I have a confession to make; I was almost the other woman. I say almost because we only sneaked in a kiss or two. I wouldn't let myself be his mistress. And neither did the Universe.
One weekend when it all began he invited me to his house in the Poconos. It was a family house, he said. I was sure he had spent many summer weekends in that same cabin with his fiancée. They lived together at the time of this semi-affair. Yet my heart skipped a beat; my palms sweated; my body shook from excitement — every cliché in the book — at just the thought of it, of us. But it never happened. Suddenly, his car was out of commission. It had been in the shop overnight. I thank God every day for that busted engine.
Still, I reminisce about us. From time to time, I wonder, what if? He wasn't married yet. He didn't have kids with his fiancée. He said he'd leave her. Would it be so terrible if it were all true? If I would have stuck with him and waited like he asked me to, could I have been the exception to the rule?
A friend of mine may just be. She is currently dating a married man that has no children. He says he loves her. He says he is going to leave his wife for her. He spends days with her as if they were a legitimate couple. He has even told his friends and family members about her. She believes it will all work out. I actually do too. Mostly because it is easier to break up a marriage when there are no children involved. Yes, people still get hurt. But the bond of conceiving a child together, and the children themselves, is hard to break and leave behind.
So maybe my friend is the exception to the rule. In a weird way I am rooting for her and her love. I am living vicariously through her. I also want her to be happy, even if it means having a love story that began with an affair. Only they know what they have. And the Universe. Here's hoping their ignition doesn't bust.
Would you ever date a marriage or engaged man — if you were convinced it was true love?
