Chapter 13
Myles
At lunchtime Dan, Clem and I are sitting with a steaming coffee from the magic machine, as Dan has started to call it, and a BLT from the local deli.
“Oh, I have a rough plan for remodeling the apartment. Synthia thought it was great and said, ‘The boys will have to find somewhere to stay now’, but she laughed when she said it.” Dan smirks as he speaks, and mimics his wife's voice too.
“Why would she be happy about that?” I ask.
“Well, they make a hell of a mess when they come home. Bringing bags of dirty laundry with them, and I have to admit they make the place messy and noisy. I don’t mind it, but I’m not the one following them around, and getting them organized to go off again.
” Taking a bite of his BLT and swallowing before continuing.
“They are trained to be tidy and organized, yet come home and turn into ten-year-olds again, mentally that is.”
I laugh because I can imagine the sweet Synthia saying that.
The few times I have met her she came across as a real darling, and her eyes followed Dan wherever he moved.
It’s easy to see how much she loves the man, but he’s just the same and touches her whenever he gets the opportunity.
With a hand on her back, flicking her hair out of her face, taking her elbow, it’s easy to see the care they both show each other.
Leaning forward, I look at the plan drawn out and can see that the two bedrooms have been kept apart. “I thought it was suggested that the bedrooms be made into one?”
“Well, yeah, it was suggested. Synthia said that although she thought the boys, as she calls them, would come home at times she didn’t want them to think we didn’t care or want them.
It totally went against her other comment mind you.
But she said that’s a woman’s prerogative, and you know I’m not stupid enough to argue with that.
She also said a guest room would be handy, so I went with it.
” Dan rubs his hands over the back of his neck and gives Clem and I a serious look.
“You want good marriages, or any relationship, you listen and learn. The woman you are with is the most important being on the planet. Yeah, kids are next, but they grow up and leave. That leaves you with your woman, and she’s still the center of your life.
Learn the lesson early, and you’ll never regret it. ”
I nod with some understanding of what he’s saying. I know that Maylee is the place I rotate around. Oren is still solid in my heart and always will be, but Dan’s right he will grow up and get a life of his own.
“This plan will not make many changes from what we’ve seen. Can you modernize it up a bit, Dan?” Clem asks.
“Do you think you have to be careful, Dan? Because we’d rather you do the place well, and really enjoy living in the place, then do it as minimally as you have.” I pass the plan back to Dan.
“Okay, I’ll take another look at it.” Dan folds the plan and puts it into his back pocket. “What about turning upstairs here into an apartment again?”
Clem chuckles, “Nope, we ripped that out when we set up. It’s a great storage area, and we have it set up, as you know, so anything extra needed to be stored, can be. We discussed having it as a lease but didn’t, and still don’t, want the bother.”
“I can understand that. Some people don’t look after the place they live, and around where I’m living, they don’t give a dang. The houses are pleasant, but the people—not so much.”
“Well, you can get busy with us and get the apartment next door renovated. We can then organize the garage area. It will be better to do the apartment first, rather than drag stuff through a working garage area.” I pick up the mugs and take them to the small sink we have in the kitchen and rinse them.
Then get my ass back to work or Mr. Burdell will be pissed his vehicle isn’t ready at pickup time.
I’m the driver today, and Clem is leaning back in the passenger seat, taking a minute before we arrive home. “Oh, is it okay if I take Oren to an ice-hockey game? He’s been watching with Whitney and seems to have caught the bug. Whitney suggested we go to a game and give Oren that experience.”
“Yeah, it’s fine with me, but check with Maylee. You know she’s a mamma-bear and will want all the details,” I chortle.
“You know she’s a great person. The way she’s taken to Oren, becoming his mother, and has this incredible relationship with you, plus kept her job.
It’s a mammoth thing, and not sure I could have done it with the ease she has.
She threw all in with you brother, and after the other bitch you deserved a good one. ”
Grinning more to myself than Clem, I reply.
“I love her, and I know she loves me in return. She is so open with things that if something irritates her you know it just by the look on her face. She has the adoption papers done for Oren because she wants to be his legal mother. She mentioned something about maybe having to have an interview. It made me laugh because you know as well as I do that she’ll make sure she comes across as the best mother Oren could ever have.
She also has a whole law office on her side. ”
“She has enough people to character witness for her I’m sure. I wouldn’t even think twice about it, if it even happens.” Clem picks up his phone from where he’d placed it next to his thigh. “Hello Lou, what’s up?”
I hear mumbling but not what is being said. It has to be something important for her to call at this time.
Closing out the call, Clem turns his head and gives me what can only be described as a shit-eating grin.
“That was Lou. Apparently the man selling the place was getting annoying, and Lou ripped him a new one. He wanted to renegotiate the price. Well, Lou renegotiated, and after throwing out that every single thing in the place needed renovating, and even the outside of the building needed repainting she knocked him down another $5,000.”
It was lucky I was pulling up in the driveway of the house because I stomp on the brake and look at Clem with more than a small amount of shock on my face. “So, we have the place for $125,000?”
“Yeah, we do. Maylee is going to do all the financial stuff with Lou. She’s got all the information she’d need to get this done fast. That’s what Whitney told me.”
“That’s right. Maylee said to leave all the financial sides to her, and she’d deal with it.
I left it with her Clem, because she knows best, and she has, as you said the resources.
” I grin. “Boy, things are looking up from only two years ago. I’m thinking I’m damn lucky, and I intend to stay lucky. ”
“I have Whitney speaking with a friend about a new sign for outside the garage. I’ll show you the design as soon as I get it. But anything has got to be better than the shit we have up.” Clem laughs.
“You are right on that score. Okay, I’ll catch you later. I have a wife to see, and a son to mess with.”
Laughing, Clem gives me a wave as he mumbles something about a shit, shower and sex. I shake my head as I open the back door because I don’t want to know!