That was the worst day of my life though a couple of other days came close. There was the day Julie left me, moving in with Mark and Charlotte. Charlotte’s concerns about Mark’s infidelity was to be kept in check if he had two women. When that didn’t’ seem enough, Julie offered up our own daughter as Mark’s third wife.

Another really bad day was at the hospital, nine months later. Charlotte and Julie were both giving birth to Mark’s babies. The school nurse at his high school had given birth a day earlier and was being discharged. Mark’s attentions were split three ways. My daughter, Glenda, was six month’s pregnant and remained at Mark’s side.

And today’s a pretty bad day too. Some co-workers offered to take me fishing and I thought I needed it to take my mind off my problems. Others on the boat turned out to be husbands and fathers of some of my co-workers. Once we were out in the open ocean, I felt a push at my lower back, a loss of balance, the shock of cold water, and the taste of salt.

“Hey,” I yell up at the boat.

“Enjoy your swim,” one of the men say. They are throwing bait into the water, chumming, they call it.

I try to swim toward the boat but some wiseass steers the boat away, even as they toss fish tidbits at me that land in the water around me. “This isn’t funny,” I say.

“We’re laughing,” someone says from the boat.

I point at some vertical fins coming toward me. “What are those?” I ask.

“Dolphins,” they all say, laughing. “They’re going to play with you.”

“Yeah, this is a bad day. But still not quite as bad as that night in the cabin.