Ben left Britin feeling a multitude of emotions: happy, sad, nervous, excited, fearful and fearless. He understood where all the opposites originated from and was slightly surprised that he could feel happiness and sadness at the changes in his life. He was sad to see that his marriage was ending, but knew that he would feel less stress if he was no longer fighting Michael over his pseudo involvement with Brian as his "best friend". He would also not miss the continuing discussions that they had about his proper role in J.R.'s life, as well as trying to convince him that he was not a third party in Brian and Justin's relationship. He sighed inwardly when he finally admitted to himself all the struggles that he had been carrying just to continue his farce of a marriage. Now, as he drove to their home, he had to figure out how to tell Michael. He was fairly certain that Michael had no idea that Ben felt as he did, nor did he expect J.R. to become a permanent figure in their lives. He was uncertain what he would do if Michael insisted on being a part of her life, and when he thought about it, he realized that Michael would still want to be involved, if only for his ability to be like his "best friend" who was also a father. His life was suddenly very complicated. He was happy that Brian and Justin were in his corner. Now he had to see what the remaining members of the family thought of this new development. Deciding this was not a conversation he wanted to have over the phone, he pulled over into the next strip mall and parked his car. He wanted to avoid getting too caught up in the conversation that he got in an accident.
Pushing the number 5 on his speed dial, he waited while the call connected.
"Well hello, Ben. Are you and Michael planning another dinner party that you want me to cater? Better put your reservations in now, I'm booking my time fast and furious," Emmett said as he sat down at his kitchen table, grabbing his planner.
"Actually, I'm not calling to book an event, I was just wondering if you were free to meet me for a cup of coffee," Ben said. He realized that he didn't even know if Emmett drank coffee, as he usually saw the man with a beer or Cosmo.
"Well, this sounds serious. I assume you don't want to meet at the diner?"
"Yes. I'm on my way back to Pittsburg. I was visiting Justin and Brian. I could meet you at the Starbucks at the North strip."
"Okay. I'll be there in 30 minutes."
"Thanks."
Ben looked at his phone and sighed again as he pushed another number from his contacts list. He didn't have this one on speed dial, but hoped that maybe someday that would happen.
"Hello," Ted said as he answered the phone. He was surprised to see Ben's number pop up on the caller ID.
"I know this is short notice, but I was wondering if you were busy right now. I'm meeting Emmett at the Starbucks at the North Strip and hoped you could join us."
Ted took the phone away from his mouth and mouthed to Blake, "It's Ben. He wants to meet at the Starbucks.:
Blake nodded in understanding.
"Sure. I'll be there in about 20 minutes."
"Okay. I'm on my way from Brian and Justin's, so you might beat me. Get a table for three."
Ben pushed the end button on his phone and took a deep breath, hoping to calm his racing heart. He'd envisioned many scenarios in his life, but this was not one of them. He and Michael had been married for over 12 years, a short time, but in many ways too long. He'd loved his passion about comics and his playfulness, as seen through his collection of comics and action figures, as well as his ongoing discourse about plot lines and new issue releases. The development of "Rage" had been his husband's crowning achievement and he'd been very proud of its success. However, Rage ‘s success had more to do with Michael's obsession with Brian and his life than with Michael's creativity. It had bothered him that his husband used Brian's life as the basis for many of the stories. If Michael had not been so enmeshed in Brian's life, he wondered if Michael could have come up with the story lines. He'd questioned Michael on the subject and Michael had informed him that it didn't matter where he got his ideas from as long as "Rage" was selling.
