“Hey! Do you want to come over to the house? Our kiddos could play. We could hang out. What do you say?” Karlee was almost giddy as she talked.

“Sure. But are you or your kiddos sick?”

“Why do you always ask that? Do you realize how inconsiderate you are?”

“Well you all did just move here from overseas, and you are still acclimating. Also, you all have been sick with various viruses for the last six months. This is nothing new for me to ask. Whenever I am invited somewhere I ask the host if anyone is sick. I have an infant. I would rather to not have a sick infant. And especially, we are going to be traveling down to see my pregnant sister here soon. They tried so hard for this baby; that I will not be bringing down a germ to them. So are you or your kids ill?”

“No we are not. But I think we are no longer available today. Goodbye.” Karlee ended the call.

I sat there puzzled and confused. Why did Karlee respond so abruptly. I’ve always asked if her family was sick before coming over. I always ask anyone. Not only did I not want to have sick children, but I didn’t want to get sick. Or have my husband get sick and still have to work. Inconsiderate? To me it would be more inconsiderate to invite people over to your house, knowing that you are sick. And in a way, Karlee had done that once before. They came to church one Sunday knowing their kid had the stomach flu. Naturally didn’t tell us until we were about to leave church; where our kids had been in close quarters with their son. To me that’s being inconsiderate.

“Hey Hon,” Jarred popped his head into the doorway.

“Yeah,” I placed my phone down on the coffee table.

“Did you just talk to Karlee?”

“Yeah. How did you know that?”

“Well Carl just texted me a long old text. About, how could I let my wife talk to his wife that way. That you are such an inconsiderate friend. That you must be stupid for constantly asking if his family is sick all the time. That you are a terrible mother for acting this way. That our kids are not growing up with proper parenting. That I need to manage my wife better. Any of this making sense to you? Did Carl loose his mind?”

‘Wow. Just wow.’ I recapped what had been said between Karlee and myself. I didn’t think it was enough to warrant Karlee tattling to her husband.

“I had hoped that it was a wrong person type of text. What’s Carl’s problem? Who is he to call my wife stupid? Question us on our parenting? Inconsiderate? Does he not see his text as rude to your feelings or mine? At the end of the text he added, ‘don’t tell your wife’. Like does he not know me by now? You and I don’t have secrets. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”

‘I forgot. It’s not just me loosing a friend. But my husband now is loosing one too. Making friends when you are older is impossible.’ “Not quite yet. Let me reach out to Karlee, and question her first.”

Text: “I thought we were adults. I would prefer if you have something to say about me, you just say it to me. There’s no reason to get the husbands involved. I don’t appreciate your husband ridiculing my husband and my family. Please next time just say it my face or text it to me.”

Karlee’s reply: “I told him not to say anything. I vented to him; like all couples do. I’ll have him apologize to your husband.”

Text: “My husband doesn’t need a forced apology. If your husband wants to send one he can but a forced apology means nothing. That this will only happen again. That hurtful words would be said again. You do know, that this isn’t the first time; you both have made slide remarks about my family before. We let things go, because we really wanted to be friends.”

No more replies came. The conversation was over. And to me this friendship was too.

“If you want to text back you can; I’m not going to control you. But I think it’s over and done with,” I glanced and smiled weakly at Jarred; I placed my phone on the coffee table.

Jarred sighed as he walked over to me, “I think for our mental health we should give up on this friendship. This isn’t the first time Carl has made a comment about you or our parenting style. Which I can now understand in a sense, because I don’t approve of his parenting style. It’s become unbearable to watch him belittle his older son; to the extent now that I watch as the kid shuts down. Also, no one is allowed to call you stupid. Or insult you in any way! And the added part of don’t tell you…! What was he thinking ? He knows I tell you everything!” Jarred collapsed into the chair beside me.

It was time. Time to cut this family out of our lives. Things had been beginning to snowball. The eldest daughter had been rude and incredibly mean to my daughter. So much so, that Emma came up to me with almost tears; asking why her friend didn’t want her to play with her. Jarred was right about their parenting style with their oldest son. That everything the son did was wrong. Every little thing needed to be ridiculed or belittled. He was only six. I was already thinking that I could no longer watch it; which is sadly just leaving that kid there. But we couldn’t change it.

Jarred kissed me on the forehead, “what do you want to do?”

“We should just let it go. And let them go. I don’t think this is a good friendship to have. There’s already enough hard things in life. Let’s not have people in our lives that only bring negativity. I’m sorry though,” I leaned against his chest, “you only have a few friends…”

“Say no more. I was already thinking that I didn’t want this friendship anymore. I wasn’t doing anything because I knew you two were friends. I didn’t want my choices to affect your friendship. Carl only ever texts me when he wants something. Like my trailer or tractor. But there is no way I’m letting him borrow my stuff. Especially since he has no heavy equipment experience. But every time I said no, he calls me inconsiderate or unchristian like, for not willing to help out a fellow brother. But he never accepts my offer of me and the tractor. With him it’s always my fault. I’m tired of constantly having to say no, and be labeled as the bad guy.”

“So we agree?” I looked up into Jarred’s face, “it’s a good plan to remove this family from our lives? Not just ours, but our kids lives?”

“Yes definitely from our kids lives. Emma didn’t understand why she was kicked out of their daughter’s room. Emma is friends with everyone. But yes. We should. We both don’t do well with being called stupid. Especially when someone calls my wife stupid. That’s a huge mistake.” Jarred pulled me closer into a hug.

I hugged him back. “Though, I can be pretty dumb sometimes, right?”

“Yes you can. Especially when you are pregnant.” Jarred sighed and relaxed into me more. I pretended to bite his shoulder, “Haha! But I love you still! You are my little dummy, and only I am allowed to say it.”

“Jarred, I love you, you know?” I pulled away to look him in the face. My wonderful husband.

Jarred smiled. “Yes, I know. I love you too,” he kissed my nose.

I smiled and returned to the hug. I squeezed him a little more than before. But he accepted it.

We just stood there. In our kitchen. Content with life. Even if we had no friends, we still had each other. Closer than ever.

…The End…

Dedicated to my Husband.

I love you Mister!