The Lovebird Trilogy

The Retirement

CHAPTER 6 — The Retirement

Mood Music: Don't Change — Musiq Soulchild

 

 

COUPLE 1

The moment Miles settled beside me on our couch I asked him what he wanted for dinner. Lips pursed, he stared straight ahead while in thought. I began to believe he might have fallen into a trance when two minutes later he suggested pizza. I nodded. Since we hadn't eaten pizza in a while that sounded pretty good. Both having successful laser surgery years ago, glasses weren't necessary to view the flat screen built into the wall ten feet ahead of where we sat.

"Internet on," I said, the screen immediately flickering to life. Instructing it to bring up a specific website, a second later pizzas were in view. Vocally signing in and accessing the order form for delivery, Miles and I debated on what pizza to get, soon deciding on half pepperoni and half ham and pineapple. Payment made, the confirmation page and an approximate delivery time were given just as the screen split in half—the left still showing the pizza website confirmation page and the right side alerting to an incoming phone call from a Madeline Gilbert.

"Answer call. Full screen." Difficult to choose whose smile was the largest, Miles and I sat forward with much anticipation as the pizza site disappeared, our only child's live image brilliantly appearing with a toddler seated on her lap. We greeted our daughter and youngest grandchild, grinning when the small boy individually blew us a kiss.

"How are you, Timmy?" Miles asked.

"I good, Pop-Pop. How you?"

"Me good too. Are you driving yet?"

He released the cutest belly laugh. "I too young!" A commotion behind them, he looked around his mother spotting his two siblings involved in a game. Wanting to join them, as clearly as possible Timmy said he would talk to us later.

"We love you, Timmy," I said, returning the kiss he blew a minute ago.

"Love you too, Paw-Paw. Love you, Pop-Pop." Jumping down, he hurried away.

"How's our favorite little lady?" So what if she was close to forty and married with three children? Miles and I were in agreement that she would always be our little lady.

Maddy sent us a smile. "I'm doing great, Daddy." Asked what we had been up to, we answered the usual. Enjoying retirement involved in such activities as golf, tending to our garden (Miles was better at that than me) swimming for exercise and last week we signed up for a couples cooking class, which we already found fun.

Rubbing her hands together while Miles talked, I could tell something was on Maddy's mine. When it was her turn she shared with us. "I've been thinking...since you've both retired now you should sell the house and move here. There are these fabulous apartments for those fifty-five years of age and up that just opened a couple months ago. Brand spanking new.

"Several reasons you should come here. You'll be closer to your family—I'm talking only three point six miles away from our house. The kids would adore having their Paw-Paw and Pop-Pop just a few minutes away by car. With the money you'll make selling the house it'll be easily affordable and I've visited the complex. It's gorgeous, the apartments are actually spacious condos, each with its own Jacuzzi tub and they have so many activities on the grounds. Plus, as golf nuts I know you'll appreciate the full course right across the street and I'm prepared to bribe you with the gift of memberships to that golf club."