Renegade Wife

While Roby was on the road, Katherine met with the other wives to sit in a circle, sew and knit, and exchange polite conversation. They always met at Mellie's house, and her husband, Adam, was always home. He stayed in the attic, and Katherine had once joked that he was "the madman in the attic," locked away from polite company and the pleasantries they exchanged. Josie, the oldest of the wives, looked at Katherine over her reading glasses and said as slowly as she rocked in the chair, "Is that some college thing?" 

It wasn't a college thing, but because no one else seemed to think it was funny, Katherine just nodded and went back to binding the baby quilt she was making. She planned on giving it to the mother of her favorite student, who was having her third child. Her student, Sally, was very sweet and very excited to have a little sibling of her own. Her big sister was five years older, and always telling Sally that she had something that Sally didn't: a little sister. 

"Well, you have something she doesn't have," Katherine told her. "You have a big sister."

"I don't want something my sister doesn't have," Sally said. 

That was good enough for Katherine. 

Katherine didn't have brothers or sisters. Her parents were elderly and living in a facility of their choosing, with money they'd saved for just that occasion. She supposed she should be grateful. She wasn't expected to care for them or pay for their care. She wasn't expected to be their sole means of entertainment. They were content with the weekly call she made to check on them, which they always showed up for, even though sometimes they seemed distracted and often had board games or card tournaments needed to rush off to.

She looked around the room at the women, the wives. She wondered about their ambitions. She wondered how often their husbands read their work to these wives. She wanted to ask questions. She inhaled, about to ask Ellen about the gift baskets she made for baby showers, but before she could speak, Josie said, "Ellen, I hear Horner's is stocking fine teas now."

Horner's was the local department store. They'd asked Ellen to create baskets for them numerous times. Every time, she said, "I'm flattered, of course. But I just wouldn't have the time." 

"I heard that, too," Ellen said. 

"We should have a tea party," Katherine suggested. 

Ellen looked at Josie, although Katherine could see the light in her eyes. Josie squinted at Katherine, who then said, "Maybe one night while the men make their poems."