hello and welcome to Lost Love Chronicles I had just stepped inside shaking off a light drizzle and was unlocking my front door when a voice emerged from the shadowed end of the porch I don't want to startle you my name is Nora Bennett The Voice held a gentle almost musical quality that sent a pleasant shiver through me you did startle me but only for a moment let me just unlock the door and get some lights on I finally got the door open and illuminated the entryway then turned to the woman waiting on the porch she
stood about 5 foot 10 with dark auburn hair wearing an iridescent raincoat that hinted at her graceful figure a pair of suede ankle boots and quality clothes completed her look come in Nora Bennett there are hangers here for your coat and Shaw I'll turn on more lights and make some coffee would you like some that would be welcome she replied as I measured the coffee I heard the front door open and close behind me while waiting for her to join me I pulled a cold roast beef from the fridge and started slicing she stood watching
from the doorway there's bread in the Box over there on the counter and utensils in that drawer mustard or mayonnaise I'll have this ready in a minute and we can make sandwiches a half hour later we were finishing up our meal now miss Norah what can I do for you it's Mrs Nora at least for a while yet I was in town and saw your classified ad about a room for rent along with sharing utility costs is the room still available yes it is I answered actually I have two rooms available I need to rent
both if I'm going to make it here there's a 3/4 bath Shar between the rooms so if you move in you'd share it with another tenant when one comes along since you're the first to respond I'll let you interview anyone else who applies if you have serious reservations I'll hold out for someone more suitable how much is the rent 350 a month plus 20 for the phone and you cover your own long-distance calls you'd pay a quarter of the electric bill if you're still here this winter it's the same share for heating you'd have full
kitchen privileges as long as you wash up after yourself I have plenty of dishes so you're welcome to use them by the way I didn't see a car outside no car I came by taxi my bags are in the hall she paused actually if the other room is still open I'll take it as well letun make it an even th000 a month and I'll handle my own phone bill if I'm still here through winter that should cover my share of the heating costs I don't mind helping with the kitchen and doing some cooking would that
Arrangement suit you it looks as if this is my lucky day you are the answer to all of my prayers if you don't have a car you can use mine for errands Etc good I think I'm going to like living here let's see you will want the first month's rent I'll give you that and a month for a security deposit she lifted her shoulder bag off the floor and opened her wallet she took exactly 2,000 out of one of the compartments and handed it to me I think that is correct for the first and last
month's rent she then took a receipt out of another compartment and had me sign it and put it back in her wallet I was puzzled as the receipt had already been made made out somehow she came to my door knowing not only what she was going to do but what I was going to do as well I led Mrs Nora up the stairs to show her the two rooms she had rented I swung the door open to the room I imagined she would like to sleep in I had slept in this one for years I
didn't go in just standing by the door there are linens and blankets in the chest over there by the South Wall do you need help making up the bed Nora shook her head no okay I'll bring your bags up you must be tired I don't usually stay out this late at night so you had a long wait on the porch thank you Milo I would appreciate that I lay in bed that night thinking about the person I was sharing my house with the last thing she had said to me really shook me up she called
me Milo how in hell did she know people called me Milo my name was Arnold Ben Brown she knew I was going to share my house with her even before we had come to terms she was very liberal with her money as well and hadn't even asked to see the rooms before we reached an agreement that voice that gave me the Shivers when she first spoke why did that happen she was damned easy on the eyes though I had noted how tall she was and when she had come into the kitchen minus her outer wrap
God what a figure another thing odd we had been together talking and having our lunch and never once had she smiled she said she was married but I had caught that she hadn't expected to be much longer either she was being divorced or her husband was going to die I drifted off to sleep the nightmare that came every night was with me again and I awoke at the usual time I glanced at the clock to make sure yes it was 3:00 and right on time I pulled my robe on and sat as usual in the
easy chair I had moved into this room when the nightmares first took over I heard my housemate move around in the room directly over my head she was up to go across the hall to the bathroom or she couldn't sleep either she couldn't know what had transpired in that room four years ago could she maybe the hate and rage had seeped into the walls and come out to bother the one that now occupied it I know it bothered me when I came home after being locked up for causing great bodily harm to my wife's lover
I had found my wife Khloe in bed with a person I had counted as my best friend I had battered him all over the room while Khloe was screaming at me to stop I ended it when I threw him down the stairs my former friend Jack Patterson never walked again when I came home from prison 3 months ago I tried to sleep in my old bedroom the nightmare started that night and I never stayed in the room again in fact I hadn't even stayed the rest of that night did Chloe sleep in that room while