He'd been happy that he'd found someone that didn't run from his HIV status. It was ironic that the things that drew him to Michael were now the things that were causing him to terminate his marriage. Michael enjoyed being a part of a neighborhood and found their social life fun. He liked being invited to dinner and hosting dinners, but didn't see that these social encounters lacked depth. Michael talked incessantly about his comics and "Rage" but rarely had other topics of interest to share. While the neighbors invited them to socialize, usually the invitations were infrequent, once every 4 or 5 months and usually as a neighborhood event. Michael appeared oblivious that their social connections were very superficial. After watching Michael and the "gang" for over a decade, he realized that Michael lived in a protected world and had a superficial connection with most people. Whenever he would bring up politics, social concerns, or try to share information about his own work, Michael would quickly become uncomfortable and try to bring the conversation around to a comic he had recently read or something that Brian and Justin were doing. As Ben became friends with "the gang" he realized that Michael was an anomaly. The rest of the group talked about many things and had very deep connections among themselves. Michael's identity had become creator of "Rage" and the ever present "best friend of Brian Kinney, stud of Liberty Avenue." The problem with the latter was that it was no longer true and hadn't been for many years. Brian and Justin were married and were raising their son, Colin, and had recently gained custody of Gus, Brian's son. He was no longer interested in being the Stud of Liberty avenue, yet Michael never acknowledged that change. Now that he was going to be a more involved parent of J.R., Michael's lack of worldly connections were the final straw in his desire to sever their ties. He knew that he would be unable to cut all the ties off as J.R. was his child and if he had any hope of remaining friends with the "family" he would still need to have Michael in his sphere. He really didn't know how Michael would react to the dissolution of their marriage, but he suspected it would be a fight. He was thankful he had Brian and Justin in his corner and hoped that he would have Ted and Emmett there as well. He would find out in just a little while when he met with them. After taking one more deep breath and reassuring himself that he could do this, he turned the key in the ignition and drove to the Starbucks on the North side of town. He had chosen that location as it was far enough removed from both Liberty Avenue and his current home that the likelihood of anyone he knew being there was very small. He needed to have this conversation in at least semi-private.
Parking his car near the front of the small store, he walked in and went to the counter and ordered some Chamomile Tea. He didn't want coffee and its caffeine to add to his already jittery body. After receiving his tea, he found a small booth in the back and sat down as he waited for Ted and Emmett. He blew on his cup of tea, and looked up to see Emmett walk through the door to the shop. He waved at him and Emmett tilted his head in acknowledgement. Emmett went to the counter and order a small tea as well and joined Ben at the table. Ted came in while Emmett was at the counter and placed his order for a black coffee. When everyone was seated at the back table, Ben took a tentative sip of his tea and swallowed hard. Taking another deep breath he smiled at the two men and put down his cup.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice," he said. "I'm glad that you were available and appreciate your willingness to meet."
"Sweetie, forget your professor voice and just be out with it. I know you did not call this little get together so we could all have hot beverages," Emmett said, as he gave Ben a toothy grin.
Ben swallowed hard and nodded his head. "I, Um, I .. well. I'm going to be a more active parent to J.R. I had a talk with Mel and Linds. They are very busy with their careers and asked me to step up. Mel is developing an official agreement giving me parental rights."
"That's great, Ben. I know you really pay attention to her when you two are together. She adores you," Ted said. He took a sip of his coffee, decided it needed some sugar and grabbed a packet from the small pile he brought with him to the table. "But I'm sure you did not ask us out here to tell us." He opened the packet and shook out its contents. Grabbing the spoon by the napkin, he stirred the mixture and took a sip. Smiling at the improved flavor, he put down the spoon and drank another sip.
Ben took a deep breath and nodded his head again. "True. Well, it does get a little more complicated. Michael doesn't want to be an involved parent. I mean... he thinks an occasional few hours a week is sufficient, but I will have J.R. most of the time."
"Oh," Emmett said. "I kind of wondered about that. He seems to see parenthood as an opportunity to be like Brian, rather than a desire to raise a child.
"So how is that going to work?" Ted asked. "If you are going to be more involved with J.R. and Michael doesn't want to do this...."
"Exactly. I'm going to ask Michael for a divorce. No, it is not because he doesn't want to be a parent, it goes way deeper than that."
"I take it you haven't told him?" Ted asked.
"No. I wanted to let you guys know first. I know he will come crying to you and want you to "fix" this, but really there is no fixing this. I've been thinking about this for a long time. We really have very little in common and we want very different things in life." Ben took a sip of his tea, finding it much easier to talk to these two men then he imagined. It seemed that once he started putting his thoughts into words, the words just flowed. It was like writing; when he was on a role, the words just flew off his fingers.
"At this point in life, he wants to buy his collectibles and write "Rage". While these are great goals, I have higher aspirations for my life. When I met him I was at a very different place in my head. I'd been diagnosed for about 6 months and I didn't really think I would be around more than a year or two. I found Michael endearing, sweet and innocent. I'm not disparaging him, it's just.... Well.... Unfortunately, he hasn't changed much since we met. With the drugs I'm on, my HIV virus count is non-detectable and, my odds are good that they will remain there."
