CRUISE SHIP OF FOOLS by Skippy47
Laura started unpacking her suitcase and wondered how soon her husband Shawn would arrive. He had surprised her with a Bahamas cruise as a way to rekindle their marriage. Talk about a surprise! He only told her the night before. All she had to do was pack. Shawn had cleared the vacation time with her work and informed both sets of parents. The only thing she didn't get to do in advance was call James, her lover.
Laura was glad the hiding and lying would soon be over. Her affair with James had run its course. With the likelihood she and Shawn would be starting a family soon, it was time. She was, however, glad that she had been able to get in one affair before she had a baby. It was always meant to be a one-time, first and last fling to confirm her desirability to other men.
As she thought about it, she was puzzled why she had given in and had agreed to meet with James in the first place. He was handsome and charming, and the sex was exciting at first, but there was no love. At one time she had assumed there had to be an element of love to justify the need to have a lover. Now she was forced to admit, it was just lust. The sex was good but was certainly not worth risking her marriage to Shawn. Thank goodness they had been careful. Neither Shawn nor James' wife Donna had found out. Best to end it now and not to tempt fate anymore.
Laura was hoping Shawn was truthful when he said he was ready to commit to having children after the cruise. Having children was one of, it not the main, reason for getting married when she did. She was so looking forward to becoming a mother. In her mind, she had redecorated the spare room twice over, once for a boy and once for a girl. The best part of her life was about to begin. She was so happy.
The sound of a key entering the door actually caused a flutter in Laura's heart. She planned to greet Shawn with the biggest hug and most passionate kiss she could muster. As the door opened, she gasped, "No. James! You can't come in. Shawn will be here any moment. Go away!"
James yelled, "Laura? What are you doing here? Donna's supposed to be here soon. This is our cabin."
Neither seemed to know what to do except tell the other to get out.
After a few agonizing seconds, James hit himself in the head and said. "Oh, shit. Now I understand. This IS supposed to be OUR cabin, yours and mine."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you see? They know. For some reason your husband and my wife have decided to give us a lovers' cruise. Probably as a good-bye present to our marriages."
"No. That can't be. It doesn't make any sense. Shawn told me that he had arranged this cruise and said he would have to meet me late because of a last-minute business detail. He told me this cruise was a way of strengthening our marriage and getting ready to have children."
"Donna told me the same thing, almost verbatim. Something about the way she told me sounded a little off. Now I know why."
"Are you sure? What if they show up?"
"Let me see your ticket." After examining the slip of paper, James explained, "Look, we are booked in the same cabin. You can wait to unpack if you want to see if Shawn is coming, but I think we're busted."
"I'm calling Shawn. This must be some crazy mistake." She dialed and got nothing. A second try yielded the same results. "Darn it. The phone company must still be doing their update. That's why I didn't call you last night."
"Who told you that the phones weren't working?"
"Shawn."
"Guess what Donna told me last night when I told her I needed to call someone? The phones probably don't work because they cut us off the phone plan. They knew we would try and call the other."
"Noooo. This can't be happening. I was going to stop our affair after the cruise. I want my husband and my marriage. I want to have children - Shawn's children. Quick, let's get off the boat."
"It's too late. The ship has left the dock already. We have a couple of days before our first port."
"I'll get off there and go home. I'll beg him not to do anything foolish."
"How will you get home?"
"I'll get a flight back."
"How will you pay for it?"
"With a credit card, of course."
"So, you're assuming our credit cards are still valid?"
"I hadn't thought of that. Surely, he wouldn't be that mean."
"You can go to the Purser and see if you can charge anything on your card. I'll go with you and check mine too."
Their trip to the Purser confirmed James' prediction. Their credit cards were declined. They went online and found out that half of their joint accounts had been cut in half. ATM cards could have provided access to the joint accounts, if they hadn't been cancelled. The Purser let them both make a phone call to their spouses, but they both got a 'number no longer in service' message.
"So, Laura, how much cash do you have?"
"About $300. You?"
"About $250. Doesn't look like we will take any of the side trips. I think we're stuck until the end of the cruise. I assume you have the return flight ticket."
"Yes. What am I going to do? This will be the worst week of my life. How could I have been so foolish?"
"Well, we might as well enjoy the cruise. No telling what will be waiting for us."
"All I want to do is cry and figure out how I can get my husband back."
