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 wiped 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 is coffee, "Do you remember 20 years ago when
we were dating, and you were only 16?" he asks solemnly. The wife is
touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring and sensitive.
"Yes I do," she replies.
The husband paused. The words were not coming easily.
"Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car
making love?"
"Yes, I remember," said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside
him.
The husband continued. "Do you remember when he shoved the 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 replied softly.
He wiped another tear from his cheek and said......"I would have gotten
out today."


