Is It Too Late?

[WillD78]

W has spent two hours each of the past few nights cleaning her new place. I can't help but think that it must be a terrible dump if she has to spend so much time "cleaning." I have no reason not to believe that is what she is doing, but of course, I am suspicious. When she tells me she is going to clean, I simply say, "OK. See you later."

The weather here has been incredibly crummy since Sunday, making my outdoor GAL activities difficult. I do manage to stay busy with the kids and there was enough of a break in the rain for me to go on a jog yesterday -- the first time I have done that since early May, I would guess. W texts me occasionally while I am at work, mostly about the kids and she occasionally sends me a photo of their activities. When I get home from work she typically talks my ear off about her day with the girls. I assume she is just starved for adult interaction, so I do my best to listen.

Last week we learned the awful news that our friends' S3 has been diagnosed with cancer. It's treatable and the likelihood of full recovery is very high, but they have a long road ahead of them.

On Monday afternoon I get a text from W: "I wanted to tell you I got a text asking about [friends' S3]. I ignored it and deleted it. I don't think it's appropriate for me to respond and I wanted to tell you right away out of respect for us and our situation."

Me: "Was it from [OM]?"

W: "I'm assuming. I don't know the number and I didn't want to risk it in case it was and you saw it."

Me: "Thanks for telling me. He could have simply asked [our mutual friends]"

W: "That's why I didn't respond and ignored. I honestly don't know the number so I can't be sure. But I didn't like the situation so I did what my gut told me to do."

Me: "OK. Thanks for telling me."

I have so many questions about this interaction. "Out of respect for us and our situation"? What?!? Our situation is that W is preparing to move out and leave our MH. She is essentially saying we are over. So why does she now respect us and our situation?

Is this even really what happened? When she was carrying on her EA with OM through texts last summer and fall, they both had iPhones, so their texts went through iMessage and I couldn't see them on the phone bill. Occasionally a few would be sent via SMS and appear on the phone bill. Makes me wonder if they're back to texting and this happens to be one of those occasions where one slipped through on SMS. In my gut, I don't believe this is the case, but who knows?!

And if this is the truth, what kind of a low-life uses a three-year-old's cancer diagnosis as an opportunity to reconnect with an old flame? I hope she sees that for what it is.

Anyway, we never talked about this exchange again. But it has left me wondering.