Blame the Mailman

She had not been expecting a letter. Examining the envelope the mailman just delivered caused her to smile and frown at once. Her insides burned with passion at the sight of her lover's name in the return address. Her eyebrows raised in bewilderment at the information written in the addressee section.

She shrugged. It came to her, didn't it? From her man. Eagerly, she tore into the lavender envelope, opened the tri-fold of matching stationery and began to read these words:

Melanie, I can't wait to be in your arms again. When we were together last weekend, we shared the kind of love between a man and a woman that is so rare and so real. I have set in my heart that you are the only woman for me.

I've decided that I want to spend my life with you, if you'll have me. You deserve much better than me. I've made so many mistakes with women in the past. I don't want to make the same mistakes with you.

That's why from this moment on, I want to be truthful and honest with you. Before I met you and fell in love, I dated two other women at the same time. I just found out they're both pregnant. With my babies. You know one of them - Cherise Miller. She and I were on the track team together at Tempton University. The other girl's name is Natasha Sims. We took psychology together. These girls, they just kind of put themselves on me, and because I'm merely human, I succumbed to them. But I don't care anything about them. All I care about is you.

Like I said, I've made a lot of mistakes, but I got to be a man and take care of my children. I don't want anything to do with these women. I just want to love and adore and worship and cherish you. If you let me, I'll make you my Queen.

I'll be in town Saturday evening. Call and let me know how you feel about all this so we can put it behind us and celebrate our true love over dinner. I have a gift for you. Can't wait to see you.

Your one and only love,

Stan

This letter rendered her speechless, motionless. No, she was in shock. A gnawing that began quietly in her depths when she'd started the letter had erupted into a deadly explosion by its conclusion. She looked down at her stomach; it was still as flat as a washboard. Her track scholarship made no provision for conception.

It took a while, but she was finally able to move out of that one spot at her kitchen counter. Slowly, she assimilated the words in the letter from her man, Stan and what he had revealed to her. His words, from opening greeting, to the sincere end, she digested them over and over. The information he'd shared took on a life of its own in her mind and formulated a plan within her. That plan gave her strength to move, to act.

She grabbed the wall phone behind her and dialed 411, holding the pretty lavender envelope in her other hand. It took her two hours to activate her plan. As she studied the driving directions she'd pulled up on MapQuest, she sighed and gathered fresh strength, knowing that she was not alone in doing what needed to be done.

Saturday evening found Melanie at her home with a couple of women she'd met for the very first time. Cherise, the tall, toned track star sat on the couch to her right, while Natasha, the debutante beauty sat on her left side. Melanie in the middle felt so inferior, sitting between the athlete and the beauty queen. Why or how Stan ever cheated on these two women with a girl who considered herself a Plain Jane, she'd never understand. Truth be told, Stan had cheated on all three of them. He was so smooth, with his deceitful self. His words, his love had all three believing they were the only woman in the world. It didn't help that he was the most beautiful of God's creation of the male species to her. Melanie's smile held a lot of pain behind it. Had this mix-up not happened, she would have gone on believing and loving Stan. She was glad she'd found out before he'd had a chance to deceive her any more.

The girls who'd talked on the phone for hours these last few days just met for the first time this evening. They chatted and plotted over glasses of punch. The table had been set for four. There was one who probably wouldn't want to be staying for dinner after the three of them got done with him.

When the doorbell rang, Cherise, Melanie and Natasha had the glass up to drink. They each let out a little giggle and looked at each other. Cherise was the strong one. "Let's do this," she whispered.

When Melanie opened the door, Stan walked in. He was about to plant a kiss on her cheek when he saw beyond her the two women standing in her den with arms folded.

Stan breathed an expletive and gulped. "What's up with this?" His voice was shaky, as well his hands.

Cherise held the letter she'd received two days ago in the air. "You know, you should really fire your mailman," she nodded angrily. "No, I take that back. You are the bone head who wrote a letter to Melanie that you sent to my address."

Stan's mouth flew open. He was finding it hard to catch his breath.

Natasha spoke up. Her voice was high pitched and loud. "I wouldn't have your baby if you were the last man on the planet, you dirt bag snake."

All three women gritted and made steps toward Stan with plans to beat him beyond recognition.

"I did it on purpose," he hollered. Sweat was rolling off his forehead like a waterfall. "I did it because I was breaking up with all y'all," he blurted.

His words brought all three to a halt.

"I'm gay."