I was in prison she had stayed here in this house during the time I was sitting in jail waiting for my trial I shouldn't have been in jail but I had made threats often and vocal against Jack and Khloe the state thought I was a risk to Jack so they put my bail so high I couldn't raise it and I stayed confined until the trial that sent me away I divorced Khloe as soon as possible but it took many months and I had no actual contact with her since it had become final I did know
that Jack's Health had deteriorated and Khloe had gone to care for him and moved in with him one of the few friends I had left in town relayed this to me when I came home I will say Khloe had kept the house up up so I had something to come back to I don't know if she would have been awarded this place in the divorce settlement if she had asked for it it was mine long before I met Khloe and my lawyer said it would stay with me under those circumstances she hadn't tried for it
but she had taken the value of it and I was almost pennus when released that was the reason I had to take in borders I had been a reporter for a newspaper and now I was trying to reestablish myself by writing articles and essays for different Publications I also had the manuscript for a book I was working on I had had planned in my mind exactly what I was going to write about over the many months I had been incarcerated and the book was flowing right along I could only give it so much time though
as I needed to work at those assignments that paid now I had this woman living upstairs and she seemed to be somewhat of a mystery I needed her though I couldn't look too hard at my new housemate for I needed every penny to keep my home and right now she was my salvation I dozed and I finally slept again sitting right there in my chair I awoke to the smell of coffee I quickly showered and shaved and made my way to the kitchen good morning Mrs Bennett I smelled the coffee and thought I'd better get
out here to see if I could bum a cup while I was making my own it's Nora I'll be able to drop the misses shortly anyway as my divorce is just waiting on the final decree if there is only the two of us living here why don't we just split the grocery bill I like to cook and if I make something you don't like say so and I'll cook something else I feel as if I am taking advantage of you I think I better return some of your money or at least cut what we agreed
on last night and and half why don't we proceed like we agreed and we can talk about it sometime down the road I get the feeling that you need what I'm paying you to get back on your feet money isn't that tight with me now you like poached eggs I'm sure and they are almost ready would you butter the toast please I thanked Nora for the breakfast and she again called me Milo as if she knew that was my name it was a puzzle I told her I would be in my office working but I
wanted to go into town to the bank if she would make out a grocery list I would pick up what she listed she could go in with me or I could get whatever she indicated we would need she said she would have the list ready and she would not go to town this time my bank was glad to see the money the loan officer had been pressuring me for payment he hoped that my house occupant would stay with me when I explained where the money had come from I bought a single rose that was in
a hard plastic sleeve and put it with the groceries I unloaded the car into the kitchen and went right back to writing on my manuscript at lunchtime the rose was setting on the table in a Bud vase we settled in together fairly well Nora only went into town when when she had letters to post she absolutely would not use the mailbox or let me mail any letters for her I assumed she didn't want me to know any of her business I did see her going to a post office box she had rented so I knew
she received mail from someone occasionally I would hear her on the phone it was after one of these calls that she dropped the Milo and referred to me as Leo my house was filled with books and I had a card at the library so evenings we sat in the living room and read television was just used for news I had enough trouble in my life so sitcoms turned me off and I guess Nora felt she did too I continued to buy a single rose on occasion I always received a thank you when she found it
while putting the groceries away over time I managed to see a wistful half smile when it was discovered if I thought she would have laughed out loud I would have bought a whole spray of roses for her you know I'm a felon don't you I decided that after 6 months in the house together I would pry a little if I could we were sitting in the living room at the time yes I know someone in town told me that doesn't bother you some people think I'm a pretty violent person I was sent to prison for
almost killing someone the person that told me said that you had committed an act of violence but you had just cause therefore I am thinking it was a one-time thing and you are not a person to be afraid of the more I am around you I'm thinking you regret what you did and not just because you were sent to prison for it either I guess that about sums it up it took about 5 minutes to destroy three people's lives have you told your ex-wife this she might be interested no absolutely not I haven't seen her
or wanted to since I heard her screaming for me not to hurt her lover she tried to talk to me both while I was in jail awaiting trial and while I was in prison I wasn't having any of her then and I wouldn't talk to her now did you ever think she might have wanted to stop you from killing the man for your own sake you spent almost 4 years in prison because you didn't kill him how long would you have been there if you had succeeded we'll never know will we I'm sorry I started
