In all reality, is it possible to be happily married, love another man besides your husband, and continue to be a normal functioning family? In "Love Is Not a Pie,"" a short story by Amy Bloom, Lila has had a long time affair outside of her marriage. When asked, how could she have done such an outrageous thing as to love two men, she replies with the ever so clearly statement, "love is not a pie."" There is not some limited amount of love to be divided into pieces and passed around. Bloom's story leads to a daughter's awareness of her father's acceptance of her mother's Lila's lover, which guides the daughter through her own struggles with a marriage proposal.
We begin the story with the death of a character, Lila. At first, we can assume that this is a normal family, with the death of a loved one. Later on in the story, the writer places the reader in an awkward situation. After the funeral, at the wake we are introduced to a character that we are yet to forget. "My sister and I sat down on the couch, pressed against each other, watching our father cry all over his friend, our mother's lover-(2). We can see early on that the father character is obviously a good friend of this man, but the question is, does the father know his wife and this character were having an affair? All signs point to, yes. Take for example, the situation at the cabin when Lila, and Mr. DeCuervo share an intense dance in front of her husband. "My mother's movements got deeper and smoother, and Mr. DeCuervo suddenly came alive, as though a spotlight had hit him-(7). Alternatively, another example, when Ellen happens to discover Mr. DeCuervo and her mother having an intimate moment. "I saw my mother and Mr. DeCuervo hugging, and I remember being surprised, and puzzled-(8). Although this may not seem very relevant, because, it does however demonstrate they were not shamed to hide their affection. By the time, Ellen, and her sister Lizzie are old enough to understand, they may begin to get the hint that the love affair was not intended to be a secret, but a common relationship.