"I've had a lot of time to think about what I want out of life and the opportunity to raise a child has always been a dream. Despite what Michael may spout, this isn't really his dream. I don't want to fight with him about whose turn it is to take J.R. to soccer practice or tuck her in at night. I want him to have the life he wants, but I want to have the life I'd dreamed of. I don't think we can do both." Ben finished his cup of tea and pushed the saucer away. He looked at the two men sharing his table, trying to read their reactions to his disclosure. Thankfully, both men seemed to be nodding their heads and he didn't detect any animosity from either of them.
"I asked both of you here today to ask for your support. I don't want to put you in a place where you have to choose between me and Michael, but I wanted you to understand where I am coming from. I already talked to Brian and Justin and they are willing to help in any way they can. Brian is hiring a lawyer to investigate the legal stuff so that I can guarantee that Mel and Linds can't up and change their mind about my involvement. My concern was that once their lives were more settled, they would want to have J.R. full time again. I want that little girl in my life and I don't want her to be a ping pong ball."
"He's also helping with the lawyer for the divorce. I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, I just wanted to give you my side before I tell Michael. Michael tends to make everything that happens to him someone else's fault. In this case, we have not grown together as a couple."
Ted and Emmett sat for a few moments, taking in all the information Ben had shared.
"Well, I'm not one for taking sides. I'm still friends with both of you. If you need any help with that sweet child, just ask. She needs to learn to cook and I'm usually less busy in the afternoons. If you need someone to watch her while you teach, I'd be more than happy to help. After all, it does take a village to raise a child." Emmett said as he reached over and gave Ben a hug. Looking at the menu on the wall, he said, "I think I need a muffin. They don't make nearly as good a muffin as I do, but it will just have to do. Ted, Ben, you want anything?"
"Emm, I'll have a chocolate chip cookie. They do make excellent one; not nearly as good as yours, but something sweet is definitely in order." Ted reached into his front pocket to get out his wallet and handed Emmett a five dollar bill. "I'm with Emmett. I know Michael will be unhappy but I understand your feelings. I too, will help if I can. I don't have a bakery, but would love to teach her a little about finances. We all know that is one area where her mothers Do Not excel. Kinnetik has a daycare on site for its employees, I'm sure I could get Brian to bend the rules a little if you needed me to pick her up and keep her for a few hours." Emmett took the money and walked toward the front of the store.
"What about Debbie? Have you told her?" Ted asked.
"No. I haven't told her, but either she will like it or not. I can't please everyone and I'm not trying to. I'll wait to tell her after I tell Michael. It's Sunday night so I guess I better go home and face the music, as it were. Wish me luck. And I can't tell you how touched I am that both of you are willing to help with J.R.. To me, she is the important one."
Ted shook Ben's hand and Emmett came back with the treats. After placing them on the table, he reached over and gave Ben a hug. "Now, go home and figure out what you are going to do about Michael. I may just put my phone on silent until tomorrow," Emmett said. Ted and Ben laughed but both acknowledged the truth in his words.
"Okay. I'm headed home now." Ben got up and threw away his trash, realizing that he had only taken a few sips from it. Walking to his car, he counted his blessings.
- He had great friends who were willing to help him raise a child.
- He had a job he loved.
- He was relatively healthy and had been given an opportunity to be a parent.
- He had friends that were willing to help him with the legal issues he was facing.
He drove home and saw Michael's car in the driveway. Bracing himself for one of the most difficult conversations of his life, he walked into their home and sat down on the couch in the living room.
Michael looked at the door when Ben walked in and smiled like a child whose favorite playtoy had been returned to him after it got washed.
"Hi. Come join me," he said as he patted the space next to him on the couch. "I'm watching the end of "Family Guy" and then there is an episode of "The Simpsons" that I taped earlier that I was going to watch. Those are great programs. I just can't believe that no one else in our family watches them."
"I don't want to watch TV. I would like to talk to you about something important," Ben said as he placed his keys on the hook by the door.
"Well, okay. The episode will be over in 10 minutes. I can talk then. There are some brownies in the kitchen. I picked them up on the way home."