this conversation and I don't want to talk about it anymore I'm going to work on my book good night so much for me trying to find out anything about Nora that question was added to my nightmare before morning was Norah right was Chloe trying to prevent me from harming Jack to save me and not him Nora and I never discussed the subject again and I didn't approach her to find out about her past either I have no idea how long it was before I fell in love with Nora she was there in the house with
me and over time we became comfortable with each other I couldn't say anything to her about how I felt because of the baggage I was carrying I was a jailbird what did I have to offer this woman it was better to say nothing and not make a move sometimes I would catch her looking at me though and acting as if she wanted to say something but then the moment would pass a year and 4 months into our living in the same house together Nora knocked on my office door Leo I just received a call from
a friend of mine and I need a ride to the bus station the bus leaves in a half hour so I need you to take me immediately certainly are you taking a suitcase just a couple of dresses and some under things I don't know when I will be back so don't worry about me I'll call when I am able the bus driver was stowing her case and she was standing in line to board the bus it was now or never for me Nora she turned to me to see what I was going to say Nora
come back my life would be empty if you weren't here I didn't try to kiss her she saw how intense I was Leo I'll be back I promise you that wonders Nora stepped towards me and gave me a hug and held on just a little longer than necessary it was as if she hated to let go I watched her find a seat on my side of the bus where I could see her as the bus pulled away she gave me a little wave and that little smile I always got when I put her Rose in
with the groceries someday I wanted to make her laugh if that half smile was any indication a laugh would make the sun come out and shine nearly a month went by before I heard from Nora I had no correspondence from her at all and I began to wonder if I had imagined she had feelings for me I didn't even know where she had gone so I just had to wait a call finally came in after 10:00 one evening being this late I felt it had to be her before I picked it up hello Nora I've
been waiting for your call I'm sure you have and I'm sorry not to keep in touch Leo I know there are things you want to talk about and I want to say some things to you as well how I feel about you for one thing but I have a favor to ask my half sister is being operated on tomorrow morning would you drive up here and be beside me while she is in the operating room it is very important to me of course give me the address and where I will find you how long will
I be staying I don't know it might be overnight and it might be much longer you better pack your best suit just in case we want to go somewhere start as soon as you can so I can talk to you before the surgery Nora gave me the address of a motel that was about 80 Mi away she said it was near the hospital where the operation was to be performed I packed my suit it was unspoken but pretty certain that I might need it to attend a funeral at least Nora had turned to me when
she needed someone I could hope she felt some love for me the past month without her had been nearly impossible I arrived at the motel just about 3:00 a.m. there were lights on in only one unit and I could see Norah standing in the doorway waiting for me she hugged and kissed me as I came up to her she clung to me and I could feel how tense she was finally she pulled away from the most intimate moment we had ever shared we have a lot of items to cover and we don't have very much
time you are going to have many questions and I will answer them the best I can let me talk and please if you have any feelings for me listen and don't get mad will you do that first of all look at these two photos this first one is a photo I took out of your album at home that is you when you were 6 years old now look closely at this one that was taken this past month Norah handed them both to me and watched as I looked first at one and then the other the
boy looks just like I did who is he first a little background on me and my half sister my father was killed while working on the railroad in a roadbed accident my mother was pregnant with me before I was born my mother married my father's friend and she became pregnant with another girl child as soon as it was possible that child was named Chloe Nora watched me as I assimilated what she told me I sat very still as I looked at her so my ex-wife is your half-sister Chloe you are also telling me I have
a son by her is that it that's it there is much more but of course we don't need to go into that at this time I will say that Chloe may be one of those people who can love two men deeply or at least acts like she does you are one and Jack is the other if you can understand that then I will tell you that she says she has never blamed you for what you did and neither does Jack she has taken all the blame on herself I sat through this realizing that my only
happiness in the future with Norah was to do as she asked Khloe has a brain tumor and she doesn't have much chance of surviving the surgery this morning one she may come through all right two she may be not much more than a vegetable and three she may die she keeps telling her doctor that if it looks like option two to make sure it becomes option three for her he might just do that as he seems wonderfully tune to his patience now I will explain about your son Khloe was pregnant when you caught her with
Jack although she wasn't aware she was with child she was still married to you at the time and not divorced until after the baby came with mixed feelings some of hate for you and some of love she named him Junior she assumed fate being what it is it would be Jack that was the father that is until the boy was about four and Jack demanded she have a paternity test as little Milo got older it became more and more obvious he was in fact yours and this was confirmed by the paternity test now if anything
