's wife. This is my sister Sharon Burke and of course you can see we are identical twins."
"Yes of course," Carolyn smiled, "Please, both of you have a seat and I will explain all of this to you. Can I get you anything before we start, coffee or water or something else, perhaps a soft drink? I think we have Coke or Mt. Dew.."
Both women responded in unison, "No, I am fine." It made everyone smile. Twins are so often on the same page.
With a deep sigh Carolyn began, "I am sorry to have to give you some bad news but before you fear the worst I also have encouraging news."
The sisters were both startled and emitted the obvious signs of distress and concern. "Oh no, oh my god, what has happened?"
Carolyn continued, "Please ladies, calm down a little and I will tell you everything. Please. John has been shot. He was shot three times."
The women screamed and cried but Carolyn yelled, "Stop It! Let me finish PLEASE!"
When Kathy and Sharon finally settled down Carolyn began to finish the story.
"I am sorry I yelled at you but you must let me finish. John was shot three times and he is in critical condition but he is alive and at this time they expect he will make a total recovery. There are some internal injuries from two of the gunshots and head injuries from the third. The doctors are confident that with proper care none of his injuries are life threatening any longer. The bleeding has been stopped and repairs have been made. None of his vital organs were seriously damaged.
"There are two concerns. One is infection and so far nothing has shown up. They are monitoring him very carefully believe me and any turn for the worse will be quickly addressed. He is not out of the woods yet but I believe he will be okay.
"The second is that John is in a coma. At this time the doctors say that is not a bad thing. Some patients are actually put into a coma to aid in the healing process. John's coma is not induced but until some of the healing has happened they are looking at it as a pretty positive thing. Believe me, it really is a pretty common medical practice and has the benefits of reducing his stresses and pain significantly. It can be very disconcerting to family members but you have to trust me when I tell you they are looking at it as a positive for his benefit."
Kathy asked, "Where is he? Can I go to be with him? When did this all happen?"
"John was shot three days ago. He was shot by a hit man ordered by the drug leaders. It is a miracle that he is alive. The hit man obviously thought he had completed his task because he shot him twice in the chest and once in the head. Why the bullets weren't fatal we don't know but John was lucky. He was touch and go for the first two days and..." Carolyn hesitated slightly but continued. "I am aware of your marital situation Kathy because John specifically asked that you not be notified of anything related to his undercover work. Given that they expect him to make a full recovery I was prepared to not say a thing to you and let him tell you himself but I think it would best serve him, you two and even us to bring you into this situation so I made the call."
By this time Kathy knew that John had called her sister once before three months ago and Sharon had never told her. But, she had told her after the last call to Carolyn. She was not happy about it but there was nothing she could have done even if she had known.
"To answer the rest of your questions Kathy, John is in a secure medical facility receiving the best possible treatment anyone could get. And yes, you can go to be with him if you are willing to abide by the rules I will spell out for you.
"John was undercover and has provided us with information to completely break the entire upper Midwest drug distribution system. He was ordered to be killed by a hit man and it was ordered by the leadership. He had already gotten thirty names of lower, middle echelon members and three or four upper echelon leaders. There are several branches involved and every one of them wants John dead. Their organizations are on the verge of total destruction.
"John is in our witness protection program at this time. If you decide you want to go to him you will have to enter the program with him if you remain married. Otherwise you will need to be off the grid for as long as it takes for him to recover and be released from the hospital. Anything you have planned must be cancelled. You will have to quit your job or take a leave of absence and you will have to separate yourself from all family and friends. It is for his protection and yours too. There is to be no exception. You must follow the rules or you could both die. Also, you must understand that this could be a permanent situation. They are never going to stop trying to have him killed, never."
Shocked, Kathy said, "I will do anything to be with my husband. I love him and will do anything. What you heard about our marital situation is true and I made a horrible mistake but I will also do anything to make it right for John. If he wants me I will be there for him forever. Please take me to him."
Sharon sat there with her head bowed and tears streaming down her face. She had not said a word during this entire time and the pain and shock were evident on her face. She whispered almost too faintly to be heard, "I love him too."
