Till Death Do Us Part?

Tanya, must make a choice. A choice between her past or her present. Cole is her husband and she loves him dearly. But when Antonio comes back into her life, Cole isn't very comfortable with it.

"How many times do I need to tell you?! There is nothing, I repeat, nothing going on between Antonio and I! That is all in the past!" I yelled at him at the top of my lungs. I was pretty sure that the neighbors could hear us at 2:30 in the morning.

 

"Oh, so if nothing is going on then why is he calling you at two in the morning?!" He looked at me as if he was challenging me, waiting to see what reason I would give him.

 

"Gee, I wouldn't know Cole because you answered the phone and hung up as soon as you found out it was him!" I looked at him and tears started to form in my eyes. "Why are we acting like this? Don't you trust me?" And with that, I grabbed my car keys and walked out the door.

 

"Tanya! Please don't leave me!" I looked back at him and saw tears in his eyes. Something I had never seen before. But I didn't go back. I looked at him and just shook my head.

 

"Cole, I love you. But I need some time to think." I went to him and kissed his cheek. Then I got in my car and drove away. This fighting had been going on for about a month now. Every night we would yell at each other about the same thing, Antonio. But I couldn't take it anymore. I missed my husband and I hated to see him like this. I knew this wasn't him.

 

I stopped at the nearest gas station and grabbed a coffee. I needed to keep myself awake so I could think about what I was going to do.

 

Cole and I have known each other our whole lives. We went to the same church and the same school. Our families were very close and as a result we became best friends. This is how I knew that this behavior was so unlike him. He had never yelled at me until about a month ago. And when he did, it took me by surprise. It was a moment I would never forget.

 

I had just come home from work that day and was extremely tired. I pulled in to the driveway and was surprised to see Cole's car already there. I walked in the door and into the kitchen. Along with my husband, I saw a bouquet of flowers sitting on the table. "Hi, honey. These flowers are beautiful!" I grabbed the purple daises and brought them to my nose.

 

"I didn't buy these," he said in a calm voice. I looked back at him in shock. "Why don't you read the card?" I took the card out of its envelope and read the following words: "I remembered that today was the day we became friends 10 years ago. So I thought I would send you some flowers. Love, Antonio."

 

"Wow, I totally forgot that was today. I guess that was sweet of him." I placed the card on the table and went to place the flowers in a vase.

 

"Tanya, why is Antonio sending you flowers?" His hand was resting on the table. He looked at me and spoke in that calm tone of voice again.

 

"I really don't know. I thought I made it clear that we weren't friends anymore. But I can't control what Antonio does." Once those words came out of my mouth, it was as if a bomb had exploded.

 

"Tanya, do you think I'm an idiot?! You must have done or said something to cause this! So what the hell was it?!" He grabbed my arm and looked me dead in the eye. I did not see Cole in those eyes. But he saw fear in mine. He instantly let go of me and walked back to the table. "I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me." He looked at me and I could see that he was sorry.

 

"It's fine, Cole. Let's just forget about it." But I never did. Here I was a month later, still thinking about that night. The night my husband changed in to someone I didn't recognize.

 

I wasn’t sure where I was going to go. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. But I needed time to myself so I could think about what I was eventually going to do and ultimately decide if getting married was the right choice.

 

I drove down to the beach that held some of my fondest memories. It was the beach that Cole proposed to me on and the beach I also got married on. But more importantly, it was the beach where Cole and I proclaimed our love for each other.

 

We had been dating for about two months. He picked me up from school one day and took me to dinner at a beautiful restaurant. Then we went and walked on the beach. It was the most romantic date I had ever been on. All of a sudden he stopped and sat down on the sand. He motioned for me to sit on his lap so we could be close together. I finally broke the silence that had been present since we sat down.

 

"Babe?" I said to him. He held me closer to him. I could feel the warmth of his body on my skin.

 

"Yes, babe?" He grabbed my hand and pressed it against his lips.

 

"Why are we here?" I could see a look of confusion on his face. "Not that I'm not enjoying myself! I'm just curious because we never go to the beach."