happens to Chloe I am Milo's Guardian for the time being you are listed as biological father and he Bears the same name as you if the operation doesn't go right this morning I will be bringing little Milo home with me will you have a problem with that I shook my head no I couldn't speak there were so many facts that I had thrown at me in the last half hour I didn't know what to say Chloe would like to see you before surgery she wants to apologize to you for the mess she has made of
everyone's lives could you listen listen to her Nora wasn't begging but she wanted me to at least speak with Chloe yes I will I would like to ask for her forgiveness for being such a hard ass all these years thank God I will have the chance maybe I can get rid of some of the nightmares I am having Chloe will be going into surgery with my blessing I paused will I be seeing Jack he will be with her this morning so I expect so can you handle that without losing your cool yes I can for
Chloe and especially I can for you good letun get a little wrap it is going to be a long day I have asked for a 7:30 wakeup call so we do have time to lay down for a couple of hours we lay on the bed both of us on our backs the only Parts touching were our hands which were firmly clasped together I was stopped by a nurse to identify myself at the door of Khloe's room given the okay I took a deep breath and pushed the door open it was a single bedroom and Khloe
lay there with a little smile on her face with her eyes closed she heard me come in come closer Milo so when I opened my eyes I can see all of you at once tears were trickling from under her eyelids I bent down and brushed her lips with a little kiss and stepped back her eyes opened and I was seeing and being seen for the first time in over 5 years Milo before you say anything I knew I was playing with fire when I married you and continue to love Jack at the same time for
some reason I am one of those people with a Fatal Attraction I guess I loved you and I loved Jack I knew your work would take you out of town often so it was you I married which gave me the chance to still carry on with Jack Jack also I knew that if I married Jack you would never consider me cheating on him it was a case of thinking I could have my cake and eat it too we don't have time this morning but every letter I sent you in prison has been duplicated Norah has
them and someday when you have time would you read them The Originals I knew you tore up without reading would you do that for me yes I will Chloe Norah tells me that you have given me a son do you really want me to be a father to him yes if I come out of this operation today okay I still want him to live with you and Nora I would like to see him sometimes of course but I want you to have the raising of him I will be marrying Jack if and when I walk
out of here Jack knows this and agrees although he loves little Milo as much as you will come to love him could you kiss me and tell me you don't hate me anymore Chloe I don't hate you I haven't understood you but hate is the furthest thing from my mind I forgive you everything and between your letters and Norah I will come to understand you someday no I don't hate you I would like to have your forgiveness for the pain I have brought both you and Jack I was in prison and I got out when
I put jack into his wheelchair I put him into a prison worse than any I have been in for a long time I thought he deserved it but I don't anymore I am the one that needs forgiveness for whatever it is worth Milo you have it now kiss me again Nora Jack and little Milo will be here in a minute I was sitting by the bed holding Khloe's hand when the door banged open and a little boy came in hi Mom they haven't taken you away yet I was hoping to see you one more time
aun nor Norris said God may take you away and look at you if he doesn't want you yet he will send you back I hope he doesn't want you cuz I love you he crawled onto the bed and kissed his mother I could hardly see him because the tears were streaming down my face Nora came in pushing Jack in his wheelchair he looked much the same as I remembered but he had aged more than I had he had a robe over his legs and even with that I could see they had wasted away hi Jack
it's been a long time I stood and walked around the bed and shook his hand Jack I'm sorry for what I did to you it took me a while but I've come to regret what happened that day Milo I hated you too for a long while I know now that I brought it on myself Chloe tries to take the blame but I should have known better than to mess with her with you being my best friend you did the same thing I would have done if I was married and you did that to me letun
put it behind us we'll get together sometime and talk about the good old days we made quite a pair at one time he wheeled his chair over to the bed where he could hold Khloe's hand much like I had been doing before he came in there was the same light in her eyes for him as there had been for me when I was there next to her I guess that made me realize that Khloe really did love both Jack and me equally I stepped out and Norah followed me Leo would you consider marrying me this
month away from you and seeing you this morning makes me certain I love you if anything happens to Chloe we are going to have little Milo with us that's my excuse for asking but I love you with all my heart I know we can have a good life together is this a proposal I was about to ask you the same thing but you beat me to it I've missed you so in the last month there was something about your voice that made me quiver that first night you startled me at my door I felt I
was going to fall in love with you when you first spoke to me and this was before I even knew what you looked like this is so wonderful before she goes into surgery may I tell Chloe we will be getting married I think it would ease her mind maybe we can tell her together if there is time I think she should have as much time as possible with Jack and little Milo I take it he has been primed for the worst if this doesn't go right that is what kept me so busy this past month
