The Morning After Read Online Free

didn’t soothe his wounded heart. Jerrod decided that he’d have to deal with the embarrassment of Angel seeing him sob some other time. Conceding to the fact that he was neither man enough nor strong enough to keep his emotions in check any longer, Jerrod brought his hands to his face and wept harder than he had in months. He felt Angel’s arms embrace him and pull him closer to her. He didn’t see her tears, but he knew she was crying too.
    Some days, Jerrod could go a full twenty-four hours without being overcome with sadness at the thought that Essie Mae Richardson would never again be a part of his life. Today wasn’t one of those days.

Chapter 2
    Elaine’s Story
    Four hundred eleven days . . . or was it four hundred twelve? She had lost track of the precise number. But whatever the length of time, it had been far longer than she’d expected.
    When Elaine had the brief illicit affair that almost ended her then seven-year-old marriage, she knew that regaining Mason’s trust would be an uphill battle. And she recalled very well the day that she told him that she was willing to wait as long as he needed. But Elaine had no idea of the punishment she had signed up for. She was afraid to check, but somehow she had the feeling that she qualified for inclusion in The Guinness Book of World Records for being the woman to go without intimacy for the longest period of time within her marriage. It wasn’t a feat for which she’d want to take credit.
    As she sat at her computer in her home office, typing the final lines to the health and fitness article that would appear in an upcoming issue of Ladies Home Journal , Elaine struggled to keep her focus. She loved her husband, and she felt deserving of being punished. But she didn’t know how much more she could handle.
    â€œAt least we’re still together,” she mumbled, trying to focus on the positive. Zoning in on the good in every situation and minimizing the bad was something she’d learned from Essie, but sometimes Elaine wondered if remaining in such a strained relationship was a positive thing after all. It was beginning to take its toll.
    Knowing that the bulk of the recent stress that their marriage had endured had been caused by her own infidelity, Elaine tried to remain patient while her husband dealt with everything at his own pace. Coming to grips that she had cheated on him had been very difficult for Mason, and Elaine had to admit that in spite of everything, he’d come a long way from where he was at the start of the mayhem. For weeks following the reveal of her adultery, he would barely talk to her, and when he did begin opening the lines of communication, he struggled to look at her when he talked. Now conversation was no longer an issue. They spoke with ease, even sharing laughs on occasion. But that was about all they shared. Elaine never dreamed that a year would pass with Mason still sleeping on the sofa. She was beginning to feel as though she had a housemate; not a husband.
    In the early days of the sleeping arrangements that Mason had implemented, adding a mile to her morning runs seemed to relieve some of the frustration of not being able to spend any intimate time with the man she loved. But as those days turned into weeks and the weeks expanded into months, no amount of exercise was satisfying her physical and emotional needs.
    â€œElaine . . . you here?”
    Mason’s voice, calling from somewhere in the living room, took her by surprise. Elaine had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she hadn’t even heard him come in the front door. She looked at the clock in the lower right hand corner of her computer. He was right on time.
    â€œYes, I’m here.” As she responded, she slid her rolling desk chair away from the computer and started down the hall to meet him. It was nearing seven o’clock. Her work had kept her so involved that she’d failed to finish preparing