Free Fridays by Pat Tucker Page A

tell Samantha’s level of interest had wavered since she didn’t know what the party was all about.
    â€œLike, to cheat?” Leela asked. Her stomach felt like it was tied in a dozen knots. Worry invaded her features. Only then did Samantha’s focus return to her.
    â€œOh, wait a minute. Not you, did somebody invite Riley to one?” Samantha pursed her lips and leaned back a bit. “Umph.”
    â€œSo, you’re trying to tell me people invite their exes to a party so they can cheat? What kind of foolishness is that?”
    â€œI’m trying to tell you, Leela. Marriage ain’t what it used to be. Honey, if you ask me, soon, we’re gonna see people start to change the definition of what’s considered a successful marriage.”
    Leela frowned. “What do you mean?”
    â€œWho says you have to be married ’til death do you part?”
    â€œUh, your vows; God,” Leela answered.
    â€œDo you know how many people are not religious these days? Think how marriage has changed over time. People get married in a drive-through window or they go downtown. Same sex marriages are now legal. And people have already altered vows to pick and choose what they want to include. When was the last time you heard a woman say she’d obey her husband?”
    â€œAnd what does all of that have to do with anything?” Leela asked. She had already started to dismiss Samantha and whatever point she was trying to make.
    â€œNo, hear me out. All I’m saying is this. Just because a marriageends in divorce, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t successful. I’m not talking about Big Mama and your grandfather. I still don’t get that one; after fifty-two years, y’all should just hang in there. But what I’m talking about is cases where after five, maybe seven or even ten years, the couple has developed into different people and maybe want different things out of life. Why shouldn’t they go their separate ways and call it a day?” Samantha put up her hand to stop Leela from interjecting. “Besides, once sex hits the A-B-C stage, it’s really time to do something different.”
    Leela’s eyebrows bunched together as she listened to Samantha. It was obvious Samantha had given this lots of thought.
    â€œYou know, ABC sex, where you only do it on anniversaries, birthdays and Christmas!” Samantha said. “Of course, none of this applies if you have kids; that would complicate things. But if it’s just two adults who still have some love for each other, but they feel they’ve done all they could together, it seems very appropriate to me that they should be able to move on,” she added. “The thrill is gone; the challenge no longer exists; and they’ve stunted each other’s growth. Why stick it out?”
    â€œUmm. Yeeaaah, what you’re talking about, that’s called dating,” Leela said.
    Samantha rolled her eyes and picked up her menu. “Closed minds stay stuck,” she muttered.
    â€œI’m far from close-minded,” Leela defended. “But call me what you want. When I took those vows, I didn’t take them for five, seven or ten years, and I took them knowing that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. What’s the point if you can just switch every five years?” Leela looked down at her nail bed. “Besides, I put up with a lot. All wives do. Do you know how many nights I don’t get a wink of sleep? It’s three in the freakin’ morning and Ry gets a bad case of restless dick syndrome!” Leelarolled her eyes dramatically. “It’s exhausting, but it is what it is; you do what you gotta do, until there’s a pill for that!”
    Following Samantha’s lead, Leela picked up her own menu. Her mind was supposed to be focused on food and drink choices, but it was stuck on the “no spouse” party and Samantha’s