it is sad really and she has only an outside chance according to the doctors I think we have given her all the support we can from this side the big guy up there will have to do his part from now on I have a feeling it is in his hands all of us went with Khloe as her bed was wheeled into preop little Milo rode on the bed with his mother Jack and I were holding her hands and Nora was silently crying as she had her hand on chlo's leg rubbing it so she knew her
sister was there supporting her we all kissed Khloe before the doors opened and she passed from view now it was all waiting Norah started talking to little Milo telling him that he never had anyone to call Daddy before I had arrived to be that person for him quick inquisitive and trusting I soon had him holding my hand as we went looking for the candy machine questions were coming at me a mile a minute some I couldn't answer I Could Have Lied or fudged the answers but I just said I don't know the answer to that
when we came back to where Jack and Nora were waiting little Milo said my new Daddy doesn't know the answers to many of my questions he said though that we would find the answers together and then we'd both know them I think that is pretty nice of him don't you Aunt Nora Nora flashed me a smile that shocked me the first full-blown down to earth I love you smile I must be doing something right if the way to her heart was through this son of mine I could live with that one of the team of
doctors spoke to us at 1 p.m. saying that Khloe was holding up well and so far the team had not found any insurmountable problems it was going to be another hour and a half before they closed her skull up the lead surgeon would be out and give us his prognosis at that time it was a long 2 hours before he appeared he looked very tired basically the operation went well we did find one problem there is a small portion that we deemed too dangerous to go after it was too close to a major blood vessel
and is wrapped around a nerve bundle we have done what we could to make sure the tumor will not regenerate itself and grow again we just never know we can predict what will happen but sometimes our predictions are wrong for the present we are keeping khloee in a like coma so she doesn't have a seizure that could happen because working inside the skull can cause swelling which is what happened when the tumor got so big and brought her here in the first place she will be in this state 4 to 7 days when we are
ready to wake her up you can come in and be here at that time until then there is no use waiting around and you would be best served to go on with your lives right now I would say her prognosis for a full recovery is excellent Jack called his nurse George the one that transported him and saw to his knes needs at home he asked if I wanted to stay at his house until Chloe was awake I declined I said I was just finishing up a book I was working on and needed to be available
for my Editor to reach me he was interested and asked what it was about I said it had to do with my life while I was in prison nothing more was said we collected some clothes of little Milos and the letters Chloe had claimed were duplicates to the ones I tore up while in prison and were soon on our way little Milo was anxious to see where he was going to live I took it that in the last month Nora and he had bonded and he felt almost as much love for her as he had
for his mother Norah told me that Khloe was sometimes very sharp with her son and often she berated his actions when he didn't know why she seemed unpredictable in her administering both discipline and love whether this was due to the tumor that had been growing in her head or whether that was her nature Nora didn't know little Milo had always found Norah Pleasant and knew where he stood with her all the time so naturally he was drawn to her on the way home until he fell asleep he related what he did in kindergarten and the
friends he made he was looking forward to starting first grade at the end of the summer he seemed pretty bright to me but maybe that was because I wanted him to be just think I had a son unbelievable it was late in the evening when we reached home Nora thought it best for Milo to sleep in her bed for tonight if he woke in a strange bed and in a strange house without his mother nearby he would need at least one thing familiar for him to cling to that would be Norah I carried little Milo
upstairs and woke him enough to go to the bathroom and then took him into Norah's room where she was already under the covers I got him undressed and into his pajamas and led him around to where he could crawl in beside his aunt I leaned down to where he was looking up at me I kissed him on the forehead good night son I'll see you in the morning good night he paused searching for the word that was unfamiliar daddy my heart just about burst with happiness I was sitting in my office an hour later when
there was a soft knock on my door hi may I come in I've been laying upstairs wondering if you meant it when you said said you loved me I came down to check for sure I do love you and want to marry you will you instead of answering me she came into my arms Nora is a big woman and when she molded her body into mine there was no doubt we were going to fit together perfectly there was some passion in the kiss but not as much as anyone could have imagined we had lived in
the same house for over a year it was like side by side and never meeting I didn't know any more about Norah than I did when she announced who she was that wasn't true really for I had found out she was half sister to my ex-wife yes I did know that she had a pleasant demeanor and she was reserved in her emotions look how long it took me to see her smile this is the first time I have been in your office you know I know you are a writer you must be a good one