Carolyn and Kathy both jerked their heads to face Sharon when she continued, "I couldn't bear to be away from John and I can't bear the thought of being away from Kathy either, can I go too? I will do everything Kathy has to do too, I have always loved John and Kathy you know I love you. Please let me do this."
Carolyn saw the truth in Sharon's eyes and demeanor and though unusual would agree to the request if Kathy agreed. Kathy had known of Sharon's feelings for John all these years and she loved Sharon too so there was no way she could possibly deny her request.
"Yes, I think that would be a good thing for all of us. I know how much John loved me. At least he did before I was so stupid. I also know that he loved you too sis and you love both of us. Yes it would be a good thing for all of us. Take us to see him."
Carolyn threw a bit of cold water on the pair as she said, "Okay, I can make that happen but right now you will be escorted to your homes to pick up any belongings that you must have now. Then you will be brought back here to make all arrangements to sever your ties for an extended period of time. I am guessing you will not be able to get that accomplished yet today so you will be given lodging for the night. Then tomorrow you will be able to complete everything you need to do and I would guess by early afternoon you will be taken to see John. Any questions?"
The sisters were beside themselves. "Why do we have to wait that long?" they spat in unison. "We want to see him now!"
"Sorry ladies, as I told you before, they are my rules and you must follow them without fail. Believe me it is in the best interest of everyone if you do."
Later that night in their guarded bedroom at the safe house the two women wept together. They both knew that they would miss parts of their life for a while and miss those they were close to but they also both knew they would do anything to be with John. They had both been estranged from their parents since their ugly divorce so that wasn't going to be their biggest problem. There were a few distant relatives they would miss and a few close friends but no others.
Kathy knew that John had no family left at all and he was pretty work absorbed so his friends were also limited. This would work she was sure if only John would forgive her stupidity and allow her to remain his wife.
Kathy hugged Sharon and said, "Sharon, I am so sorry about all of this. You cannot imagine how I feel right now. If only I had listened to you none of this would have happened. If only I had been satisfied with John's love and not wanted to toy with Phil. John wouldn't have left, he wouldn't have gone undercover and he wouldn't have been shot. You wouldn't have had to give up everything to be with us and I wouldn't be feeling like I am the one who shot John. Why didn't I listen to you?"
"You are right about everything Kathy, you shouldn't have gone there but you did. To your credit you had enough brains to stop it before you actually had sex with Phil but you still cheated and you will always have to live with that. Fortunately I believe you and John will be able to work past that stupidity and I am praying that you do. I want everything to be as wonderful as it was before you had your mental lapse." With that she hugged Kathy back. "I love you sis, you are part of me and I am part of you."
Sleep came quickly for Sharon but for Kathy it was an extremely long night. She lay there thinking and crying, thinking and crying for hours. She finally was able to drift off to sleep but it was early morning and she was sure she had only had about three hours of sleep when they were awakened by a knock on their bedroom door.
Agent Pierce called out, "Breakfast will be ready in one hour and then we have to get moving so get up ladies."
By 11:00 a.m. they had showered, dressed and packed everything. They had eaten a light breakfast to keep them going and they had made all of the final calls and arrangements needed before going to John.
The SUV glided into the driveway a couple of minutes after 11:00 a.m. The windows were blacked out and the partition between the driver and the rear compartment was also blacked out. The sisters would have no way of seeing where they were headed. At 12:30 p.m. the SUV pulled into the emergency entrance of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN an hour and a half south of the twin cities. They were ushered into the hospital and taken to a guarded waiting room.
They knew the reasons for all the security but it was still disconcerting to them. Finally a representative of the US Marshall's office came in to brief Kathy and Sharon. It was decided that they would not have to officially enter into the witness protection program until John had totally recovered and decided if he wanted them with him or not.
John lay on his back on the hospital bed. His eyes were closed. Bandages were evident on his head and there were some tubes coming out from under the thin blanket that covered him. By looking at him you never would guess that he had come so very close to dying at the hands of a gunman.
The sisters both looked at John with tears streaming down their faces.
The doctor in charge of John's case, Dr. Mark Gordon, came into the room and requested a short conference with the two ladies.
"I need to give you some instructions on what you are to do if you are going to be around John.