"Fine. I'll unpack and go see what I can do for free."
"You . . . you don't think we're going to share a room, do you?"
"Laura, we've been having sex for several months when we thought our spouses didn't know. What's the big deal about sharing a room when they do know?"
"Well, maybe Shawn will be more forgiving if I tell him we didn't share a cabin on the cruise."
"You are truly delusional. Good luck with that story."
Laura and James shared the cabin and the bed for the cruise. Laura agreed to snuggle for the nights James stayed in the cabin but no sex. He found another woman who invited him to her cabin a couple of nights. Laura did little more than eat, sleep, cry and prepare her speech when she saw Shawn. She expressed optimism at Shawn's forgiveness to James who rolled his eyes rather than challenge her naivete.
Their luggage was taken to the bus to the airport. They sat next to each other on the flight home. They said little. At the baggage claim in their hometown, James saw a man holding a sign with his and Laura's name on it. The man said he had been hired to take them home. As soon as James and Laura got in the car, the driver gave them each a manila envelope. "You've been served."
"I thought you were a driver."
"That too. I was paid to drive you and serve you. You are supposed to read the letter from your spouses. I will be taking both of you to 1353 Westwood Avenue."
James said, "That's my home. What about the lady?"
"I was told to take both of you there. The answer might be in the letter."
Each envelope had the same letter with the separate petitions for divorce.
"Laura and James,
"We hope you two enjoyed the cruise, NOT! If you think 'treating' you two to a cruise was some sign of affection, put that thought to rest. I (Shawn) had bought the cruise tickets before I found out about your cheating. They were non-refundable. After Donna and I got together to confirm our mutual cuckolding (I guess the term is the same for woman as it is for a man), we came up with the idea of sending you two on the cruise. We needed the uninterrupted time to get our affairs (pun intended) in order. We are sharing a divorce lawyer which would probably be a good idea for you two. At least it would be cheaper.
Your receipt of the envelope is the start of a 90-day separation. That will allow all of us to get used to not being married to our current spouses. Rather than have as many as four residences, we decided that Donna would move in with me. Laura can move in with James. In case you're wondering, Donna and I have not developed a romantic relationship, not even a revenge fuck. It's not because Donna and I do not think each other is attractive. It's because we don't believe that we should have sex with someone else until we're divorced. What a strange concept. Not fucking someone other than your spouse. Seems I heard that somewhere before. Oh yeah, our marriage vows, or were they just marriage suggestions to you two?
The next 90 days of separation is what we propose be used to negotiate the division of assets. Donna has taken all that she wants from her house most of which went into storage. Laura, all your stuff has been put in boxes and is at James' house. Oh, before I forget, there is something that we didn't leave for either of you. All the wedding pictures and albums have been disposed of. If you want them, you might try to look for them at the city dump. Hey, you trashed our marriages, it's seems a fair trade for us to trash our wedding pictures. Obviously, getting married did not mean the same to you as it did to us.
Please spare us the excuses from the Cheaters' Handbook. There is no excuse for what you two did, and you did it over and over again. Forget counseling, at least marriage counseling, unless you two think it would help your future marriage to each other. But then there's that thing about whether a cheater who marries a cheater can ever trust their spouse. We know we couldn't which negates the reason for us to receive marriage counseling.
We do need to talk - about distribution of assets. We have not asked for anything unusual in the petition. Basically, a 50-50 split for me and Laura. Donna has a pre-nup that keeps James from getting much. The way I see it is that half is not fair, but I can't expect any better should we go to court. What is fair about Laura getting half when she has committed the crime and I have not? There should be more serious consequence for you two, otherwise you might not feel punished. If you are not punished, you might believe you can get away with it again, whether you two get married or wind up marrying other people.
What punishment to give you two has been the source of discussion for many hours between Donna and me. By the way James, that 20-year-old Scotch you've been saving is wonderful. Sorry, but the bottle is now empty. Donna was really creative in her suggestions however, most were illegal. This is what we have settled on:
Copies of the pictures, videos and recordings we have of you two in the throes of sexual bliss will be distributed to everyone within our families, schools, churches, neighborhoods and anyone else we can think of. I hope that got your attention. What we really want to do is increase your desire to settle the conditions of divorce as quickly as possible. Some might consider our proposal as a threat or blackmail. We consider it an incentive.
