The Black Truck

About a week ago this black truck parked beside our car. Tom immediately noticed it because he gravitates to trucks like a moth to a flame. His eyes lit up and he went, "What a beauty." Stupid me, I thought he was talking to me so I went, "Oh thank you," while I slid into the car and Tom went, "Not you, hon. The truck." Then when he saw my expression he swallowed and quickly said, "But you are beauty. You are. It's just..this truck.." and then he was circling the truck, taking in all the details.

I think I waited in the car for about ten minutes while he stared. (And tried to remember when he had last looked at me like that.)

Then a few days ago we found out who the truck belonged to.

Our neighbor.

Tom burst into the house with the news.

"It's the neighbor's truck. It was his Father's Day gift."

My jaw dropped open. Father's day gift? Suddenly the lounge pants, the t-shirt and the new wallet that I had bought for Tom seemed like nothing compared to a truck.

I know people will say, "Well it's the thought that counts." But let's be honest. When Tom opens his presents he will be thankful, there's no doubt about it, but in the back of his mind he'll probably be thinking, "But the neighbor got a truck! "

Yesterday the neighbor pulled the truck to the front of his house and washed it. Tom watched from the window for a few minutes and practically salivated down his front. Then he went outside and he and the neighbor began talking about--what else?--the truck. Tom came inside about a half hour later and reported back, "It's a 2004." He said some other things about it that went right over my head.

What can I say, I have a truck obsessed husband.