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“Not to me.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant, I’d never suggest any potential mendacity on your part. It’s simply that her side can afford to keep the conflict going indefinitely and I can’t.”
I said, “You’re concerned about a war of attrition.”
“I am. It preoccupies me.”
“What does your lawyer say?”
“Not much, that’s the problem. When I bring it up, she tells me toconcentrate on the here and now. The ongoingprocess.But let’s face it, she’s not going to spend a single unbillable minute on my behalf. Once my funds run out, she’ll run out.”
I said, “Did that happen during your first divorce?”
The question made him flinch. “Bravely into the past, huh? No that was different. Neither of us had any resources; nor was there a child at stake. We did it no-fault, quick and easy. This time it’s proving to be anything but, Professor Delaware. All the signs are there.”
“By signs you’re speaking professionally?”
His head moved back. His smile was shallow. “Touché. I suppose I am. Even before the process heated up, Toni engaged in what I’d have to call malignant metaphor. Pressuring me to leave the home, tossing whatever belongings I couldn’t take with me. I told Meredith about it and, again, she said not to get distracted, it’s merely conflict one oh one, the key was to build up my own fitness as a parent without disparaging Toni. Which, as you can see right now, I’m trying hard to do.”
“Malignant metaphor,” I said. “The metaphor being…”
“Ex as garbage. You’re a bum, I’m going to treat you like a bum because to treat you as a decent human being would send a faulty signal.”
I was trying to unravel that pretzel when he said, “By point of illustration, Professor, there was a three-day period between the time I left the house and my new lease began. I requested from Toni that she delay my expulsion. She laughed in my face and I ended up sleeping on a couch in my office.”
He patted leather. “Not as comfortable as this one. She sees me as a guy who should sleep on an uncomfortable couch. It harmonizes with her worldview because to her I’m more than the spouse she’s ditching. I represent her own relationships gone awry.”
I said, “You moved because the lease is in her name.”
He wagged an approving finger. “You understand what I’m contending with.”
My computer dinged the end-of-session cue. I said, “That’s it for today.”
“For today? There’ll be more?”
“There will be. Take your time to assemble your thoughts so the next time we meet you can tell me anything else you think is relevant.”
“What about emailing, texting?”
“No,” I said. “I rely totally on face-to-face.”
“Why’s that?”
It gives me the nonverbals.
I said, “It allows me a fuller picture. In any event, before we meet again I’ll be talking to Ms. McManus.”
“Alternating between us?” he said.
“That’s right.”
“May I ask why?”
“I find it useful.”
“Do you? You certainly seem like a man with consummate confidence.”
I smiled.
