Page 44 of Beyond our Forever

“Hardly,” he laughs. “When I thought about buying a fixer upper, I didn’t imagine it be so much work. Doing it on my own isn’t easy.”

“Your children don’t help you?” The question seems to catch him off guard.

“Sure,” he says, clearing his throat. “But boys are boys, they have plans of their own.”

That is true, despite their young age my kids also have lives of their own, with their own tastes and activities, and with three there’s never a quiet moment.

“Your children might not be interested, since mine are younger, but maybe one day they can go to the movies together or watch a game. Aaron, my eldest, is a born athlete, so just throw a ball and he’ll run after it.”

“That would be great,” he replies with a smile.

“What do they like to do?” I need some idea of what to suggest, I don’t even know their names.

“You know, the usual boy things, music, video games, and spending as much time away from me as possible.”

How awful to hear that, I’d be mortified if my children didn’t like spending time with me. Although right now I’m going through a rough patch with Noah. However, Mikel’s situation is different, his poor boys lost their mother, and that’s not easy at any age, but especially for adolescents, when they’re at such a vulnerable age.

“I’ve met a few other neighbors.” Mikel changes the subject. “My house is full of cakes and cookies.”

“And you came here looking for muffins?”

He laughs gruffly.

“Guilty as charged,” he admits, raising his hands in surrender. “But I also came for the company, I needed some adult conversation.”

I can understand that, in my case my refuge is Emilia. I also have my brother, although lately I’ve been hiding things from him. Actually, for the last couple of months I’ve omitted to tell him some details, nothing important. Just that Bruce doesn’t live here. Like I said tiny details.

“Emilia Woods was at my home yesterday, she was with Estefania, Estevana… something like that. Anyway, they both invited me to a party next week.”

Hah! I can imagine that.

Emilia couldn’t give up her curiosity and had to go see our new neighbor for herself. The party invitation was an excuse to hook him in. Trust me, I know my friend like the back of my hand. She doesn’t do anything without an ulterior motive.

Mikel keeps me company before leaving when the alarm goes off, announcing that it’s time for me to pick up the children, and then prepare for my date with my ‘friend’ Bruce. I just hope it’s not going to end in disaster, because at this stage in the game I have no idea what might happen. Frankly, anything is possible.

“Why can’t we all go to dinner with dad?” Noah yells, before running off and slamming his door with such force that it shakes all the windows in the house.

I just told him that they will be staying with the sitter again, because his father and I are going out to dinner.

I keep to myself the reason for our ‘date’, I won’t tell my children about the classes until I actually start them.

“Did you tell daddy about the dog yet?” Ava asks, hope shining in her hazel eyes. “If you’re going out on a love date, can you ask him? Sophie says that when her dad takes her mom on a love date, he can’t deny her anything.”

“Where did you hear about such things?” I ask her alarmed, pausing from checking my wardrobe for something decent to wear.

“Sophie told me,” my daughter answers, lifting her chin and tossing her hair over one shoulder. “We’re big girls now, so we talk about everything.”

God save me from these ‘big girls’, and the teen years are approaching fast.

Where’s my linden tea? Better yet, someone hand me a Valium.

“I’ll tell you what to wear,” she insists as I continue to rummage through my drawers.

“You get to choose your own clothes, young lady, let me worry about mine.”

She throws her hands up in frustration.

“I have loads of nice things,” she replies. “But most of your clothes are too big for you, Mommy.”

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