Fish are friends. Not food.

[Underdog]

OK, all, buckle your seat belts and hold on. This ride is going to be very turbulent.

I had a call from Mr. Wonderful while the girls were in RE; it was another one of those odd calls where he filled me in on nothing at all. And then another one when he landed in Denver.

During the latter, he said he was returning D9's voicemail. I told him that I would hand over the phone but then remembered something that I had to mention to him.

I mentioned that D6 had received a birthday party invitation from a boy at school for this weekend. He sort of inhaled deeply and asked what time. I mentioned it was set for noon on Saturday. He became a little upset and asked me if I had RSVPd yes and I said no.

I mentioned that I realized it was his weekend and that I wouldn't commit to something when it was not in my schedule. He sort of hemmed and hawed, muttering profusely, and then made the following proclamation:

"Bets, I'm moving on Saturday."

Silence. I decided to invoke what I learned in my course of sales training: he who speaks next owns it. I kept my mouth completely shut.

He then offered that he is moving into a bigger apartment in the same complex--a 2 BR so that he can move the girls into their own bedroom. An issue that was discussed a year ago in mediation as being a requirement by the state in order to file for D (to allow him equal custody of the girls).

Then he started chatting incessantly, to the point of really irritating me. I realized that I was coming dangerously close to asking for some tartar sauce and lemon, so I decided to get the hell off the phone. And fast.

I finally said, "Mr. W. would you like to speak to D9?" He said yes. I handed over the handset like a hot potato.

She got off the phone with him and I asked, "D9, did you know that Dad was moving this weekend?" She gasped and said no and then started to cry. I gather the answer was a big NO.

She is now manically sweeping the floors and trying not to bawl. I have comforted her and she says that she has no issues with me, but realizes that there is now little chance that her dad is coming home.

I'm thinking she might be right.

I guess I don't know what to say or think at this point. I realize that he probably had to sign another lease on that place, rather than continue month-to-month where he is right now.

I refuse to ASSume in this one, but I readily admit, things do not look good here in Shark Country. How about some other input to this one?

Betsey