possible.
“I woke up cold without you at my side,” Katherine said as she moved forward.
“I’m so sorry, love, I should’ve been there with you.”
He moved to the couch and she sat next to him, then shocked him when she took the glass from his hand and drained the contents. Katherine rarely drank anything, but when she did, it was always a sweet, crisp wine.
He moved to put out his cigar, but she shook her head as she rose and refilled his glass just the way he’d do it. She’d watched him often enough, he wasn’t surprised she knew exactly what to do. “Go ahead and have your cigar. I think we’ve both earned a bit of gluttony today,” she told him. He never smoked in front of her, and found it made him uncomfortable, but he wouldn’t argue with her about anything right then.
She sat again, handing his glass back after she took one small sip. He gripped it in his hand while practically crushing his cigar with his other.
“Joseph, I want to talk about today.” She sounded so tired it broke his heart. Contrary to what she’d said about the cigar, he put it out and turned so he could hold her hand.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through—”
“Just wait,” Katherine said, interrupting him with more strength in her voice. He waited. “Today was difficult. On many levels, it flooded my head with terrible memories. Worse than that was seeing you face off with the man who caused me so much pain. I was afraid for both of us.” Her voice was barely a whisper at the end of her words. He squeezed her hand, encouraging her to continue.
“As I was lying in bed, I focused on all that happened through the day. We were free and happy with people and sunshine around us. The energy of the market, my beautiful new necklace, those sweet children, the women and the vases. It was all wonderful.”
“Yes, it was,” Joseph told her.
“In our many years together, we’ve always focused on the good in our lives, we’ve always chosen to make our next day together better than the day before. We taught our sons to be men of valor and honor, and how to be trustworthy. Yes, we’re fortunate enough to have heaps of money, but it’s not money that teaches values, it’s love, understanding, and time.” She was gaining strength in her voice as she continued.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Joseph told her.
“A lot of the people around us chose to hire nannies and staff to raise their children, but I knew how much I loved you when you agreed to be at my side so we’d be the ones raising our boys. They got to know us, and we got to know them. We didn’t just love them because they were biologically ours, we loved them because we spent time with them and knew who they were. We still love them because we make them a priority in our lives.”
“You always did so much more than I did. I have a lot of regrets about the many hours I worked when they were young. You, on the other hand, have always been a phenomenal wife and mother,” Joseph said with a bit of shame and a lot of sincerity.
“Oh darling, you gave more than you realize. You took them to the office, you played ball in the backyard, took them fishing, and had campout weekends. Yes, you worked, and you taught them how important it is to take care of a family, but you always put a priority on being a husband and father. I think you were quite balanced,” she said with a genuine smile. “But enough of that, I’m trying to make a point here.” She sighed as she looked out the window of his office into their backyard that was filled with so many beautiful memories for all of them.
“My point is that while we worked hard to have a loving family, we were blessed with a life that so many never come close to having. And again, I know it’s not only financial, but money does matter. There are so many out there who don’t have a home, who don’t have security. So many children face horrific situations with terrible families, where they don’t have clothing, proper beds, or even guaranteed meals. We all make choices in life, but if we’ve never been taught right and wrong, how accountable are we for those choices?”
“Yes, my dear,