Who's That Lady in the Bedroom, Daddy?

Who's That Lady in the Bedroom, Daddy? is a story written by Trey Ellis in last Sunday's New York Times that captivated me on the train yesterday. I know what this is like -- as does every single parent. Read it one and all.

Here are some snippets -- I have to respect the copyright though...

Most of my male friends and all of my female ones cautioned me against rushing into another relationship, but I was convinced that what I most needed to help heal my heart was the smell of new skin. I threw myself into every singles bar in my area code but always left as alone as I'd entered, and for months my personal real estate languished on the market.

...

But the next morning I awoke alongside her in my bed, both amazed and relieved - then terrified. My clock said 6:59. I jumped into my sweatpants, intercepted the kids on the stairs, and deftly steered them downstairs with a bribe: "French toast! Who wants French toast?"

...

I made the mistake of opening it in the middle of a typical morning of crazed parenting. My son was not quite out of diapers, and I found myself changing him on the washing machine while my heart battered my insides like an unbalanced load. I swallowed hard and explained to my kids that plans had changed and that Frenchie wasn't coming back. Ever. It's been over a year and a half, and sometimes my son still says he misses her."