The Other Woman

In our one marriage counseling session, my EX described the woman he was obsessed with (Let's call her Madam EX), as nurturing and fit.   His eyes danced when he said it.  It was bizarre watching him gush about someone he loved and it wasn’t me. (Later when I heard that Madam EX had made it clear she wasn't interested in him, I said, "Gee not so nuturing after all, huh?")

In addition to being an employee where my husband worked, Her 5-year-old son was in my daughter’s day care.  He was a good-looking kid with dark hair and lovely brown eyes.  My EX had told me Madam EX was an unmarried single mom.  I suppose my EX thought he would rescue her.  He would dump me, move right into her life, and our daughter would have a cute little step-brother to play with.  Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.  Madam EX was at least smart enough not to get involved with a 52-year-old guy in the throws of a mid-life crisis. 

One day, I overheard my daughter call her dad and ask him to check out the next Harry Potter book from the library. “You’re going to borrow it from Madam EX?”  she asked.  I was furious.  I motioned for the phone.  “I’ll check the book out from the library,” I told him. My EX stammered a bit, something about how Madam EX had all the Harry Potter books.  And I said, “No way.  I don’t want you borrowing the book from her.” 

 
He actually tried to discourage me by saying, “You know, you’ll have to get a library card.”  As if it were the equivalent of entering the NASA Space Program.  I laughed and said, “How hard is it to get a library card?”  He relented, but reluctantly. The next day I checked out the book and gave it to my daughter.