New Leaves

curve ball

When last I wrote, I was woe-ing about the 'M' thing while I updated at the library, and tried so very hard not to be offended that she didn't want to meet me. I dragged all that morning. My mantra was swiftly becoming, 'Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I'll just go eat worms.' I was half heartedly trying to find something to do in Dayton, and looking for jobs. When I look at my phone and it said '2 voicemails'.

I call my voicemail and I hear my love say, "Hey, I gotta couple of fine young people who want to meet you." Insert the part where I close every window on the computer, grab my stuff and run out the door so fast that everyone looked up from their computer.

The kids arrived while I was at the library and they took a tour of the house. They saw the picture of Mike and I, that I have framed in the living room. M says,"So, where is she?"

To which Mike says.... "She's out doing her own thing today, and we were giving you the space that you wanted. Did you want to meet her?"

She said, "Yes."

Of course, there was the part where Mike probably nearly drove her crazy saying, "We can wait till the next time. There's no hurry." And she stated that she definately wanted to meet me.

Turns out that M was told by her biological father that it wasn't appropriate to meet me, but in fact she did want to meet me. Her biological father has a way of manipulating M's visitation time with her mother with the admitted intent of her spending as little time as possible with Mike, and give other problems with the admitted intent of causing problems in the marriage.

And of course K (the mother) had a fit when it was all done because she said that Mike had 'promised' that I would not be there.

No. He had not promised. He told her that our plans were to ease the kids into it. It wasn't a promise made to her. It was an explanation of what was going on in our household. But, due to financial things that were beyond our control it wasn't going to work that way. Things went over famously when he informed her that she wasn't going to dictate what went on "our" home, and that she wasn't going to do the same thing that M's father had done. (Manipulate visitation time based on when I was home.)

As you can see, it's all drama. But neither Mike or I are buying into it. Planet Earth is where we are, and we are just staying grounded and refusing to react.

Then K mentions something about a birthday party with everyone there. Including me. Nope. Sorry, too soon for that. M's birthday is not the time to meet, and I'm not ready, and I know she's not ready.

Anyhow, the visit with the kids went wonderfully. It was fantastic. When they were both gone, we just sort sat around and blinked in disbelief.

I am employed. Finally. Not for very much, but more than Wendy's offered and doing a lot less than I had to do, even as crew. The schedule sucks for the moment, but it's a supplemental income to Mike's, and it is helping to ease things in.

Moving stuff from my storage unit has been crap. Either undependable help, or unable to go at a time that's convenient. Or inconveniencing my former roomate. Or not being able to get a hold of the person that I was going to buy a stove and refrigerator from. Oh, and being sick. I'm better now. But, Mike isn't feeling well, and B was sick all weekend.

Life seems to have thrown a few curve balls for the time being, but it will get better soon. I am just relieved to be here, and to see him everyday, and just be one step closer to what we want.