Well, as the saying goes, tomorrow is another day.
Following his tantrum yesterday, and my failure to answer his slew of one-line emails, stbx showed up at our house this morning.
This followed a call he made to the home phone - which S14 answered (for some reason, stbx is using the home phone instead of mobiles now). Stbx asked him to go to grandma's with him, but S14 refused.
Stbx got shirty and said "Well, I'll go then, goodbye." S14 said "OK' and hung up.
Next thing we know, stbx is at the front door. After yesterday's outburst I had told him not to come over without asking permission first.
He came in and told S14 to get ready as they were going to grandma's. S14 refused and said he had just told him on the phone that he wasn't going.
Stbx answered "But you said OK at the end of the call". Argument ensued with raised voices.
I stayed out of it, but stbx came out to the back room and spat this at me before leaving: "I asked S14 what he is doing tonight (NYEve) and he says he doesn't know. Tell him he is going out with me. I will ring later." He then drove off.
I was pretty much dumbfounded, and went to talk to S14 - who said he would not go out with his father tonight.
About 15 mins later, stbx comes back to the house. When I answer door he says he tried to ring but home phone was engaged. He didn't try my mobile...WTF?
Tells S14 he can't take him out tonight as he can't get 'cover' for a shift of his business. Says they have to go out NOW. Browbeats S14 into going to dog park.
When they return, stbx is in a much better mood. He talks happily and says 'Happy New Year folks" to us both. He seems a little wistful, telling us that he will be working all night and all tomorrow (like yeah, sure).
As we do for Xmas, we have big family traditions around NY Eve that he will miss, but we don't say anything about that. I mention that i've heard there's a new puppy and a new baby in the extended family. He reports on both.
Wishes us well again and, as he is leaving, asks if I am ok with him taking the broken-down car sometime soon to see how much it will cost to be fixed.
WTF?? Our argument yesterday was based around him not wanting to pay $350 for half of the kids' school books.
This flip-flopping is really weird.
S14 asks: Why does he keep coming back here all the time? He also observes that dad seems to feel guilty after he has a big argument with us and then he's all nice again.
Not really sure what to say to S14 about this. Any ideas?
