The Forgotten Wife

Her long, thin fingers gripped the photo like a vise. With a whimsical smile, she stared at the happy couple in the picture. The woman, with the once-ebony hair and thin frame, smiled into the eyes of her newly beloved. Their hands were clasped and her wide, happy eyes stared into his. On either side of them lush flowers spilled out of pots, complimenting the man and woman’s formal attire. As this happy memory washed over her, reality exploded in. She looked around the well-known room that she had shared with her husband for 25 years. His familiar cologne still hung in the air and mingled with the scent of the pouring rain. Outside the window, the weather, gray and soggy, matched her mood as she remembered the reason for her husband’s absence. He had left her for a younger, thinner, more attractive woman. That woman’s hair probably didn’t have to be dyed to conceal the gray and her face most likely had no crow’s feet or laugh lines.

With this thought, anger rushed through the abandoned wife like white-hot lightning. The precious photo, and all the wife’s dreams, smashed into the wall with a satisfying crash. Someone knocked softly on her door and then moments later, a pale, thin face appeared. The young girl, who couldn’t have been more than 17, asked after her mother. Pleading eyes begged the daughter to leave, as she apologized for the noise. The door clicked shut, but the woman barely noticed, as she was lost in Memories’ clutches once again.

Candlelight danced off the walls, the linen tablecloth and the dishes as a heavy scent of roses permeated the air. Her heart swelled with joy at the sight and she knew tonight, tonight would be The Night! Rose petals covered the floor while more adorned the table, their silky texture showing in the candlelight. A handsome young man with broad shoulders and brown hair entered the room, a joyous smile showing on his face as he gazed at his goddess. He silently pulled out a chair for her and she sat and deeply inhaled the scent of the delicious food he sat before her. Dinner proceeded quietly with light conversation and laughter. After dessert, the woman sat, waiting with ill-concealed excitement as her Prince Charming knelt in front of her and asked for the honor of being her husband. She breathed out a yes as bliss filled her very soul and she flung herself into his arms.

The tears streaming down her face snapped her back to reality. The forgotten wife rolled into a ball of pain and bit her lip until she tasted blood, but still the tears came. Sobbing racked her body and sorrow filled her entire being. Once before she had felt such pain; she had clasped her stomach for nine months, feeling the life within, when suddenly it was gone, born without a cry or a breath. That time she wasn’t alone, her prince had been with her, holding her as the waterfall of tears threatened to drown them both. His loving arms had circled her as he comforted her, as he always had, in her time of need. Her spouse had always been there for her, until now, when the pain the Frog Prince had caused her was at its worse.

Her sobbing subsided as she buried her past behind her. With a sigh and a deep breath, she stood up. She washed her face with a cool, damp cloth, locked her memories away, and straightened her spine. With the will of a warrior, she opened her bedroom door and braced herself for another day. Another day of pitying glances, shadowy memories and her will. The will to live out each day, to put one foot in front of the other to lead the way for her children.