Ben did not want to get into a fight over a ten minute delay nor did he want to point out, yet again, that he didn't eat brownies as there was too much sugar in them and not very healthy. Both of these actions solidified his decision to end their marriage. In his mind, if a spouse came home stating they wanted to talk, the other spouse would stop what they were doing, unless it was a critical situation that couldn't wait, and immediately give them their attention. In Michael's mind, it was more important to see the end of a tv show then to talk to his spouse, again demonstrating to Ben that the marriage definitely came in second to Michael's needs.
At the end of the episode, Michael shut off the tv, got up and grabbed a Coke from the fridge and sat back down. He did not ask Ben if he wanted anything, another signal to Ben that Michael truly thought about himself and not his partner.
"What's up? I had a great time at the event this weekend. Got some cool autographs and there were at least 20 people who recognized my name as creator of "Rage". That was so awesome. That is probably the coolest thing."
Ben stood at the doorway to the kitchen, not wanting to sit. "Michael, I want a divorce," Ben said. He hadn't really planned what he was going to say to Michael, but the words just came out. He didn't want to start with a list of everything he thought was wrong with their relationship knowing that Michael would have an excuse for everything that he might bring up. He was tired of excuses and just wanted to be done so he could move on with his life.
"What! A divorce, just because I waited 10 minutes to finish my tv show. Isn't that carrying it a bit far?" Michael said as drank some of his soda.
Ben leaned against the door frame as he looked at their living room filled with Michael's toys.
"No, I'm not reacting to your tv watching. I want different things in life. You just told me that the most important part of your weekend was fans recognizing you as the creator of "Rage". I think that is great, but I would have loved to hear you ask how J.R.'s visit was. Your child, Michael, your child, came to stay with us this weekend and you couldn't be bothered to change your schedule to spend time with her. I know you had tickets for this convention, but in my mind, your daughter's visit should have been a priority. I would have been okay with you attending some of your con and spending some time with J.R., but you didn't want to be bothered with her." Ben walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and returned to the living room.
"Michael, your priority in life is Michael Novotny, not me, not J.R., not our marriage. It's always all about you. You don't listen when I tell you that I don't want to attend some dinner party or host a dinner party. You want to do it so you do it. You buy brownies because you like them, not buying something that I would like at the same time. You should know by now, after 12 years of marriage, that I don't eat brownies as they are really bad for my health. Would it have been that difficult to pick up something that I would have liked as well? By the way, I love the granola bars covered in greek yogurt, but you don't know that since you don't bother asking. I'm tired of being an afterthought. I want to be your first choice and at least some of the time be the one you think of when you go to the store or you go shopping." Ben drank some water and sat quietly as he continued his explanation.
"We talked for a few minutes yesterday about J.R. and you made it really clear that she was her mother's responsibility. I had a talk with the girls this morning and they have asked me to step up and be a bigger part of her life. She will be living with me for a good portion of the week and visiting her moms at least once a week. I don't want to burden you with caring for a child and it is obvious to me that your priorities and mine are very different. I would like you to pack up your things and be gone by the end of the week. I suggest you take some clothes and toiletries tonight and come back later for the rest of your gear."
Michael sat on the couch, drinking his Coke and trying to formulate his response. "You can't do this. This is my house. She's my daughter. You have no right," he yelled and slammed his hand on the coffee table.
Ben had been prepared for Michael's tirade and had hoped that he would just leave, but he knew that was unrealistic. The thought of end of their marriage had almost certainly not occurred to Michael. Ben was certain that Michael's world revolved around Michael and since Michael was happy, he did not consider that anyone else would not be happy with their life.
"Michael, this is my house. Your name is not on any of the paperwork as you had really poor credit. I did some research and while she is your daughter, I am your spouse and can petition for custody of her."
"But if you divorce me, you'll lose J.R., " Michael said, finally seeing a loophole in the discussion.
"No. Melanie is drawing up papers to formalize our agreement. Even if we are not together, I can still have partial custody of J.R. Michael, you said yourself that you do not want to raise her. I want to be a father and this is my chance. I don't want to spend my evenings and weekends arguing with you over whose turn it is to take J.R. Life is too short for that. She is already feeling like she is a burden to Mel and Linds since they don't want to make the time to be good parents. She is going to be my priority. You can still be a part of her life, but I know you really don't want to be that involved in her life."
