Trenton had left for the office already, when Marsha rose from a restless night’s sleep. She threw on her silk robe and slippers and made her way to the kitchen. She needed to make sure the children got off to school on time. Latisha was in the kitchen putting the kids' cereal bowls into the dishwasher. The girls were dressed and arguing with each other over the name of some TV actress they had seen recently. Timothy was dressed but still eating.

“Latisha, did Trenton eat anything before he left this morning?”

“No ‘am Miss Marsha, he said he had a bad headache, and he’d pick up something later. I speck he might have been a bit hung over. He was kind of red-eyed.”

“Yeah, he might have been. He probably had too much to drink last night. He’s under a lot of pressure at the firm. All the partners go out together after work and discuss strategy on some of the major cases, while they’re enjoying a few drinks. I looked at the clock when I heard him come in last night. It was after four.”

“Miss Marsha, it ain’t none of my business, but are you sure he was still at the bar that late? I got a daughter who bar tends. I didn’t think none of them bars stayed open that late. Like I say, it ain’t my business, and I don’t need to be upsetting you, but if it was me, I’d be checking on what time they close."

“Oh, Latisha, do you think I’ve got a reason not to trust him? What do you think he’s doing with his time? Stepping out on me? I know he drinks too much, but I’ve never given him a reason to cheat. I trust my husband.”

“Yes‘m, I’m sure Mister Trenton loves you. He might of had to go back to the office and finish up on something.”

Marsha felt a sudden anxious flutter. To heck with Latisha. Just because her husband cheated on her, she doesn’t trust men. It really isn’t any of her business. Trenton is crazy about me. He says I’m the best-looking wife of all the partners at the firm. I’m smart and educated. When we go to the cocktail parties the firm is always having, he is the one who is jealous of me when he thinks one of the partners is paying too much attention to me. I just need to ignore her and not let anything she says get to me.

“Kids, your ride is here.  Go on now. Don’t keep Mrs. Franklin waiting. Joey! Where’s Joey?  Oh, there you are, son. Don’t forget you have a dental appointment later. Go on now, and have a good day. I’ll pick you up after school to take you to your appointment.”

“Latisha, I’ll just have some coffee and a piece of toast. I’ve kind of got a headache too. I need to hurry. I’ve got a meeting at ten with the local art committee chairman. She wants to put one of my paintings in the exhibit.”

As the day wore on, Marsha tried to keep Latisha’s earlier conversation out of her mind. It had never occurred to her to question the hours Trenton kept. He had told her, "You know things will change now that I'm a partner. I'll probably have to work some late hours. I'm going to be expected to fit in with their way of doing things. You know it is important they considered me a team player."

It made sense and she had gone along with it wanting him to succeed. She’d assumed the bars stayed open all night. Now, she felt she had to know for sure so she could relax. Her mind traveled to her friend Carman. She would know. She was single and dating again. She remembered Carman had mentioned seeing Trenton and one of the law partners at a bar. On the other hand, she could simply call the bar Trenton often mentioned and ask what time they closed.

In the end, she decided calling the bar was the best option. There was no reason to give her friend a chance to ask why she wanted to know. She picked up her phone and keyed in the number. The answer to her question didn’t give her the relief she had hoped. The bar closed at two a.m. No drinks were sold after 1:30 a.m. There had to be another explanation as to why he was coming home at four in the morning. Except for his recent excessive drinking, which was likely due to the stress of more responsibility, they had what she considered a near perfect marriage. 

She’d never doubted Trenton loved her. They were sexually compatible. She enjoyed the physical side of their relationship as much as he did. She knew he was proud of her. He always complimented her taste in clothes and insisted she was the best hostess when they entertained. She had heard him brag to his friends about her artistic talents.

Lately, his excessive drinking was becoming a problem. He had a susceptibility to alcoholism in his DNA. His father had been an alcoholic. This might be something they would need to address if it continued, but surely there was no indication he would ever cheat on her. Still, she couldn’t shake the anxious feeling. Something wasn’t right. Had she been too naïve to question Trenton? Had she been too secure in her own feeling of self-worth to believe his pride in her would prevent him from risking losing her by daring to cheat?

She let her mind drift back to the time when she and Trenton had first met. It was her first year as an art teacher in Pensacola. She and her friend, Janet, were sharing an apartment. Janet had talked her into going to a dance attended by some guys from the local Air Force base. Trenton had singled her out right away. Some of the other guys were showing an interest in her as well. He had almost gotten into a fight when another guy was coming on too strong. After that night, the two of them spent a lot of time together.

By Christmas, Trenton’s time in Pensacola was coming to a close and he wasn’t sure where he would be going next. He wanted to get married before he was sent overseas. Marsha was torn. She’d hoped for more teaching time on her resume. However, some incidents had happened at her school, making her question the wisdom of continuing to teach at a place where threats had been made by a student. She had caused him to lose his football scholarship by giving him a failing grade for not attending class. Her tires had been slashed as result.

