The Night

"I'm excited to be here, to see you, to spend the night."

"Me too."

"It's a special night; your birthday."

"Yeah."

"I got us a cozy table down the street at that cute Italian place you like."

"You did?"

"You didn't mention it this week when we talked."

"I wanted it to be a surprise for you, for us; for our night."

"You don't seem so happy."

"I have my kids tonight."

"Don't get me wrong, I am happy that you're here, and I would really love to go out, but tonight, I need to stay here."

"What happened to the special thing that we had agreed on?"

"Where our night was for us and the other nights were for all of us?"

"This is the fifth night of our nights that you've had your kids."

"When did you decide to change the rules?"

"I can't just tell their mom no if I'm here and around."

"Besides, it's one night."

"Let's go to the shed."

"She is your handler, you do her bidding and always will."

"I don't have a handler, and I most certainly don't do her bidding."

"On some level, you do. And you ask me to choose."

"Choose what?"

"I never asked you to choose anything."

"Choose between you having a continued relationship with her, and me, maybe considering continuing to have a relationship with you."

"And it's been five times now that you have asked me to choose."

"This time I've chosen differently."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that it's time for you to make a choice."

"Walk me back to my car."

"So, you want me to tell their mom no when she asks?"

"I can't do that."

"They're my kids."

"If she can't take care of them, I'm the next in line; she calls on me."

"You cannot make me choose between my kids and you."

"That's something I can't do either."

"There is no choice in my mind, yet you're asking me to make one."

"I'm not staying the night. And I understand your stance."

"But I have my own stance."

"You want me to be okay with the fact that it's been five times that our night has been put on the non-existent species list."

"I'm not okay with that. And it has nothing to do with your kids."

"And I'm not hanging around here because I'm angry."

"You think me and her have a thing besides the fact that she's my ex and happens to be the mother of my kids?"

"There is nothing going on with her and me."

"But, I guess I can't make you see that."

"I believe that you and her have something where when she asks, you do, so, while it's not what you'd call a traditional relationship, she has you."

"Just because she's asked me a few times to help out doesn't mean she has me, it means that she knows she can count on me if she needs help."

"I'd like to think it'd be the same if it were flipped around. "

"You now know my stance. I cannot choose between my kids and you. And I'm not going to leave my ex stranded when I can help her out."

"I'm sorry you don't understand that."

"I'm not okay with being in the middle of it anymore."

"I miss our nights."

"Don't you?"