"Our lives have taken different paths. I want fatherhood and to help a young child grow into a loving adult. You want to reign high in the comic and "Rage" universe. There is nothing wrong with your aspirations, they are just different than mine. Your world revolves around you and your desires and that is not conducive to a good marriage."
"But. But.... Can't we talk about this? I'll try harder."
"No, Michael. I'm done trying. We are not even close to wanting the same things in life and I'm not going to hold you back and I don't want to fight with you and argue with you when you fail to be interested in the things I am interested in pursuing."
"I don't want a divorce. I won't do that. I'm not leaving."
"Michael, you don't have a choice. This is my house and I can call the police if you refuse to leave. I don't want to do that, but I will. As for the divorce, whether you want it or not really doesn't matter. We don't have any community property and J.R.'s primary parents are Mel and Linds, and they are already developing paperwork for me to have temporary custody. You will get to live the life you want, comics, cons and "Rage" and not have to worry about children, mortgages and thinking about your partner."
"I'm calling Brian. You can't do this," Michael said and took out his phone to call his "best friend".
Ben rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen to start his dinner. He knew Brian's response and he would wait for the next explosion when Michael was told that Brian wouldn't help him.
Michael called Brian and Brian picked up the phone on the second ring.
"Hello Michael."
"You'll never believe what Ben did. He wants a divorce and is throwing me out of the house. He also said he's getting custody of J.R. He can't do that. I need you to tell him that he can't do that." Michael sat on the couch in the living room as he explained to Brian what he needed.
"Michael, Ben can do anything he wants. It's his house and Melanie and Lindsay have asked him to help out with J.R." Brian said, He was not going to play coy with Michael. He wanted this conversation over with quickly as he wanted time to play with Colin before he went to bed.
"How... I mean... He talked to you before he talked to me. He can't raise J.R. She's my kid. I won't let him. How did you know all this? He talked to you before he talked to me. How could you do this to me? I'm your best friend." Michael stood up from the couch and started pacing the floor.
"Ben told me what he was planning."
"And you didn't stop him. How could you? I'm your best friend. You should be on my side."
"Michael. I'm both your friends, but in this case, I'm concerned about J.R. Ben wants to help raise her and based on what he told me, she needs someone who cares about her. This isn't about you."
"Of course, it's about me. He wants to divorce me. Said some silly stuff about me only caring about me. How could he say that?"
"Michael, I'm not getting in the middle of your life. I suggest you decide if you want to fight the divorce, but there really isn't any fighting the situation with J.R."
"How do you know so much about what is going on with J.R.? She's not your responsibility."
"J.R. is my son's sister and that makes me care what happens to her. Ben asked for some information and I helped him out."
"You helped him with J.R. Traitor. I can't believe you did this. Your supposed to be my best friend. I need to come over so we can discuss this."
"No, Michael. DO NOT COME OVER. If you come over, I'm not answering the door and if you make a nuisance by ringing the bell or continuing to call, I will file a complaint with the police. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a son I want to spend time with before he goes to bed for the night."
"But Briannnnn," Michael started to protest, but Brian had already hung up the phone.
Michael looked at his phone in consternation. He did not understand why Brian would not help him, after all, he was his "best friend". He called Ted, hoping for some support.
"Ted, I need your help. Ben is kicking me out and he said he is going to divorce me," Michael said in a whiny voice.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"I need a place to stay. Can I come to your place? I'm sure this is just a temporary thing and he'll change his mind in a few days. I know he'll miss me and realize his mistake."
"Sorry, Michael. I've always made it a practice not to get in the middle of friends relationships. You'll have to go somewhere else."
"But.... "
"No, Michael. If that is all, I have dinner on the stove and I need to tend to it before it burns."
Michael made a call to Emmett next.
"Emmett," he said when the phone was picked up after 6 rings. "So glad I caught you at home. Look, I need a place to stay for a few days. Ben and I had a misunderstanding and he is kicking me out. Can I stay in your spare room?"
"No, Michael. If he is kicking you out, then I imagine you will need to find something for the long hall and I'm not a boarding house."
"But Emmett, I've called Brian and Ted and they both said no too. Where am I supposed to go?"
"I don't know, Michael. You could call Debbie. She might let you stay in your old room."
