In the end, Thomas Stepforth would have to remain who he was at the core … he had thought about tactic after tactic after tactic to induce his wife to respond to his invitation to New Year's Eve breakfast, but he realized that 9 out of 10 of them would be an insult to her, because she would know he was being fake.

He definitely needed to be more tactful than he had sometimes been, but, he had always been a direct man.  

So, he had just called her and left her a message, telling her that he was in Washington after having completed some business, and that he would like to take her to breakfast, just because.  

They had always been cordial, after all, negotiating holiday time with the family and all the rest.

There was no outright reason she should say no, after all. 

There was also no outright reason she should say yes, either.

Mr. Stepforth also had self-respect; he refused to sit in his hotel looking at the phone and wait.  It was 9:00pm by the time he made that call, and she knew he went to bed around 11:00.  Either she would call or she wouldn't, and when she did she would say yes or no.  Either way, Mr. Stepforth knew he had to get on with his life.
He was deep in his review of next steps with Lofton National Bank when Mrs. Stepforth called.

“Good evening, Tom.”

“Good evening, Velma.”

Awkward silence, and then Mr. Stepforth repeated himself; he was in Washington on business, but it had wound down and he would like to take her to breakfast, just because.

“Did the business come out successfully?” she asked.

He almost did what he had always done – blurted it all out in detail, with all his attached feelings of vindication and triumph OR grief and rage.

Almost.  This was her tactic to see if he had made any changes at all.

He had, although it had only been a few days.

“Yes, it did, Velma.  It will mean a lot for Lofton County in the next year, but next year is next year.  Tomorrow is still 2019.”

Another long silence.  That had surprised her, greatly.

“I came up here to do business,” he added, “but that is a separate thing than my inviting you to breakfast.”

She chuckled, at last.

“Well, well, well,” she said softly.  “I guess I was right to never quite despair that you would realize that, Tom.”

“Well, I don't see where you left me any choice, Velma.”

Then, he blurted – he just couldn't hold it any longer.

“I still love you, Velma,” he said, his voice breaking, “and I don't think I'd still have your number if you didn't still love me.”
“You're right.  You wouldn't.  But that was never the issue, Tom.  You're 65 now.  It has finally dawned on you that you are an old man about to face all of that alone, and now you have worked it out.  But I was alone while at home with you for 20 years, for you to figure it out in ten more.  That's 30 years, Tom, and here I am still considering your invitation.  Love was never the issue.  I will love you until and after the Lord takes us both home.  But what I can't have is my time and peace wasted.  I've had ten good and peaceful years.”

“I'm not asking you to come back to me,” Mr. Stepforth said.  “I haven't earned that.  I'm just asking if I can bless you with breakfast, just because.”

“You're still trying to set me up to ask, though, Tom.  I know you.”

“Okay, yes – but, maybe you'll like the setup!  You've already proven to me that if you don't, you will walk away!  You don't think I realize now that you are serious?”

“I don't know if you want to work all that hard, Tom.”

“You're right – I didn't before, and, all right, if I thought I could get away with not working on the business of my marriage, I might slip back into bad habits.  It's a big risk for you and a lot of work for me – I see that now.  But I have to try, Velma!  I have to try!  You know me – I can't give up on anything I really want, and you're the only woman there ever was for me!  Now I've kept going and I will keep going if I fail, but I have to try!”

This was the most open and transparent Mr. Stepforth had ever been about how driven he was, about how he was motivated, about what he knew were his failings.  

“I ought to just tell you no,” she said.  “It took me a long time to get my life the way I needed it to be, and now here you come again, and I don't think you even know yet how to do the work you think you are ready to do.”

“I can learn.  I will learn. I have gone to the Lord and He has shown me my evil ways and will give me the power to walk right.   I have a counselor now who cuts me no slack.  I will be taking anger management classes as well.  I am humbling all the way down, Velma.  My behavior has lost me nothing in dollars – I have come as close to gaining the whole world as a Black man ever will.  But you were my heart, and my soul, Velma, and I pushed you away.  I see it.  I hate myself for it.  I have confessed it to God.  I know I can't fix it tomorrow morning.  I know I have a ton of work to do before you could even think about coming back to me.  I know that.  

“I also know that I have to do the work because I need to do it.  I have to get right because I have to get right.   No matter what you say about breakfast, I have to still go do the work because I need to do it.  I recognize that.  We have children and grandchildren, and in the last 30 years they have paid for my foolishness too.  I am responsible to God for all of that, and I can't carry it any more.  I have to get right.  I know that.”

Long silence.

“So, why are you in Washington?”

“I really did have business here, Velma.”

“What would you have been doing otherwise?”

“I would likely have been at a counseling appointment, but I did have to come to Washington today.”

“And since God opened up the door … .”

“You know me, Velma.  My counselor, Rev. Stone, would have told me I had lost my mind, that I really needed to focus on what I needed to do for myself, but then I had to come here anyway.  I had to try, Velma … I had to try.”

Velma Stepforth took several moments to just pray in silence before answering her ex-husband, asking the Spirit of God to guide her … and He did.

“All right, Tom.  I'll meet you at Osman & Joe's, at 10:00, just because.”