Joy To...Amanda
Things were slowly taking shape now.
Patsy and David were 'an item'. In the main, the group of friends had accepted their relationship. Fred had now settled in Spain and had struck up a friendship with a local lady. He still kept in contact with Patsy, and a balanced friendship had grown between them.
Fred's twins had been a little hostile in the beginning, but once they had seen how settled their father seemed to be, they slowly began to thaw towards Patsy.
Steve had moved into a flat with Natalie and a male friend and lately; they had started to pop round to see Patsy for short visits. The last time David had been there, and the atmosphere had been a little strained. However by the time they left, things were definitely improving.
Sam and Becky were enjoying a good relationship. In fact, as Becky said to Amanda one morning,
"Things are getting better and better."
Oh, she still flirted outrageously, but this was Becky's way. She enjoyed being the
center of attraction. Nowadays though, it stopped at the flirting.
It transpired that most of the group of friends had known about Joe and Amanda's brief affair.
Amanda had long since got used to Joe's flings and was constantly being told by her sister to stand up to him and make a scene. Amanda would quietly shake her head; it was not yet time for the worm to turn.
Sam was openly thrilled at his 'new wife'. There was a glow about her now. She smiled a lot, and their once pristine home had a more comfortable air about it now.
She had even started to talk about friends' babies...time would tell.
It was the week before Christmas, and everyone was busy with his or her individual celebrations.
Becky and Sam were spending Christmas day with her parents. They had been ecstatic to receive an invitation from their only daughter. Other years she had popped in briefly with expensive presents, given them a Christmas kiss and left.
This meant so much more to them. David and Patsy had been invited round to spend the day with Amanda, Joe and the children.
Amanda had issued an open invitation to Fred's children to come in whenever they wanted to. They had said that they were spending the day with friends but would love to come round Boxing Day.
With this in mind, Joe had issued invitations to the remainder of the group to come and have a bite to eat and drinks. They all accepted.
Becky had been a little reticent at first, but Sam had stroked her frowning face.
"Becky love," he said. "It's alright, it's over now...you don't have to punish yourself forever."
Finally she had agreed that they should go. After all, Joe and the family were their neighbors for the foreseeable future.
Christmas day came and went. The weather obeyed tradition, and the snow fell.
Boxing Day dawned cold and crisp.
Amanda was, as usual busy in the kitchen. She had enjoyed the previous day, and Joe had been very attentive.
He was obviously proud of her new slimmer shape and had also noticed that she had a new hair do.
Amanda had developed a newly found inner strength, and it showed so much.
Their guests were due to arrive in half an hour's time and the table were now laden with an array of good food.
Traditional Christmas music was playing softly, and the small table lamps threw a cozy glow over the sitting room.
Joe had fetched some logs, and a wonderful log fire was crackling and blazing in the hearth.
"Here you are love," said Joe, handing his wife a glass of port. "Oh Mand, the table looks
great; well done love."
For some reason she was annoyed. Why was it always assumed that Amanda...super wife would always do everything perfectly? How she would love to be thought of as a little haphazard now and again.
Still, she had a little surprise up her sleeve...she would reveal it later on.
By four thirty, everyone had arrived. Joe had seemed a little awkward with Becky, but she had greeted him in a friendly manner, and Sam was so proud of his wife.
The drink flowed and the food, as usual was divine.
Natalie and Steve arrived suddenly and had brought a friend, Jayne with them.
She was a stunner, and Amanda instantly looked at her husband to see his reaction.
Yes, he had noticed her, but there was a difference now. His eyes and tongue didn't loll out of his head, and he looked lovingly at his wife. Amanda smiled back at him.
Unbeknown to Amanda, David, Joe's dad had given him a stern lecture a few days ago.
He had simply said that if he continued in this manner, he would lose everything...wife and children alike.
Joe really did love Amanda, and although he had experienced affairs with many women, they really hadn't mattered. It was just the knowledge that he could still get these women that mattered to his huge ego. Deep down he was a little immature boy, but yes...he loved Amanda.
Joe had noticed a huge difference in her lately. In addition to her superb new look, she was oozing confidence. He watched her now as she laughed at a joke being told by Becky...Becky, she was nice looking and hadn't been much of a challenge at the time. Now though she was obviously happy with her lot, and Joe was glad for her and Sam. He wouldn't have blamed Sam if he'd hit him straight in the face for having an affair with Becky. He knew that Sam had cottoned on to it and wondered why the other man hadn't made a huge issue out of it. Sam was a bigger man than that though. His main concern was Becky, and Joe had been a friend once ...probably still was.
It was enough for Sam to see Joe looking sheepish whenever he looked his way, and he would never hurt Amanda. There was a time that he had daydreamed about himself and
Amanda. Not now though. Becky was back!
Halfway through a raucous game of cards, Amanda told everyone to sit and listen.
Her usually calm face was flushed, and she appeared to be a little nervous...though excited simultaneously.
"I have something to say," she began, looking earnestly at Joe.
Joe felt the color drain from him. Surely she wasn't going to say that she was leaving him...please, no Amanda he thought to himself. I can't bear it!
She smiled at him, as if reading his inner thoughts.
"Don't worry Joe," she said reassuringly. "It's not what you think...honestly...although there have been times when maybe you've deserved
it."
Becky grabbed Sam's hand and looked to the ground.
"For a while now," Amanda said with a newly found strength, "I have been going to the playschool three mornings a week...though, in reality, I haven't.
I have been going to a college for two of those mornings and have eventually, after a lot of hard work and dedication, got myself a
career."
Without thinking, Joe got up and went to her side, his hand finding hers.
"I have been doing a travel and tourism training course and have got myself a job with English
Airways," said Amanda. "Three days out of ten I will be a stewardess on a long-haul flight to America, Hong Kong or Malaysia. I have been taking the children every week to a lovely lady who will take them to school, pick them up and bring them back here, where she will cook them a tea. As soon as you get home Joe, she will leave...oh and she will leave you a meal also. I've negotiated her salary which I will pay...my new salary is good, very good. Well what do you think?"
There was a deafening silence, and then David said, "Bravo Amanda my dear...well done you!"
Joe looked at his wife and felt the tears welling in his eyes
"Mands," he said. "I can't believe you've done this...I've not suspected a thing!"
Amanda laughed
"Joe, you've usually been otherwise preoccupied," she said, not altogether unkindly
"This is for me, I will love it, meeting new people...earning my own money. The children will benefit as well. It'll do them good to be without me sometimes. We'll benefit too Joe"
Joe wiped his eye and lifted his glass
"To my wife," he said. "Those of you here know I've been a fool. Maybe I didn't know how good I had it. I am so proud of my Amanda. She is one in a million, and I am going to tell you all now, I will never knowingly hurt her again. I will support her in this new career as much as I can."
The gathered friends raised their glasses and toasted Amanda's future success. Upstairs, two little children played noisily, unaware of how grueling it could get...being an adult."
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