The parents

I mentioned that I considered going to Boston, if only to take some bullets for dad. I chat with him every few days; he and mom are, unsurprisingly, driving each other crazy. She's used to having the run of the house without anyone telling her to what to do (i.e., get rest or eat), and he's used to being productive and not being picked at until the evening. It's funny how in my absence, mom says to him what she'd say to me (in my presence, she'll still say it to him, only much less so; I become the primary verbal punching bag): that he's gained weight, and, especially lately, that she doesn't care for his hairstyle. Dad has substantially less hair than I do, and so, fewer options (if any) regarding hairstyle; nonetheless, mom likes to point out that whatever he's doing is not working for him. Criticizing my hairstyle over video chat was a constant when mom was still talking to me, but she hasn't talked to me in months. Maybe I'll wish her a happy mother's day. At the very least, I'll ask dad to wish her a happy mother's day on my behalf. We'll see.