and make money at it lately when I give you my house share money sometimes it is days before you go to the bank to deposit it it is beginning to pay very well I was successful before I went to prison and it took a while when I got out to reestablish my credibility right now I have plenty of work ahead of me more than I want until I get my book finished that will be soon I hope what is the book about prison life or more specifically what put inmates there in the first place I've
used my own case and I try to show what can happen in 5 minutes to change the course of one's life all the crimes I have related happened in 5 minutes on the second case study in the book the first one is of a prisoner that was sentenced to one year in prison there are seven cases in all although I could have added more the last case is of a man that has been in the same prison for over 40 years and will never come out he was given two life sentences plus 99 years his
was a horrific crime but it still took only 5 minutes or less to commit he went early to pick up his daughter at school and saw his wife waiting for her in another man's car she and the man were making out when she saw the daughter she got out of the car he went into a rage and used his car as a weapon his wife and daughter were killed along with four other school kids Nora looked at me and then down at the floor I can understand what you were talking about when we get to
know each other just a little better I will tell you all about my life all of it isn't pretty and I'm sorry to say I have had my own five minutes I have never been to prison but what I did could have sent me there except for a sympathetic jury we have a lot to talk about and discover about each other for now may I have one more kiss the last one has left me wanting another I was so new to my son in the morning he had to reacquaint himself with me I soon had
him laughing when I used the pancakes I was making and tried to hit his plate with them like I was tossing a frisbee no sober sides for Nora this morning either she was relishing in the fooling around I was doing acting as if I was the same age as little Milo God was life good I left it to Nora to give little Milo a tour of the inside of the house I did the outside later there was an old barn that had stood on the property since the 1700s I told him I used to climb
way up to the top with my father watching Wow way up there I told him at that time there were animals kept here we had a horse and three cows and several chickens I had a dog too was I ever going to get another dog um now that I think of it I just might would Milo like to have a dog around a very serious reply yes he thought he would I had to get my manuscript in the mail today I left Nora to entertain little Milo I could hear them chattering away and occasionally I
would hear her humming what a change Nora called the hospital to see how Chloe was things were just as they should be SE nothing to report I suggested she called Jack just a touch base questions went back and forth thank you so much for calling how was little Milo good Leo and Norah's home was a better place for him than with his mother what did that mean Nora and I puzzled over that remark but we didn't have enough information to figure out just what Jack meant by it the next 3 days the report from the
doctors was the same on day six it was decided that Khloe could safely be brought up out of her coma we were there waiting the event the doctor cautioned us that Khloe wouldn't be saying anything to us and she might not even recognize us it certainly would be days before she would be getting up and walking Jack and Norah were the first to go in when the doctor said they could 2 minutes only they came out and whispered that she smiled I went in holding little Milo's hand I think the bandages scared him because he
took one look and turned his face into my thigh I said softly Milo misses you very much I am so glad you going to get well we all love you and are praying for you kloe smiled and I led Milo back out he started crying and went to Norah she picked him up and said Mommy would be fine in a little while it took wants to rehabilitate Chloe so she could walk talk and go on with a normal life therapy was long and painful for her we knew about it for when we went to visit
which was often she complained bitterly about what she was going through jack did marry Chloe he said he didn't expect to live many years and didn't want Khloe tied to him but she prevailed he was thankful for Khloe staying with him but she was difficult to live with sometimes the sun seemed to be shining on me finally Norah was a joy to live with and Milo was more so I was never called Milo anymore little Milo had that distinction all to his own I was Leo Nora and I wanted Khloe to be at our wedding
so we waited through the long therapy she was undergoing the wait was all for not for when Jack and his nurse arrived she wasn't with him he said she was sick and refused to make the trip we were married anyway almost from the time I started writing my manuscript I felt good about it my book was finally printed and distributed to the bookstores unbelievable it started climbing the charts and within 6 weeks weeks it was on some of the bests sellers lists every prison in the country added it to their Library apparently there was something
about how I had presented my material it was touted as a red everyone that was connected to Psychiatry and the Criminal Mind was advised to read it also criminologists were interested from the angle I presented I had traveled from smalltown newspaper reporter to prison felon to book author and finally a person that spoke with various state legislators on the subject I had the full support of Nora one night she gave me the story of her life this was before the book came out and she had not read the manuscript as she talked there were similarities
