Today Julie and Chris moved out. Meaning—for the first time in the four years we have been seeing each other, Liz and I now officially live alone. Just the two of us. She and I. It’s kinda weird.
Our first night alone in the apartment, and how do we choose to spend it? We went out to eat with mom and the fam for her birthday, came home, she got on the computer, I laid down on the couch and fell asleep. This was our evening. Yes, we are getting old. I can’t say that I mind all that much, though.
I was supposed to be spending the evening with Cody, the other daugher’s boyfriend. He was supposed to be coming over and working on my dreadlocks. He didn’t show up and I happened to catch a peek at myself in the mirror as I passed it by, took a long look at my hair, decided I kind of like it just the way it is. So, there’s really no loss here.
I have to admit, Liz is handling it better than I thought she would. She was scared heading into it. We have seen this coming for at least a couple weeks. No kids. When school started this year and she realized that for the first time in twenty years or so she wasn’t going to have any kids to wake up in the morning and get off to school, she broke down and cried a little.
I kind of expected her to break down and cry a lot with the last two (of four) moving out. And she’s done quite well. Not a single tear yet. And as much as I try to help and to cheer her up, I don’t think this newfound strength has much to do with me. I’ve been insanely busy working marathons on the computer, haven’t been much company.
The girls and I have had our differences, but for the most part we have gotten along famously in the time I’ve been around. I’ve tried to be a positive role in their lives, they leave me alone on the many issues they rightfully could have griped about, and I don’t tell them what to do. Ever.
The only time I ever tried to play stepdad was a couple of years ago, they were juniors, and they had missed Friday afternoon, came home from school at lunch and didn’t go back. Sunday night they needed a written excuse to get back into school, so I wrote them this little ditty:
“Please excuse Julianna and Jonalyn Emmons from school on Friday afternoon. They were both stricken with a case of hysterical blindness. Please let them back into school, as they are fine now, they can see again.”
And I begged and pleaded with Liz to sign it. But, to no avail.
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