Building reserves

Having just narrowly escaped annihilation and the sticky bonds of the web created by DF and KMC, January ended on a more positive note. The divorce hearing was scheduled for April, just 90 days away and barring any unforeseen delays, it would signal an end to intrusions by both of them and an opportunity to move forward with my life. I'd been left drained completely, emotionally and financially, and that was debilitating, but I had hope for the future.

I'd been a "liquid lunch" for my estranged husband and his accomplice, but I was thankful that I retained some positive attributes that they'd not been able to secure. Hope, trust and a deep passion for life. CMR 's interest reinforced that. He was warm and stimulating and his presence in my life was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the bleak wintery skies.

The first week in February was going to be a rather busy time for CMR. He had a number of contracts due and a contingent of businessmen from Japan were in Tallahassee to discuss another project. He'd be tied up for the better part of the next day or two entertaining them. I, too, had a project to complete. I was preparing for the annual shareholder meetings and preparing to write my annual report, due by February 10. Naturally, I was delighted when the day the Japanese arrived, CMR broke his engagements to chat with me for several hours before heading to the airport to pick them up. And although he expected to be entertaining them for a late dinner, was back online before 10:00 PM, saying that he'd abbreviated the evening festivities because he was in "El withdrawal". We chatted into the early hours of the morning before signing off.


As had become a fairly regular practice, when I arrived at the office the following morning there was an offline message from him, dashed off an hour after we said good night, hoping I was sleeping peacefully and that he'd prefer that I were wrapped up in his arms than alone in bed. At CMR's request, I'd promised to rummage through photo albums to see if I had some additional photographs of me that I could email. I didn't have many left after DF destroyed most of me and had so politely cut any that featured both of us in two, (as in the example to the right) in a fit of rage one day. An action that seems befitting, now that more information has come to light.

Nonetheless, I agreed to search for something, as soon as I could and CMR agreed to email more of him to me too. Needless to say, I was anxious to receive them.