“Hey, it’s me,” he says. “What are you doing home?”
I throw my shopping bags on the couch, annoyed that he had to call today of all days. “How did you know I was home, Paul?”
“I called your office, and your assistant told me you didn’t come in today. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I just felt like taking a personal day off.”
“Hmm. That’s not like you.”
“What do you want?”
“I wanted to talk about Christmas. It’s next week”
“I know when Christmas is,” I reply, kicking off my shoes and sitting down on the couch next to all my new clothes.
“We haven’t talked about what we’re going to do with the kids.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my stomach already burning just from hearing his voice.
“Do you want them on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? I’ll let you pick.”
Let me pick? “Paul, what are you talking about? The kids are staying with me both days. We’re going to my mother’s house on Christmas Eve, just like we’ve been doing for the past eighteen years, and Christmas Day, I’m making breakfast and dinner, like we’ve always done.” Does he seriously think I’m going to let him take the kids away on the first holiday since this mess started?
“So when the hell do I get to see them?”
“You can see them the day after Christmas.”
His voice rises. “What the fuck? That’s not the same.”
“Well, you should have thought of that before you left us for your girlfriend. Think of the kids for once, Paul. I am sure they will be much happier doing what they have always done on Christmas. They love seeing my parents and getting all those presents.” I press my fingers against my forehead, my head starting to pound. “And where are they going to sleep? Macy said you have one extra bedroom, and it’s filled with Charlene’s clothes.”
“There’s a bed in that room. We just have to straighten it out and put some things away.”
“Okay, you have two kids.”
“Then one will have to sleep on the couch.”
“Neither one of them is going to like that. Why disrupt them on Christmas? Just let them be to get used to all this before you go disrupting even more of their lives.”