Of course he would exit my life on his mother’s birthday. Given what I had always perceived as their enmeshment, I felt certain I was witnessing their thoroughly discussed and pre-planned theatrics.  It was an understatement to say that my confident non-compliance, so-called disrespect and reconnection with my family after ten years of self-inflicted estrangement (oh, the audacity) had drawn both his and his parents’ ire.