Trigger

“Listen, Di, I know you’re busy but I’m in a real pinch here,”   Amy said through the phone.

“What’s up?”  Diana asked while holding her index finger in the air to indicate she would return to the clients in front of her shortly.

“I need you to pick up Therese. I’m in Northbrook and won’t get back in time.”

Diana and Amy started down a familiar path of excuses and pleading that both knew would end with Diana flying off to get Therese despite her protests.  Thirty minutes later, the Blumes were shaking Diana’s hand and thanking her for all her hard work.  Diana was effusive as she struggled with her coat.  She threw her purse on her car’s passenger seat where it tipped, spilling the contents onto the floor.  She groaned and pulled out of her parking space more quickly than she should have.

Amy was a blast but she had to get her shit together when it came to scheduling.

The Queen Bed

Many years ago, during high school, I helped my girlfriend Samantha and her mother Barbara with their garage sale.  Barbara, an admirer of antiques, had carefully scoured sales such as hers to decorate her house.   Her prized possession was a marvelous oak queen-sized bed, lavish in its intricately carved design.  Alas, having recently remarried a man who stood 6’5”, with a son on the way and a newly purchased home, a queen bed would no longer suffice and all was to be sold.

In great condition, the bed was priced accordingly.

Barbara would not budge on the price, not for anyone. Soon after the garage sale got into full swing, a lovely lady perusing the wares stopped short upon seeing the bed.  Barbara and the lovely lady spoke animatedly about its beauty and Barbara desperately wanted her to have it; but the price was prohibitive.