"We can be there tonight if we need to be. What's going on?"
"I'm not telling you over the phone. Call me back and let me know how you're getting here. If you fly in I'll pick you up at the airport. If you drive, let me know what time you'll be at the house."
"You're not telling me over the phone are you?"
"No. I'm sorry to make you wait but I think its best."
When I hung up I peeked in the bedroom and Helen was pale and still on the phone. She saw me and motioned me inside the bedroom.
Into the phone she said, "Honey, hang on a sec." She covered the phone and whispered. It's Carole. Her Dad called her from jail last night. He asked her to help him make bail. She wants to know what's happening."
"Ask her how quickly they can come home. You need a family council and as soon as possible. My kids will be home tonight. We can meet at my house and tell them all at once. Alex will still be in jail. I have no idea where Mary is."
She uncovered the phone and told her daughter she was to come home and get her brother home too. They would call her when they were close. She told them to drive to my house as we would be meeting there. Carole had a hundred questions and all Helen said was all her questions would be answered when we were together.
I called our lawyer and asked that he have the photos delivered. I told him about the assault and the plan we had for the future. He agreed with our plan and said he would bring the photos by himself.
We got dressed and set about the tasks at hand. I bought packing boxes and boxed Alex's things and stacked the boxes in the garage. Helen found a spare key for his car and we parked it in the garage. We forwarded all calls to Helen's phone to my number and then we went to my house.
Inside I started boxing my stuff. Helen walked through the house and came to me a few times asking questions.
"Do you want the Lazy-Boy to live at our house or leave it here?"
"Will it fit in your home?"
"It's a good color for the family room. Alex's is going. Let's take it."
When the phone rang I looked at the caller ID and handed the phone to Helen. It was Carole and she was about an hour away. She said she remembered how to get to my place so Helen thanked her for the call and hung up. Five minutes later the phone rang again and it was my kids. They were all in one car and would be arriving in about an hour.
Helen decided to order pizza and salad delivered and she made the call. I finished packing my clothes and some other things. I needed to keep busy.
I came out of my bedroom and saw Helen standing at the front window. I walked to her and took her in my arms.
"There will be tears and anger. Even if it sounds like they are angry at us they aren't. Disappointed, hurt and betrayed all mixed together. Remind yourself that we didn't do anything wrong and remind yourself that I love you."
"I couldn't do this without you."
"Yes, you could and you would. Hopefully having me here makes it a little easier."
She turned to kiss me just as my daughter's car pulled into the driveway. We noticed the pizza delivery pulling up in front at the same time.
"I'll set the table," Helen said as she ran to the kitchen. I opened the front door. My son, Todd, helped carry the food inside and I paid the delivery guy. He looked around and saw Helen but not his mother.
"Where's Mom?"
"I don't know."
Helen's kids arrived and I let them in. They started in with questions too. I held up my hand and when they all stopped I said, "The food will keep. Let's all sit down in the living room and we'll explain."
All Helen's kids sat on one couch and mine sat on the other couch. I pointed Helen at the big chair and I got a chair from the kitchen. Before I could sit there was a knock at the door. It was Henry Hawkins, my lawyer. He handed me a thick envelope, noticed all the kids in the living room and whispered. "Good luck! Do you need me to stay?"
"No, but thanks."
I closed the door and took my seat.
"Rather than have you all asking questions let me tell you the story. Then you can ask anything you want. Ok?"
No one moved so I started.
"A week ago I was playing golf with some friends and one of them mentioned that he had seen Mary at the Marriot in the afternoon. I couldn't think of a reason she should be there. I put a GPS tracker on her car. Two days later she went back to the Marriot. Three hours later she left and ten minutes later Alex White, Helen's husband, walked out the same door. I got the hotel records for Alex and discovered he rented the same room every few days since last January."
All the kids looked at each other and Alex's son said, "That doesn't mean they were cheating!" They all nodded.
"You're right. I hired someone to find out, hoping they were not having an affair. I spoke to Helen, in hopes she knew some reason why Alex would be at the Marriot. Our lawyer advised we get out of town for a couple days so we could find out for sure what was going on."
Helen spoke up. "I went to the Mirage in Las Vegas and Nick went to the Treasure Island."
"The next day when I spoke to the lawyer he said he had pictures of Alex and Mary at Alex's house having sex out by the pool."
"Are those pictures in the envelope?" Carole asked, pointing to the envelope by my feet.
"Yes. Helen and I waited one more day before returning. The photographer got more evidence when they came here and had sex here."
"This is so gross!"
"When we came back they were in Helen's house having sex in the living room. We walked in on them and saw them on the floor. We asked if they wanted divorces so they could get together. Alex said no. Mary said yes. We let them gather some personal items and tossed them both out. I have not seen or heard from Mary. Helen called me because Alex came back and was threatening her from the porch. She called the police as well and when Alex assaulted me and threatened us both the police arrested him. He is, as far as I know, still in jail."
The questions started.
"Are you getting a divorce?" We both nodded.
"Have you seen the pictures?"
"No. We saw them having sex in your mother's living room. We don't need to see the pictures. They are for court, if we need them."
"Is Dad going to prison?"
"He assaulted me and threatened your mother in front of two police officers. I would guess he will do time for that."
"Mom, how long had you known that Dad was fooling around?"
"I knew when Nick showed me the hotel records. He was spending our retirement money to pay for a room at the Marriot!"
"Damn!" Carole said. The others nodded.
"What happens next?"