Today is my mom's birthday. We had a nice breakfast and then about an hour ago she dropped it on me that my brother and his girlfriend will be here for dinner.
Why is she insisting on putting me in a situation where she knows I'm not going to be happy at all? Yes I understand she wishes her sons were on better terms but she understood years ago why we aren't. Why does it matter that it's her birthday? I told her I'll do my best to be diplomatic but he's going to try to make up with me and say a bit of shit I don't want to hear and then that creates an uncomfortable situation that didn't have to happen. And I'm going have to be the one that sucks it up and deals with it.
If anything I'll be nice because I don't know who his current girlfriend is and I really don't care. I don't know what he's told her about me and why I haven't seen him or talked to him in years but she doesn't know what I know what I know. I'm not going to air out any dirty laundry. I'm not that vindictive. I just simply don't want to be here when he is.
I mean, she admitted to me years ago when I cut my brother out of my life when we were kids, her and my father were having marital issues and she wanted to leave but she would not leave me in that situation because my dad was kinda like a 'let the boys work it out' mentality even though he was a bully that went far beyond typical sibling disagreements. He's never been a good brother to me and at some point, I had to stop giving him more chances thinking he could be better.
I wish she would agree to let me to go to the theater or the bar for a few hours until he's gone. I mean, I'm an adult, I can just do what I want and leave but I'm trying to keep the peace around here. I don't think she understands the implications here and how much just being in his presence and playing nice is really just going to piss me off. I like watching TV and movies with her in the evening but insisting I have dinner with my brother is going to make me not want hang out with her. Before this happens, during my time here, any requests she has about anything whether it be things she wants on the grocery list, chores to be done (assuming I haven't already done them without having to be asked), picking up take out, other errands to run, movies she wants to watch she needs help finding (I taught her how to pirate stuff), radio station she wants to listen to when I drive her places, whatever it is I do it and never complain because she needs a lot of help at her age and I'm glad to do it.
I don't think "forcing" me to sit down at the dinner table with him is the birthday gift she really wants.