Well I’d been taking it all in stride, pretty much. Then someone at school said something nasty to me tonight and I lost it. Started crying and could not stop. Left class, drove straight to my parents’ house and waited in their driveway until they got home from a memorial service. My Dad pulled up and found me weeping in my car. I cannot remember the last time I cuddled with my Dad. This evening I actually sat on his lap and cried on his shoulder. I am totally spent.

My Mom gave me a cuddle, too, then pulled out a nightgown, ran me a bath and sent me off to her guest room. Of course I had to call home to let Pumpkinhead know where I was. He was fine with it and said a happy “Good night, Mommy!” Then 5 minutes later the phone rings again and it’s Chapin telling me that Pumpkinhead is crying and wants to come over and sleep with me here. Yes, my soon-to-be-ex is a Master Manipulator . Fortunately, as sad as I was at the idea of Pumpkinhead crying, I told him, “What are you going to do when he’s sleeping at your apartment and he starts crying for me? He has to learn to spend a night without me sometime!” So I stuck to my guns and am now bathed, more relaxed, cried out and ready for bed. I hope Pumpkinhead wasn’t really crying and that Chapin was just saying that but, regardless, I need to set boundaries. Argh.