We also debated whether or not to sue the company you two work for. They have a no fraternization policy, but we don't have proof of your trysts occurring at the office or during work time. Too bad, we could have used the money. Guess you got lucky in one regard.
Communication - All future communication should be handled through our attorneys. We both have new phone numbers only our attorneys know. Our attorney's contact information is listed below. We suggest we have a meeting or two where we try to iron out any differences. There are things like insurances, properties, loans, mortgages, alimony, etc. that might be deals we trade things for rather than split in half. These session(s) will only be for asset settlement. We will not entertain excuses, apologies, explanations or pleas for forgiveness or counseling.
Donna and Shawn"
Laura was crying. The loss of her husband and the loss of having his children were both clawing the insides of her heart. James tried to be consoling. His depression didn't hit until he saw his house. Boxes and boxes of Laura's stuff filled his living room. All photos of Donna as well as most of her things were missing. It was like the first time it really hit him that this was real. His wife was gone, and he was stuck with a woman he only cared for when they were in bed.
Laura got together her basic items and clothes she needed for a couple of days. "Where is the guest bedroom?
"Guest bedroom? Honey, if you're staying here, we're sharing a bed and I don't mean just for sleeping. I'm going to get ripped to shreds in the divorce. Donna's father made me sign a pre-nup. If I get caught cheating, I get nothing. It's your fault I got caught. You owe me a lot more sex than what you've given so far."
"Why do you think it was my fault they found out? It just as easily could have been you. We both thought we were careful. I don't know how they found out. Do you?"
"I just know I was extra careful. That doesn't change anything. You're either in my bed or out my door."
"I choose the door." She gathered some of her stuff together and put it in her car. Shawn had at least brought her car to James' house.
"What do you want to do about my other stuff?"
"I will give you 72 hours. Not a minute more."
"That should be fine." Laura paused then added, "I'm sorry for my part in causing harm to both our marriages. I wish you luck with your divorce."
After checking into the motel and getting a restless night's sleep, Laura prepared for work. She was looking forward to the daily grind taking her mind off her situation. The work distraction didn't last long.
While bringing her morning coffee to her office, Laura was greeted by her best friend at work, Debbie. Debbie had been made aware of the cruise when Shawn had arranged Laura's time off. He had told her that Shawn and Laura would be re-connecting in preparation for having children. "Laura, since you have almost no new tan, I assume that you and Shawn were busy in the cabin making babies."
Instead of the big smile that Debbie expected, Laura's face wrinkled up and she started crying. Laura ran into her office with Debbie right behind her. The story of the cruise, the letter, and the divorce petition was given to her friend. Then there were two women crying.
SHAWN AND DONNA
"Well, Donna, I guess they're back by now. How do you feel about what we've done?"
"Horrible and satisfied. I hate to have put an end to my marriage, but I like that we've not let them get away with it. It's seems that our marriages meant nothing to them. I feel I've been fooled for my whole married life!"
"Well, not that long probably. As far as we know, they have only been together a few months."
"Shawn, do you think their being willing to cheat only started a few months ago? I figure their 'undying love' for us started dying a few months after the honeymoon. If not, what happened that 'suddenly' caused them to need to cheat?"
"I see your point. I still have trouble understanding why she did it at all. I had no clue she was anyone other than a devoted wife and a woman ready to have children with me. Thank God, I caught her before we had children. It would be a real mess divorcing when a child is involved. What do you think James is going to do about fighting the divorce or not?"
"If I invoke the pre-nup, he'll probably challenge it. Otherwise, he gets almost nothing. He only brought about $10,000 into the marriage."
"Do you think the pictures of them going in and out of the motel room will be enough to prove adultery? On one hand, I really wish we had video of them actually having sex. On the other, I think sex videos of them would be burned in my brain."
"Those pictures will probably not be sufficient proof, at least not by themselves. I'm going to need Laura to testify for it to be a slam dunk. That's why I'm considering not using the pre-nup and just going for a 50/50 split. There's not much chance his lover will throw him under the bus."
"I don't know. It sounds strange to say, but Laura has a pretty high moral standard other than cheating on her husband. She might cheat on me, but she might tell the truth about the affair."
"Can you talk to her for me?"
"Maybe. Let's just play things by ear, for now. You go ahead with your divorce and I'll go ahead with mine. There's no rush as far as I'm concerned."
