Let’s recap. Since March of last year, we’ve:
- Taken care of father-in-law’s hip surgery
- Taken care of mother-in-law’s Alzheimer’s
- Taken care of mother’s knee surgery
- Lost mother-in-law to Alzheimer’s/COVID
- Taken care of wife’s foot surgery
- Lost twenty year cat that I fucking adored, despite being kind of an asshole
- Lost sixteen-year old cat I fucking adored, who was an absolute sweetheart
- Cancelled New Year’s plan due to sick/dying cats
- Cancelled Valentine’s when wife got norovirus
- Cancelled wife’s birthday/St. Patrick’s Day when I got norovirus
- Got threatened by guns at Versailles
- Got COVID for the first time
- Got sinus/ear infection that cost me some hearing
- Massive power outage on our anniversary
- Father-in-law broke neck
- Missed trip to Frankenmuth for my birthday because father-in-law broke neck
- Missed birthday dinner because mother decided I needed to dogwatch the dog she was supposed to watch thereby ending my dinner plans
- Left old job because I would have shot myself if I didn’t
- Started new job that’s very mentally taxing and not as satisfying as expected
- Fought relentlessly with shitty people and poorly behaving family members who refused to step in and help with any of this
- Felt like absolute failure
- Was not allowed to complain or receive any sympathy because… reasons, I guess?
We are not okay.
Target: 1400 words
Written: 1369 words, novel: Father Lightning