Couldn’t

Jackie resigned soon after the insurance company reluctantly paid off her dead husband’s policy. Daniel had heard from friends in Tampa she was living there, giving rich widows a bad name.

When I told Dr. Deb about Jackie, she said, “How could you poison someone? How could you watch another human being slowly die? Someone you loved enough to marry?”

“I have no idea,” I said, thinking about the months it took for Jackie’s husband to waste away.

“You could never do that to me,” Dr. Deb said, laughing.  “You love me too much. The guilt would kill you, and you couldn’t stand to see the pain in kids’ faces.”

“Probably not, it’s hot as hell in Tampa,” I said. “I couldn’t live there.”  She punched me.  I thought of all things I couldn’t do that people got in trouble for.  Being sober had added to that list. I couldn’t drive drunk again if I didn’t drink. If I couldn’t drive drunk, I couldn’t put other people’s lives in danger driving half conscious.

Today I’ll be grateful for all the things I couldn’t do.

Burnout Training ©2018 by Ken Montrose

Burnout Training is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/