DANGEROUS ARRANGEMENTS

"I'LL SEND HER BACK TO HER GOD-FORSAKEN FAMILY IN A BODY BAG"

Our fears and anger had now merged with our desire to reject the highly speculative actions that were presented to us concerning our father.

A load of frustrations weighed in heavy on us, as we stood back and continued to note Peter's wife shadowing my father and his every move throughout the remainder of the evening.

Even now, I struggle to put into words my true feelings in seeing my father in such poor form that night, and the many nights leading up to that one.

Once the celebrations finally came to an end, we proceeded to say our goodbyes, now clearing the restaurant to head home to my parents' house.

On the way home while my kids fell asleep snug in their car seats, my husband and I went on to discuss and itemize the many disturbing moments we saw taking place between my dad and Sherin at the party.

I let him know that Matt had approached me after we took family photos and asked me what was happening between dad and Sherin.

I went on to tell my husband that Matt saw her holding my father's hand, and my father holding hers in return while we were being photographed.

I continued on by saying that I shared with Matt what was happening at home with my dad and Sherin once our mom went to work.

My husband voiced that he felt terrible for my mother and suggested that we sit her down and tell her everything that was going on behind her back, and regrettably also right before her very eyes.

At first, I agreed that we should tell her too but then after briefly considering it again in my head, I asked my husband with all sincerity;

"But what exactly is going on? I mean, what are we going to tell her?"

We don't have any proof beyond our suspicions and discomfort over the way they inappropriately behave with each other.

We didn't catch them in the act of betrayal or find them caught in each other's arms. Nor have we intercepted a love letter from them or find them embraced in bed together.

So, what then were we going to tell my mother beyond our opinions of their suggestive and improper behavior?

All we knew was that there was something terribly off with the dynamics of their relationship as a father- in- law and daughter-in-law.

In the recent past, whenever I brought up Sherin and her equally deceiving and manipulative ways to my mother, it was met by my mother's unending grace and mercy.

She continued to believe that Sherin lacked in social graces because she was born into less fortunate circumstances and that she was in need of help to refine her deficit of manners.

I knew she had trouble seeing her for the lying, thieving and scheming woman she really was. It was just like my mother to choose to see the light over the darkness in people, even to her own detriment.

I also knew this of my mom, she fiercely loved my father and would never go against him by siding with anyone who spoke poorly of him.

She would always remind my brothers and me of how big my father's heart was, and how his loving and giving nature, unselfishly cared for her and her family throughout the years.

I feared that she would only reject the troubling information about my father and furthermore, she might also challenge the validity of what was being told to her.