 

"Well, babe, I kind of need to tell you something and I wanted to take you somewhere special." He wrapped his arms around my waist and then started to tickle me.

 

"Cole! Stop!" I continued to laugh and eventually found myself lying next to Cole looking into his eyes.

 

"I really want to kiss you, Tanya", said Cole. He bit his lip and touched my face.

 

"Well, what's stopping you?" I looked at him with longing eyes. I wanted him to see that I wanted this as much as he did. And after what seemed like a lifetime, he closed the gap between us and we shared our very first kiss.

 

"Wow!" Cole looked at me in disbelief. "That was the most amazing kiss I've ever had!" He say up and placed my head on his lap, stroking my hair. "Babe?"

 

I looked up at him waiting for him to finish. "Yes, babe?"

 

"I love you." He said those words and my heart just stopped. I didn't know what to say. But then, something came into my head and I said it.

 

"For how long, babe?" He chuckled and I knew, or thought, he wouldn't answer. But I was incredibly wrong.

 

"Forever and ever, babe."

 

That was the first time my now husband told me he loved me and it felt like it was just yesterday. I didn't know if he meant it when he said he would love me forever. But I had no choice but to believe him. Why deny such a profession of love?

 

I sat on the beach and contemplated my next move. I got back in my car and decided that there was only one thing to do. I drove to a small blue house and pulled my cellphone out. I dialed the number and listened to the dial tone. Antonio picked up the phone and I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "Hello?" I looked at the clock and realized it was 4 o'clock in the morning.

 

"Hey, Antonio. It's me, Tanya." I heard what sounded like him getting out of bed.

 

"Tanya! Hey! What are you doing up at 4 AM? You normally don't wake up until well after the sun is up", he chuckled. I couldn't help but laugh at his comment too. Even though I knew I probably shouldn't.

 

"Well, I am outside your house and I was kind of hoping that maybe we could talk? I know it's really early, but I don't have…" Before I could even finish my sentence, he interrupted me and said what I knew he would.

 

"Of course we can talk. Just come on in and I'll get some coffee brewing." He sounded excited at the idea of us talking. The last conversation we had was what we both understood to be our last.

 

He had just come home from God only knows where and his mom invited Cole and I over for dinner. I could tell Cole didn't want to go, but he understood that we needed to. We arrived at Antonio's parent's house and she greeted me with open arms and a huge smile.

 

"Oh Tanya, I am so glad you could make it! It means a lot to me to have you here! I know we haven't really talked since Antonio left, but I say we all make up for lost time." I had never had someone so excited to see me. Not even Cole's mom got that excited when he first had me over as his girlfriend. "And this must be that incredible husband of yours that you mentioned on the phone."

 

"Yes, this is my husband Cole. Cole, this is Antonio's mom Mrs. Charles." He went to shake her hand, but instead she went in for a hug.

 

"Oh please, call me Ashley! You are practically family." Cole looked a little uncomfortable at being called family. But I quickly grabbed his hand to reassure him. "You two are just so adorable together! Wait until you see Tiffany, Tanya. She has grown up so much!" Mrs. Charles walked into the kitchen and I turned to face Cole.

 

"Babe, are you okay? I'm sorry if that was a bit overwhelming for you. I just got really close with this family before we started dating. It's kind of hard to break ties like that." I put my arms around his neck and went in for a kiss.

 

"Babe?" he said looking into my eyes.

 

"Yes, babe?" I answered him knowing what was coming next.

 

"I love you." he hugged me as tight as possible. I never wanted to let go.

 

"For how long, babe?" He grabbed my face and got ready to answer me, when all of a sudden I saw someone enter the room.

 

"Tanya?" I turned and looked at the person speaking and realized who it was. Someone I hadn't seen in years. Someone that I once shared a huge part of my life with.

 

"Antonio, is that you?" I could not believe that he was standing in front of me. He used to be my whole world.

 

"Oh my God! Tanya! I can't believe it!" He ran to me and embraced me in a hug that he had never given me before. It felt as if he was afraid to lose me forever if he let go. I knew the hug lasted longer than Cole was comfortable with because I heard him stifle a cough.

