Boyfriend 7 is dying

 I honestly thought I'd never have anything more to post about any of Wife's boyfriends, except maybe the occasional retrospective or "blast from the past" when I wrote about something that happened long ago. But I guess I was wrong.

A little after 10 o'clock this morning I got a text from Wife.

Wife: Not that you care, but Bruce* is on hospice.

Hosea: Bruce who?

Wife: Bruce Jenner.* The Bruce who's been part of my life for a number of years now. No matter.

* In other words, Boyfriend 7. Obviously this guy's name isn't really "Bruce Jenner"! Like everyone else in this blog except public figures or authors, I have given him a fake name.

Hosea: OK. I remember the Jenners.** But after all I haven't been part of your life for several years now so my news is a little out of date. For that reason I have to ask you to cut me a little slack on that front. Anyway I'm glad you were able to find someone. Hospice is tough. Hope you can still visit despite COVID.

**Wife met them back when she was attending the local Baptist church, a church she dragged me and the boys to join her at for a few years. Bruce's wife Sue Jenner ran a women's small group for Bible study that Wife was part of for years, and she shows up briefly in this story here under the header "Sunday morning at church" and named "Mrs. B." Sorry, end of digression.

Wife: He's at home right now, so yes. It's a matter of paying for transportation. 

But COVID? What's the worst that could happen? He could get sick and die? A little black humor …. 

Actually, I could. He has enough health care providers that I will be very careful. I'm used to a virtual quarantine.

Hosea: At home? Is he still with Sue? Isn't that … awkward?

Wife: Sue and also Steve, his 30-something son who has lived there the last five years. Awkward? Bruce is my best friend and confidant and vice versa. Would we still be more if prostate cancer hadn't interfered years ago? Maybe. But as it is, we're just the best of friends. Sue and I were friends back at church and if she suspects anything she's never let on, so no. I just blend into the family. Steve is the only one I'm still awkward around. I wish it weren't so. But I would never, ever do anything to come between Bruce and Sue, and I've paid the price for being the "other woman," which BTW is steep. Yet it has been worth it, so what can I say? 

I always knew I'd get hurt, either by break-up or death because he's a decade my senior. I just didn't expect him to die at 67. 

In our world, that is young. 

It was amyloidosis -- in reaction to an extended infection gotten at the hospital with a knee replacement. So his knee replacement killed him.

__________

And that's the news.

I don't know what I want to say about it. Of course while we were living under the same roof I was really frustrated and really upset by the way Wife carried on with all her amours -- at least until I got so disgusted with her that I just stopped caring. But everyone needs to know that someone cares about them, somewhere in the world. Once we were done and I was safely out of the house, it did occur to me from time to time that she probably needed someone in her life as an emotional anchor, whether that person were a sexual lover in addition or not. 

I'm pretty sure that I've talked about this from time to time over the years. Here's one post that I was able to think of and find. (Check Note 8.) There might be others. I realize that the labels I use to categorize posts are never actually useful when I want to track down something specific.

As for the sexual side, … well she says prostate cancer ended that, though I have already expressed myself on why that's a foolish excuse. But maybe I'm wrong. Even before I moved out of the house I remember Wife saying at one point that she could no longer come. I don't know if that was something temporary, or if it was permanent. If it were permanent then I guess she might still enjoy the closeness of sex and being able to host a lover inside her, but any ability he might have with tongue and fingers would be irrelevant.

Whatever. I don't know, don't need to know, and don't even really want to know.

I am glad she found someone for emotional support. God knows, during the thirty years I knew her she needed a lot of emotional support and I assume she still does. It's too bad he's dying now.