Daughters of the Shadow Men

Dean and Elaine, his high school sweetheart

After a year, Dean came to Phoenix he said to see the boys, having saved up enough to buy a second hand car.  He had of course sent no money as he said he did not make enough to save up for a car and send me money, too! 

He bounded into the room with quite an eager look on his face, not looking at his boys he had not seen for so long but at me.  I knew he thought that I would surely be ready for sex by this time and was still married to him so would not have likely gone searching for anybody else.  I was prepared for him and turned his attention as firmly as I could to his sons, saying that this time the separation was for good.  It had been hard to sever the tie, so we ought not to spoil the good work we had done by reconciling just for sex! 

He turned rather grim and did not stay long.  He had not been home two days until he called me and said, "I want a divorce!"  "Fine," I said, "but I have no money.  Are you willing to pay for it?"  He said that yes, he was, and to go to a lawyer as soon as possible.

Somewhat surprised at his haste, I did go see a lawyer, who said he needed $200 up front.  I called Dean and he sent the money very shortly.  When we went to court the lawyer disapproved of me only asking for $60 a month child support, but I said I would rather go with less and be more sure of getting it.  I didn't take back my maiden name of King becaue I had two Shurtz boys and thought that would complicate things. 

I notified Dean through Margie that as soon as I went to court the divorce was legal.  Margie called a few days later with a bombshell. "Well, your ex husband has turned his trailer back over to us and his car, and he has flown to Hawaii to marry his old girlfriend, Elaine." 

I must confess I had never thought about that really happening.  Once Elaine had brought quite a handsome Hawaiian home where she went to work not long after Dean and I married, and she said she was going to marry him, but nothing came of it.  I was sorry, as I knew she and her sisters loved children, so being single  so long must have been hard on her.  But I was concerned about her undisguised hatred of me.  She seemed to think I was wholly to blame for Dean's decision to marry me instead of her!  I certainly had not held a gun to his head, and I thought if she continued to hate me, she would be hard put to be a decent stepmother to our kids. 

Dean said years later he sang "Blue Hawaii" to their wedding.  I had always loved this song and used to request he sing it accapello on long trips, and I would coach him on how to sound more romantic!  I had no doubt that he thrilled her and all the other guests with his soulful rendition.  Well, I wished them well. 

He was apt to have to stay sober married to her, since all their family were devout Mormons which would be much better for the marriage and the kids! They had two. He said years later that he got up and went to church with her for 19 years!  I was surprised.  Yes, he did change.  But then something happened that caused him to regress into alcoholism and divorce, but that is another story.   

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