The Ex Files

Reality Air Lines

"He hit me," Susan said. "I can't believe he hit me."

"What happened?"

"I was trying to shut down his game. We scuffled. And he hit me."

Eleanor's hands started to shake as she listened to Susan's recital of Patrick's sins and shortcomings. Their prodigal son refused to consider returning to school or looking for a job. He did not lift a finger to help with chores, or even change his clothes. He stayed up all night playing games and slept all day. When they tried to talk to him about his behavior, he blamed it on the fact that there was nothing for him to do because Sean had refused to pay for his mobile phone plan or renew the insurance on his car, saying that it was time that Patrick took responsibility for his own needs instead of expecting other people to provide everything for him.

When they realized that yelling at Patrick was useless, Susan and Sean took their troubles to their doctor, who suggested anti-depressants. Sean lost his temper and snarled that the only antidepressant that kid needed was a good swift kick in the ass.

"So I decided to put my foot down and tell Patrick no more games. And the bastard hit me."

"Did you call the police?"

Susan's voice changed from furious anger to confused desperation. "I couldn't. I was just too embarrassed. Sean told him he had three minutes to get out of the house. I'm okay, just bruised."

Cleansing breaths. Deep, relaxing, cleansing breaths. I am strong and resourceful and growing every day.

"I'm so sorry," Eleanor said, apologizing automatically, as if everything were her fault.

"I should have listened to you," Susan said.

Who are you and what have you done with my know-it-all sister? Eleanor thought. As far as she could remember, this is the first time Susan had ever admitted that one of her siblings might be right about anything. But this was not the time to gloat and crow I told you so. If there was anything she had learned at her Reality Check group, it was that they were facing a long, uphill battle, and their chances of winning were better if they worked together.

"I made him give me the key to my house, so you have nothing to worry about."

They talked for another forty-five minutes, longer than they had for years. By the time the conversation was over, it was far too late to call Jared or Roseanne. Eleanor wished she had made a more determined effort to recruit a sponsor from the Reality Check group, someone who would make it his or her business to be available 24/7 when things got hot and heavy. But she had been so focused on her new life with Hal that that had left things just as they were. 

She had been living in a mythical fantasy futureworld, where her know-it-all sister would know how to fix Patrick, and he would magically recover. In that idealized reality, Kelly would return to her room in the Blue Elephant. Pam would decide not to move out even though she had given notice.  Hal would finally realize that he and Eleanor were soul mates, diamonds in the rough committed to re-working and polishing their relationship until its true beauty was finally revealed.

Bye-bye,  Fantasy Futureworld. 

The party is over, and it's time to return to the kingdom of Real World.  Here and now, where people incessantly create pain for each other and things rarely work out as planned.

Welcome aboard Reality Air Lines. We are expecting turbulence. Make sure your seatbelts are securely fastened. In the event of decompression, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling automatically. Put yours on before attempting to help anyone else.