"Speaking of that, how long do you think you can tolerate me living here before you kick my skinny ass out?"
"As far as I'm concerned, you can stay as long as you want. I've been surprised about how comfortable it's been living with you and how quickly we've established a routine. I've enjoyed our talks and mutual consoling." Shawn paused and smiled. "And after careful examination, your ass is not skinny."
"Thank god you've noticed. Now I don't have to slip a testosterone supplement into your meals. I have been trying my best to get some rise out of you. I need assurance every now and then that I'm still a desirable woman."
"I've noticed but please don't stop trying." Both were smiling.
It was over a month before a negotiation meeting was scheduled for Shawn and Laura. Since James had not seen any pictures, he challenged the proof of adultery claim. Donn's divorce would take longer. Each lawyer for Shawn and Laura came with a list of items for negotiation. Laura's lawyer was allowed to go first.
"My client requests all checking and savings be split equally between her and her husband. She proposes to keep her car and the loan be transferred to her. His name is to be removed from the title. In return, she proposes to remove her name from his car's title, and he take over the loan. Both parties would procure their own car insurance. As far as the house is concerned, she proposes that it either be sold and the equity be split, or he can buy her out by paying her half the equity as projected by a certified property evaluator. She would be removed from the deed if he retains ownership."
Shawn's attorney responded, "We have no problem with those conditions. Her husband choses to sell the house. He will put it up for sale within 90 days. What else does she wish?"
Laura's lawyer spoke up. "My client agrees to your terms only if your client will speak to her for up to one hour in private."
Shawn spoke up. "No."
"Then my client requests that 12 sessions of counseling be required. If your client declines to participate, we will petition for $3000 a month alimony and loss of equity in the house. You know we can get both with the right judge."
Shawn's lawyer advised him that local judges like counseling and letting the wife stay in the house. Although she probably wouldn't get $3000 a month in alimony and the house, she probably would get a lot more than he was offering. The attorney further advised Shawn to take the one-hour deal and be happy it was not worse.
"My client will give his wife one hour provided she sign the agreement in advance of the meeting."
Laura interceded, "Shawn, will you agree to actually talk with me and not just sit there?"
Shawn fumed but agreed.
"He has never lied to me. I accept."
When Shawn and Laura were alone, he told her, "It's 2:32. At 3:32, we're done."
"I deserve that. You've promised to listen, and I am holding you to your promise."
Shawn nodded and stared at her.
"Shawn, I have sinned - sinned against you and God. I am not making any excuses to you. I made some to myself when I convinced myself it was okay. I lied to myself as well as you and God. I cheated. I broke my marriage vows. I betrayed the man I love most in the world. I deserved to be punished. I think you probably agree with what I've just said."
Shawn again nodded.
"The issue is punishment. Is divorce too much punishment? Is a second chance too much to ask? Please indulge me and imagine a scale, a scale of justice. On the divorce side, put the heavy weight of my adultery on that scale. It makes the negative side go way down. Is there anything else you want to put on the negative side? Were there other ways I was not a good wife to you? Other than my having a lover did I ever show disrespect for you and our marriage? Did anyone ever come to you with negative words about my behavior or try to tell you that I had bad-mouthed you behind your back? Did I ever turn you down for sex, even when I was having my affair? Did you ever doubt my love for you until you found out about James and me?
Shawn shook his head in the negative.
"Shawn, is there anything you can mention about me that might go on the positive side of the scale, the side that could give me a second chance? Do you believe I was an evil slut bitch when you married me?"
"No, you were as about a perfect a person as I had ever known. That's why your betrayal hurts so much. What did I do that changed you into a slut?" It was hard for him not to cry.
"Shawn, sweetheart, it wasn't you. You were everything I needed. The problem was I convinced myself I WANTED more, and I deserved to have it." She paused.
"What about our married life? Did I do anything right?"
"Laura, you became my best friend as well as my wife. I wanted to hear about your day when I came home. You seemed to want to hear about mine. I felt guilty that I was spending too much of our budget on things for me while you barely asked for any money. I loved talking to you about politics, even though you're wrong most of the time." He caused both of them to grin. "I enjoyed our talks about children and our future. I never, ever mistrusted you when I was away on business trips. We loved each other too much, or so I thought. I know you said it was all your fault, but I can't help wondering if I took you for granted or did something else that caused you to turn to James." Now he was crying.
