On the disposition of Brittany and what that says about the Pattersons.

The very interesting thing that's been called to my attention the "Elly Patterson, inept dental assistant" arc is that at no point is it really mentioned who's taking care of Jean's child while she's working half days. Oh, I know that if Coffee Talk were still around or if the Yahoo group were still active, there'd be any number of people who allude to Jean having a friend like Annie or Honey Saltzmann she could turn to in her hour of need and they'd be right to do so. What escapes them, the question that they find so hard to want to cope with is why is this not felt worthy of mention.

This is because they don't want to have to face an uncomfortable little fact that might tend to support the argument of the people they saw as somehow persecuting Lynn. That fact is that John and Elly are like characters in the oeuvre of Harry Turtledove in that asking what sacrifices other people have to make in order to meet their needs never occurs to them. The closest John gets to wondering "Chee! Who's taking care of her kid until she gets into daycare?" is muttering "Someone is doing it" and leaving it there. Meanwhile, the same Elly who bleats about where Mike and Lizzie are hasn't the vaguest idea what's happening at Jean's place and has less inclination to care because at the end of the day, all she cares about is her own problems.