LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE (a sequel to the post below)

When the police were called and her ex was arrested he spent the night in the local jail, not getting home until 3 am. His son is forbid to see him. Aspen is forbid to see him. Ed is now left with fragments of his life from a year before. When Ed heard the news that it would be 45 days before he could go home again or see his 'dad' again his face woulda broke your heart. I recall vividly the first time I met Ed nine years ago. He and his mother were laying together reading. He looked as much like her as people say Aspen looks like me. The love he shared with her was abundant. Now, that is all gone. Due to her manipulative and deceitful actions over the course of the years, actions that have taken him from stepfather and household to stepfather and household, from school to school to school, he has learned the hard way what and where dishonesty gets you. Sadly, I wonder if his mother will ever learn that same lesson for herself. Word got back to me late yesterday (after writing the previous post) that Aspen's mother has been engaged in conversations with a 'boyfriend?' in Phoenix (which happens to be where she was hiding out for those two weeks while never calling her son). The basis of those conversations has been her and Aspen moving out there to live with him. Upon learning this I left work abruptly, went home, found his phone number and called him. I assured him that I have every intention of getting full custody of Aspen. After laying out the basis for my decision and reminding him of the facts that the judge would hear it was clear that it wasn't a question of 'if' I would get custody, simply a question of how much $ it would cost for her to attempt to fight it and slow the inevitable judge's decision. Once again, I have to hand it to Aspen's mother. She has successfully duped another guy into believing her version of reality. A guy who apparently is willing to throw his hard earned money into a potential fight to help ensure that Aspen's mother doesn't lose joint custody. A guy who seems convinced that Aspen's best interests are served by attending to her mother's wishes. A guy who believes that a year of phone communication from 3000 miles away has afforded him a clearer and more accurate portrait of Aspen's mother than all of her family and 'friends' who live with her day in and day out. It will be layed on the line (perhaps as soon as today) in person, face to face, one on one, me and Aspen's mother, what it is I seek. There may be room for compromise. If she has suggestions or ideas where we can both get what we want than I am all for that. But I will not sacrifice Aspen's stability, security and future to appease her mother. If she accepts my terms then there is no battle, only papers to be drawn up, filed and signed. If she doesn't then I will unblinkingly shell out the thousands that this will cost to ensure Aspen's life is not in the hands of someone who clearly has a truckload of issues to work through.