Avalon and Maddock

Chapter 6: Maddock

In the week since I'd given Avalon the ultimatum in her lawyer's office, my wife hadn't spoken one word to me. Not one. She'd let me speak to the boys every night, but she did not participate in the calls at all. Now, I waited for her in our therapist's office for our first marriage counseling session, and she stalked in right on the dot of ten, her eyes avoiding me like it was her job. The clock on the seven months I had to save our marriage had officially begun ticking.

Zephyr introduced herself to Avalon, who barely spoke a word in return to Zephyr 's greeting. I'm sure my wife didn't know what to make of our therapist's long, gray hair and the shockingly bright purple skirt that contrasted against her equally bright orange top. That, and she was barefoot, so she could "better feel the energy in the room" as she'd told me when she caught my surprised look at her feet.

"Before I ask about why, exactly, you're here, I'd like to begin with a little exercise. All of our sessions will begin with different exercises to help put you in a more receptive frame of mind. I'm a certified tactologist, so my sessions always incorporate the tactile sense as much as possible. I feel a lack of touch is often at the root of many of the challenges that a couple faces."

Had Avalon and I been on speaking terms, I'm sure we would have exchanged WTF? glances. Since we were not, I kept the thought to myself. My long-time friend Ryan had recommended Zephyr to me. He and his wife had gone to see her when they'd been on the verge of divorce, and she'd been recommended to them by another couple who had also been ready to divorce. Ryan and his wife had recommended Zephyr to another couple whose marriage had been saved by her when it had been almost beyond repair.

"Zephyr is a miracle worker," he'd told me. "She's a little woo-woo, but just trust the process and she'll save your marriage."

"I like to begin each session with you two facing each other and holding hands."

"Why?" my little spitfire demanded. 

"Have you ever held someone's hand while you're angry at them?" Zephyr asked. 

Avalon shook her head. 

"There's a reason for that. Touch is powerful. And couples that come to me usually haven't been touching much, if at all. I believe there's a deep connection between touch and marital harmony. So that's why I like to begin this way. So, shall we?"

She indicated two chairs that were facing each other only a foot apart.

We sat across from each other, Avalon pissed the hell off and me? I was just so damn happy to be able to touch my wife again -- without the fear of losing the company and letting her down hanging over my head -- that I welcomed any touch from her. I held out my hands to Avalon, palms up and watched her as I waited for her to place her hands in mine. After a minute, she placed those delicate hands in mine, and I knew we both felt the zap that always ran through us whenever we touched. That's it, sweetheart. Remember our connection. I rubbed my thumbs gently across the backs of her hands, soothing her, willing her to relax.

"Now, Maddock, tell me about the first time you saw Avalon."

It was one of my favorite memories, and I could recall it as clearly as if it happened five minutes ago.

"It was a sunny day, and I saw a girl walking ahead of me in the quad. She had long, blonde hair and it was literally shining in the sun. It was so beautiful that I just kept following her. I blew off class because something inside me told me this girl would change my life. Avalon was wearing jean shorts and had on a purple shirt and a pair of brown sandals -- I remember because her toenails were painted purple like her shirt. She finally sat down on a bench and I stopped in front of her. I know I looked like an idiot because I didn't say anything, just took her in. She was gorgeous, but she also had this sweetness to her. I can't even explain it. But I stood there and thought, this is the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. I finally got my mouth working and I introduced myself, asked her if she had a boyfriend, and when she said no, I asked for her number. I'll never know why, but she gave it to me, and I felt like the luckiest guy in the world. I called her that night and we talked, and I called her every night for a week before I got the nerve to ask her out."