It's a grownup world

Henry winced when Josie mentioned she'd invited some new friend over. Her significant other would be here too with their baby.

Henry looked around the livingroom. They didn't even have cable anymore. They were lucky to have the internet with all their bills and health cost they were still paying on with Josie's surgery.

"Are you really sure you're up for this?" He hugged himself thinking he was a miserable excuse for a husband. After all, he was just a Young Adult librarian who spent every waking hour busy with some project at the library.

She was tired with the baby times two. She was still in the transition of getting over a total hysterectomy after the cancer along with breast feeding.

 He shook his head thinking if it wasn't one thing or another. There were his own seizures to worry about, even if he hadn't had one in months now.

"Of course, I'm up for it," Josie almost pouted.

"But..but don't we have enough friends?" He winced thinking the ones they had always invited them over for weekend dinners. Nobody showed up here. There was laundry to fold and toys to pick up. And lord knows, what they really needed to give to the book sale room where he worked. They were possibly hoarders. Winter was coming and she was thinking about spaghetti. He'd have to make it. She hadn't cooked in months.

"All right." He would give in. It was the right thing to do. He went to the kitchen wondering what he'd need to pick up from the grocery store. "Just don't tell me, they'll be over in thirty minutes." No way could they make the place presentable.

"Tomorrow," Josie said. "Tomorrow night."

"Really?" Henry tensed.

"It's just dinner."

"But.." He didn't know how to finish that sentence. It was work keeping diapers changed and baths and the carpet vacuum. "If..if it'll make you happy."

"Henry?" Now she was angry. "It's not about us. It's about them. We aren't the only ones struggling."

He nodded. He agreed. He would do what he always did. Make do with what they had.