Smudge has been working hard at reading me lately. Maybe she learned her empathic skills from my girl Scout, but however she came by them, she’s become a great reflector of my mood.
She sees through the happy talk. I can’t get anything by her now.
I was up with her at 3:30am today. We went through our morning routine, like always. I showered, then dressed with a bit more attention to looking “put together.” (Okay, a lot more attention.)
When it came time for me to leave for the courthouse, I hugged Smudge as if I’d never see her again — because, quite honestly, I thought I might not. (Maybe one of these days I’ll explain more about that.)
I crept down the road, windows down, absorbing every sight and sound and smell. In the brush to my left stood Remi, as if to wish me well.
I arrived at the courthouse early, went through security and parked myself in the back row of the courtroom. The judge was 45 minutes late coming in but began her session dispatching a bunch of quick cases. Mine came up soon enough.
Only then did X2B enter the courtroom — apparently she’d been sequestered in a conference room. The show continued when plaintiff’s counsel asked the court to keep her address confidential.
(I guess she forgot that I’m wholly indifferent to her and the circumstances of her life. I can’t even tell you what she was wearing today — I didn’t so much as look in her direction.)
We stood in front of the bench (along with Jeff, who was a sort of administrative witness for the plaintiff) and went through the legal motions. But there was a twist.
Plaintiff’s counsel asked the judge to rule on the divorce and to reserve division of property for some later date. (Division of property was the stated purpose of this hearing to begin with.) And so practical matters of my future — like whether or not I’ll remain in my home — weren’t decided today.
The good news, of course, is that the judge granted the divorce. I didn’t contest it, despite X2B’s false allegations. The deed will be official as soon as the decree is signed by the judge, which could happen as early as today.
X2B is now X2. The shackles of this marriage have been removed. And I’m no longer linked to a family that I never was admitted to in the first place.
I’ll celebrate today’s victories with the gusto they deserve. Matters of property will be discussed and decided in due course.
I think Smudge must’ve been asleep on the bed when I rolled up the driveway. Only when I shut the door of my truck did I hear her jump down onto the floor and start barking.
We loved on each other a good long while.
Uncertainty remains, but the happy Heeler and I have been released from the darkness. That’s what I intend to focus on today.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable