Loot and lawyers ...

[Train]

H picked up the kids yesterday for his afternoon with them. He was a complete jerk, as expected. Though he had offered last weekend - when he was being friendly - to check my car out before I drive the kids 4.5 hours to the coast, when I asked him what more we needed to check yesterday than the oil (which the car burns soooo fast), he rattled off half-a-dozen things and then seriously chuckled. In his typical smarta$s tone, he said, "What? Do you need me to check it tomorrow?" I told him no because we'd be leaving too early for him to do it today.

And that was it.

Then, before he pulled out of the driveway, he called me to ask if he could buy the kids anything for the beach.

While he had the kids, I broke down and cried - only the third time since this nightmare started. It wasn't a sad cry. It was a mad cry. I lashed out. I cursed. My mom, bless her, just sat there and listened and nodded. I got it out of my system for another day .... or week. And I called my brother, and he walked me through checking and topping-off my own d*mn oil. And my brake fluid. And my power-steering fluid. And my coolant.

Then - and here's what's jaw-dropping - H dropped off the kids last night and was asking about what time we're leaving. I also told him what day we'd be home. He said: "What? Am I not invited to come down anymore?"

I had told him, before I went "dim" a couple weeks ago, that he could head down to join us for a couple days because I'd be taking away three of his days with the kids to go. I told him that his visit, if he made it, would actually give me a break from the kids after a full week of sun and sand. H, at that time, even mentioned "mommy and daddy going swimming" to S7. (Not to point out the obvious here, but he wasn't exactly referring to actual swimming; he can't even swim well.) But things have been different the past two weeks. I'm not communicating with him except for the kids. And then he pulled the financial rug out from under me yesterday, making me choose between paying bills and going on this trip. And - what? - he thinks hanging out together for a couple days at the beach is going to be comfortable?!?

Is he literally out of his mind???

I changed the subject to his bike race, because that's why he initially said he couldn't come down in the first place. He said he wasn't going to be racing now. And that's how I left it. I had NO idea what to say.

But, seriously, are these people freaking delusional?