"He is in a coma but in all likelihood the subconscious mind is still working. Therefore we need you to be soothing and gentle in your actions and words when you are in his presence. The lack of stresses while he is in this coma is good for his healing process and we don't want that interrupted with difficult situations caused by his environment conscious or subconscious. Do you understand what I am asking?"
Kathy and Sharon chimed in together, "Yes we understand perfectly."
The doctor smiled. It was always amusing to him how twins responded in unison without even being conscious of it. Interestingly, he also thought, "These twins are gorgeous and this is one lucky guy to have two such beautiful women caring about him the way they obviously do."
"Now you two go spend some time with John but remember to keep it low key at all times."
"Thank you doctor," the chimed again, "We will do whatever is asked of us to help him recover."
The twins were lead back into the room and sat side by side along the bedside of John's bed. Kathy reached out and touched John's hand and with tears again streaming down her face spoke to him for the first time in four months.
"John, it is Kathy. I am here with you now and will do whatever I can to help you recover. Just relax and don't worry about a thing. I am here with you now and forever. Sharon is here for you too. All we both want is for you to get better. I love you John."
Sharon put her hand on John's leg and said, "John this is Sharon. We are both here for you now. You just get better for us. One or the other, or both of us will always be by your side from now on. We want to see that smiling face of yours again soon."
The days went by and as they had promised John was never alone. One or the other and sometimes both women were at his side. They held his hand. They stroked his arms and face. They talked to him. They read books and magazines to him. They listened to music with him. Both cried over him often dripping a tear onto his hand or arm. They both kissed him gently.
The witness protection organization had set them up in an apartment near the hospital and they had worked out a schedule to be sure one of them was always with John. Doctors and nurses were all amazed at the dedication and love that these two women showed for their patient.
The days continued to fly by. It was almost three months since John had been shot and his physical healing had been completed. Doctors could find no physical problems any longer. His head was healed and the chest injuries had healed completely. Test after test were run on his system and all results were positive.
They didn't know when he would come out of the coma but those in the know thought it could be any time now. They of course couldn't provide any indication of the time but they were hopeful. As far as his mental condition when he came out of the coma they again had no clue. The only thing they were certain of was that his bodily functions were operating normally so they felt there was probably no significant brain damage.
Then one morning around 8:00 a.m. while Kathy was sitting with John he opened his eyes and looked at her. At first Kathy didn't notice his eyes open but when John tried to speak she snapped her head around and saw him staring intently at her.
She screamed, "Doctor, Nurse, John is awake!"
Needless to say the staff started scrambling around like chickens in a hen house with a fox in it. It appeared as if no one knew what they were doing but before long everything had settled down and the doctors were examining John. They were shining lights in his eyes, ears and nose. The poor guy was being pummeled every which way and being asked a myriad of questions. At first John couldn't speak with only squeaks coming out.
Eventually John could answer yes and no and the questions continued. By the time they were done with their questions Sharon had arrived to take her turn being with John. She immediately sat and took John's hand and with tears streaming down her cheeks said, "Oh John, I am so happy to see you awake. We have missed you so." And with that she just sat there sobbing.
All this time Kathy had pretty much stayed in the background and hadn't said much to John. She was fearful of his reaction to her. John did look over at her with a questioning expression though and she could see he was confused. She was sure he was asking himself, "Why isn't Kathy saying what Sharon had?"
The team of doctors were able to determine that John had lost a significant part of his short term memory. It seemed that he hadn't retained much of what had happened over the last year. He couldn't recall being undercover and he knew nothing about the drug operations he had shut down. The staff refrained from discussing anything about his personal situation because they didn't want to create a trauma that could push John back into a coma.
Kathy and Sharon were looking at each other intently with the same question on both of their minds. Should John be made aware of what had happened with his marriage. The doctors told them to give John a few days to see if those memories from the last year came back and not push him too hard.
After a couple of days Kathy sat down in the chair alongside John and reached out to take his hand. She had decided she needed to tell John what had happened and this was the time.
"John, I have something I need to talk to you about. I love you so much and am so happy you are doing okay now. I was so afraid for you when we first came here and I wanted you to come back from the coma so bad.
