(Yesterday while working from home, I went to grab some lunch and left my car in the driveway to give it a clean when I got home. X then had to park half in the driveway, half in the street when he dropped S2 off that night. This made me think that leaving my car in the driveway could be an easy way to prevent them from lingering at changeovers?)
OW has tagged along for every changeover since the first time I mentioned it a few weeks ago. She stays in the car and stares at me the whole time. The changeover lasts all of ten seconds and I stay in the doorway of my house without exchanging any words with X.
When I was musing about WHY the OW would do this, my mother offered her point of view. When she first started dating my stepdad, she went to his kid changeovers because she loved him and wanted to be part of his life and integrate herself with the kids. Do you guys think this is what’s happening here with OW? Is it that simple and innocent?
Another view was that OW is insecure and comes along to keep an eye on X. She stares at me cause she feels she’s competing with me. She comes to gloat about the prize she has won but knows the competition was rigged and therefore doesn’t trust X.
Or she’s curious about the mean and abusive ex-wife and feels important being involved. Maybe hoping to witness some drama if the X has told her I’m crazy and bitter and jealous. Maybe he asked her to come along as a backup since I have had my neighbour with me in the past. This could feed into the above scenario.
I just find it weird at this point, not upsetting. To come along but not come to the door. To stare at me from the safety of the car seat. It’s coming into winter and it’s dark and cold at 6:30am when they arrive for pickup, let alone when they’d have to get up to get ready as they live twenty minutes away. Same deal at 5:30pm for dropoff.
What’s her deal? Remember she’s only 21, if that makes a difference.
(I know it’s pointless to wonder, but we like to speculate on this board, so have at it.)