in the instances in our lives I could see the parallels and shuttered as they were related Norah had married a well-to-do executive and had a happy few years coming home early one day she caught her husband and a woman having sex she had screamed profanities at him until he finally told her to shut up and he had reinforced it with a blow to her face he hit her again and then the woman came for her and scratched her arms and face retreating Norah picked up a letter opener and stabbed her husband twice once in the
arm and once in the side he tripped trying to get away from the weapon and opened his eyes to see her on top with the weapon at his throat it was the pause she took to save her from being a killer she said she wanted to plunged the opener into him again and again but paused her tribulation wasn't over for her husband charged her with his stabbing it wasn't until the final cross-examination of the woman with him that day that made the trial swing in Norah's favor the woman had to admit that Norah had been
hit twice and scratched before she went for the letter opener she also admitted that Norah was poised to plunge the weapon into her husband's throat instead she had dropped the weapon and got up and dialed 911 she then sat in a chair across the room waiting for help to arrive Nora admitted that her rage was so great she was out of her mind her husband knew he was going to die when he looked up at his wife that was what stopped her she said when she read my manuscript later she said if I could have
been looking into Jack's eyes I would have flung him down the stairs and disabled him how Norah came to be at my door shortly after I was home from prison was due to Khloe Khloe thought I might be discouraged with life enough to commit suicide she had got a call from a friend in town when I put a classified for a housemate in the paper Nora had been staying with Khloe and within hours she was sitting on my porch I couldn't understand either how she had kept my son a secret for me for so long
most of it was because I would have nothing to do with Chloe and how come I never heard that Khloe had a sister all the time I was married married to her that was easy Khloe's father pressured her mother to shift Norah into the care of his wife's sister so Norah was raised by an aunt the two girls were aware that they had a sibling but never interacted at all they went their own way until Nora looked Khloe up after her trial they were still pretty much strangers although they expressed love for one another family
life was just about perfect for me and Nora little Milo had all the love we could shower on him Jack and I talked once in a while I guess married life was a burden although he never complained Chloe seldom seemed to be at home when I or Nora called or went a visit Milo felt it very much at first but when we didn't see her that often he seemed to put his mother into the past besides he was getting all the love from us we could lavish on the young boy we asked Jack what would
make him the happiest he said that he wanted to have one of those vans that had hand controls that he could drive himself one that he could transport his wheelchair in Nora and I talked and we arranged for Jack to have his van we saw some resentment in Khloe's face when we told jacket was paid for in fact Khloe seemed strange to us she was not even as loving to little Milo it was like she was going through a personality change and becoming a different person Jack made two trips to see us God was he
proud when he pulled into our yard driving the van himself he spent three days with us the first time and a week the second time that week I asked if Chloe wouldn't miss him and why she didn't come he said they were planning on coming a week before Christmas he never did answer if Khloe missed him being away from her Jack called the night before he and Chloe were to come to visit us for the week Christmas was almost here Jack said they would come then because Khloe wanted to be home for the Christmas parties
Etc he was the most upbeat with us in a long time he had little Milo come to the phone and they talked a few minutes he also wanted to speak to Norah and had her laughing over several things he said just before he hung up he said that I was the best friend he had ever had he again said he didn't blame me for the condition he was in the last thing was I love you Leo I love your wife and I love little Milo I thought I heard a catch in his voice as he
hung up the phone Milo asked why did stepdad Jack say goodbye when we are going to see him tomorrow both Norah and I said he said goodbye to us too everyone says goodbye when they hang up the phone I looked at Nora because we had the same feeling why Jack and Khloe were not here at the time they were expected we didn't know why it was Milo who caught it on a television news flash at 6 he came out and said to us he had heard Jack and his mom's name on television they were in
an accident Nora and I rushed in to look the report was all over but we caught it at 7 with pictures Jack's van had crossed the median and dove into the side of an 18-wheeler the flatbed loaded with logs had passed up and over the van when it went underneath the driver Jack Patterson had been alive when the Medics arrived but had succumbed before he could be extricated from the wreckage his wife Khloe had been killed instantly that must be why Jack said goodbye last night when we were talking to him Milo made a connection
and maybe the correct one I put in a call to the state police police and received confirmation that Jack and Khloe were both dead I told them the two were traveling to see us before Christmas as Khloe was my son's mother and my ex-wife Nora and I went to bed wondering if this was really the accident it appeared to be if it wasn't what had driven Jack to kill himself and take Chloe with him the answer arrived in the mail 2 days later my dear friend Leo I'm hoping I won't see you again my phone