"I am sorry you lost your short term memory. There were a lot of very good things that happened in our lives during that time and I will do everything I can to help you recall what they were.
"But John, there was one really bad thing that happened during that time that I am ashamed to tell you about but I must tell you."
She started sobbing and couldn't continue. John hugged her closely and said, "It is okay Kathy, just go ahead and tell me."
Kathy finally got it together and said, "John, I planned to cheat on you with Phil Swanson. You found out and had me served with the separation papers we had executed when we were married. Then you left and went undercover. I had not spoken to you since then until here in the hospital.
"John, I am so sorry I did that. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I am sorry. I can tell you that I did not have sex with Phil and have not had sex with anyone the entire time you were gone from me. I know just planning to do it was bad enough but I never completed my plans. I even took a cab home from the restaurant.
"Oh John, I wish I could go back and change all of that, I can't, I did it and you left me over it and I can't take it back. I am so sorry."
John asked, "Why are you telling me this now Kathy? You could have kept it from me and I probably never would have remembered it."
"Because I love you John and because I couldn't go forward in our marriage with a lie as the foundation. I want you to love me, to forgive me eventually for hurting you and for being so stupid, I want us to have a life together but it has to be on the basis of truth not lies. I was ashamed to tell you John, but I had to tell you if there was going to be any chance for us."
John was extremely hurt by the revelation Kathy laid on him but it did nothing to worsen his condition. He told Kathy that he would have to spend some time thinking about what she had told him and he would talk to her later about it. He asked to be left alone totally for a couple of days.
It was a Monday, three days later that John called a meeting with Kathy, Sharon, his doctor Mark and a nurse who had cared for him named Carol.
Ironically during that three day period John received an envelope from William Barkley, attorney at law. It was a letter from his attorney explaining the documents enclosed.
The letter read:
Dear John,
As you had requested of me, the legal separation papers you and Kathy executed when you were married have been officially filed with the courts. Also, since the six months from that filing date have passed the divorce documents executed back then too have also been filed with the courts. You are officially divorced from Kathy.
Please contact me if there is any additional work you wish me to do for you.
Sincerely,
William Barkley
Attorney at Law
With that letter in hand, John began his meeting with those he had called.
"I just want to thank you for being here for me during this long time of recovery and during these days when I couldn't recall things that have happened over the past year.
"I want you all to know that as of yesterday I believe I have total recall of what was previously lost to me. Dr. I assume there will be those who will want to test out that theory but I believe they will confirm my statement.
"Now, I want to discuss my personal situation."
Dr. Gordon and Carol moved to leave the room but John told them to sit tight for a few minutes.
John continued, "Kathy, I have received notification that our separation and in fact our divorce papers were filed with the court systems per my request and as of this moment we are officially divorced."
A gasp went up from both Kathy and Sharon. "Oh God John, no!" wailed Kathy. "Why did you do this without giving me a chance to make this up to you and work this out?"
John said, "Kathy, it was all automatic once I requested the official separation. It was part of our agreement so many years ago.
"I am going to tell you that I will allow the divorce to remain as it is now. But, I want to explain why to you. You know that I loved Sharon and still do. Then I met you and I knew that we clicked somehow and I loved you at first sight, even more than I loved Sharon.
"That same situation doesn't exist today. Oh, I still love you a great deal, how can I stop that?
But, I don't love you more than I love Sharon anymore. Your actions hurt me so much and it tore a part of my heart away.
"One other thing Kathy, I don't know if I can trust you anymore."
"Oh no John," Kathy piped up, "I will never ever do that to you again."
"But," John continued, "I have an additional reason for believing I can't trust you. Dr. Gordon and Carol, the reason you are here is that I want you to confirm a conversation that I heard in my subconscious brain while I was in a coma.
"This is what I heard. 'Mark, those twins sure are two beautiful women. I bet you have already hit on the sister in law.' 'Well yes I did Carol but she wasn't having any of it. She appears to only have eyes for John. But, one day I thought I was flirting with her and it was in fact the wife and she told me that she wasn't interested. Then she smiled and said that maybe after things settled down she might think about it.' "
Kathy gasped rather loudly. Mark and Carol got weird looks on their faces. John knew that what he had heard was accurate or at least close enough that the total meaning couldn't have been misunderstood.
