The General and I have spent the last few weeks at odds, despite our Rockwell-esque Thanksgiving.
It started with his urging me to "take care of our Tracy problem" before Christmas.
When I refused him, telling him there was no way in hell I would take the children's mother from them a week before Christmas, and that there would be no further discussion of this; he slammed his first on my desk so hard I half expected to see a crack when he lifted it.
Bastard. I hope it hurt.
A lot.
He obviously isn't used to being told no.
Ever.
His affect was one more of disbelief than rage.
Then, he pressed his fingertips to his greying temples and agreed to after the New Year.
"If that is agreeable with you" he added, sarcastically.
I began to formulate my plan that evening.
I would phoned the throw-away cell, the kids call them "burners" these days, soon.
I would take care of The Tracy Problem.
Mark was nearly ready to leave the hospital and re-join "Ohio", the General and (unbeknownst to him) his children.
They would move into The General's and be one big happy family.
Since Tracy had lied to the children and Mark about Jerry's demise I thought the best way to cover her sudden and permanent absence (at least to Mark and the kids) would be to give the impression she had dumped the kids and left to be with Jerry. To the authorities and anyone else who might notice her departure...you could just substitute "anyman" for Jerry and the lie worked equally well.
There was just one small thing that still needed taken care of...then they would all be forever out of my life.
And not a moment too soon.