 

"Oh, I'm sorry honey. Antonio, this is my husband Cole. Cole this is my…umm…this is my…I'm actually not sure what he is, but this is Antonio", I said while holding onto Cole to reaffirm his doubts about what Antonio was to me.

 

"I'm Tanya's friend. We go way back!" Antonio looked at me and then at Cole. Thankfully Mrs. Charles broke the silence.

 

"Oh good I see you have finally seen Antonio! This boy hasn't been able to stop talking about you since he came home. Since the moment he got off the plane all he has been asking me is 'Where is Tanya? Why didn't she come?' I finally had to tell him that she is all grown up and has other things to do." Antonio looked slightly embarrassed and I couldn't help but feel embarrassed for him as well.

 

"Mom, come on. You don't need to tell Tanya everything." He gave her look hoping she would shut up and not divulge anymore information.

 

"Well, it is time for dinner so Antonio you go wash up seeing how you were working on your car and then you can join us in the dinning room. Tanya you can come help me in the kitchen!" She gave me the biggest smile and grabbed me and brought me into the kitchen leaving Cole and Antonio alone in the living room. But I was still within ear shot of my now very uncomfortable husband and my lingering past.

 

"So, you're Tanya's husband?" said Antonio. All I could hear from Cole was a simple and quiet "Yup…that would be me." I felt like I needed to rush in there and save him, but then what I heard next left me there frozen, unable to move. "So, has Tanya told you anything about us?" I could not believe Antonio felt he had the audacity to say that. What right did he have to bring up our past? This was a part of my life that I chose to forget because I was not proud of it.

 

"Yes, Antonio I know about you and Tanya. She told me before we even started dating because she didn't want any secrets between us." Cole had a sound of irritation in his voice. I felt terrible for bringing him here. If I had just come by myself then none of this would be happening and he wouldn't have to discuss this with Antonio.

 

"Well, then you know all that we did?" It sounded as if Antonio was trying to challenge Cole. But that is not a bridge you want to cross with Cole, because he doesn’t like to be challenge.

 

"Oh yeah, I know all about what you did. How you made her feel like she was everything to you and then you asked her to be your girlfriend. Oh and I also know that you broke up with her two days later because you weren't over your ex. Then you continued to play with her heart for probably a good after you broke it. Oh and we cannot forget about the whole 'friends with benefits' phase. And then you told her to never tell anyone, but then she hears from a mutual friend that you were telling people you were having a secret affair with her." Antonio was silent, bewildered even. He had thought he had the upper hand, but things were not going in his favor. "Is there anything that I missed Antonio or are you done challenging me?"

 

"Listen, Tanya is still in love with me. You and I both know it." Antonio approached him looking him in the eye. "And now that I'm back in her life, it is just a matter of time before she realizes it too." I could not believe that he had the nerve to say these things. This was my husband he was talking to. He was the most important person in my life. Antonio had no right to say these things to him.

 

"Antonio, stop it now!" I came from behind from behind the wall and was now looking him in the eye. "I would like to have a word with you outside!"

 

"Tanya, I'm a little busy right now can't this…" I interrupted him before he finished his sentence.

 

"Antonio, it wasn't a question! Go outside now!" He went outside with a look of fear. And he should be afraid because I was about to give him a peace of my mind. "Cole, I am so sorry you had to deal with that. I'm going to take care of this once and for all." I gave him a quick kiss and went outside, my blood boiling inside of me. Once I saw Antonio, my blood became hotter and my wrath was ready to explode. "Antonio, what the hell were you thinking?! That is my husband in there! You do not have the right to talk to him the way you just did and you know it!" He looked at me with a look of shock in his eyes. I had never yelled at him for as long as I had known him. But this time was different.

 

"Tanya, I'm sorry. I just…I haven't stopped thinking about you since the day I left for college. I wished so many times that you and I could have had a second chance. And seeing you with him made me realize that I lost that chance." He reached his hand out towards mine, and just when they were about to touch I pulled it away.

