Nobody likes a liar...

Anybody who has known me for any length of time will tell you I don't lie. I don't have the energy for it, I don't have the memory capacity to remember all the lies, so, I just don't bother. I've always operated (especially since becoming a parent) under the policy of "honesty is the best policy". I've been known to drop someone like a hot potato if I catch them lying to me, and it's intentional. I have tossed friendships aside for this. I will also cut you off if you start spreading gossip about me, which is something else I ABHOR. We went out to dinner with Doug, his girlfriend, and her son. It was a great time...the dinner wasn't so great--Applebees, which is okay, but the waitress STUNK, and Doug's girlfriend was less than impressed. We all had a chance to talk, which was nice. I specifically addressed a couple of issues with Katie about her other family in front of Doug & Brenda, so they knew how I felt. One was no more cornering her grandmother about things from long ago....not worth it, especially where she's not well and won't be here forever. (Doug told me what the issue is, all I can remember is that she needs a pacemaker and won't have the surgery). The other was that she could only corner her father when no one else was around. No publicly humiliating him. Totally uncool. He and Brenda both agreed about this. She can ask him whatever she wants, but it has to be in the right setting. During a couple different conversations, Zachary, who is 7, let some things slip, as all little kids do. I had suspected a while back that Doug had maybe changed jobs. He didn't change jobs, he added a job...he now has his own business. Which, by the way, I happen to think is FABULOUS. It's what he's always wanted. He does auto body, and does a damn fine job. It is his love, passion, reason for existence, and he does it well. The fact that they chose to shush Zachary up instead of just admitting things is what bothers me. I know why they're not saying anything (at least, I think I do). They don't want to get "popped" for more child support. I can understand that, particularly if I had been continually taking him back to court to get more (which I'm totally entitled to). However, I've never taken him back in all the years since the court order was put into place. I need the money to come every week, at a predictable time, so I can do with it what I need to. I don't want any extra, as much as we could use it. I'd much rather see him just continue to step up to the plate, man up, and be a Dad. That's waaay more important than an increase in child support. And, there's no way to let them know this, at this point, without letting the proverbial cat out of the bag, there by causing some serious uncomfortable-ness between all parties involved. Sigh...I hate being an adult sometimes.