My husband has a mistress. Five words a wife never wants to hear.
“No way!” my friends say. But I know. I’ve seen the signs: long hours away from home, a secretive smile on his face, an extra spring in his step.
A new take on Rosie the Riveter.
I know her! My husband introduced me to her last year when we were in Mexico. The fact that he was completely smitten with her at that time was completely lost on me. In hindsight, I realize he’d been sizing her for some time. And what did I think of her? Well…admittedly, I found her interesting, but complex, and very intimidating.
I’ve seen them…she and my husband, together. I’ve seen the sparkle in his eye when she’s around. I’ve noticed the tender, yet firm way he touches and guides her. Truth be told, I can see why he fell for her. She’s exciting and stylish, yet tomboyish and comfortable. Is she beautiful? Well…she does have a curvaceous body and a little wiggle in her backside when she glides around. But personally I think her nose is too pointy and oddly off-center, and her arms are quite gangly.
And so it begins…
Oh…and she’s smart. She’s articulate and can communicate with my husband on topics that I’ll never understand. She’s mechanically minded and tough, yet I’ve seen my husband manipulate her with ease. But…if you ask me, he should take care—she’s the kind that can become high maintenance (even dangerous) when not given enough attention.
Outgrown the garage and time for wings.
He buys her gifts…expensive gifts that he’d never consider giving me. I know—I’ve seen the bills! What’s more, those gifts are those analytical type trinkets that they’ll use and enjoy together—the kind that have always bored and aggravated me.
He knows her well. It’s only been a year and a half, but he knows her so much better than he knows me. He knows every inch of her, inside and out—her flaws, her strengths and her weaknesses. When she’s dragging, he knows how to lift her. And he’s so patient with her! He isn’t at all bothered by her occasional bad attitude, and he can always get her back on track.
How do I know, you ask? I have eyes and ears; I can read between the lines. Remember…I’ve seen them.
Even partial planes get to go to our airport open house.
Our new neighbors know about her, and they encourage this relationship! She’s living with them now, so she can be closer to my husband, yet far enough away so she can spread her wings (as those types invariably do). I’ve discovered that my husband’s artist friend Larry is also quite fond of her. I spotted a sketch on his desk the other day—he had decked her out in bright red and white…to my chagrin she was beautiful. What’s worse is that beside that sketch was another of my husband, his mistress, and me in a threesome! Perversely enough, it made me grin.
First flight celebration.
My husband has a mistress. But I’m not bitter, nor do I feel scorned. On the contrary, I’ve grown to love her, too. Her name is N601LG. She’s a beautiful homebuilt Zenith Zodiac CH 601 XLB Experimental airplane, and soon, she’ll be soaring into the skies with my husband at her controls, and me by his side.
Flying over the Lake California Air Park.
I wonder—when he’s finished with her, will he have another mistress?
The new mistress.
I knew it would happen again. She’s everything the first one is, but much more. More beautiful, sleeker, smarter. But he’s loath to let the first one go! He seems not at all bothered by the extra servicing required to keep them both happy. Am I to always live in the shadow of these two dazzling pieces of work? It would seem so. Every day, I see them together—his newest love, an RV-7A, and his first love, the Zodiac CH 601 XLB. And no, I am still not bitter, nor do I feel scorned—I love them, too. Will there be more? Time will tell…
