New Loves...

"So that's it? You don't want to fight for him?"

"No. No, I don't. Why in the world would I want to do that?"

"You have so much history. You have a life together."

"We do have history. And that's what we have now, old history. New wins. It's almost impossible to compete with new."

"No, that's not true, you have a deeper connection than that."

"Clearly that is not the case."

"Well, I mean sure, this is a problem, but you can't just step aside and let her have him."

"Why not?"

"Because. I mean, you're married. You have a house. You have kids. You have..."

"We will always share the kids, but they are grown so it's not like this is going to be a daily issue for them. Sure, they are going to be shocked, but they have their own lives. And the rest is now had. We will get divorced. It will all be very civilized. We will sell the house. I always wanted to live downtown anyway. I'll keep the dog, he has someone else to share his bed with."

"You are so calm about this. Aren't you even mad?"

"I'm furious. Aside from just the betrayal it's completely unfair. I turned him into the man she fell in love with. And now here we are. I did the work and she gets the benefits."

"So how are you so calm on the outside if you are furious?"

"Because it does no good to be stomping around throwing a fit over it. New wins. They've never even had an argument yet. They've only shown each other their very best behavior. Oh maybe a little pretend fight here and there, some pretty pouting when he would leave her to come home to me. But that's just adorable right? She's just loves him so much she wants him all to herself. How could he not respond to that? I mean when he did make it home to me there was a good chance that he walked into a house where I was dealing with the dog needing to go to vet, the roof springing a leak, a kid in crisis, any myriad of things that go wrong in life. I sure as hell wasn't always in my best lingerie and with my hair done just so. It might not have even been brushed yet when the dog was having her issues. It's easy to focus on those things and say this life was the problem. The new life, the new love? That's easy."

"But it won't stay that way."

"Of course not. But by the time he figures that out I will be long gone. I mean, I'm already packing now."

"It's just awful though."

"It is. It's awful and it's unfair. You know, she will never even have to meet his parents. She'll never have to deal with his bratty little sister and her constant drama. She'll get the lovely woman that she grew up to be. She'll get the rose colored memories of his folks without the actual reality of them. It's just unfair."

"Oh I remember his father. What a..."

"Yes, yes he was. But she'll get the good stories. About baseball games and BBQs. It will be years before she ever hears about the drinking and the philandering. Because, I mean, he wouldn't really want to point out that his father was serial cheater at this point in time, would he?"

"No, I would guess not. So do you think you will date again? I mean, I know it seems too soon right now, but..."

"No. No way. I spent years creating a masterpiece and someone came along and put it in a new frame and now gets to pretend she did that. There is no way I'm getting out my paints and starting again. I'll be fine with the dog. I mean honestly, I'm looking forward to the quiet. To eating when I want to eat. To reading without interruption. To not wondering where he is and why he's late. Let her have him. In a few years she'll wonder why she wanted him in the first place."

"Of course by then he'll be off looking for a newer new."

"Exactly. New always wins. But the trick is, it doesn't stay new for long."