Joe and Pam

Joe looked at his wife, Pam, as they pulled up in front of their daughter’s apartment building. He was in a foul mood. He was always in a foul mood when he got hungry, and he was hungry.

When Erica texted asking for an extra hour, he’d almost lost it. Thank God for Pam. She was only one who could calm him down when he was about to lose his cool. After all those years of being together, she still knew just what he needed.

Still, he was hungry, and he wasn’t happy.

On top of being hungry, he had to have dinner with Erica’s boyfriend, David. Joe hated that guy. There was something off about him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but when he had a feeling in his gut, Joe trusted it. Besides obviously not being good enough for his little girl (Joe had high standards), he just didn’t feel like a man’s man, no drive, no direction.

“Oh Joe,” Pam would say when he would complain about his daughter’s pick of a man, “you’re so old fashioned. Besides, they’re just dating. We don’t even know if it’ll last.”

And yet last it had, for an entire year. As horrible as it seemed, when Joe would see Erica’s name on his call display, he would sometimes hope that she would be crying on the other line, that she’d ended it with David, that she was heartbroken.

Heartbreak only lasts so long. Choosing to stay with the wrong guy, though, could ruin your entire life.

“That’s got to be enough time,” Joe said, his stomach grumbling.

“She said an hour, and we’ll give her an hour,” Pam’s patient voice replied, “it’s only ten more minutes. You can wait.”

Joe grunted and crossed his arms.

At least David wasn’t one of those weirdos, like Chuck from work’s son. Gender fluid was the term he’d used. One day he’d show up looking normal, the next day he’d be dressed like normal’s aunt Sally. You never knew day to say what you were going to get with that guy. It gave Joe the willies.

“Why are you so hard on him?” Pam asked, as if reading his thoughts, “They’re both young, and neither one has figured themselves out yet. Our parents gave us time. Maybe you should do the same.”

Pam, as always, had a point. Joe could feel his anger ebb. He still remembered Pam’s parents when he first met them, a young skinny kid with no career prospects. Pam’s father had pulled him aside and offered him an entry level job in the warehouse, something that had really set him on his trajectory.

Had anyone done that for David?

Joe shivered, imagining having to work with that guy. His generosity only went so far.

“I’m going in,” Joe announced, having judged that he had waited long enough.

Pam sighed.

“Fine,” she said, “but be polite.”

“When have I ever been anything but?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?”

Joe didn’t.