“Domestic Regrets”

Yesterday, LuEllen and Betty were sitting out on Betty’s front porch, watching their kids playing in the front yard. They were enjoying one last cup of coffee and some adult conversation before going in to start dinner. Their conversation was monopolized with the usual….housework, kids, etc. I think LuEllen and Betty must have six or seven school-age kids between ‘em and a couple lap younguns. They sort of talked themselves out and a silence fell between them, during which they rocked silently absorbed with the children’s antics. It’d been a long day for everyone. After a while, Lu Ellen hollered at her brood to start towards the house. Then she turned to her friend and picked up where they’d left off.

“It’s not that I’m unhappy with my life,” Lu Ellen said. “I know Bill works hard to make a living for us. Some women can’t say that. And the kids, they’re all pretty good kids, really, it’s just they’re so demanding. Mama this, mama that, it never stops…I swannee, sometimes I just want to run away from it all.”

LuEllen sighed deeply.

Her friend stopped rocking. “Now darlin’,” Betty said. “Don’t go getting all sad on me. My husband is always poor-mouthing. I just don’t think I can take it from you, too.”

“Sorry,” Lu Ellen said. “I won’t.” After a moment she tried again, “But really, Betty,” she said. “Don’t you ever look at a man and wish you were single again?”

Betty rocked a few more times and then spoke up, “Yeah, sugar to tell you the truth, I do.”

LuEllen leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Really, Betty Lynn?” she asked, “Who?”

“My husband…”