It's generally understood in Kurt and Diane's marriage, that political rallies and events are not something they do as a couple. It's one thing for them to spiritedly, but respectfully, argue their positions at home over a bottle of wine, or even to be on opposite sides of a lively group discussion, but it would be quite another to expect one spouse to sit quietly through an entire event, the lone dissenter in a room full of like minds. Therefore, whenever anything political comes up that one of them wants to attend, they go alone or with friends.
So when it happened one day that Kurt jokingly asked Diane if she wanted to come with him to hear Sarah Palin speak, it surprised them both when she said yes. It was partly morbid curiosity; she never could understand what it was her otherwise intelligent and thoughtful husband saw in that woman. But she had to admit, it was partly sentimental as well. After all, Palin had unknowingly been the icebreaker that helped bring them together back when they first met.
The afternoon of the event, Diane promised to behave herself and let him listen to the speech without constant interruptions, and in turn, Kurt promised to listen to her rant the whole drive home. That decided, they entered the lecture hall and took their seats, just as Mrs. Palin took the podium.
Diane was true to her word, and kept her comments to herself, though there were times she thought her head might explode from the effort. Seventy-three years later, when the speech was finally over, she stood to leave, none-the-wiser as to why her husband was such a Palin fan, and completely over any lingering sentimentality she held for the woman.
"You want to meet her?" Kurt asked as he stood and stretched in place.
"You're joking, right?" she said, as picked up her coat from the back of her seat.
"Yes." He smirked, and took her coat from her and held it out for her to slide into. "You've been tortured enough. Come on, you can yell at me in the truck."