 

"No Antonio you don't get to do this! Not this time. I waited for you for two years. I was hoping and praying that you would want me back. But I wasted so much time on you. I missed out on so many opportunities with some great guys all because I was so wrapped up in our past." I was now crying at the mere memory of it all. The many kisses we shared and everything in between. "Antonio, I loved you. But that is in the past. I don't love you anymore. At least not like that. I was hoping that maybe we could start over and be friends again. But after what you just pulled in there, I don't think that is going to happen." I looked at him waiting for him to say something…anything…but he just stood there in shock at what I had just said. "Do you have anything to say? Or are you just going to stand there speechless like you always do?"

 

"Tanya, I'm sorry…I wasn't thinking when I said all that I did. All I could think about was you and wanting you back. And then when I realized that you were happy with Cole…the way I used to make you happy…I just didn't know what to do. But please, Tanya, I want to stay friends with you! I couldn't imagine my life without you. Life was hell without you in college. I didn't know what to do and I didn't have anyone to turn to, at least not anyone who knew me like you do. Please let's just start over." The look on his face was one of pure regret. Like for once in his life, he felt bad for what he had done.

 

"Okay, Antonio, let's start over. And if you really are sorry, then I want you to go inside and apologize to Cole. That is the only way I will believe that you mean it."

"I'm sorry Tanya, I can't do that."

 

"And why not?"

 

"Because…I am only sorry about what I did to you…but I am not sorry for what I said to him." I looked at him and just wanted to cry.

 

"Well then, I guess we aren't friends anymore…" I turned to walk back inside and join Cole.

 

"No Tanya, please don’t go!" He grabbed my hand and tried to keep me from walking away. "Tanya, I can't lose you! Please, don't go!" I pulled my hand away from him.

 

"Antonio, just stop! We are done here. For too long I have listened to your lies and I was stupid enough to believe them. And you haven't changed one bit. You are still the same selfish and self-absorbed guy I knew in high school. But you want to know what is different this time? I found someone that loves me for me! And he never stops loving me. I am done pretending this 'thing' we have is a friendship." I went to walk inside and he pulled me back quickly.

 

"Tanya, at least stay for dinner. My  mom loves you and she would be so disappointed in me if she knew what I did." Here he was begging and pleading, and it felt wrong to take advantage of that, but I did anyways.

 

"Fine, I will stay for dinner just because of your family. But once I leave this house, I will never speak another word to you again. Do you understand?"

 

"Yes…I understand."

 

"Good. Now when we go inside no one knows that this happened. Not even Cole. We are going to have a good evening because I know how much this means to your mom." We opened the door and walked back inside acting as if nothing had happened.

 

Cole and I went home that evening and I went straight to our bedroom. I just wanted to be alone. I closed the door behind me and went straight to our bathroom. I looked in the mirror and saw my reflection, except it didn't look like me. I saw a puffy eyed woman who looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Then almost instantaneously tears started to fall once again. I could not hold back my sobbing. I had been holding it back for hours now. Then I heard a knock on the door.

 

"Babe? Are you okay?" I thought that was a silly question seeing how I was sure Cole could hear my sobbing. I didn't answer him. I didn't know how. "Tanya, I'm coming in." He opened the door and I hid my face from him. I didn't want him to see me in this state.

 

"No, don't look at me!" Tears just kept on flowing. I couldn't be strong anymore. No matter how hard I tried, my emotions were just to strong for me to handle.

 

"Tanya, come on. This is me you are talking to. I have seen you when you wake up first thing in the morning with no makeup on. I have seen you when you are crying because of something that happened. You are my wife. If anyone should be seeing you like this, it should be me." He pulled my hands away from my face and saw my red, puffy eyes looking right at him. He placed his hands on my face, softly wiping away the tears that were falling. Then he kissed my cheek where a tear had just fallen. "What do you know? It's the face of perfection." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back at him. I fell into his arms and held on for all I was worth.

 

"Cole, I am so sorry! I wish we had never gone to that stupid dinner!" I cried even harder to the point where my words were not audible. All you could hear was the sobbing of a woman in pain.

