10.20.08 - 2:03 pm

saturday, october 18th.

pregame. sarah: "if youre coming to the game bring the backpack and book."

post game. ashton comes to greet me and give me a hug. he says hello to his grandma and grandpa. hes beaming about the two points he scored during the game, but having a hard time unwrapping his ceremonial rice crispie treat.

i ask him if he wants to come to the car with me to get his backpack and book and he readily agrees. so we walk the short distance to sarah and ashton tells his mom: "we're going to my dads car to get my backpack."

she looks at him and says no.

he starts to say "but we're just..." when she starts talking about how shes got to get some cookie dough. i ask her why she wont just let him come to my car....?

she says no, come on. she grabs his arm and yanks him towards her.

"you need to come with me." ashton protests on the verge of tears and tries to squirm away away.

"i want to go with my dad!"

shocked, i said sarah, just let him come to my car, it will just take a second. she releases only because ashton was so close to crying out loud.

"where are you parked."
"just right up the hill, right there."
"ok well we are parked at the front entrance."
"ok....but im just right there."
"so what, youre just going to drive him over to us then or what?"
"sure. thats not a problem."
"fine."

she and dusty start to walk off with the crowd. ashton and i walk off in a different direction.

"you got a new car seat right? one that fits him? you know, because youre going to be driving..." smiling. her tone smarmy. as condescending as possible. grinning like she knows a secret i dont.

ashton gladly exclaims to her that we have a new car seat and its the exact same one she has.

julie and i are shocked. how very blatant. how extremely obvious. she clearly grabbed his arm and pulled him away from me. not because she needed ashton to go with her for cookie dough. not because she had anywhere in particular to go with ashton. but because she didnt want me to have him for the next few minutes. out of spite. because she wields him as a weapon against me. and never was it more obvious than just now.

we decide to walk instead of drive ashton back to sarah, dusty and their durango. when we get there, ashton gives me a hug and tells me he loves me and will miss me. and i tell him about the pumpkin carving we get to do when i see him and while ashton is trying to say good bye, from behind the durango sarah calls to ashton with a bribe of new toys. it worked. ashton intrigued by the excitement of new toys walks off and julie and i tread back to the car.

wow. did that all just happen?

thirty minutes later i receive a phone call from dusty.

"so look, you need to respect sarah when shes talking to you."
"excuse me?"
"you know, i dont have a lot of time, so im going to make this quick. you need to respect sarah."
"what are you talking about?"
"you know."
"no, dusty. im serious, what are you talking about."
"look im not one of your blogs or little girlfriends, ok buddy?"
"what did i say to her?"
"you give respect you get respect, thats how the world works buddy."
"well actually dusty, i dont think thats really how it works at all."
"just respect sarah or deal with me, ok?"
"ok."
"i cant really talk anymore, i have to take care of your son. just respect sarah when shes talking to you. ok buddy? see ya."
"ok bye."

now what the hell was he referring to? what the hell is going on? im confused. im frustrated.

but not worried.