The Agreement.

Saturday, June 6

1:16 p.m.

“So I am not going to be able to take Caroline today. Either take her and drop her off or let Camille come get her, let them stay a couple of hours and then go get them. I don’t care which.”

Diane had waited for this text from her husband for a couple of hours, knowing that he had to work today and wouldn’t be able to take their children to his parents’ house for a visit.  She had her response ready.  She quickly typed, “David. We agreed. No unsupervised.”

“You can always stay with them. That’s your choice not to stay.”

“No. It’s my choice if they go. We agreed to this months ago.”

After a brief pause, David texted, “They need to be with both sets of grandparents.”

          “You can’t go and change agreement when it doesn’t suit you any longer.”

          “I am not. But we need to discuss.”

          “Yes you are. We had an agreement.”

          “That’s fine.”

          “We can discuss changing it. But now we have an agreement.”

          Diane watched those three dots on the screen while David composed his next message. “And they don’t have to go today. But circumstances have changed and they are older and not so impressionable. Right, we had an agreement. That’s fine.”

          “And I don’t trust Camille or your mom as far as I can throw them. Especially Camille.” Diane responded.

          “Trust her about what? What’s my sister going to do at this point? I don’t like Alice or Elizabeth’s influence either, but here we go.”

          “Camille will lie to the kids. She lies about everything. And leave my family out of this. The kids only see them during holidays anyway. This is about your family.”

          “Caroline is old enough to know the difference at this point.”

          “She’s only twelve.” Diane set her cell phone down, and went into the kitchen for a soda. 

          When she came back, she read, “But she will tell us if anything is said. All I am saying is that the circumstances are very different now with the children and we need to look at it again. And I don’t think people have enough time to plot and plan to try to turn your children against you.”

          “Uh, have you met Camille?” Diane responded. “She lies when the truth would serve her better.  You know that.”

          David explained, “My biggest dilemma is Mom and Dad fighting in front of them. That was the deal breaker. I will flat point blank ask Caroline if there was a problem because I do not want them in that kind of environment but that makes me a hypocrite because of the barn burners we have had as of late. So then are we making their lives any better by keeping them away?”

          “My concern is the flat out lies. Camille would tell them anything. She’s going to tell them the “truth,” remember? And your mom won’t stop her and will milk it. And Camille asking Caroline about coming over instead of us. Manipulation. She should have asked us first given the circumstances. I sent your parents a letter saying no unsupervised contact. They know my position. So Camille asks Caroline because she knows it will be hard for us to tell Caroline no and it makes us/me look bad, and to blame me. She’s not stupid.”

          After he failed to respond, she texted, “Do you want to text them, or want me to?

          “About? Not coming over?”

          “Yes. I can be nice.”

          “Dad messaged me, asking if I was working. I told him yes. So if you have sent them a letter I guess they know that they are shit out of luck for seeing them today.”

          “No, they don’t. Camille asked Caroline this morning about picking them up.”

          “I think I am just going to walk right up to Alice and slap her in the face the next time I see her. That would make me feel better.” David texted.

          “Childish. My aunt has nothing to do with this.”

          “No, because I have all these feeling that have been repressed that they are eating me inside.”

          “Now you’re making fun of me.”  

After a pause, Diane texted, “Let’s talk about what we should and not change the subject. We can discuss Alice another time.”

          “This is on topic.”

          “No, it’s not. We were talking about your family and our kids now.”

          “And I am tired of there only being a problem when my side comes up and there is no peace unless I roll over and do what you want. That’s the only time there is conflict.”

          “That’s bullshit. You’re trying to bully me again into doing what YOU want. We had an agreement. Period You don’t get to arbitrarily change it when it suits you.”

          “That’s fine. And I am good with discussing it AGAIN. Not that it’s going to change anything because your mind is made up and nobody has patted your ass in the right spot.”

         “We can discuss in person about changing it. But you aren’t arbitrarily changing it. You’re being mean and petty. I am doing talking to you. I will text Camille.”

          David texted, “Well nobody ever patted my ass either and your family walks around like everything’s okay. All I am saying is whatever is done for one side will be done for the other. So when they wanna swim at Elizabeth’s, be prepared to stay. It’s controlling and stupid and I am tired of it.”

           “Not that you would allow them to swim anywhere because of your irrational Covid fear. You are trying to control too, but you don’t see that. Idc.”

            "My irrational Covid fear!! Fuck you! If you wanna change it and haul your ass around and catch it because you catch everything going, be my guest. I have done nothing but try to look out for you and my children’s welfare.”

           “Well, you aren’t caring about their wellbeing much now, are you?”        

“So you can collect the gloves and masks and bring them inside and leave them. Wear your little homemade job that people have satisfied their consciences with and when your son ends up on a ventilator again because YOU were careless, you can bear that burden, not me.   As a health care worker, we are pushed into situations where we are in the unknown and have to be especially careful because people walking around in gloves cross-contaminating everything because they are naïve. Not all of us can sit in an office or at home and occasionally check the mail.”

“Gonna try to put me down again? Really? I have been waiting for you to throw that up in my face. I can’t help it that I have to work from home now.”

“Not at all. Just put things in perspective and in terms you can understand my irrational fear.”

“I may be able to come up to your higher level of reason if I try.” 

Diane responded, “Do you want to text them or want me to? We can discuss in person later. No changing the agreement without discussing.”

          “I am not there. You handle it.”

          “Ok.” Diane texted Camille that the kids would not be coming over to visit.

          Fifteen minutes later, Diane heard the telltale ding from her cell phone. She assumed that David had heard from his sister, Camile. Instead, David said, “Do not lecture me or give me advise or talk to me like you are shaking your finger at me.”

          “And don’t talk to me that way either.”

          “And further there is really nothing else to discuss. It just makes me upset. I can’t talk you out of being a bitch. I have tried.”

          “I would talk about being a bitch if I were you. You are condescending and cruel unnecessarily.”

          “Just think of it this way… at least I use a filter and don’t say what I am really thinking. You are welcome.”

          “You are nothing but an ass. And you don’t want to know what I really thing either.”

          “You are right on both accounts.” David responded.

          “So basically you aren’t able to bully me into getting what you want so you personally attach me? Idc if you think I am a bitch or not. Doesn’t bother me in the least.”

               Saturday, June 6

               7:33 p.m.

          “Did you cook or not?” David asked.