Earlier in the year, as I cried over yet another cancelled trip to see him (there were four in total), Wild Card told me to write off this year and not even consider coming as iw as just getting upset.
But it was really hard when, just as I went back to work in September, his borders opened. It became even harder when I started to see other couples on Facebook reuniting in his country. And getting engaged or married. Or just looking happy and smug and in love.
And then, then, Ryanair started flying there which means I could actually afford to go. £20 flight anyone?
Of course, there were a couple of sticking points to this plan.
- I am a teacher so can’t book time off. (Yes, I know, I get ‘all those holidays’)
- You need two weeks quarantine when you get back to the UK. See above.
- He told me not to come.
Number three was round about the time when Ryanair got up and running and I joked that I was on my way, even though I knew I couldn’t (see points 1 and 2).
He told me he missed me and wanted me there, but the thought of it really made him nervous. He talked of the quick decisions in his country that could leave me stranded there, the issues with travel and how he didn’t want me to get sick and end up locked away in a hospital, unable to see him.
Yes it hurt, and yes I thought he just didn’t want me to come (which he said he knew I would think) but I could see the logic in what he was saying. I could also see that it showed a lot of love and consideration for me too.
But, yes, it still kind of felt that he didn’t want me to come.
I told him that I understood and that I would only come when he felt it was safe for me to do so.
Of course, if nothing changed, I would only be able to go again in the summer holiday 2021 – 17 months after I was last with him.
The UK went into lockdown and I couldn’t have gone any sooner anyway.
As Christmas approached, I’ve played with the idea of going for the first weekend and asking for a day working at home at the end to complete the isolation. I never asked though.
And then, there was talk that maybe the Christmas holiday would be extended to allow for self isolation. I dared not hope. Good job too, because it isn’t going to happen.
The shiny star on the tree was when I read that our Government have now decided that from December the quarantine is reduced to five days if you pay for a private covid test and it comes back negative.
A few quick sums in my head and…I could actually go. Except..
Except he still hasn’t talked about it since. When I was a little upset in my pre-menstral state last week, he told me it wouldn’t be long. The vaccines are nearly there. Maybe February or April and I would be there.
I couldn’t help myself. This week I told him about the new changes. He asked if I would travel over Christmas and when I said maybe, he said ‘where?’. I said I didn’t know.
The news of the reduction in quarantine got a ‘good’ comment.
Tonight he asked me about my Christmas holidays again and I asked if he was planning to take some holidays himself. He didn’t know, and I asked him to save some for when I would visit.
‘When are you coming?’
I replied that I didn’t know and I was waiting for him to tell me it was OK, remember?
He said it was not up to him. I’m a grown woman and I can make my own decisions. He said it was my home too and I could come whenever I wanted. Apparently I keep talking like he doesn’t want me to come, so now he’s telling me to come when I want but it is up to me to do the research and take responsibility if it goes wrong. But I can come whenever I want, it’s my home too.
I tried to say that we should both decide but he was having none of it. And he said that he wasn’t angry.
I have looked at flights. I could go. But I would miss Christmas at home. Not sure my kids would be impressed even though they don’t see me for half of it.
If I go, and he really doesn’t think it is a good decision despite what he has said, I lose.
If I don’t go, and actually he has told me to come if I want because he wants me to come… but doesn’t want to be responsible for encouraging me if it goes wrong – I lose.
I can’t win. I think he probably still thinks it is a bad idea but he never backs down on anything he doesn’t agree with so the fact that he has makes me think he does what me to.
Would my kids understand? They would spend the whole of the following week and New Year with me. They spend most of the holidays with me usually, so it is not like I don’t see them. Lots of divorced families do it this way, not splitting it more intricately like we have done.
I would really miss them, but I would be back after a week. I haven’t seen Wild Card for 9 months. But I would hate to upset them.
But if I don’t go, and nothing changes, it will be April before I get another chance.
I just don’t know. Lose, lose, lose.
Starting from the Middle 