Back in the Saddle

Equal (one)

Anthony

1985

'Dear diary' is too girly so how about I don't even greet you. That's pretty good. Yes. Manly.

I'm really confused. Dad's not been home a lot recently and mom's been not home whenever dad is home usually. Uncle Steven comes over a lot when dad isn't here. Uncle Steven hasn't brought his pretty friend over in a long time.

Mommy's been telling me that uncle Steven and his pretty friend Lainey aren't really friends anymore. She's saying Lainey is friends with Dad. But I thought she was friends with everybody! But apparently uncle Steven doesn't like her that much anymore. I like her still. She's pretty and nice and funny.

Anyway. Today my mom told me that Dad was taking a break. He wasn't here today. I don't know where he is. Dad and Mom say its a business trip but uncle Steven said that they don't do business trips. My mom told me that Dad needs to take a lot of breaks now, and he probably will be for a very long time... until I don't know when. Mom won't tell me much. But sometimes I can hear her talking to uncle Steven when I'm supposed to be in bed. Sometimes it sounds like she's crying, and that kind of makes me sad and want to cry too. But I won't cry because I don't really have a reason to cry. I'm pretty happy with my mom and dad and uncle Steven and Uncle Tom and Terry and uncle Joey and Julia and their kids are nice and uncle Brad and Karen too.

But I hear Mom crying when she talks to uncle Steven sometimes, and I haven't asked her about it 'cause I'm afraid, but I did ask uncle Steve last night and he looked pretty sad. But he told me that Mom was just sad kind of. And I asked him why but all he said was that one of her bestest friends ever found a new friend and didn't want to be her friend anymore. So I guess that's pretty sad. But I still didn't cry.

Today I asked Mom about her best friend. And she didn't really know what I was talking about. So I told her 'you know, the best friend that found a new friend and doesn't like you anymore that much.'

And I didn't wait around to see what happened next because Mom started crying and I was scared and didn't know what to do. So I ran upstairs and called uncle Steven and told him that I asked my mom about her friend and that she started crying. And uncle Steven sighed and told me that he wished I was older. But then a few minutes later he was here, and Mom was hugging him and I was on the steps watching. He's still with her right now downstairs, but I'm up here writing this for some reason because uncle Steven is too busy talking to Mom to talk to me, and Mom is too sad about her friend to talk to me, and Dad isn't here. So I guess all I have is you now. But I gotta go 'cause my mom is calling me.

I'm not sure how to end this but goodbye til next time I guess!!

--

Annie

I drew the line when Anthony started asking questions about everything. Minutes after he'd asked me about my 'friend' that found a 'new friend,' Steven was at the house saying Anthony had called him. I guess he panicked or something and didn't know what to do, and called the person who's been around a lot. That person happens to be Steven.

Steven told me he knew what had happened, and I told him that Anthony needed to know the truth. I knew that Joe should be home within the hour (we were trying to keep things as normal as possible for Anthony, so we could tell him once we were certain about what we were doing).  So I told Steven that Anthony was going to learn what was happening.

The other night, Joe and I had been talking about everything: lawyers, contracts, court... It was going to be a big, scary event.

But we were both certain.