"Twenty Years"

A woman awakes during the night to find that her
husband was not in their bed. She puts on her
robe and goes downstairs to look for him. She
finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot
cup of coffee in front of him.

He appears to be in deep thought, just staring
at the wall. She watches as he wipes a tear from
his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.

'What's the matter, dear?' she whispers as she
steps into the room, 'Why are you down here
at this time of night?'

The husband looks up from his coffee, 'I am just
remembering when we first met 20 years ago
and started dating. You were only 16. Do you
remember back then?' he asks solemnly.

The wife is almost reduced to tears herself, just
thinking how caring and sensitive her husband is.

'Yes, I do,' she replies.

The husband pauses.

The words were not coming easily. 'Do you
remember when your dad caught us in the back
seat of my car?'

'Yes, I remember,' said the wife, lowering herself
into a chair beside him.

The husband continues. 'Do you remember when
he shoved that shotgun in my face and said,
'Either you marry my daughter, or I will send
you to jail for 20 years. '

'I remember that, too,' she replies softly.

He wipes another tear from his cheek and says....

'I would have gotten out today . . ..'