I Invited My New Friend over — When She Saw My Husband, She Almost Lunged at Him

Workouts, lunches, shopping trips where we’d try on ridiculous outfits and laugh until our sides hurt. It felt like being in college again, having a best friend to share everything with. “God, I needed this,” I told her one day over sushi. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but sometimes…”Mary nodded, popping a California roll into her mouth. “Sometimes you need to remember you’re more than just ‘mom’ or ‘wife,’ right?

I get it. Being Cindy’s mom is the best thing that ever happened to me, but it’s nice to be just Mary sometimes, too.”I couldn’t have said it better myself. Weeks flew by, and suddenly Mary wasn’t just my trainer or my friend, she was family. Which is why, on that fateful Tuesday, I decided it was time for her to meet my actual family.”Dinner at our place this weekend?” I asked as we cooled down after a particularly brutal HIIT session. “You can bring Cindy. Ethan would love a playmate.” Mary’s face lit up. “Seriously? That sounds amazing! I’ll bring dessert. I hope your hubby likes apple pie!

” I spent all of Saturday in a cleaning frenzy, much to Dan’s amusement. “Babe, it’s just dinner with a friend,” he said, watching me scrub the kitchen counter for the third time. “Not a visit from the Queen.”I rolled my eyes. “I want everything to be perfect.” Dan held up his hands in surrender, but I caught the smile on his face. He was happy for me, I knew. I’d been talking about Mary non-stop for weeks. By six o’clock, the house smelled amazing (if I do say so myself), and I was putting the finishing touches on the table when the doorbell rang. “I’ve got it!”