Is kissing technically cheating?

Dear Phyllis,
I’ve read all the Alice books and I don’t care what anyone thinks when I’ll tell them they’re the greatest series out there! Well done! I do have to ask you though, When Patrick rejected the other woman who tried to seduce him in the final book, I was proud of him that he finally didn’t leave Alice for another, but He did kiss Helene on the forehead, does that count as him cheating?

I’m not the final authority on what’s what; I know that a couple can be so intent on “bean counting,” that every little thing the other one does is scrutinized and debated, and if the marriage gets down to that, it’s in trouble.  I think the Golden Rule would be, “Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do in front of your wife (or husband).”  But I would also consider what a person’s intention was.  If the forehead kiss was a goodbye, for example.  Was it “I found you attractive but I would never hurt my wife and carry this any further”?  Or was it a “Wow!  I’m really going to miss you but I’m married”?  I believe Patrick’s kiss was saying that while he found Helene attractive, he loved his wife deeply and so this was goodbye.”