The group reunites years later

Monica stares out the passenger window watching the palm trees blow. A clip holds her thick grey-streaked brunette hair up off her neck. She turns to me and smiles, even more beautiful than the day we met.

“I’m so excited,” she turns and looks into the back seat, “are you guys excited that we’re going to Disney World?”

The three kids crammed into the backseat cheer. The 16 hour drive hasn’t zapped their enthusiasm yet. Monica created so many activities for them on the trip, so no one has had the opportunity to say I’m bored. She’s been the MVP by far. I’m so lucky to have her.

“Are we staying in a hotel?” My youngest asks.

“No,” Monica answers. “We’re staying in a big house. One of your daddy’s best friends invited us to stay with him and his family.”

One of Joey’s latest investments: a rental house in Orlando. He invited us and Ross’s family down to smash the champagne. Monica has always wanted to take the kids to Disney, so it was an easy yes.

I’ve seen Ross and Joey several times since our night at the farmhouse, but our families have never gotten together. It’ll be a good opportunity to catch up and reconnect.

A huge black SUV fills the driveway, parked in the middle with no space for another car. Same old Joey. We have to park on the street to unload.

Monica shepherds the kids to the front door, weighing them down with their bags. I grab the big luggage. It takes so long for the door to be answered that we think we might have the wrong house. Then the door opens, and I know we have the wrong house.

A short little blonde opens the door. On the top of her head, I can see the darkest of her roots. She smiles at the group and her enhanced plump lips open showing perfectly white teeth. Then her dark slanted eyes meet mine, and they still have the same flirty playfulness.

I laugh, “Hey Phoebe! I didn’t recognize you without yoga pants.”

She slaps at my chest and hugs my wife, “Monica, you look fantastic!”

“Thanks, I’ve been going for walks religiously.”

She’s been doing more than walking since the campfire. She’s been exercising frequently, and we’ve working out in the bedroom a lot. My wife can no longer be described as chubby, but still has her kept great curves.

Monica introduces the kids, and Phoebe shows them to their room. I unpack the car, and thank god for how lucky I got. I married a woman who has aged gracefully and is comfortable in her body. I used to think that Phoebe was confident, but the amount of work done on her face shows how much I was wrong. Why did this gorgeous woman have to ruin herself like that?

“Dad, can we go in the pool?”

“Sure. I’ll join you.” The littlest one can’t really swim yet.

Joey was already in the pool with his daughter. He’s still the same bearded man, but now his head has been completely shaved to hide his balding. I jump in and splash him with a cannonball. He hugs me and squeezes me into his wet hairy body. “You’re finally getting a dad bod like me.”

“Are you calling me fat?” I ask.

“Nah. Strong. Looking strong. How do you like the house?”

“Looks great. How often do you need it booked to make a profit?”

“Doesn’t matter. I already have it booked out for years. People in the Midwest love Florida. My clients think I’m giving them a discount.”

“Where’s Ross,” I ask.

“Who knows. The wives are in a group text. Phoebe says Rachel is pissed because Ross stopped at multiple distilleries in Louisville on the way down.”

As we play with the kids, making sure they don’t drown, Monica walks out in a one-piece swimsuit.

“My oh my,” Joey stops and stares. “How the hell did you get even hotter!?”

“Watch your language around the kids,” Monica scolds, but she’s beaming at the compliment and the attention. She even spins around unprompted to give him a full look at her body.

“Fuck me,” he groans.

I splash him with water. “Don’t get excited around the kids.”

Monica swims into the pool. “Is that your big truck in the driveway? I see you’re still overcompensating. You only have one kid. You don’t need a vehicle that big.”

“It’s gotta big backseat if you want me to give you the tour.”

Flirting in front of the kids. But they don’t notice, they’re too busy jumping in and out of the pool.

Pizza for dinner, then kids to bed.

Phoebe walks downstairs with a deck of cards. “Want to play a game while we wait?”

“Let’s play euchre!” Monica screams. “I haven’t played in forever.”

We sit down at the table across from our partners. The men drink lite beers; the woman share a bottle of white wine.Joey takes the unnecessary cards from the deck then deals.

Reminder of the rules: like Spades but the trump changes.

Looking over her cards, Phoebe smirks, “So how’s your sex life been?”

I look to Monica. “You want to tell them what we’ve been trying?”

My wife doesn’t blush. She’s been dying to tell someone about it. She’s been too embarrassed to tell her girlfriends, but she knows that this is the right couple to tell.