Asexual [cake au] ✔

Bonus Chapter 3: teenager

Collage of Luke, Calum, Tom and Abbie :))

Chapter 3: teenager

Ten Years Later

He was stressed

Luke was always stressed nowadays and nothing I did ever helped.

I sent the kids to school, I picked them up, I did the grocery shopping, I cooked, I cleaned everything and what did he do? Complain about work, about how his university students kept giving him a hard time. Well, it wasn't my fault and there wasn't I could do about it.

Tom was 15 now, and Abbie was 10. Both Luke and I were in our early forties. We lived in a newly constructed family home in West Sydney, close to our families and close to his university as well as the football club I still worked at.

And now, it was Saturday. Tom and Abbie were going to spend the day with their godparents, Mikey and Ashton, who'd adopted a little girl a few years back who they named Carly. Carly and Abbie got on pretty well so she was excited.

"Do you guys have everything?" I asked, kneeling down to zip Abbie's red raincoat up and helping her step into her gumboots.

"Yeah!"

"No Ab, you forgot Carly's present," Tom said, coming down the stairs wearing jeans and a striped t-shirt. Abbie frowned and cutely slapped her forehead, giggling and running up to her brother and taking the brown parcel from him.

"What's that?" I asked, standing up and folding my arms, inspecting the box in her hands.

"We bought her a planting kit!" she smiled, tucking it under her arm.

I nodded. "Tom, don't forget your jacket, it's pretty chilly out." He went into the cloakroom and came back out with his windbreaker on. He was now almost six foot, despite his age, and was (thanks to his parents) decently good looking. He hadn't yet brought back a boyfriend or a girlfriend, but we didn't question it because it wasn't really our business. Our own parents hadn't been nosy or overprotective so neither were we.

Once they were both finally ready, we got in the car and I drove them down to Carly's house. Michael and Ashton were both musicians now – a two person group who also produced music for others. As soon as we pulled into their two storey house, the door opened and a little girl came bounding out.

"Abbie!" Carly squealed, approaching the car and waiting for me to finish parking. I saw Ashton turn up at the door and waved, turning off the ignition and getting out.

"Nice to see you buddy," he greeted, pulling me in for a hug. "How you doing?"

"Good! Now are you sure you want to look after these two for the day? Because if not, I'm okay to-"

"Don't even mention it Cal, it's perfectly fine!" Michael chirped, appearing from the kitchen in a vest and some shorts.

"I'm not so sure I want to leave them here after all..." I joked, wrinkling my nose as we shared a laugh. I gave the fluffy-haired guy a hug too and kissed Tom and Abbie goodbye.