Huh.

It's been an interesting twenty-four hours. Do you remember Blondie, Snake's ex-girlfriend? The one I was worried was going to cause drama at our wedding? Well, she didn't, which I was pleased with, but she has continued to exhibit some pretty note-worthy behavior. First, she had a new boyfriend by the fourth of July. That was less than two weeks after she and Snake broke up. They'd been together for over four years. It definitely raised my eyebrow, but since I met Bear only a month and a half after leaving my boyfriend of five years, I figured I wasn't going to cast the first stone. Very soon after that her myspace profile became clogged with pictures of him, of the two of them, etc. Fine. Whatever. Then I hear that he has been sleeping at her house every night since they first got together (she still lives with her parents and just graduated high school). Again, it was out of character for her, but I knew she was leaving for Connecticut in a few weeks to go to a culinary institute for six months, so I just figured things would work themselves out. It did seem, though, that this relationship (which anyone else would term "rebound") was moving fast. Like lightning speed fast. I did a lot of head shaking whenever I heard something more. And I did:

1. His sister lives in Connecticut, so he is going to live with her for a few months to be closer to Blondie while she is in school.
   
2. She will be coming home every few weeks (and someone will drive from ME to CT to pick her up and drive her back).

Bear knows this guy and says he's a nice guy, so on one level I guess I'm happy for her. I have some EXTREME doubts about the timing of this though - her family is not big on education, Blondie has never been by herself, she still has a lot of growing up to do, etc. It seems to me like she isn't giving herself the best chance to succeed at this school in CT.

I'd just about decided to stop thinking about her, since she is now in CT, supposedly going to school. But because I can't help myself, I looked at her myspace one more time. And now she has these pictures of her boyfriend with the word "husband" underneath! I shoot her a message that says, "hey, how're things going, you're not MARRIED, are you?!?"

A few minutes later she calls me. I should mention that Snake is at our house, and he is listening to my conversation. He's over her, but like me thinks she is moving WAY too fast in her new relationship.
"No, I'm not married yet, but I'm homing home Labor Day weekend and we are getting married at the town hall then. We were going to wait until I got out of school, but we decided not to. I'll have my dream wedding after I graduate."

WHAT?!
Somehow I say the appropriate things and soon hang up the phone. Snake and I shake our heads and try to fathom why she would be doing this now. She'll lose her health insurance, her financial aid will probably change... why? Then it hits me - this is an out for her. If she can't hack it in college/CT, she has a perfect excuse now to drop out. Snake nods when I say this, and adds, "Plus, if she gets pregnant, that'll be a good excuse, too." Good point.

I notice that Bear hasn't said much, but I don't really worry about it. Later in bed I ask him what he thinks. "I don't know why you and Snake are so worked up about this. If she's happy enough to find the right guy and wants to marry him, it's her decision. And until something does happen and she leaves school, I think you should just be happy for her."

Good point.

Duly chastened, I am going to write to Blondie again and wish her some genuine congratulations. Bear's right - instead of expecting the worst, I'm going to try hoping for the best.

~Amalia~