Then I looked at Mrs. J and she appeared calm and open. She was
what I needed at the moment. When I sat back down, she said, “Weren’t you married before?” I nodded, baffled. She continued,
“Where do you think you went wrong in that relationship?”
“Well, my ex-wife tricked me. She trapped me by getting pregnant, and when I found out—”
“You left her. Is that what you did?”
I took a deep breath. That sounded harsh, but I shrugged, because I guess technically that’s what happened.
“Do you think there was any other alternative?”
“No, not really. After that, I resented her and I felt like she was a liar.”
“Is there a difference between a liar and someone who just didn’t tell the truth?”
I paused and reflected and wondered if, in fact, there was a difference. Instead of responding, I shrugged and nodded in her
direction for her to continue.
“If you want your marriage to last, there is no difference. A lie is the same as withholding the truth, the same as not exposing
your intentions, the same as blatantly not giving your business partner access to the company documents.”
My head lowered. I felt embarrassed. She lifted my chin with her finger. “Don’t feel bad. Feel informed. You guys rushed to
the altar. Bishop didn’t do your marriage counseling because you’d been married before and you know he doesn’t condone second
marriages. But the fact that you had been married before is all the more reason to counsel you, because you think quitting
is an option. Devin, quitting, lying, withholding the truth, these are not options when you make a vow to another person.”
She cleared her throat and continued to strike. “Honest communication is the only way marriages last. You are not a single
man anymore. You are a unit, and decisions are made as a unit—as a family. Here you are running for Congress, and Taylor is
the last to know. That’s not right.”
“You’re right, Mrs. J. I really never looked at it like that.”
“Now you go out there and find your wife and let her know that this won’t happen again.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank God. He put all the rules in the Good Book.”
I went searching for Taylor. I walked the same path we took to the cafeteria but couldn’t find her anywhere. I called her
cell phone and she answered. No greeting, she just started speaking. “I refuse to be a wife of a politician at this age!”
“Are you saying you want out of our marriage?”
“No, I’m saying I want you to pull out. We said three to four years from now. What is the urgency?” she shouted.
“First of all, calm down and tell me where you are so we can talk face-to-face.”
“Devin, I really don’t want to see you right now. I’m shocked. I’m hurt and I feel betrayed. I feel like you knew you planned
to run and you cornered me into a position that I would have to agree.” She sniffed. “We’ve been married for six months. We’re
still learning to cope with this marriage and you decided that now is a great time to run. Devin, you are self-absorbed.”
She hung up, and I stood there shaking my head. I really had no intentions of hurting her. I was just a prepared man approached
with an opportunity to follow my dream, awaiting the right opportunity to prepare my wife. And it just so happens, the perfect
timing turned into the worst timing, and now I looked like an asshole. I wandered back to the ICU. Taylor sat there looking
like a live volcano, as if sulfur were rising from her ears and hot lava pouring from her scalp. Clearly she was hot to the
touch, so I stood steps away from her. Toni and Walter looked at me pitifully. Trying to maintain my composure, I nodded and
asked, “So, what are they saying?”
Toni huffed, obviously feeding off of her sister’s emotions. “They’re moving him to a floor now. We’re just waiting for Mom
to come down. Where is she?”
I
what I needed at the moment. When I sat back down, she said, “Weren’t you married before?” I nodded, baffled. She continued,
“Where do you think you went wrong in that relationship?”
“Well, my ex-wife tricked me. She trapped me by getting pregnant, and when I found out—”
“You left her. Is that what you did?”
I took a deep breath. That sounded harsh, but I shrugged, because I guess technically that’s what happened.
“Do you think there was any other alternative?”
“No, not really. After that, I resented her and I felt like she was a liar.”
“Is there a difference between a liar and someone who just didn’t tell the truth?”
I paused and reflected and wondered if, in fact, there was a difference. Instead of responding, I shrugged and nodded in her
direction for her to continue.
“If you want your marriage to last, there is no difference. A lie is the same as withholding the truth, the same as not exposing
your intentions, the same as blatantly not giving your business partner access to the company documents.”
My head lowered. I felt embarrassed. She lifted my chin with her finger. “Don’t feel bad. Feel informed. You guys rushed to
the altar. Bishop didn’t do your marriage counseling because you’d been married before and you know he doesn’t condone second
marriages. But the fact that you had been married before is all the more reason to counsel you, because you think quitting
is an option. Devin, quitting, lying, withholding the truth, these are not options when you make a vow to another person.”
She cleared her throat and continued to strike. “Honest communication is the only way marriages last. You are not a single
man anymore. You are a unit, and decisions are made as a unit—as a family. Here you are running for Congress, and Taylor is
the last to know. That’s not right.”
“You’re right, Mrs. J. I really never looked at it like that.”
“Now you go out there and find your wife and let her know that this won’t happen again.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank God. He put all the rules in the Good Book.”
I went searching for Taylor. I walked the same path we took to the cafeteria but couldn’t find her anywhere. I called her
cell phone and she answered. No greeting, she just started speaking. “I refuse to be a wife of a politician at this age!”
“Are you saying you want out of our marriage?”
“No, I’m saying I want you to pull out. We said three to four years from now. What is the urgency?” she shouted.
“First of all, calm down and tell me where you are so we can talk face-to-face.”
“Devin, I really don’t want to see you right now. I’m shocked. I’m hurt and I feel betrayed. I feel like you knew you planned
to run and you cornered me into a position that I would have to agree.” She sniffed. “We’ve been married for six months. We’re
still learning to cope with this marriage and you decided that now is a great time to run. Devin, you are self-absorbed.”
She hung up, and I stood there shaking my head. I really had no intentions of hurting her. I was just a prepared man approached
with an opportunity to follow my dream, awaiting the right opportunity to prepare my wife. And it just so happens, the perfect
timing turned into the worst timing, and now I looked like an asshole. I wandered back to the ICU. Taylor sat there looking
like a live volcano, as if sulfur were rising from her ears and hot lava pouring from her scalp. Clearly she was hot to the
touch, so I stood steps away from her. Toni and Walter looked at me pitifully. Trying to maintain my composure, I nodded and
asked, “So, what are they saying?”
Toni huffed, obviously feeding off of her sister’s emotions. “They’re moving him to a floor now. We’re just waiting for Mom
to come down. Where is she?”
I
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