Katie shook her head and sighed in despair. "Well, I'm out of here. Come on kids."
After she left, Alex turned to Carmen. "I wish you wouldn't say stuff like that in front of her. It makes me look like a dictator."
Carmen caught her breath. "It isn't like that at all. I'm sure Katie didn't think of it that way. She just has a different idea of what marriage should be like."
"No, Carmen. You're the one who has a different perspective on marriage. One minute you're all independent and planning our vacation in minute detail and the next you think you have to ask me before you go shopping. Why would I care if you went to look at some motor homes? It would be different if you had bought one without considering my input."
"I'd never do that." She said; her expression solemn.
He had no doubt about that fact. Still, the fact that she was uncomfortable about telling him that she was looking at them was reason for concern. It might simply be that she knew he wasn't enthused about the trip and didn't want to start an unpleasant discussion. She had approached him about the possibility of using a tent, but he had discouraged that idea. They would be too vulnerable to scorpions and snakes. While she attributed his concern to a phobia about snakes, she had acknowledged that a camper might be more comfortable for everyone. No doubt her desire to camp was heavily influenced by the children.
Katie attributed his resistance to the fact that the vacation was Carmen's idea, not his. Maybe she was right, to some degree. There were times in the past when he had invited Carmen to join him on a trip and she had declined. This time he wanted to decline but didn't feel comfortable about it. The decision not to go in the past had been Carmen's, but the fact remained that she wanted to go now.
Carmen had taken over the running of the safari with an efficiency that left him doubting his own. The truth was; she didn't need him now. If he decided not to go, she would probably take the children and go without him. That wasn't safe - not even for a woman as resourceful as Carmen. A beautiful petite woman was live bait for some men. Carmen would stand out like a rare orchid in a cactus patch. Maybe he wanted to believe she needed him - maybe he needed to believe that. When they were first married, she said she wanted him to make the final decisions. He wasn't crazy about that idea, but he had accepted it. He'd made some poor decisions with regard to her welfare, but she had forgiven him. It had taken Carmen a long time to get to the level of confidence she now enjoyed. She deserved the enjoyment it was bringing her now. Yet he couldn't help but feel at times that she was leaving him in the dust.