Lilac Valley

A Real Fake Marriage

The summer passes.

Relatively quiet.

Autumn and Marty celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary and Winter's fourth birthday.

Eddie stands in the jewelry store with Autumn.

He told the jeweler he would be coming, so she hid the crosses.

"It has to be perfect," he says. "She deserves a ring."

"I think that one." Autumn points in the display case. "I can't believe it worked out so well. You and Amber. And you finished your residency. This time last year..." She stops herself. "You know what happened."

~

"Eddie, it's beautiful," Amber says. She stares at it in the box. Eddie takes it out and slips it on her finger, above the wedding ring. "This isn't a fake marriage anymore. It's a real one."

Amber thinks back to a month ago.

"I can't do that to him again," Con said. "I hurt him once and I'll probably be apologizing until the end of time. You and Eddie are right for each other."

"Eddie is a good guy, but he still doesn't know my biggest secret," Amber said. "You're Kyle's father."

"What?" Con asked.

"Eddie and I never slept together," Amber admitted. Con was stunned. "He was covering for you. I thought he would be a better father."

"You have to tell Kyle," Con said. "But if you want to cheat on your husband, find someone else." Con stood up. Amber grabbed his wrist. Con pulled away. "Jeez! We're in public."

"Aren't you the preacher's son?" Amber asked. She smiled. "I'll take care of it."

"No," Con said. "End things first."

"Eddie, I want a divorce," Amber says. "The restrictions have been lifted. Anyway, I've lived here a year. I'm on the town board. Kyle is enrolled in the middle school. They can't kick me out."

"I thought you loved me," Eddie says.

"I thought I did," Amber says.

~

Con sits on the couch, watching TV.

There's a knock at the door.

He stands up and walks to the door.

He opens it revealing Eddie with a tearstained face and a suitcase.

"Can I move back in?" Eddie asks.

"Always," Con answers.

Con hugs Eddie.