Coming Home

by Lois Cloarec Hart Narrated by Anastasia Watley

Overview

A triangle with a twist, Coming Home is the story of three good people caught up in an impossible situation.



Rob, a charismatic ex-fighter pilot severely disabled with MS, has been steadfastly cared for by his wife, Jan, for many years. Quite by accident one day, Terry, a young writer/postal carrier, enters their lives and turns it upside down.



Injecting joy and turbulence into their quiet existence, Terry draws Rob and Jan into her lively circle of family and friends until the growing attachment between the two women begins to strain the bonds of love and loyalty, to Rob and each other.



Contains mature themes.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176211092
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	06/23/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Terry scuffed her way slowly down the hospital corridor, inanely wondering why they'd painted the walls such a putrid shade of green. Rob's room was at the end of the long hall, across from the sunroom, and Terry trod the route with all the enthusiasm of a condemned man walking the last mile.

Glancing up, she noticed how quickly the light of the short winter day was fading. The window at the end of the hall was almost dark now. Biting her lip, she tried to remember if she'd turned off her headlights when she'd parked the Tin Can. Maybe she should go back and check. After all, a dead battery in winter was no joke.

She'd just about convinced herself that her lights were indeed still on, when a cheerful voice ahead of called out, "Oh, there you are. He mentioned that you'd probably be by."

With a weak smile, Terry nodded her acknowledgement at Rob's nurse filling in paperwork at the nurses' station. She'd gotten to know his nursing rotation by sight, if not name, since she'd been visiting him. This woman was the most gregarious of his caregivers by far and would be sure to ask Rob how their visit had gone.

Her avenue of escape closed, Terry walked the last few yards, pausing at the doorway to see if Rob was awake. He was, and grinned when he saw her. "Hey, Terry, c'mon in. Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable."

Terry almost snorted at that, but did as she was bidden, slinging her coat over the back and dragging the chair up beside the bed.

"I really appreciate your coming by," Rob said sincerely. "I was hoping I could ask you for a favour."

"What did you have in mind?"

Just as Rob was about to launch into his request, a nurse's aide bustled in and, placing a covered tray on Rob's table, asked "Do you need help here, sir, or will your friend be assisting you tonight?"

Rob looked at Terry questioningly. "Do you mind, Ter? Jan normally does it, but the aide will help if you'd rather not."

"No, no that's okay. I don't mind helping," Terry assured him, gingerly removing the tray top to expose the interior. She grimaced at the unappetizing contents and looked up when Rob chuckled.

"Yeah, it sure isn't my wife's cooking, but it's marginally edible."

Terry raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "If you say so." She unrolled the cutlery and cut up the mystery meat before offering a forkful awkwardly to Rob. He deftly removed it and the two settled into a feeding routine as Rob outlined his favour. "I was wondering if you'd pick up Jan's Christmas present for me. I did a bunch of research with Donny, so I know what I want, but our plans to go out and get it last weekend kind of fell through…obviously." Rob ruefully surveyed his surroundings.

Her present? He wants me to pick up her present for him? Terry almost laughed in sheer relief, but managed to inquire, "So what are you getting her?" Rob's eyes shone with excitement. "A laptop computer! She's been really impressed with yours, and she talks about getting one all the time. I know exactly what I want, and I had her leave me a cheque made out to you. Just fill in the amount, and I'll tell her after Christmas next week so she can record the amount in her chequebook. She's going to be so surprised!"

Terry blinked and absently shoveled another spoonful of mashed potatoes into Rob's mouth. He frowned, obviously disappointed by her reaction. Chewing hastily, he said, "Don't you think it's a good idea? I was thinking of a digital camera, but I think she'll get more use out of a computer."

Terry shook her head and tried to generate some enthusiasm. "No, Rob, I think it's a great idea. She's gonna love it."

She listened quietly as, between bites, Rob outlined the specifications he had in mind. It was only when he turned his head away from the empty spoon she'd extended to his mouth that she realized she'd been feeding him by rote with her mind a hundred miles away.

Rob peered at her curiously. "Are you okay, Terry? I mean if you don't have time or something, I'm sure I could get Jordy to pick it up for me."

