I text Alice to share the latest chapter of“Timmy Promises Change.”
Alice:
I’m giving that 11 minutes before he doesn’t do that.
SORRY I AM HAVING A BAD DAY.
As if on cue, my nose starts gushing blood. Of course it does.
The stress of living with Timmy has taken a toll on my entire body. I know stress kills, and Timmy has been a walking, talking cortisol trigger since very early on.
Alice:
If I could afford it, I’d fly you out here to hide for a week.
Me:
Thank you.
The irony of living in this beautiful place and he’s making it so ugly.
A moment later, I hear Timmy on the phone, making appointments with his doctor and counselor.I guess he’s not actually going to Montana.
I want to feel hopeful, but until he physically walks through the door of each appointment, I’m not holding my breath. Timmy’s flaws are numerous, but consistency and follow-through might be the most glaring.
Me:
It’s giving me Zeth vibes. The whole apology.
But mainly bc he was clinging to me the same way Zeth did.
Let me tell you the story of Zeth.
Alice:
Please tell me about someone whose name doesn't sound real.
And so begins the tale of another man who brought chaos into my life.
Me:
Unfortunately, I met this douchebag and at some point it emerged that he was on probation. Zeth lived in Virginia with his mom and stepdad ().
Zeth moved his things into my apartment like 2 days after we met. Didn’t ask. Just started moving things in
One day Zeth was in the bathroom for a long time and I went in there after and found a SYRINGE.
He was in there shooting up Adderall.
Zeth was a mess.
But anyways, I had to lie there while he came down from his high, and he cried and apologized, and eventually I was able to get him out.
The situation was complicated bc my workplace owned the building, so was my landlord.
That is the shorthand version of the story of Zeth.
Alice: