It is raining. A hard driving rain on an unseasonably cold night less than a week after my wife's screaming fit over my suddenly figured out non-monogamy. Miserable weather for a miserable time.

Yet still life must go on. I am late getting home from work. My wife has gone off to a meeting leaving my daughter at a friend's to be picked up. Still contemplating my life I trudge off to get her. I am too self-absorbed to care about the weather, but I do realize upon arriving at her friend's house soaking wet and shivering cold that making my daughter walk back home through this mess is unfair to her.

My daughter's friend's mother does not even wait for me to ask. Indeed she is unusually friendly this evening, much less distant than normal. I have previously been astounded at her formality, at how little she seems to fit the stereotype of a hot-blooded Latina. But tonight she is positively bubbly, almost bouncing down the stairs toward me, more buttons unfastened on her blouse than I ever remember seeing, calling out to her husband that she is giving us a lift home even before she broaches the question with me.

I admire her for the umpteenth time as she brushes past me toward the front door, at her ripe breasts, her flashing eyes, her smooth olive skin, her dark shining shoulder length hair and her tight round ass.

"Get in" she orders as we leave the house, gesturing at the car. I enter the passenger side my daughter enters the back seat, and my daughter's friend's mother slips into the driver's side as smooth and sexy as hell. I picture her disheveled, eyes flashing, sliding on top of me with the same animal grace.

We ride in silence the few blocks back to my house in the driving rain, with only the regular snick of the wind-shield wipers for accompaniment.

Minutes later we are there, she is stopping the car, my daughter is dashing out the back door of the car to the front door of the house. Older and slower I open my door, step out, turn and lean back in to thank her.

"Hey," she says, leaning toward me, exposing even more cleavage, eyes locked on mine. "Your wife told me what happened. Any time you need a ride, just ask."

I feel the misery slipping away, a smile overtaking my face. "I will" I promise. "I most definitely will."

I close the door. She drives off.

I am standing alone again in the dark, in the unseasonable cold, in the driving rain, not caring. But this time, this time, I am not caring because I have hope, incredible hope, for the future.