Your Wife Is Probably Right – This Would Be Best For Everyone.  But You Also Know That You Don’t

My wife is always right about these things

“Hun” my wife Marina called to me (this was about two months ago now). “You really should invite him over. I get the sense that he’s been really down in the dumps ever since his wife left him. How about we try to do something to cheer him up?”

By “him”, my wife was referring to my best friend Brad. My wife was right. For the few months before that, ever since Brad’s wife had left him, he’d been pretty depressed. And my wife was right (as she always is about these things) – the thing to do was to invite him over.

It took some convincing on my part – including assuring him that Marina really wanted him to come over too – but Brad finally agreed to stop by for dinner.

We had a nice dinner, and Marina was obviously making a special effort to be really friendly with Brad. Then, after dinner, we went to the family room to watch TV. But before going there, Marina whispered to me: “Hun – we really don’t want Brad to feel like a fifth wheel, and if you and I sit together on the couch while he sits in the chair, I think that’s how he’ll feel.  He really seems to need to feel wanted and … quite honestly … seems to need some female affection. So how about if you sit on the chair, and then I’ll motion for Brad to sit on the couch with me. OK?”

Well, of course I agreed. Like I said, Marina is always right about these things.  

Brad was obviously pleased to be invited by Marina to sit next to her while I sat in the chair, and in her friendly and supportive way, it wasn’t long before Marina had her head on his shoulder and one hand on Brad’s leg, while Brad had put his arm around Marina.  We had turned down the lights, so I actually couldn’t see them all that well, but Marina was doing a lot of giggling and … they were also doing a lot of kissing it looked like.

In between shows, I tried to talk with them a bit, but it became obvious very quickly that they were not in the mood to chat with me, and in fact, seemed to pay almost no attention to me being in the room with them at all. As their kissing became more passionate, I started to feel awkward – very much like a fifth wheel – so I got up and told Marina I was going to be to bed. 

At that point she did turn to me, and with a smile, said she thought it would be best if I went to the guest room. Like I said – she’s always right about these things, so I did.  I don’t know exactly what happened then between Marina and Brad, but I do know they spent the night together – and Brad has now started taking Marina out a couple of times per week.  And I have to admit, their dates – which always seem to end up with them spending the night together at our house while I sleep in the guest room – do seem to do wonders for Brad’s mood – and for Marina’s too!

I know what a lucky man I am to have such a caring and empathetic wife.