My sisters and I come from one of those families with everyone beginning with the same letter. My parents put a different spin on it and instead of being called Andrea, Angelina, and Aimee, we are Drea, Lina, and Aimee. We also all married men that are very good providers, terrific fathers but sometimes seem to others as a bit unreasonable. This is a story about last weekend when all three of us went out of bounds, according to the husbands and though only one of us learned something new in her marriage, all of us now swear to behave better in the future...
Lina is the best of us. She reads books on how to be a submissive wife. Her husband is a pilot and is only home for three days and then leaves for four. When he is gone she works to make sure the kids are happy and healthy while they still follow the rules as if he is home. With two kids this isn't an easy task but she's a really devoted wife and considers marriage her calling so she does everything he asks without complaint.
Drea is good for other reasons. Her husband is a CFO and provides very well for her and her girls. Drea behaves well all the time because people are watching and John flips out if she even goes to the store before she showers on a Saturday morning. He is so into what people think that it has actually rubbed off on her and when he's around she is a total snob, but when it's just us sisters, she is still the Drea we have always loved.
Then there's me...Aimee. While I love my husband and the life he has afforded us, I still can't help myself on occasion and I do what I want always trusting he'll take care of things on the home front. I have three sons and sometimes the testosterone makes me run for the hills. Anyway, what happened last weekend was really my fault but Lina got the worst of it, or did she? I mean, there is something to be said to getting it over with and having the anger behind you. Could I be jealous?
I was in a car accident. It was bad. The car was totaled. The accident was not my fault; some old lady crossed the center line and wiped me out. This was where I made my mistake. I called my sisters. I did not call my husband because I didn't want to fight with him and I knew he was angry that I had decided to squeeze a little more summer into my vacation time so I went to our lake house to get away alone. I didn't want to hear that if I had been doing what I should have been doing, staying home, then it wouldn't have happened, and I didn't want to worry him.
Lina was home with her kids. Her husband, Mike was flying. I called her crying after the accident and asked if she could come get me. She never hesitated. She shipped each of her kids off with friends and got in the car. It was late, maybe ten at night already. She had already said goodnight to Mike, so she was in the clear. On the way she called Drea and together they headed up to save me. They arrived to find me already at the lake house and nursing a cocktail and a few bad bruises. I had refused medical treatment but had indeed agreed with the physician's assistant when he encouraged me to try a script of vicodin. All of these things would have sent my husband into a tizzy, which is why of course, I didn't say anything.
Because I didn't say anything to my husband, it forced both of my sisters to lie to their husbands lest mine find out by default. See where this is going?
The first night they arrived and cooked a midnight meal and we sat around the fire pit and laughed and enjoyed each others company. The next morning we were all hung over and it was time to face the music. Then the sun came out and we thought about staying just one more night.
Lina sent Mike a test text. She said "I'm at the lake with my sisters and we are considering staying another night. What do you think about that?"
The answer she got was "WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU?" and then the phone actually rang and Mike never calls when he's flying. He says he can text on autopilot but hearing her voice is too distracting. It's a "I'm so in love with you" thing and it makes me gag just thinking about it. Their conversation went something like this; observe as she immediately caves and throws me under the bus.
"Where are you?" Mike asks. "I'm at the lake with my sisters." Lina answers in the sweetest voice ever. "So, when we said goodnight last night, you packed a bag and drove two hours to the lake without the children?" Mike is still asking questions."you not only left our home but you left the state without telling me anything?" "Well, yeah, I guess that is what happened but it's not the whole story." Lina says. "LINA! DON'T!" Drea and I both yell before she does the unthinkable and tells the truth. "Aimee had a car accident but don't tell Will. She wants to tell him after she sees the doctor on Monday. She's shaken and bruised but she has vicodin and wine and the car is totaled and you know how he can be." "VICODIN AND WINE? ARE YOU INSANE? SHE CAN DIE! And, yes, I know exactly how both my brothers in law can be and frankly I think all of you should be in big trouble but it seems I am the only one that knows how to show that I truly love my wife."
At this comment, Lina starts to well up with tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't know she could die. I will take the pills away" (I am totally shaking my head at this. She'll have to kill me to get these magic pills) "and I won't let her drink anymore but my question was what do you think about me staying over night here again. The kids are fine. They are with friends. Please?"
"I'm coming home tonight." Mike answers.
Here comes the misunderstanding. "Oh good. So you'll pick up the kids. That's great. You're the best. Love you."
Drea's Odyssey will have to be told in a whole separate story suffice it to say that she called home and was instructed to get home immediately. She told about my accident and John was somewhat pacified.
We spent the day with many cocktails. They had indeed taken away my vicodin (bitches) but they didn't take away my vodka and we went to the diner and ordered lots of food to be eaten at various intervals. We spent hours in the sun and surf and napping and then drinking more and napping more and all the while we laughed and spent time together that we hadn't done in ages. It was actually worth the accident. Then Lina's phone rang. It was about 9 pm at this point and we were in no condition to drive anywhere, let alone the two hours home. Besides, he said he would pick up the kids. Didn't that mean she should stay? Apparently, not...
"Lina, where are you? I'm home and the house is a bit quiet. No you, no kids. The dog is tied up and has no food. What's going on?"
"I told you I was staying another night. Didn't you pay attention?" Lina tends to get a little loose when she drinks.
"Excuse me?" Mike asked, clearly not amused. "Are you really still at the lake? Are you drunk?"