Terry dabbed a napkin at a stray pea on his chin as she shook her head. "No, I'd love to go get it for you, Rob. Sorry, I'm just a bit tired after last night."

Rob chuckled. "Yeah, I heard it was a heck of a party. Jordy was telling me about your not-so-secret admirer. Sounds like a real pain in the ass."

"Got that right!" Terry said emphatically. Then, unable to ignore the elephant in the room one moment more, she asked, "Did Jan get her ring back alright?" She busied herself peeling the paper off a straw for Rob's juice, unable to look him in the face. Raising the glass to the man's lips, she focused on how slowly the fluid was drawn up the length of the straw rather than on the intuitive eyes she could feel watching her.

When she pulled the glass away, she heard his soft answer. "Yes, she got here shortly after Jordy dropped it off, so it's back where it belongs."

"Good. Yeah, that's good," Terry said uncomfortably, holding the glass up for another sip.

"It sounds like Jan really enjoyed herself last night. I'm glad. She loves to dance, and I'm not exactly Fred Astaire."

"Neither is Jordy."

Rob chuckled. "So I heard. However I hear that you are."

"Ah, well…" Terry squirmed and then froze as Rob said, "Thank you, Terry."

The young woman gaped at him, then managed to say, "For what?"

"For taking such good care of my wife. For tripping the light fantastic with her and seeing that she had a great time."

Terry didn't know how to take Rob's calm answer, and she desperately wished to be anywhere else but in this room.

"Terry." The low voice compelled Terry to raise her eyes to the denim blue ones regarding her quietly. She felt like those eyes were looking right through her, assessing, analyzing and dissecting her soul. With a half-smile he said softly, "It's all right."

Terry stared at him, searching for the meaning of his cryptic words.

Comprehension slowly dawned on her and in a strangled whisper she said, "You know."

Rob nodded his head slowly but didn't say anything.

"How long?"

"How long have I known my wife was otherwise orientated, or how long have I known that you two were falling in love?" Rob's melancholy question penetrated Terry to her core, and suddenly she felt like pond scum. She hung her head, unable to respond.

The man sighed heavily. "Terry, I don't actually sit on my brain, you know." He chuckled ruefully as the young woman's head jerked up. "My wife is my whole world. I notice everything about her. After all, there aren't a lot of other distractions in my life. I see how she lights up when you're walking up the front path. I hear how her voice sparkles when she's talking to you on the phone. On Saturday mornings she glows with excitement because she's going to spend the afternoon with you. She can hardly stop talking about all the things you do together. It wasn't exactly hard to add two plus two, though I did hope for a long time that it was just the simple pleasure of having a new friend rather than the alternative."

Terry shook her head in anguished puzzlement. "But it was your idea for her to change to Saturdays so we could do things together."

For the first time, a sharpness entered Rob's voice. "Do you have such a low opinion of me that you think I'd take away something that made her so happy. Damn it, Terry! Do you think I don't know what she gave up by marrying me?" His voice was openly bitter now. "Don't you think I'd give her the world if I could? Well, I can't! This body dies a little more each year, and all I can do is watch as she tries her best to keep the pieces together."

Terry was alarmed at the expression of utter frustration on her friend's face and the tears that had filled his blue eyes. Hearing how raspy his breath had gotten as he fought to pull in enough air, she half-started from her chair to summon help, but Rob shook his head and whispered, "Juice."

She quickly raised the glass to his lips, letting him take a long pull through the straw. Setting it back down, she grabbed a tissue and dried his eyes and cheeks. Fearfully, she watched the rapid, shallow rise and fall of his chest through the thin gown. He'd closed his eyes, and she marveled at how that made any semblance of vitality disappear.

"Would you like me to go?" she asked quietly.

Rob shook his head and opened his eyes wearily. "No."

They remained silent for long minutes as Terry periodically offered the juice until Rob had drained the glass. That seemed to restore him a little as he again focused his intense blue gaze on her.

"I won't give her up, Terry." Even in his weakened voice, the words were absolute. "I need her…far more than you need her."

