Cupcakes and Black Ops

It was five p.m. on a Friday night.  Tracy and I sat at Wing Nuts in Upland sipping on our Hanger 24.   It was not as if we needed to catch up.  Aside from my husband Adrian and our two moms that live with us, I talked to Tracy more than anyone and called her every day driving home from work.  We've been best friends since high school. 

There is something easy about our friendship and Tracy always sees the best in me.  I try and remind her on a daily basis how truly fabulous she is.  We are both in the same existential crisis.  We have the shared feeling there must be more to life, something out there waiting.  It must be the turning forty soon thing. 

Tracy and I finished our second beer and headed over to New Age Comics.  We browsed through their collection of punk rock t shirts.  Tracy bought her fiance John a T-shirt and I bought a Ramones t-shirt.   I couldn't decide whether to give it to Adrian or keep it for myself.  We wandered into the gourmet cupcake shop next door and I had a couple of maple bacon cupcakes boxed for breakfast for the next morning.

Even though I knew Adrian was waiting at home, I dawdled with Tracy in her truck.  We listened to music on her IPOD and laughed.  We talked about taking guitar lessons together or maybe a cooking class.  We agreed we needed to do something different.

I drove home squinting through the rain hitting my windshield.  I stopped at Chipolte to get dinner.  When I walked inside, the house was cozy warm and the moms were setting the table.  We ate dinner quickly and Adrian walked upstairs.  Is this what I hurried home for? 

"Oh no, he goes back up to the video game, not good," Adrian's mom said with a shake of her head.

I heard Adrian say, "Hey John, what's up?", as the door to his game room closed.  If I listened closely, I could still hear the rat a tat tat of gunfire.

I was back to reality and my husband's obsession for the last three months: Call of Duty Black Ops.  Adrian and John played on wireless headsets together until two in the morning most nights.  One night, there were half a million people playing the game.  There are a lot of lonely wives and girlfriends.

Adrian has a lot of stress and he says that the game helps him unwind.  The only thing is, I miss my husband. 

I know it's not easy living with our two moms, especially because my mom asks inane questions and is always going to the fridge like she hasn't eaten in years.  Adrian's mom is no better.  Even her sighs are depressing.  And, the two moms together, well it's like those two chipmunks, Chip and Dale, only one has a strong Argentine accent.  They love to talk even when American Idol is on.

So, here I am.  Adrian has Black Ops, our moms have one another and I have...well, at least I have my dogs...oh, and my Kindle. 

I ate my maple bacon cupcake for dessert and climbed the stairs to my room.  Snuggled under the covers, a dog on each side, I picked up my phone and called Tracy.  What the hell.