My neon pink nails with black tips glowed purple under the UV lights as I waited for them to dry. With no hands, that meant no texting, no checking my work email -- not even reading a smut magazine. I could do nothing but literally watch the paint dry.
As a busy mom working 3,000 hours a week on a slow week (insert martyr image here), I was starving for silence and solitude. I'd offered to get the groceries, a chore I knew my husband would relinquish without a battle. Especially since he was home watching football. It wasn't my fault that "get a manicure" was on my shopping list.
A set of mauve nails slid under the light across from me. The nails were much longer and rounder than mine, cut square at the tips of my fingers. Her hands looked softer than mine, which were callused from years of hard exercise and abused from the unpredictable duties of mothering a toddler.
The tops of the stranger's hands were wrinkled and spotted; mine sported a fading black Sharpie picture my daughter had drawn. My green and brown arm tattoo crawled up my wrist, where she sported a delicate pearl bracelet.
"My husband doesn't know I'm here," whispered the unfamiliar face at the other end of those hands.
I smirked politely in acknowledgement but avoided her eyes, trying not to engage her. I was here to get away, and I didn't want to waste that time chitchatting with a stranger I would never see again.
Our fingernails faced off under the UV lights for another minute of silence.
"I wonder if he thinks my nails grow in this color," she chuckled, halfway to herself.
Don't laugh, I reminded myself, or you're suddenly engaged in the dialogue. I am strong; I can conquer this small talk.
"I've been getting them done every week for 60 years and he's never commented on them," she continued. "Men are so funny."
OK, apparently we were having this conversation whether I liked it or not.
I could only stare at my hands for so long, so I glanced up quickly. Wide, gentle blue eyes greeted me, atop a relaxed smile. I smiled back, for real this time, wondering why I had been so resistant at first.
"Every Sunday, my daughter picks me up at home to bring me grocery shopping. But on the way to the grocery store, she drops me off here to get my nails done. It's our little secret," she confessed. "I started doing it as a young mother when all of my energy was going to my kids."
She must have taken the surprised expression on my face for judgment, about the secret she kept from her husband.
"Oh, it's a good thing, really. It's how we've managed to stay married so long," she explained. "The secret to a happy relationship is to keep yourself happy, too. Take care of yourself."
"Oh? That's cool," I stuttered, flaunting my eloquent wisdom back at her.
"You know, he probably knows I do this, but he doesn't say anything so I don't have to defend it -- how much money I've spent on manicures over the years," she thought out loud. "He probably has his thing, too. Although he's probably been doing it for so long that I don't notice it much anymore, either."
I checked my nails. They were dry. But I didn't stand up. Not yet.
"My husband doesn't know I'm here, either," I whispered. "He's at home. Watching football."
She laughed -- no, this was one of those belly laughs that classifies as a guffaw.
"May you have a happy marriage together for 60 more years," she exclaimed. "You know, we're not all that different, you and me."
"Well, except that polish color you chose. I'd never do something like that," she said.
She was right; we were two peas in a pod.
Because I would totally never wear mauve.
I slid my fingers out from the glowing cave, and my bright pink tips waved goodbye.
This article originally appeared in the Boulder Daily Camera. Read more odd stories from the Daily Camera here: Only in Boulder.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.