Peter and Gloria

This afternoon my sister in law had a birthday party for her boyfriend.

Let me start by saying I really like my sister in law, and I really like her boyfriend, individually- yet as a couple- not so much.

In the last 8 years Peter and Gloria have broken up an average 3.5 x year, typically for no more than a month. They usually break up around August and September, get back together in time for Thanksgiving staying together over the holidays, and then break up again around February, getting back together in April, which last until Mid-June, then a short break up until July, and the cycle begins again.

I add in the .5 because there might be a week here and there through out the year.

Peter is a retired IBM middle manager, Gloria works as a counselor with Transsexual sex workers- Peter's a white republican, Gloria is a Latina who I would put on the left side of left. To their cores they are very different people, and not different that compliments each other like pineapple on pizza, different like tuna in a hot fudge sunday.

The beginning of November is always a together month, and so this afternoon Gloria had a lunch for Peter and his friends.

I have met Peter's friends on other occasions and find them to be not similar to me in any fashion, yet very nice. Still when there is a party with his friends and her family its like a soiree with iguanas and zebras.

Every time they break up I think to myself that this will be the last time, and every single time they get back together. In June of this year Gloria's daughter graduated from high school, and began her first semester living at college this fall, so without the complications of a child living at home one would could think this back together may stick.

I don't think so.

Around the end of January their arguments will become more heated to the point one of them will blow up and call it off, its just how it happens.

I seem to be the only one tracking the break ups, everyone else I live with just takes it in stride. Now we just invite Peter to whatever gathering no matter of his boyfriend status, it will change in the matter of a few weeks one way or the other.

Here's the crazy part, no one ever talks about it except for me.

"Don't you think they are sort of old to break up and get back together that often," I've asked.

Gioconda's family will just shrug.

"It's what they do," her father told me.

This year may be different, they may not make it to Christmas.

Although they have only been back together for a few weeks at the party this afternoon Peter seemed to get really angry there were not enough forks, and I think I saw Gloria roll her eyes, they are a good 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule in terms of lingering resentment....