“Yes.”
“You really look amazing. You’re going to be the most beautiful bride.”
“Thank you, Sissy.”
When she exited the suite, I reached for my phone.
Danessa: Can I come over and let you bury your face in it?
Aldridge: I was going to wipe down the baseboards but that can wait.
“The team agreedto give Coach Justus a gift for his birthday from all of us. Colin was in charge of purchasing the gift and we all gave him money. So come to find out …” Aldridge was banging his fist into his palm for emphasis. “Colin had everyone sign the card except me.”
“What?” I asked as we traveled from aisle to aisle looking for the legal section.
“Yeah, he deliberately left my name off the card. So now Coach probably thinks I’m cheap or worse, that I hate him.”
“Maybe it was an oversight.”
“No this was a blatant power move. So now I have to either bitch slap him in front of everybody or take the L.”
“I don’t think those are your only options.”
“He’s trying to son me.”
“Okay then just go up to your coach and ask him how he liked the gift the team got him.”
“That feels desperate.”
“What was the gift anyway?”
“The fuck if I know. Colin’s wife handled that.”
“Sounds like maybe leaving your name off the card was a good idea,” I teased.
“No, this is just how it works. The wives and girlfriends take care of shit like that. They help keep the peace and host the parties and come up with cute dances in the stands.” Aldridge broke out into the latest trendy social media dance.
“Sounds horrible.”
“What, supporting their husbands?”
“Being a glorified event planner.”
“I think athlete’s spouses get a bad rep.”
“How so?”
“They are the backbone of the family. Without them nothing moves. They make sure the kids are taken care of and their partner’s needs are met. And they’re forced to take on a lot of the hidden responsibilities of doctor’s appointments, little league games, PTA meetings, Ramblers’ charity events. And some women have full-time jobs or run small businesses.”
“It just sounds like a ton of work with very little reward.”
“I guess it just depends on what you prioritize.”
“I mean you could just marry your assistant, Nori, if you were looking for someone to organize your life.”
“Nori’s way out of my league.”
“I just don’t think everyone is interested in being a tradwife.”