Also, she questioned whether or not she loved Trenton deeply enough and if she was ready for marriage. After giving the proposal some serious thought, she decided he was the one. He was nice looking, very intelligent, and able to converse on any subject. She enjoyed his company, and he certainly seemed smitten over her.

Not long after the wedding, she realized she was pregnant, and Trenton was about to be sent to Germany. She decided it was in her best interest to move in with her parents until the baby was born.

When Trendon’s tour of duty ended and he came home for good, their son, Keith, was eight months old. The first great tragedy of her life occurred when she went in to check on Keith to find him unresponsive. Her previously healthy little boy was pronounced dead of SIDs. She and Trenton were heartbroken, but they were able to put the pieces of their life back together and plan their next move. Since Trenton was ambitious and brainy, Marsha envisioned a bright future for the two of them. It would involve further education for him. Knowing that lawyers have a high-income potential, she persuaded him to attend Duke Law school in Virginia.

They were fortunate that Marsha’s parents were able and willing to help with the expenses. Marsha had planned to support him by teaching, but she was pregnant again. They had both hoped for more children so she was thrilled. Those were lean years in which she learned how to budget and to make do on less while Trenton completed his degree.

By the time he graduated, they had a girl and a boy and she was pregnant yet again. Trenton was offered jobs with several law firms and he decided the one that suited him best was in Jacksonville. Marsha hadn’t really wanted to go back to Florida, but there was the advantage of being in the state where her parents lived, and she felt she needed to support a move to wherever Trenton believed he could best succeed.

Trenton had done well. His salary had improved to the point, the family could afford a lovely home with a pool, in an upscale neighborhood near the beach. They were now the parents of four children. It seemed she had spent a lot of time being pregnant, in spite of the fact she only had one ovary due to an early tubal pregnancy. It wasn’t because they didn’t practice birth control, it just appeared she was extremely fertile and accidents happen. Trenton had declared their family was now complete.

The last time she had found to her dismay she was again pregnant, Trenton said "Enough is enough. You need to have this one taken care of. I know a doctor who can handle it."

Marsha had reluctantly agreed. Afterward Trenton had gotten his tubes tied, so there would be no chance of more.

Trenton wasn’t really father material. He left most of the parenting up to Marsha. She felt she was a good mother. She had joined and been elected the president of the PTA at the children’s school. She knew all the teachers and was willing to fight like a mother lion to protect her offspring if anyone dared to treat them unfairly.

Marsha still looked good after all these years. Having children hadn’t hurt her figure. She was healthy, and she exercised religiously. She kept up an active lifestyle. Along with her other activities, art was her passion. She had a studio, where she painted almost daily.

Recently, she and a friend had gotten into miniatures. When she was younger, she had thought seriously about becoming an architect. But one of her teachers discouraged her by saying females seldom succeed in that field. Now, she had designed and crafted a museum quality architectural model to scale to house her miniatures. Trenton had supported her all the way. He was proud to have such a talented wife.

Once when they were entertaining the law partners and their wives, Trenton had insisted everyone walk through their house to see his wife’s paintings and the miniature house she had designed. It was obvious he was proud of her. Marsha couldn’t understand why she was allowing doubts expressed by her maid to shake her security.

She needed to talk to Trenton. His voice would reassure her all was well. She tried not to bother him at work but this was important. Sheri, his secretary answered. “Hi, Sheri, is Trenton around?”

“No, I’m sorry Mrs. Benton. He’s in an important meeting. He asked that he not be disturbed. Would you like me to have him call you when he’s free?”

“Never mind. I’ll call him later.” She hung up the phone before further conversation could take place.

Darn that girl, Marsha thought. She let me know she didn’t intend to put my call through. I’ll bet the other wives talk to their husbands whenever they want to. What if my call had been an emergency? At least, she could have asked.

Sheri had only been Trenton’s secretary a few months and Marsha still hadn’t met her. It hadn’t mattered before, but now Marsha wondered what she looked like. Trenton said she was very good at her job, but he hadn’t commented further, and she hadn’t asked any questions.

Later that afternoon, Trenton called to say he wouldn’t be home for dinner.

“Again, Trenton? It’s like I never see you anymore. Did Sheri tell you I called?

“No, she didn’t mention it. Why did you call?”

“It wasn’t important, but why aren’t you coming home for dinner?”

“Marsha, I told you it would be like this after I made partner. There are important things I have to deal with. I don’t hear you complaining about me buying the house you wanted, nor the fact we have a maid so you don’t have to lift a finger. You always do your thing. If you want us to maintain this life style, you need to let me do what I need to do. I’ll be late tonight, so don’t wait up.”

“Ok, I hear you, but we need to talk. This isn’t working. The kids need a father, and I need a husband. I have a right to expect more out of this life than an extravagant lifestyle. See if you can find time to pencil me into your busy schedule. Something has got to change.”

Marsha hung up without saying goodbye. Tears ran down her cheeks. She’d never talked to Trenton that way before. She had made excuses for him, and never felt like she was being used until now. No doubt her tirade had shocked him. Now, she would wait to see what he intended to do about it.