Fades Chapter 9 (Patreon)

Chapter 9.

At home, Todd was doing chores. Sarah didn't have a job. Her ex-husband, Todd's father, paid for everything through alimony and child support. Todd's father was mostly out of their lives. He gave up the big financial settlement to marry his new wife. He had started a new family.

Todd was responsible for keeping the house clean and doing the laundry. Sarah was too busy with her schoolwork to do the housekeeping too.

This living arrangement didn't seem odd to either of them. They also didn't stop to think about Sarah's ex-husband. How Sarah could feel like a virginal boy and have had a husband too. For Sarah and Todd, it was best not to think about him at all.

Todd had completed washing the breakfast dishes. He was vacuuming his mother's bedroom at the time when Sarah had asked Piper out.  Todd's mind wondered as he pushed the vacuum around. He had plenty of time to think. Mostly he was thinking about his future. He was a college graduate when he married Richard, what would he do? Todd had decided that Richard was the one. He loved him so much.

Todd didn't want to be a full-time housewife. Sarah was old enough to take care of herself. Todd thought that maybe he should get a job. Richard made enough money to support them, but there was more to life than just being supported. Todd wanted some personal growth.

Todd wanted to be Richard's wife. But he didn't want that to define him. He wanted something else. He had a degree in finance. When Todd enrolled in college his major was physical therapy. But by the time he graduated, his major had changed to finance.  Todd had an ability for finance that he didn't have for physical therapy.

Technically, it had been his mother's education, but now the degrees belonged to Todd. Sarah never pursued her career. She married Todd's father instead. Todd wouldn't make that mistake when he married Richard.

When school let out, Sarah returned home and then drove to the grocery. Only she could drive and pick up what they needed. Todd, on the other hand, could 'hang out' with his friends.  Todd's friends hadn't changed. They were all still high school students. But when they got out Todd could visit with them as he usually would.

“Hey guys,” Todd shouted across the basketball court. Todd's friends still played basketball, although Todd didn't anymore.  He had lost a couple of inches when he swapped legs with his mother. Also, the legs he now had weren't in any condition to play. They were the legs of a woman nearing forty.

“Hey, Todd. Wanna play?”

“Maybe next time.”

“OK man.”

“Hey, I hear your mom is trying to pick up Piper.”

“My mom really likes her a lot.”

“Piper shut that down quick.”

“She did?”

“That's what I heard.”

“Too bad. My mom really likes her.”

“You already said that. But Piper doesn't like your mom.”

“Do you know why?”

“No one knows what girls like.”

“Probably why you aren't dating anymore.”

“I could get any girl I want.  There just aren't any I'm interested in.”

“So, you say.”

“You should talk, you're dating an old man.”

“We love each other.”

“Sure, you do.”

“You don't know what love means.”

“And you do?”

Todd knew that his friends were just kids when it came to matters of the heart. There wasn't any reason to debate them. All his friends knew how special Todd's relationship with Richard had become. They might be giving him a hard time, but Todd knew that all of his friends would kill to have the relationship that he and Richard had. Although none of them were thinking long-term as Todd had been. Todd knew that Richard was the person he would marry.

“Let's change the subject...”

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