 

"Shhh, it's all right. It's all over now. We are home and we have each other." He stroked my hair gently and continued to hold me in his arms. I knew this was the love of my life. He was the only one who could comfort me when I was in this state.

 

"Babe?" I placed my hands around his neck and looked up into his eyes.

 

"Yes, babe?" He gently caressed my face and looked back at me lovingly.

 

"I love you so much."

 

"For how long, babe?" We both chuckled a little bit. Then I grabbed him and kissed him.

 

"Forever and ever, babe!"

 

He picked me up and carried me into our room. He laid me on the bed and kissed me softly. "I was hoping you'd say that."

 

I walked up to Antonio's doorstep and knocked lightly. I waited for the door to open and when it did I just stood there. I wasn't sure why I was here. I wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. But I had no other choice.

 

"Tanya! Come on in! I am sure it is freezing out there." Antonio brought me inside and I took my coat off. He guided me into the living room where he had coffee already set up. "I wasn't sure how you liked your coffee, so I figured you could just do it when you came in." He handed me my cup and sat down next to me. "So, what are you doing out at this time of night?"

 

"Cole and I got into a fight. There was yelling and screaming and I just couldn't take it so I left." I held back my tears. I didn't want to cry in front of him. I didn't want him to see me break.

 

"Did he hurt you? Because if he did I will report him now." He placed his hand on my arm and looked into my eyes. I moved my shoulder back so that his hand would fall off.

 

"No, he didn't hurt me. I just don't know what to do anymore. Ever since you sent me those flowers he has become a different person. I don't know who he is anymore."

 

"Wait, this is all because of me? Tanya, I am so sorry! I never meant for that to happen. I just wanted you to know that I still remember how things used to be. You know when things were easier." I looked into his eyes and saw his concern.

 

"What set him off tonight was your phone call. Speaking of which, why did you call me?" He looked down at his coffee and started to fiddle with his cup. He was nervous about something, I just needed to get it out of him. "Antonio?"

 

"I called because…I wanted to apologize to Cole about what happened at my parent's house. I realized how selfish I was being and I wanted to make it right. If I had known that this was going to happen I never would have called." He didn't look at me. I placed my hand on his knee in hopes that he would look at me.

 

"It's okay. Stuff happens. We just need to figure out how to make it right."

 

"Tanya, maybe us being friends isn't a good idea. Ever since I came back it has only caused strain on your relationship with Cole. I don't want to ruin your life more than I already have." Then he started to cry. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight.

 

"Antonio, listen to me. I don't know what is going to happen with Cole. But one thing I do know is that you are one of my closest friends. And you didn't ruin my life. Sure, things were a bit unpleasant, but not ruined. It made me the woman I am today and I would never change a thing." He looked at me with the happiest look on his face. That was when I knew things would be alright. "I have to tell you something. Something I haven't told anyone. Not even Cole." Antonio looked at me surprised.

 

"Are you sure that is a good idea? I mean, I don't want to cause anymore problems for you two." I chuckled a little and grabbed his hand.

 

"I am pregnant. Cole and I are going to have a baby."

 

"How long have you known?" He looked down at my stomach to see if he could notice it yet.

 

"I have known for about a month." I subtly brushed my hand against my stomach. It felt weird to think that there was a human being inside there.

 

"And you haven't told Cole yet?! Were you waiting for the baby to born or something?!" He looked at me in shock and disbelief. "This could have fixed things between you and him. Why keep information like this from him?"

 

"Because, I didn't want him to only want to be with me because of a baby. I want him to love me for me and stop fighting with me because he trusts me. Plus, the time was never really right to say 'Hey, guess what we are having a baby'." I chuckled a little at what I had just said. Then I realized exactly what I was going to do. There was only one thing left to do. "Antonio, I have to go. There is something majorly important that I need to take care of. Thank you so much for letting me come and talk. You really are a great friend." I gave him a hug and smiled at him as I walked toward the door.

 

"Tanya, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I am here for you always." He grabbed my hand and gave it a light squeeze.

 

"Thanks Antonio. I always knew I could count on you." I gave him one last hug and walked to my car.

