Fracture

      “What I mean is,” I said over a sketchy at best video call, “once you hit a certain age you just don’t really make new friends.  Everybody steps away to do the life thing and the world fractures a bit.

     “I mean Stotler has two kids now.  I’ve seen him for a total of 20 minutes over the past eight years.  I still haven’t talked to Derich.  Riley is almost 6 months old.  Never met her.”

     “I know what you mean.” Said Karen with her second glass of wine smile.    “It could be worse.  I mean Tony and I had an amicable divorce.  We still talk and still do breakfast on Sundays when the kids are in town but I’ll be god damned.  People we’ve known our entire married lives were taking sides.”

     “Well, you two were like the poster kids for the perfect marriage for those who didn’t know what was going on.  The main reason most of them are so angry is probably because they’re miserable and want to get the fuck out but they don’t.  They just stay and smile for the public.  Bleh.  Fuck that.”

     “I know.  I know.  I thought my younger sister would be all about it.  I was hoping this would open the door for her.  She’s in HELL but she stays.  For god’s sake she sleeps in the kid’s room.” Karen rolled her eyes then took another sip of wine.

     “Why does she stay?”  I asked.  The sugarless herbal tea had a nice bite to it.  I didn’t mention anything about Marianne.  She hadn’t made her situation public yet and it wasn’t my place.

     “I. Don’t. Know.  Neither does she.  She doesn’t want to talk about it.  She just hopes everything will get better.”

     “Damn.  Maybe I’m not the only one who needs new friends,” I said finishing my tea.

     “From what Tony tells me you don’t need any new friends,” she said finishing her wine. “Maybe you can find some new friends in that phone of yours.  Five hundred contacts!  Dear God!”  She laughed a little to herself.

     “Seriously?  Ok how many contacts do you have in your phone?”  

     “38 and most of it is family and work.”

     “In my defense I’m not on twit/face/insta/space to keep up with people.”

     “I want another glass of wine but I don’t want to open another bottle.”

     “The struggle is real, Karen.  I know that pain.”

     “And don’t get me started on twit/face/insta.  When some people heard about the divorce a few of Tony’s friends, who will remain nameless reached out to make sure I was O.K.” She said making air quotes.  “That’s what I meant about taking sides.”  The video froze for a second then came back.

     “Really?”

     “Yeah, really. ‘If you need some company let me know.’ Assholes.  Hell, maybe I should be looking for new friends.”

     “I’ve asked if people need company.”

     “Yes but you didn’t immediately follow it up with a dick pic.”

     “Ah, ok.  Makes sense.”

     “You know if you’re really serious about new friends I hear Amber’s friend Tessa is really interested in hanging out.”  I could feel her laugh through the screen.  Her nose crinkled up and she actually snorted.

     “Tessa is so young,” I said shaking my head

     “Oh trust me I know,” she said laughing.  “I know.  And on that note I have to go.  I have zoom meetings all morning and if we keep talking I WILL open that bottle.”

     “Sleep well, buddy.”

     It was nice to see that you could step away to do life things and not have the world fracture.