Sharing Jane

Some secrets don't stay buried.

Jane Miller teaches art history at the local community college and sits on the school board in Lake Forest. She's refined, respected, the kind of woman who organizes fundraisers and knows the right wine for every occasion. Her husband Steve thinks he knows everything about her.

Then he finds the photo.

It falls out of an old book while he's organizing his office—Jane at twenty-three, front row at a dive bar concert, wearing an Iron Wake t-shirt and screaming with reckless abandon. She looks like someone he's never met. When Steve googles the band, he discovers a song called "Raising Jane" with lyrics explicit enough to leave no doubt: his wife spent the summer of 2004 following a regional metal band around Wisconsin, and the song about the woman who "took all five" is about her.

His reaction surprises them both. He's not angry. He's not hurt. He's turned on.

When Jane admits the truth—embarrassed, defensive, certain he'll judge her—Steve asks the question she never expected: "Do you miss it?" He wants to know that version of his wife. He wants to see her reclaim the woman she used to be. And he's willing to watch whatever it takes to make that happen.

What happens when you want all of your wife—including the version she left behind?