Has R met my family?

The Bored University Student has asked an excellent question of me, one which I have decided to create a post for.

Yes, in fact, R has met my husband and seen my children on more then one occasion. Not every incident was as awkward as the first.

The first time R bumped into me in public, family in tow, was in the very beginning of the affair. R had not yet met my husband, nor did he know exactly how moody he can sometimes become.

My husband was angry at me for some reason, poking my shoulder with his finger, griping in my ear while I pushed my little guy down an isle in Wal Mart. I had been zoning him out, concentrating on my little guy and how happy he looked when my oldest son had caught my attention by asking me 'why is that guy staring at us'? Lifting my eyes from the baby, I glanced down the isle to see R standing there, holding a box of trash bags with a strange look on his face.

He took a few steps toward us, then turned as if to walk away. I secretly hoped he would put as much distance as possible between us, but he turned again, this time walking straight toward me.

Placing his hand out before him, R introduced himself to my husband and shook his hand. He told my husband he was glad to meet him, that he and I had been working on a merger for a few weeks. I stood there in silence, I had no idea what to do or say. I was absolutely unprepared. The two of them chit chatted for a few minutes about the weather and the football game, then R was off.

"[R] seems like a decent guy," my husband commented. Relief washed over me.

It was much later that R confessed he had watched as my husband 'ragged on me' for several minutes trying to decide if he should step in or not. He had felt bad for me and wanted to see his tirade come to an end, only he didn't quite know what to do.