 

I pulled my phone out and dialed the number for home. I was hoping that Cole would answer, but after four rings it went straight to the answering machine. I tried to think of where he would have gone to. He wouldn't have gone looking for me because I told him I wanted space. His parent's were gone on vacation and he had no other family here. Then I realized exactly where he was. I put the key in the ignition and started the drive to my next destination. Once I arrived, I saw Cole sitting on the beach looking out on the horizon.

 

I walked towards Cole, thinking about what I was going to say to him once I saw him. What if he didn't want to be with me anymore? What if our marriage was over? I wouldn't know the answer to any of those questions until we talked.

 

"Cole?" He turned around and I could see that his eyes were all red and puffy. He tried to wipe away his tears so I wouldn't see them, but it was too late.

 

"How did you know I would be here?" I couldn't read his emotion. I wasn't sure if he was happy to see me or if he wanted me to go away forever.

 

"Well, I called the house and you weren't there. So I figured you went somewhere to think. And I figured that you came here because…well I came here too." His face showed what seemed like surprise. "Can I sit down?" He nodded his head and continued to look out on the horizon.

 

"So, where did you go when you left?" I was sure he already knew the answer to the question, but he wanted to hear it from me.

 

"I came here to think and then I went to Antonio's to get some answers." He let out a sigh and then placed his head in between his knees. He always did that when he was upset. I placed my hand on the back of his neck. "Cole?"

 

"Yes?" He didn't look up at me. I didn't expect him to.

 

"I'm sorry…about everything. I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed and talked with you. I just didn't know what to do anymore." He finally looked up at me and I could see new tears form in his eyes.

 

"Do you still love me?"

 

"Baby, of course I still love you! I will always love you!" I looked into his eyes so he could see that I was telling the truth. Then I realized that now was the time to tell him the news. Now was as good a time as any. "And our child will love you too…" He looked up at me and his tears started to fall.

 

"Our child? You mean you're…"

 

"Yup. I have known for about a month. I wanted to tell you, but the time was never right." He looked away from me and started sobbing. I wrapped my arms around him and tried to comfort him.

 

"I am so sorry. I should have trusted you. I shouldn't have yelled at you. Please forgive me?" I moved his face so he was looking at me. I wiped away his tears. Then I kissed him lovingly.

 

"Baby, I will always love you. I never want to be with anyone else. Even if we fight every day and make each other miserable, I wouldn't want to be miserable with anyone else. When I said 'until death do us part' I meant every word of it." He wrapped his arms around me and at that moment I felt safe. This was home. Our embrace made me feel as if we were more in love now than we were when we had gotten married.

 

"Babe?" He looked down at the sand as I saw a tear fall to the ground.

 

"Yes, babe?" He looked me in the eye and gently placed a hand on my face wiping away the tears of joy I was now crying.

 

"I love you, babe. Forever and ever." I kissed him on the lips softly and looked deep into his eyes.

 

"I love you too, babe. Forever and ever."

Author's Note

Please feel free to comment on my story. Good or bad comments are accepted just please let it be constructive. I want to get better, but I don't need any rude people out there.

Reviews

[reeyce smythe wilder]

I enjoyed this story a lot because the story line was pretty good. You expressed Tanya's viewpoint well, but I'm left wondering about her husband and his take on everything.
One scene led into another where there should have been a break, and it was a bit confusing at times. I would have loved to see a bit more descriptive writing in terms of environment and the physical descriptions of the characters, just to have something more to work with.
As a short story, with a bit more work, it would be a very heart-felt read.

[Angel]

This is a sweet love story! And I'm a sucker for happy endings...
It's interesting that you chose Tanya as the narrator for your story. You told the woman's point of view very well. I could understand her emotions perfectly, she felt pretty much as I would have in the same circumstances. You did a good job there.
But now I'm wondering about Cole. Of course, he was jealous, anyone would have been. But I'd be interested in hearing more about his thought processes. Perhaps one day you could write the story from his perspective.
If you ever do, be sure to send me a RR...I'd love to read it.
Like I said, I'm a sucker for a happy ending!