"No, that won't work. I'll never hear the end of that one. I guess I'll go to a hotel for a few nights until this blows over."
"Night, Michael," said Emmett.
"Night."
Michael walked into the kitchen. "No one has a place for me. I'll just stay in the guest room for now."
"No, Michael. You will not stay in the guest room. You need to go to the bedroom, gather your stuff and leave, now. You can take what you can in your car tonight and come back later this week for the rest of it. You are an adult, act like one. I expect you to be gone in an hour." Ben turned around and continued cooking his stir fry.
Michael did not like this new development and felt that all his friends had abandoned him. First Ben tells him he wants a divorce for some silly notion that they want different things out of life. Then he calls Brian and he says he can't help and neither will Ted or Emmett. And to top it all off, Ben is talking nonsense about custody and J.R. He didn't think Ben was serious about any of it. He decided to ignore Ben and sat back down on the couch and clicked on the tv. He punched the buttons to go through the menu until he came to the recorded shows and scrolled down until he found "The Simpsons", the show he was going to watch before Ben had the weird conversation. He clicked on the icon and the music started playing.
Ben came out of the kitchen and looked at Michael sitting on the couch. "Michael, your hour is almost up. I suggest you gather your things soon. If you do not leave by the of the hour, I will be calling the police." He turned around and returned to the kitchen to finish making his stir fry.
Michael decided that maybe he should gather some clothes and his toiletries even if he did not know where he would go. Surely, Ben would change his mind in a few days. There was a futon in the back of the shop and he decided he could stay there for a few days. He could always go to Debbie's in the morning for a shower. Going to the bedroom, he got out his suitcase and filled it with clothing and toiletries.
Ben came into the bedroom about 15 minutes later. " I will be in class between 10:00 and 2:00 tomorrow and 12:00 and 7:00 the next day. I expect all your stuff to be gone by then. Anything that is still left here at that time, I will be putting in the trash."
"But I have to work during those hours. How am I supposed to get my stuff?"
"Your problem, not mine. Good bye, Michael. I suggest you leave now before I call the police." Ben got out his phone and started dialing.
"Okay. Okay, I'm leaving." Michael took his suitcase and left the house. He put his belongings in the car and drove to his shop. While he was driving, he thought about this afternoon. Everything had been so fast. He had such a great weekend until 2 hours ago. After unloading his gear and putting it in the back office, he made one last phone call.
"Hello, Michael," Mel said as she answered the phone. Lindsay was sitting at the kitchen table making a list for work and she looked at her wife when she identified the caller.
"Hey Mel. Ben tells me that you are giving him J.R."
"Michael, she is a child not a dog. We don't give a human being away."
"Well, he said that you want him to take care of her. Why didn't you ask me? I'm her dad."
"Michael, you've made it very clear that you do not want to raise her and only want to see her occasionally."
"But Ben isn't anything to her. I'm her father."
"I'm not going to get into this discussion, Michael. Ben wants to be more involved in J.R's life and at this time, it works for everyone."
"But I'm her father. I should have her with me."
"Michael, can you pick her up after school? Do you want to help her with her homework every night? Do you want to take her to birthday parties and the park on the weekends?"
"But I'm her father and she should be with me, not Ben."
"Michael, she is going to be with Ben. I'm sure he will include you in her activities any time you want. But right now, I have work to do. Good bye." Melanie said and hung up the phone.
"I take it he didn't like what you said?" Lindsay asked as she made stars by certain items on her list.
"All he said was that he was her father, like that was explanation enough. She should be with him since he is her father. Biology is not parenting. I think we made the right decision. Ben wants to be with her and doesn't see her as some object. Michael first accused me of giving her to Ben, like she was a puppy or a book."
Lindsay stood up and went to Melanie, giving her a hug and a kiss on the lips. "You know, this isn't over. Just because we draw up a contract and give Ben temporary custody, Michael and Debbie will probably fight it," Lindsay said. She picked up her list from the table. "I've got some phone calls to make tonight, I'll see you later.
Mel smiled and grabbed her briefcase that was sitting on the floor. She placed it on the table and found the file with the custody agreement. She started reading the document, making asterisks and crossing out verbiage as she continued. For today, she was pleased with their decision, but recognized that Michael was not going to be placated easily.