Disclaimer. I don't own the characters. There is no more gain than the writing practice that is done here
Chapter 3: The parents, the friend, the guidelines
That afternoon Ross went to his parents' house to tell them the sad reality. Judy and Jack couldn't believe it, Ross brought them the diary so they wouldn't doubt what he told them.
During the years that Monica and Chandler had been married, and especially after the children had arrived, Judy and Jack had grown extremely fond of Chandler, or Chandi as Jack used to jokingly call him. They were really happy with him because of the way he loved and treated his family. Jack had become quite a sidekick with "Chandi" and Judy considered him just another son, even though this made Ross somewhat jealous.
That's why the news devastated them, they couldn't believe that Monica left Chandler to follow Richard, a man almost Jack's age.
Jack was furious with Richard, yelling he said:
"Richard knew that Monica was married, happily married because I always told him so myself, and Monica could never say otherwise, and this cretin did not hesitate to interfere in that marriage by displaying the seduction that I know he always used to manipulate women." "On top of that, he did it with my daughter, with the daughter of his supposed best friend."
Judy asked him to calm down, that what he was saying was right, but that he couldn't risk his health for that bastard, plus Jack "Monica is not an unsuspecting teenager, she is an intelligent and supposedly mature woman and she should have measured the consequences of her actions ."
Ross left his parents' house leaving them in great bewilderment, anger, and a lot of pain for what Chandler would be suffering and what the children would suffer. Richard had no forgiveness, Jack did not want to see him again in his life.
When Monica arrived at her house, nervous and a little scared by the painful conversation that she would have with Chandler, she found the house in silence, she called the kids, but no one answered, she called Chandler and he didn't either.
She decided to drink water since her mouth was dry from nerves and when she entered the kitchen she found the note with "the plan" that Chandler had arranged.
Her heart was pounding, there would be no conversation, she couldn't explain anything to smooth the situation, her future was clearly written in the note, divorce, childbearing, division of money, all carefully and coldly explained. Her legs went limp, her hands shaking as she held the note. She was about to fulfill her dream, but, was she at this cost how she wanted it... but evidently she was not unaware that fulfilling her dream would have a cost, only now she felt a little scared .
The first thing she did was call Rachel to ask if she knew where the kids were.
Rachel answered. "Hi Monica, how are you"
"Rach the kids and Chandler are at your house."
"Yeah"
"So he'll tell you, you know everything"
"Yeah"
"You can pass me with him"
"No Monica, he clearly told us that he doesn't want to talk to you or see you, I'm sorry I can't force him"
"Rach, I don't want to be judged, I need to explain to you and Phoebe, you can come now, I'm home alone and the walls are falling down, I need to explain"
"Mon, we don't judge you, we never judge you, I call Phoebe and in 30 minutes we will be at your house"
Rachel called Phoebe, and then she went over to Chandler and Ross to tell them that Monica had spoken and she wanted to see them.
Ross immediately jumped "Because you have to go, she has nothing to explain"
"Ross" Chandler told him "I asked them not to take sides, I meant it, if she wants to talk to her friends that's fine with me, she can talk as much as she wants, I just don't want to know what she says"
"And Rach, what I'm asking is that you arrange with her to help her pack her things, on Monday I would like the kids to come home after school and she not be there anymore"
Before her friends arrived, Monica called Richard to tell him that there would be no conversation, that Chandler didn't want to talk or see her, and she told him the details of the plan that he left her. -
"Monica, do you agree with those guidelines, the parental authority of the children, the division of assets?"
"Richard, the guidelines are correct and I share them, if I am going to live in Paris he needs to have the freedom to decide anything for the well-being of the kids without having to track me down and wait for my agreement, and I know that everything he decides will be for the good of the children since he adores them, and on the other hand I will have a wide visiting regime, while I am in NY I will be able to see them every day that I can. As for the money, it's more than fair, actually he always earns much more than me, and he already had enough money in his savings account, so if he says he's going to give me half, he's being overly generous."
"Okay, if you agree" "how are you alone do you want me to go?"
"No, No Richard, please I don't want you to come, I don't want to disrespect Chandler and my children by letting you come here, this is never going to be a place to meet. Also, I'm waiting for Rachel and Phoebe. Tomorrow before going to work we will meet"
"Don't you want to come over tonight?" Richard asked sweetly,
"Not really, I'm sure the conversation with my friends won't be easy, I didn't sleep last night, so I want to be alone tonight and rest, tomorrow night I'll probably be at your house with some of my clothes. Kisses I love you"
"I love you too, see you tomorrow, rest"
Meanwhile Ross and Chandler were sitting in the living room while the kids were playing in Emma's room.
"Chandler, I know you're making a huge effort to appear good and calm in front of your children, but what you're covering inside can explode in your health, you can't drown your feelings without it affecting your health"
"Ross, since I was nine years old I have been putting things away and covering things up, I am stronger than it seems when it comes to ignoring my internal struggles"
"I know, you've always covered them up, hiding them from us with jokes or sarcasm, but this, after what happened to your parents, is the most serious thing that's happened to you, and you're no longer nine years old, this pain, the stress that you are suffering at forty you pay"
"Chandler, we all love you and we will support you in everything you do and decide, we will always be there for you, but there is a level in which I do not think we are in a position to help you, I think you need professional help, someone to tell without resentment what you feel, show your anger, your frustration"
"Are you talking about a therapist? … you know when I was 10 years old they sent me to one, I smoked and one day I was drunk at school. So my grandparents, mom's parents, convinced her to take me to a therapist, at first I liked the guy, I could tell him things until one day I saw him kissing my mother... and I didn't go anymore"
"That experience made me run away from therapists, one of the many phobias I had, but I admit that maybe, if the guy had been more professional and dedicated to me instead of my mother, maybe… he would have helped me to understand and overcome some of my neuroses"
"Ross now I think that I should go not only to a therapist, but also to a doctor, I am totally aware of the enormous load that I carry, my head does not stop, my stomach hurts almost all day, there are moments that I am short of breath, and I'm on the verge of panicking and running towards a bottle, and I know I shouldn't, that my children need me sane and healthy."
"A colleague of mine from the agency also went through a conflictive divorce and the therapist who treated him helped him a lot, last night on the esplanade I was seriously thinking about going, probably next week, because I know that going home is going to be exhausting"
"Chandler, I'm glad you're thinking about seeking help, and you should also go to the doctor, have your blood pressure controlled, your heart, you're putting enormous stress on it, you may need medication"
"Yes Ross, I promise I'll take care of myself and I'll go to the doctor and the therapist, my children are going to need me a lot"
Ross was satisfied, it was a good conversation.
That's when Ross ask him if he had spoken to Joey and advise him to call his friend.
That Thursday night Joey found out what was happening, he decided that first thing Friday morning he would fly to NY. His friend, his brother needed him there.