"Look at the scale now, Shawn. Is it anywhere close to balancing? Do you have an ounce of love for me left to put on the second chance side? I know it's hard to believe any promises I make after having broken our marriage vows, but I promise on the lives of our unborn children that I will never betray you again. Please give me a second chance."
Shawn thought about his choice until it hurt his head. "Laura, it's going to take a while for me to get the mental image I have of you and James fucking in a motel room out of my head. I will agree to have my lawyer hold the divorce papers we just signed under one condition: agree to testify against James in Donna's divorce."
"What would I be testifying about?"
"James has challenged the pictures of you and him coming out of the motel room as proof you and he were having sex. Legally, he's probably right. You would testify that you and he were having sex."
"So, you were lying when you said you had videos of us having sex. Oh well, there's nothing we can do about that now. Shawn, I have no trouble telling the truth about the affair. Of course, we were having sex in the motel room. I am sorry that I have endangered two marriages, but I will not lie to save James any punishment. He is not worth lying for. He and I both deserve some punishment. I just wish it wasn't a divorce."
"Thank you. I will tell my attorney."
"Shawn, what does this mean about our living arrangement? Will you let me move back in the house?"
"Donna is living there now. You will have to wait. I don't want to kick her out until she has a place, but I also promised to put our house for sale."
"If you put a hold on the divorce, you don't have to sell the house. I will be willing to wait until Donna moves out as long as you and I get to spend time together. We probably should 'date' again. We are two changed people. We need to rediscover ourselves and our relationship. God willing, we will fall back and love and get ready to fill our house with children."
"I'm not so sure about filling the house, but I would like a few. Your idea is agreeable to me. I will tell Donna."
Donna was not as pleased with the news like Shawn expected, but she did force a smile and said, 'Thank you.'
When James heard that Laura was willing to testify that he and she had sex at the motel, he capitulated. He was surprised that Donna was willing to pay off his car loan and credit card to compensate him for his forfeiture of his half of the equity in their house. With the current housing market, the sale of their house would have barely covered the loan and the seller's fee. No alimony was part of the pre-nup.
Shawn was perplexed Donna had been so lenient and asked her about that.
"I wanted to burn the bastard really badly. His betrayal hurt me more than anything ever had. Then I looked at you. You were badly hurt yet you were able to not be vindictive towards Laura. The 'scale of justice' thing caused me to reconsider. My and James' marriage did have mostly positive aspects before their affair. Daddy thinks I was crazy, but I feel a lot better about the divorce than I would have if I had extracted a harsher revenge. Thank you, Shawn, for so much." She hugged him and kissed him with passion.
Shawn was surprised. The kiss warmed him and challenged his concept that Donna was not a woman he should be interested in sexually or romantically. "Donna, I'm . . . that was the . . . "
"I'm sorry, Shawn, but I care for you so much. It has killed me at times that I have not been able to show you how much I care. I hope you can forgive me."
"Forgive you? I wanted to tear your clothes off and have sex with you. That's the most turned on I've been since the whole mess started. Damn girl, you sure can kiss."
"So, you want another taste?"
"More than almost anything. The problem is that I am trying to see if I can give Laura a second chance. How can I do that if we have an affair?"
"First of all, if we get together it is not an affair. Both of us are legally excused from our marriage vows right now. Secondly, who says that you giving me a first chance can't be considered at the same time as you are considering giving Laura a second chance?"
Shawn's logic and libido were in competition for the control of his body parts. "I need some time to think. I'm going to bed - alone - and see if I can sleep."
Shawn headed to bed. The choice of options did not become any clearer nor sleep any easier. Donna knocked on his open door. She was wearing a nightie that became translucent with the hall light behind her.
"Shawn, can I sleep next to you tonight? I'm having trouble falling asleep. I promise to be good. Please."
Although he knew it was a bad idea, he gave in. "Okay, if you promise."
She slid into bed beside him and wrapped an arm across his chest and a leg across his leg. Donna kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."
It took a while for Shawn to fall asleep. It was a fitful sleep with many dreams. He was on a nude beach with Laura. They were drinking umbrella drinks on a mat under a palm tree. Laura looked at him with lust in her eyes. She started kissing his nipples and gradually moved down to his genitals. Soon she was bobbing up and down and begging for him to let her swallow his seed. Suddenly, Shawn awoke and saw Donna performing fellatio on his tool. This was the best blowjob he had ever had. He half-heartedly asked her to stop. She disobeyed and was rewarded with a huge load.