"Mark and Carol, is that indeed the conversation you had in this very room when you thought I would not hear you? I need an honest answer. Just for once I want to know the truth."
They both looked embarrassed but nodded their head 'yes' to the question. John looked at Kathy and there were tears streaming down her face.
Sharon glared at her sister and yelled, "How in the hell could you do that? What is the matter with you?"
John was very saddened to have this confirmed but held it together. He turned to Mark and Carol and said, "You two can leave. All I wanted was verification of what I thought I heard. I guess you have learned that a person in a coma does indeed have a connection to what is going on around them."
Dr. Gordon and Carol left the room.
John turned to Sharon and said, "Sharon, I am planning on going into witness protection after I testify in court against all of those indicted because of information I have provided. It will be necessary because others connected to them will certainly try to kill me after I testify.
"I want you to come with me. I always did love you and you have proven your love for me and loyalty to me beyond belief. I am not offering marriage because I think I am done with that, but I would love you no less because of that. Will you come with me?"
"John you know I do love you I would love to go with you," Sharon said, "But, no matter how stupid my sister is I cannot leave her out of my life forever. She and I are part of each other and I just couldn't do that."
John nodded, he somehow knew that would be Sharon's answer so he added, "I knew you would tell me that, I knew that is the kind of person you are and I fully expected that answer. I already said that I still loved Kathy even though I am terribly hurt and disappointed in her I still love her and if you agree I will ask her to come with us.
"I am not going to remarry her though because I don't love her more than you as I did before and still don't trust her.
"Will you come with me if Kathy comes with us?"
"Yes I will," Sharon said with a smile.
"Kathy, I know this is an awful shock to you but you have to confess that you brought it all on yourself. I do love you but I don't trust you. I will never remarry you because if you ever are unfaithful to me again I will just walk out of your life. No muss no fuss as they say. That you have earned.
"If you agree to come with us my intentions are to live with both of you, to love both of you and make love to both of you. I would like to have children with both of you. Yes you will both have to share me equally. Our relationship will never be what it was before your actions destroyed the trust. You will live under this threat Kathy; if you ever are unfaithful I will walk away and take any children we do have away from you. This is my promise to you.
"So, under these conditions do you want to go into witness protection with Sharon and me?"
By this time Kathy was sobbing but was able to respond, "Yes John I want to be with you. No matter how stupid I have been I do really love you and my life would lose its meaning if I couldn't be with you. I promise you I will never be so stupid again."
"It's settled then, Kathy and Sharon, from here on I will love both of you equally. I want to build a life for all of us that will make us all happy."
With that John reached out to the twins and brought each of them into his arms and kissed both of them. Kathy's tears had dried up and both smiled at John with the smiles that had melted his heart for years. Somehow he knew this was going to work out.
Epilog:
John did testify in all of the cases against the drug dealers and bosses and every one of them was convicted of one or more offenses. His information was spot on and the prosecution had little trouble proving their cases. They were all sentenced to prison for varying terms from 5 years up to life without parole. These cases were a landmark event in crime prosecution.
For his participation and testimony John was relocated along with the sisters. His location is of course confidential since he is high on the list for retaliation. Exactly what efforts have been made to conceal their identity cannot be disclosed but effectively John, Kathy and Sharon do not exist anymore.
John is now a successful businessman and as a further reward he of course has two beautiful women in his life. He loves them both and they love him. They always sleep together and he often makes love to both of them in the same night in the same bed. There is no apparent jealousy between the sisters and John never has trouble sleeping.
It has been four years since this all happened and John and Kathy have two daughters ages three and one. John and Sharon have a son aged three and a daughter on the way, due in two months.
Every night John goes to sleep with a smile on his face.
Every night Kathy remembers how stupid she was and how lucky she is that she still has John and Sharon in her life and vows to herself that she will never make that mistake again.
Every night Sharon thinks how fortunate for her that Kathy was so stupid. Now she gets to share her life fully with John whom she always loved.
Every night I wish I was John.