Central to the story

His mother doted on him, called him her pet.  Then after he left home a young strawberry blond at college coaxed him into confessing his infatuation with her and he fell madly in love and they professed their love, although neither made promises.  They were seldom seen apart until two years later, one cold January evening, when she telephoned him that she no longer loved him.  He fell into a depression lasting years.

Then, about a year later, another raven-haired beauty moved in with him and they fell in love with each other, only neither wanted to tell the other.

Both had learned hard lessons and didn’t much believe in romantic love, so they didn’t talk much.  They were seldom seen apart from each other, walking the cold streets of town in search of a bowl of soup and a lit cigarette.

Months later, he entered military service without asking her to wait for him to return.  He feared that she would inevitably disappoint him.  He believed that if he gave her and everything else in life up he would gain her and it all back.  He had read that somewhere.

This proved true.  He ended up marrying the raven-haired a year later; they raised three children.  He fell madly in love with her and soon they have been married nearly 50 years.

This proves something, but I’m not sure what.  One kicker is that she had became pregnant with their oldest child while he was away, but the biological father never knew his good fortune.

Things went smoothly ever since, until the dad’s birthday a few years ago when their second child telephoned to ask if his dad was his brother’s biological father, that is.

The dad lied and said he didn’t know.  Then he told the truth.  This upset the sibs who felt they had been dealt out of the game.  Hell, he hadn’t even told the oldest, except that once he explained that his mother was pregnant when he married her and another time he asked him if he wanted two dads or one.

The child had answered, “one.”  The good news is that all three children freely express their love for their parents all the more, knowing they are human after all.