Terry couldn't help herself. "What about what she needs?" Seeing the instant pain on her friend's face, she desperately wished she could retract the words. "Maybe if I were a better man, I could put her happiness first and let her go, but I can't do it. If I lose her, I lose my life. And the thing is, Terry, I know her. I know that whatever she feels for you, she'll stay with me. She does love me, and she's too honourable to leave."

Terry nodded. She knew that.

"Terry." The tone was softer now. "I also know that whatever you're feeling right now, ultimately, you're not going to tear her apart by asking her to make an impossible choice." He chuckled wryly. "You're too damned honourable yourself."

I'm not going to cry…I'm not going to cry…I'm not going to… Terry grabbed the box of tissues and pulled out a handful, mopping at her disobedient eyes.

Looking up, she saw Rob regarding her compassionately.

With a deceptively casual tone, he said, "She's never taken that ring off before. It was odd to see her hand bare today, even if it was just for a few minutes."

Hastily, Terry assured him, "She was just trying to fool Roy. She didn't mean anything by it."

"Mmm, maybe."

Rob sounded unconvinced, but skittish about touching on the evening's activities, Terry changed the subject. Genuinely curious, she asked, "You said something earlier about how long you've known Jan was, um…" Her voice trailed off as it occurred to her how sensitive a subject this would be for him.

"Differently orientated?" A note of humour had returned to Rob's wispy voice. "Probably a lot longer than she has, though to be honest, I wasn't absolutely sure until you came into our lives."

"Uh, how did you…" Terry was distressed at losing her ability to complete a sentence, sure that it boded ill for her writing future.

He regarded her and Terry had begun to think he wouldn't answer, when he started to speak.

"As far as I know, Jan's never been with anyone but me. It used to disturb me that I couldn't bring her to satisfaction back when we were lovers, but she always assured me that it was just the way she was and not to worry about it. I finally evolved a theory that my wife lived so much in the realm of make-believe, she had a hard time reorienting to the real world in some respects. What we had couldn't match her books, so she couldn't respond fully. But she didn't seem unhappy, and she willingly made adjustments as this disease progressed, but I always got the feeling that she didn't mind a bit when that part of our life became impossible."

Terry was hanging on his words, fascinated at getting an insight into the woman she loved.

"Then you came into her life." The words were mild but Terry still flinched. "And my wife came alive like I'd never seen her before."

"But," Terry objected. "We're not…" All of a sudden she couldn't finish that statement as the sensation of Jan's soft lips under hers flashed across her mind. "Not lovers?" Rob queried. "I know. But every Saturday when she came home, she was alive with the passion of living and the excitement of being with you. As I told you, I may not be able to scratch my nose, but I do have eyes and ears.

The irony is, I know Jan had no clue what was happening."

"Neither did I for a while," Terry muttered.

"No, I don't guess you did," Rob said sympathetically. "I know you two never meant this to happen, but it did, and now we have to deal with it."

"How?"

Rob's voice turned serious. "She was very unhappy when she was here this afternoon, even though she tried not to let me see it, and as I said, I won't allow her to be torn between us. So you're going to have to fix things."

Terry stood and walked over to his window, staring out across the parking lot many floors below. She dragged a hand through her hair and without turning around said, "What do you want me to do? Just walk away?"

There was a long silence, and Terry wondered if he was gathering himself to tell her exactly that. She half-hoped, half-feared that that's what he'd say.

"No, Terry. She needs her 'friend', now more than ever."

The woman heard the distinct emphasis on the word, and turned around in confusion. "I don't understand. What do you want me to do?"

"She has to know that you're unavailable as anything other than a friend, Terry."

Rob's voice was unyielding now.

"Why? You already said she'd never choose me." Terry couldn't help the undertone of bitterness in her words.

"She wouldn't, but Jan's a dreamer, always had been. She'll stay with me and dream of being with you until it rips her apart. We can't do that to her," Rob insisted.

Terry felt like an iron vise was clamping over her heart. Forcing the words out, she said, "She has to see me with another woman."

Rob nodded, his eyes sad. "She has to know you're romantically involved elsewhere."

She was sure she'd never felt such pain. In a barely audible voice, she said, "Do you have any idea what you're asking?"

The somber reply would echo in her ears forever. "Yes."

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