call tonight was a goodbye I called and talked to you and Nora and especially my stepson little Milo I'm telling you this this so you will be easy in your mind if I don't reach your home tomorrow somehow between here and your place I intend to destroy Chloe I am resigned to the fact that I will have to take my own life as well but considering all of the pain I have caused you it is only Justice I have come to see Khloe as she really is she is a Totally Wicked Woman and does not
deserve to live since her surgery she has only become worse why the Lord didn't let her die at that time I don't know the one Saving Grace was to bring you and I together again and let me receive your forgiveness maybe that was why also Khloe realized that if she did die little Milo would go and live with you anyway Chloe blackmailed me into marrying her by saying she was going to come and take little Milo away from you and Nora I knew he was just getting to know what real love is with you and
Nora so to prevent that I did as she asked that lasted only a few weeks and tonight she said she was on the way with the Court's permission to make you give him up and make him come back with us she was going to bring out that you were a convicted felon and Nora wasn't much better either for she had stabbed her husband Khloe would win in any family court in the land if it went that far I admit freely that I was having sex with Chloe when she was married to you I became addicted
to her these last few days she taunted me with the fact that you catching us together was a plan from the beginning she thought she could get you to compromise and she would be able to keep you as her husband and me as her lover I could have told her differently knowing you as well as I do Khloe was more pissed off that she lost both you and me and wanted to make both our lives miserable she can't see that it was her that screwed up and she just has kept on blaming you that little
scene about forgiveness before she went into surgery was that was just an act and that sweet little smile she gave us when the doctors brought her out of the coma was an act she has bragged about howling with Glee while telling me her love for little miloon you believe it Khloe detests him she is just using him to get back at you and finally when she realized I have come to love the little Ty she has started in on me don't think Norah is free from her Venom either the plan was for Norah to move
into the house with you and pretend to fall in love and then leave you high and dry more lonely than ever I guess Nora fell in love with you and could see you aren't the monster Khloe painted you to be Bravo for Nora Khloe put on her best Act of all when you and I forgave each other she pulled it off saying it was the best thing that could have happened what she really wanted to do was scream out her hate for all of us those letters she said were duplicates that were written to you
while you were in prison those were too she wrote them about 6 months after Nora when to live with you you may not believe much of this but I have a witness to what kind of a person she is ask George my nurse Khloe always brought men to her room before we were married I didn't say anything at that time she was divorced and had needs however the night we were married she brought a big man home and introduced him to me Jack this is Jamal he and I are going to celebrate our marriage today
if it bothers you just don't listen that was the beginning of my hell from then on it has got steadily worse this week she brought her men right here into my room and performed her unspeakable acts right on my bed George has had the misfortune to observe this on a few occasions as I said it first Chloe plans on bringing little Milo back here with us I can't let that happen I am declaring myself judge jury and finally executioner wish me success I love all of you Leo Nora and little Milo go with God your
friend Jack P.S I have left this letter for George to put in the mail I read the letter and then read it again I passed it to Nora to read what do you think was Jack telling us the truth about Khloe I don't know you knew Khloe better than I did myself I'm inclined to believe him he did say one thing true Khloe did send me here to get you to fall in love with me she said I had better not fall in love with you or I would be sorry I thought at the time
she meant that you would make me terribly unhappy if she saw her plan wasn't working out I suppose she would want to get revenge on both of us I think you were right when I forget Jack for him having sex with Chloe when we were married it seemed to lift a burden off of him Chloe said the words but I didn't get the same gut reaction from her that I got from him what are we going to do about this letter should we show it to the authorities or burn it I think we should burn
it my thoughts exactly letun read it through a couple more times to make sure we haven't missed anything and then I will destroy it as Norah was reading it the last time through I thought how much our world would have been devastated if Chloe did come and take little Milo away from us maybe Jack did have our well-being at heart he certainly sounded sincere enough he had laid out a plan and followed through on it I don't suppose I would ever know for sure I burned his letter along with the so-called duplicates from Khloe I
had never got around to reading the bodies were released to us as we were the nearest relatives I purchased a plot and we buried Jack and Khloe in adjoining Graves a simple stone with names and dates engraved on the surface over time the connection to me would be forgotten by all except for Nora little Milo and me that is the way it should be dear listeners please share your thoughts in the comments section below and don't forget to like share and subscribe
