Frozen momentarily, Rebecca just stared. She was stunned by what she was witnessing. It was as if she had intruded on what rightly was hers, but this woman’s invasion of her sacred treasure was paralyzing. Rebecca found herself outside of the restaurant. Autopilot landed her back into her car. A cross between anger and sorrow had enveloped her heart and no action was her only response. She glanced at the clock below the dashboard. It was close to 2:00 a.m. As she pulled off, fire raced through her blood and her cheeks burned with the passion of a marathon runner before the homestretch of a twenty mile run.

The heat from her face caused her eyes to pour fourth a gushing of tears while her limbs trembled in despair. Where should she go? What should she do? Should she have stayed? Who was this woman? Why did he betray her? Hysteria had set in and her tears turned to terror as she emitted a scream that rose from the bowels of her pain. She pulled off to the side of the road and fumbled through her purse to find her cell phone. Who could she call at this time of the night? Her mind traveled back to her youth. She had vowed at a young age that she would never stay with a man who cheated on her. She vividly remembered the night her mother emotionally detached herself from the entire family.

Rebecca’s father was a plane salesman which required him to travel frequently. Her mother and she were often left home alone engaged in a variety of activities that made up for the lack of human connection. The evening of her mother’s discovery was heightened dramatically because of a powerful storm that had settled over their Midwest home. Lightning ripped through the sky and thunderbolts collided overhead and the house was shut down. Rebecca’s mother did not want to stay in a house without the modern convenience of power and so they drove twenty miles to the closest hotel in the heart of the city. As they pulled into the Marriott Hotel, the valet attendants quickly came to retrieve their bags and take the keys. Rain was pouncing all over the two and they frantically ran inside of the entrance way. Sarah, Rebecca’s mother realized she had not retrieved the valet ticket from the attendant, so she ran to the desk located right outside of the entrance. There wasn’t anyone else around so she thought to write a note leaving her name and cell phone number so she could retrieve it after she registered a room. As she reached for a pen she glanced down at the list of names and room numbers on the clipboard. Right before her eyes she saw his name Frank Holloway and the license plate of their newly purchased Lexus.

Her mother re-entered the hotel with a look of someone winded from being hit in the belly with a baseball meant for a line drive to centerfield. Rebecca approached her, “Mom! What’s the matter?”

“Nothing” she said. “Nothing” she repeated and the two went through the perfunctory routine of checking in.

:”Hello” a groggy voice on the other end of the phone kept echoing. Rebecca finally realized she had pushed her mother’s number on the cell phone.

“Mom” Rebecca pushed the word out of her throat.

“Who is this?” Sarah demanded.

“Mom, it’s me” Rebecca moaned.

“Rebecca, is that you?” Sarah was sitting up right in her bed. She had not heard from Rebecca in close to five years. “What’s the matter?” Her mother consumed with fear in her voice expectantly waited for a response.

Whimpers came through the phone as Rebecca explained to her mother what had transpired.

“I see.” In a matter of fact tone her mother stated as if some advertiser had called to tell her they would like to offer her an increase in her credit line.

“I don’t know what to do.” Rebecca wailed.