The years in Texas had taken their toll. Kate would have never admitted it to Mickey, but she was exhausted by the time he received word about his next parish. For ten years he had poured himself into his work, which generally meant that she and their daughter saw far too little of him. And when he did have some time at home he was tired and distracted. She had felt herself beginning to resent his work, even as she tried to be the model minister's wife. She loved him but she missed him.
She received the news of their pending move to Tennessee with mixed emotions. This was a smaller congregation than the one Mickey had built in Texas, which should mean less demand. But it was a struggling church, and if she knew her husband, he would pour himself into it with the same enthusiasm that he had in their last place.
"I have some good news," he announced as he came through the door a month before the move.
"Oh?" Kate was leary. Good news for Mickey normally meant one more thing that would rob his time and energy from Kate.
"We're going on vacation. Michael called and said that we have nearly a month between the time we leave here and the date we start in Knoxville."
"A month? Really?" She was slow to get her hopes up. As much as she didn't want to, she couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.
"Yes. I was thinking we might go visit your parents for a week and then head over to spend some time with mine." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek.
She was warming to the idea. "So... three weeks with your family?"
Mickey laughed. "No, I wouldn't do that to you. Actually, I was thinking about a couple of days. And then we leave Elli with them for a week or so while the two of us get away."
"Can we do that?" It had been far too long since they spent time alone. Six years. Houston, for that conference.
"Yep. I've already set it up. They're eager to spend some time with their granddaughter, and I have tickets and reservations in hand."
"Tickets?" She could feel her hopes rising.
"I hope you can find your passport. Jamaica."
"No!" she nearly squealed. "Are you sure? I mean, can we afford that?'
"We can. I've been setting money aside for a long time now. Too long, Katey. So start thinking about what you're gonna pack. And I hope that you don't need to think about it too long. The less the better as far as I'm concerned." He left out the last bit that he had planned on telling her. After all, he still had a month before they left.
He could see the look in her eye. She needed this trip as much as he did. They needed the time together. For the last year and a half every time he sat down with a couple whose marriage was struggling he felt more and more guilty. The advice he gave to them was the counsel he needed himself. He could only pray that Tennessee would offer him a chance to get it right and that Jamaica would allow them both to reset.
For four weeks they said goodbye to people they cared about. They shed some tears, laughed over some memories, heard kind words, and made meaningful speeches. But on a deeper level, they couldn't wait to move on.
They enjoyed catching up with Kate's family on that plain in Iowa. And her parents were thrilled to have a week to spoil their only granddaughter. As they made their way south to Oklahoma to drop their daughter off, all either of them could think about was the warm Caribbean sun and time alone.
Their flight took them through DFW and they found themselves wandering through a bookstore. Kate looked for a copy of The Sensuous Couple, just to tease Mickey with it. On a more serious level, she thought that maybe they could both use a refresher.
As she was looking through similar titles, Mickey nudged her. She looked up to see him holding something behind his back with a goofy grin on his face. He dramatically produced a book of his own. Bedtime Tales for Lovers. "It might help you get to sleep at night", he teased. "Some of these titles look very interesting."
He was happy to see Kate's reaction. The last years had been hard on her, he knew. She felt distant from him, and he was sure that she probably felt the same way about him. They needed this time. Seeing that book reminded him of those Friday nights they used to enjoy and he hoped that this trip might start some new habits for them.
He bought the book and they held hands as they wandered to their gate. Kate felt herself getting caught up in the moment. Despite her excitement over the trip, she realized that her breath was actually slowing a bit. Maybe, she hoped, a few days on the beach would be a cure for her stress. And Mickey's. She thought he was about to tell her something when they announced that their flight was boarding.
The flight was pleasant enough and they noticed that the formal arrival process was easier than some of the other places they had visited on church-related mission trips. Mickey assumed that Jamaica was more welcoming to tourists - and their money. Kate spotted a few things in the airport for Elli and made a mental note to pick something up on their way home.
It took them a few minutes to find their transportation, but soon they were boarding a small bus with several other excited vacationers. Most seemed to be from Europe. Mickey, in his usual way, made a couple of friends along the way. Kate was busy taking in the sights. They left the business of the city quickly and traveled along a narrow highway, passing through small towns, never far from the coast.
After about an hour the driver stopped at a small stand to allow them to stretch their legs and get a drink and a snack.
"Mickey, these people are all going to different hotels," she said as she took the bottle of Coke from him.
"Mm-hmm," he hummed as he took his first drink. There wouldn't be a better time.
"So we just get off at ours?" She wondered.
"Yeah. I guess it's like a transit bus. Just get off at your stop." He took a deep breath and quick glance to be sure there was no one too close to them. "Listen, Kate. There's something I should have mentioned earlier."
There it was. The other shoe. She had been expecting it for a month. Undoubtedly, he would be speaking somewhere, attending a conference, or participating in some committee. This was a work trip thinly disguised as a vacation. If he had only been honest with her from the beginning.
"The hotel where we're staying..."
She interrupted before he could finish. "Is hosting a conference and you will be tied up for a bit now and then," she said flatly.
He looked confused. "No. There's no... Wait? Is that what you've been thinking? That I have some kind of ulterior motive?"
He looked hurt and she liked the look on him. At least she did for a second. "Well," she started to defend herself, then softened. "You don't?"
It was at that moment that Mickey began to understand what the past decade had done to his wife. What
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