A Second Unplanned Night
Eve and the girls ended up staying for a second night in a row, completely unplanned — and that alone was enough to create tension. Mom and Kayla already struggle with one overnight, let alone two. I understand their frustration, even if I don't fully agree with how it's expressed. Still, disagreements were unavoidable.
When I woke up, it was the now-familiar combination of noise, mess, and immediate cleanup. Toys everywhere. Loud voices before my brain was fully awake. More disorder than I remembered falling asleep to. And yet, strangely enough, I caught myself thinking that this kind of chaos adds an unexpected layer to my life. It's exhausting, yes — but it's also full.
Late Breakfast That Became Lunch
Around 10:00 a.m., I started cooking breakfast: two pounds of bacon, eggs, and toast. Bacon always slows me down. I hate getting burned by popping grease, so I cook cautiously — which means slowly. By the time everything was ready, it was nearly 11:30, turning breakfast into lunch without anyone complaining.
After we ate, the girls played for a while, and later in the afternoon I took them home. I dropped Isabella off to play while I ran some errands — one of those practical, in-between decisions that keeps the day moving, even if it doesn't reduce the mental load.
Errands That Multiplied
What should have been a simple errand turned into several. I took my aunt to Lowe's in Deltona to buy a chest freezer. She was convinced the Orange City Lowe's had a larger one for less money. It didn't — but we went anyway and ended up buying the same freezer they hd at the first store.
From there, we went to Walmart. After that, I picked Isabella back up, took my aunt home, helped unload the freezer, and dragged an old refrigerator out to the road. It was physically draining, but in a grounding, productive way.
Once I finally made it home, the kids and I ate pizza for dinner. Nothing fancy. Just food and a pause.
An Unexpected Evening Connection
Later that night, I found myself in a long, friendly conversation with The Sister. We played games on apps like Fetch and Mistplay — the kind where you earn small amounts of money just by playing. The conversation stretched late into the night and felt familiar, easy, and oddly comforting.
It felt like a connection forming again — not romantic, but genuine. Something lighter than what once existed. A bond rooted in shared interests and simple interaction.
That said, I'm aware of myself enough to be honest here.
Even though Eve considers us "just friends," and believes we're free to see who we want, I know how I'm wired.
Knowing My Own Boundaries
I'm a one-girl type of guy.
Even when something is labeled as "just friends," if there's emotional closeness or history involved, I don't treat that lightly. I don't juggle connections. I don't blur lines without consequences — even internal ones.
Tonight was about choosing, longing, or revisiting the past. It was about recognizing connection when it appears and being mindful of what I do with it.
Ending the Day
I went to bed tired — physically, mentally, emotionally — but aware. And sometimes awareness is the real work of the day, even when nothing dramatic happens on the surface.