I allowed her to finish her apology before responding. I pointed out that her remorse seemed to stem from being caught, and I felt that we had a responsibility to be honest with our children. As soon as I mentioned this, her expression shifted to one of distress. She lowered her head, holding it with both hands as if she had a headache. After raising her head, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and began fanning herself as if she were hyperventilating. I remained stoic and didn't react to her dramatic response.
She fell silent for a moment and then admitted that she understood she would eventually have to tell them the truth, but needed time to gather the courage. She inquired about ways to save our relationship; she suggested the idea of allowing an open marriage on my part while she remained faithful. She begged me not to pressure her to tell the children the truth and suggested that we keep it between us.
I insisted that she had to tell the children the truth. I asked her how long the affair had been going on.
She claimed that the affair had been going on for six years. Mind you, Jason must have been in high school then.
I pressed her for more details, and she explained that the first occurrence happened accidentally. It was during our youngest daughter's basketball game. She was supposed to watch our daughter's first basketball game with our son, who had invited Jason to join them. The game was scheduled for around 5:00 p.m., but there was a delay, so our daughter was practicing with her team while our son either watched or played on his phone—she couldn't recall. Jason was sitting between her and our son, and she engaged in a conversation with him. She mentioned needing some fresh air, and Jason accompanied her. They eventually found themselves in her minivan, and one thing led to another, resulting in a kiss and intimacy in the back of her minivan in the high school parking lot.