"I thought you were going to be good."
"You're telling me that wasn't good? I guess I'll have to practice on you some more then." She took his deflating penis and put it in her mouth again. He pulled away from her and got up.
"That's not fair to Laura."
"Haven't you heard: All's fair in love and war."
"I guess I should thank you. That was the best blowjob I ever had."
"Kind of makes you wonder what else is possible, doesn't it?"
"Indeed."
"Seriously, Shawn. We're going to be living together for a while longer at least. Don't you want to see if we're sexually compatible?"
"God, you have no idea how much I would like that. You have shown me enough of your body that I stay erect most of the night. The thing bothering me besides the feeling we should wait until we're divorced is that you're living with me because of your husband cheating on you. What happens if we find out we're not sexually compatible? Will that make it difficult for you to stay here? I don't want you to have to move before you're ready."
"Damn, you're sexy when you put my feelings above your carnal lust." A big smile came on her face.
"Hell Donna, what am I going to do with you?"
"Doggie, reverse cowboy, missionary?"
James resigned and moved away. He was sent his copy of the divorce decree. There was no further contact with him.
Shawn had an active social schedule. He enjoyed dating Laura and began to remember what had attracted him to her in the first place. She did not push him, but made it clear she was ready to earn his trust back any way she could. Donna was not making any plans to move out even though James had left the home he had shared with her.
Shawn told Donna they needed to talk. "Donna, I am unusually blessed. I have a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman living with me who has given me the best sex life I have ever had. I have also become reacquainted with the woman who has been the love of my life for years. She hurt me and I have trouble trusting her. I have revived enough feelings for her to wonder if I am not giving you an unfair advantage with you living here and us having sex. You have a house available to you. Why haven't you moved back home?"
"I haven't moved back 'home' because as far as I'm concerned, this is home. I want to be with you. Where you and I are together is home. If you think I have an unfair advantage by living here, good for me. I'm fighting for the man I love. I don't understand why you would want a woman who has betrayed you when you have a woman who has never and will never cheat on you.
"l don't want to degrade your sense of fairness. As much as I hate the idea, I will move out. I plan to beat out Laura for your affection whatever our living situation. I trust your judgment. Although you haven't said so, you love me Shawn. I know it. I will wait, but I am planning on us getting married and having children. Now, let's go to bed one more night, and I hope you didn't plan on getting any sleep."
Months went by. Laura felt better about her chances especially after finding out that Donna had moved out. She was disappointed that Shawn had never met her at their old home. They were hugging and kissing now, but no sex. She hoped he remembered their times in bed. Much of their time together was reliving good memories from their courtship and marriage. They never discussed her affair.
There was a two-week break before Shawn and Laura next met. Laura believed he was going to announce his decision. She felt she had reason for optimism. She sat down at the table in the conference room. Shawn was there but so was Donna. Laura sat down holding back tears.
"Laura, I wanted both of you here because I have been going back and forth between you physically and in my mind. Both of you need to hear what I now want to say. Our current situation has not been fair to either of you. It hasn't felt it's been fair to me either. I have come to a decision.
"Laura, I have been able to forgive you. Our recent time together has reminded me of the reason I fell in love with you and how great it was to be married to you before your cheating. I have been greatly tempted to resume our marriage, with certain conditions of course. The problem is that I can't forget. Whereas I might be willing to take the chance for you to remain my wife, I can't take the chance on the mother of my children being untrustworthy. As bad as this has been on us without children involved, I get physically sick at the thought of what it would have been like if we did have children.
"Actually Laura, I made the decision a couple of months ago. Since then I have been working on a new divorce settlement. Laura, because of the wonderful years you gave me most of our marriage, I want to give you the chance to support yourself so you can prepare to move on with your life. I have no doubt you will find a man willing to take a chance on you and be willing to give him children. I have sent your lawyer the new settlement terms which you will find is much more favorable to you than before. I wish you the best, Laura. I really do." Shawn and Donna got up to leave.
Laura spoke up, "Shawn, can't you. . . "Her ability to speak left her as she saw the small bulge of Donna's stomach. She knew she had lost what she most wanted.
