The Wife

I've had this whirling around my head for days, and am now going to spill in all its glory.  It may not be pretty, but here goes....

I am a Wife.  I have a Husband.  We have a Family.  Those three statements are the most important in my life.  I take all three very, very seriously.  And I protect them ferociously.

I've felt as though I've had to protect them, come to their rescue, on a number of occasions.  And when I do - it is with great gusto.  Passion.  Emotion.  And imminent anger.

My husband and I went out Saturday night.  I drove an hour to drop our kids off, and an hour home.  I played music loud.  I put on a beautiful dress - AND HEELS.  Make-up, hair - the works.  I was going out as "the wife".

We met 15 others at a restaurant, I was introduced to people I had only ever met once before - fleetingly.  We had a beautiful meal, drank some lovely wine, and had some great conversations.  But I went in with my guard up.  I held on to my husband tightly and my senses were hyper-aware.

Then it happened.  The young, single, blonde made an evening that was about my husband - all about her.  And the intuition that I had had many months earlier was proven correct.  Once again, some 20 something girl thought it appropriate to drape herself over my husband.  In front of me.  In front of everyone.

My stomach lurched, my head was hurting.  I was embarrassed, felt like an idiot.  The comfortable atmosphere turned awkward and I was keen to make tracks.  But most of all - I was angry.  Pissed off that whilst my husband spends all day, every day, away from home earning a great living, so that we can have an awesome family life - this "woman" thought it appropriate to develop some sort of feelings for him, and even more alarmingly, thought it appropriate to display them in front of me.

We are ok.  The husband and I.  We are lucky.  For a very smart man, he can be very naive when it comes to women.  His personality, charm and endearing nature is what I fell in love with - so it should be no surprise to me, nor him, that other women would be enraptured?  My intuition has been correct before, and he's been horrified upon this realisation.

I know I'm not the only one who has gone through this sort of a situation.  One of my friends said her waxing lady (yes, that's what I said) told her today that a male client had taken it upon himself to send her flowers, not once, but twice.  She is married.  So is he.  He said he sent them "just because", she won't dare tell her husband because, well because it's just fucking wrong!!!!

So I want to know - What is the appeal?  Why are married people so damn appealling to others?  Does a wedding ring not signify to others "CLOSED TO ADVANCES"?  Discuss......