Family Vacation

I was long overdue for a vacation.

So much had happened in my life the last few months that would drive a normal person crazy. I'm far from normal, so I was safe thus far, but I didn't want to push my limits. But after last year's family vacation, I didn't know where to go. I knew I didn't want just me and the kids; I wanted to be surrounded by people I loved. I didn't have enough cash to fly across the country to see Aunt L. (Maybe in 2011?) So I called my sister, Sue.

Since she's a teacher, Sue is busy from mid-August on, preparing her return to school. Her anniversary is in Mid-July, and Dad's wedding was Independence Day. She lives near a small city, but it has tourist attractions nearby that would be well worth the trip. We could take the kids to a museum, a theme park, or let them camp in the backyard, like we had planned to do last summer. I set up a budget and put in for time off at work. I'd leave on the Wednesday after her anniversary, stay until Saturday, then have Sunday to unpack and recuperate before returning to my job at the nursing home. I was all set.

The weekend before my vacation, I excitedly packed our bags and cleaned out my van. I wanted to be ready to leave first thing on Wednesday. I had forgotten, until then, that my kids had school on Wedneaday. Jacob had been attending summer school Monday through Thursday in the mornings, and Jane's preschool ran year-round, Monday through Wednesday in the afternoons. With a little bit of thought, I decided to let Jacob go to his, but leave town as soon as he was done. Jane wouldn't be missing much.

I was cleaning out my van Sunday night, after the kids were asleep, when I heard the phone ringing. I ran inside, not wanting the phone to wake them, thinking it had to be Sue calling about the vacation plans. I was half right.

"Hello?" I knew that voice. I hadn't heard it in three weeks. "This is Michael."

"I know."

"I'm going to be coming up this coming weekend, for my grandmother's birthday party, and I'd like to see the kids. I'll take them to the party and give you a few hours of peace."

"Well, gee, Mike," I said, feeling my bitch training starting to kick in, "that's nice of you, but I had taken a long weekend to take them to my sister's house, and I don't want to cut my plans down. I'm not going to get another vacation this year and I want to make the most of this one."

"I have a right to see the kids," he said pointedly. "It's the third weekend of the month."

I felt a range of emotions at this bold statement. I chose to cut through the initial surge of anger, though, and allowed myself to mire in shame at my lack of foresight. Just because he hadn't seen his kids since February didn't mean he would forego his weekend with them just because I asked. In planning my vacation, I had not even considered the possibility that he might want to see them. Probably because he hadn't mentioned it a few weeks ago when he called for Jacob's birthday. And because he hadn't seen them in four months. He was correct, of course. He did have a right to see the kids. But that didn't make it right.

"Fine," I said, in a tone that I hoped made it blatantly clear that it was not, in fact, fine. "I was planning to drive back Saturday anyway. I'll just leave early enough to get here in time for the party. What time is it?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm coming up with my mom. Sometime in the afternoon. One maybe?"

I rubbed my palm against my eyes. How had he and I ever made any plans before? I usually made them all and he inadvertently sabotaged them, that's how.

"I'll call you from Sue's house Saturday morning, ok? Maybe even Friday evening."

"Fine," he replied, in a tone that said he thought everything really was fine. "Talk to you then."

It was too late to call Sue that night. I'd call her tomorrow, I told myself.