A week ago yesterday (Thursday) Son 1 flew home for the weekend. He's got an internship for the summer back where he is going to school (a day's drive from here, or a couple hours by air) so that's probably the only time we'll see him all summer. But his brother was graduating high school.
A week ago today (Friday) I took the day off work. I spent some time with Son 1, and then my mother drove into town. We had lunch and then drove on out to Durmstrang, for the student awards ceremony. There we met Wife, who was unsteady on her feet and progressively worse as the night wore on. (She looked drunk, and Son 1 said he smelled alcohol on her.) Son 2 won four awards; so did his best friend; nobody else in the school won more than two. So we had plenty of opportunity to play proud parents.
Son 1 drove Wife home and spent the night at her place.
Saturday was Durmstrang graduation. Wife was sober and in much better shape than the night before. Son 2 had a lot of people to say goodbye to. So did I, for that matter, because I had been on campus a fair number of times, talked to the teachers, and knew many of the parents at least by sight. Many goodbyes, many hugs. Then we unpacked Son 2 out of his room and drove home. Both boys came with me.
Saturday night we went to see the latest X-Men movie.
Sunday morning we saw the latest Avengers movie ("Captain America: Civil War").
Sunday afternoon Son 1 flew back to the city where he's working and spending the summer.
Monday was a holiday so I paid bills and did laundry. Son 2 read.
Tuesday Son 2 had a doctor's appointment. Other than that I went to work and he looked for a summer job.
Ditto (minus the doctor's appointment) Wednesday, Thursday, and today (Friday).
And then tonight I drove him to Wife's place, an hour each way. He's 18 now, so there are no longer custody rules about where he has to be; still, he wants to see Wife this summer ... and she'll be upset if he doesn't visit her ... and she has offered to teach him to drive. So fine, I took him there.
And I am so relieved.
Don't get me wrong. I love both my sons. I like them and think well of them. I enjoy spending time with them
But I am so glad to have my apartment to myself again. After only a week of company, solitude is delicious.
A couple months ago, Marie speculated about whether we would ever live together in a quasi-married state, except that of course legally I would still be married to Wife. But this evening may have answered that question.
It is such a relief to be alone.
Sent from my iPhone