Friday, December 14
“I’ll let you know when I want to talk face to face,” I texted JB this morning. “When can I expect specifics from Stephen? Should I email him? Blake is working tonight. Get Tom at 6.”
I went back to texting with Matt. We were figuring out dinner plans.
“JB wants me to yell and scream at him,” I texted Matt.
“We all like abuse I guess,” Matt responded. “Will you spank me? Or would that show you have feelings for me? I’m not trying to be insensitive. Just trying to make you smile.”
“You could hire someone special for that. Ask JB.”
“You are not being nice now. I am not him and please don’t see me as him.”
“It’s a sore spot.”
“Well if you don’t approve of what I’m doing I understand but then maybe we should cancel tonight because I found that to be kinda a rude statement to say to me.”
“And I found your statement rude and insensitive. Let’s cancel.”
“Okay. I was joking and you know it. I’m not on web sites picking up women. I think I’ve been a very good friend to you. You shouldn’t compare me to your husband who did what he did to you. Guess I’ve been dismissed. I’m not trying to be insensitive, just trying to make you smile. Guess that got overlooked. You sure throw a friend out pretty quickly.”
“Thank-you for cheering me up over the last two weeks. You made me feel better. But you and I are walking down an unhealthy path and we both know it. I have to step off. I really hope you find happiness. I really do.”
“I disagree and I’m happy but thank-you. Wish you well. If you need help let me know. If you have a change of heart about tonight let me know. I was joking and trying to make you smile. If not, it’s all good.”
A new text popped up.
“Does Blake not want to see me?” JB asked.
“Take that up with him.”
“I just need to talk to him. Enjoy your day. I'll let you know when Stephen responds.”
The phone rang. It was my sister. I didn’t want to talk to her. The day I told Trish about JB, she’d pounced on her sons the moment they got off the school bus and told them. My mother fed me that tidbit. My children didn’t have the details at that point and I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell Tom. Trish’s boys are fourteen and eleven.
“How are you doing?” Trish asked cheerily.
“Mom said you told your kids about JB,” I said curtly.
“Oh, well, yeah, uh,” she stammered. “Uh, well, I had to tell them Uncle JB wasn’t coming for Christmas. You know. I mean, he’s always there for Christmas and, uh, I couldn’t not say anything and then have him not show up and them wonder where he was. You know. They would have been like, ‘Where’s uncle JB? He’s always here for Christmas.’ You know. So I had to tell them because he wasn’t coming. And then when I told them he wasn’t coming for Christmas they asked why and I told them you were getting divorced. And then they wanted to know why you were getting divorced so I had to tell them. You know. He’s always been around and they kept asking me why you were getting divorced so I had to tell them.”
Trish retold this many more times getting more lively and upbeat with each retelling. I didn’t say a word.
“Mom said you don’t seem like you want to come to my house for Christmas,” Trish spat.
“I’m picking her up and driving her to your house,” I said cheerily.
“Oh. Well, how is everything going?”
“Fine.”
“What did the lawyer say? What are you going to do?”
“File for divorce.”
“Did you talk about money? Are you going to be able to stay in your house? What kind of settlement do you think you’ll get?”
“Time will tell.”
“Well, I can see you don’t feel like talking so I’m going to let you go,” she snapped. “Have a nice day.”
Trish hung up on me. I stared at my phone. A text popped up.
“That school shooting in CT gives me the chills…” JB wrote.
Piss off.
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