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“You sure you’re still going to be alive by the end of the week?”

Barely.

“Hate to admit it, but you’re right.”

“About the whisky?” he asked.

“About my needing some quiet time. I’ll see you at the airport Friday afternoon.”

Bob said, “You got it. Have fun at the park,” he laughed and ended the call.

I couldn’t tell Tori and Lucas no. I’d been so busy with work that I only got to see them twice a year. I’d built my masonry business in Rhode Island, and it wouldn’t be easy starting all over again in California. With any luck, when I would retire in five years, the grandkids would still want to spend time with me. But then being in California had to do with my son Danny. He landed a great job working on a nuclear power plant. The money was too good to pass up. But before he had children, it was a lot easier for him to fly back east to visit me and his friends. Now, his life is in California and…I was missing a lot of things I wish I didn’t.

Got to cram as much as I can in these last few days.

When I got into the kitchen my daughter-in-law Carli, was instructing Tori that she needed to change out of her dress before going to play at the park. Tori didn’t look happy about it at all.

“Mom, this is my favorite princess dress. Grampy just bought it for me yesterday. I don’t want to ever take it off,” she said, with a pout on her face.

“And if you wear it to the park, you’re going to get it all dirty and maybe ruin it. Now go and change or Grampy isn’t taking you to the park.” Carli looked at me to back her up in her decision.

“That’s right. And that also means no ice cream on the way back home,” I added. There was a chance I’d hear about that later. Neither of the kids wanted to eat supper after all the snacks we ate yesterday.

“If you sugar her up, you’re the one who will pay the price. Remember, you’re babysitting these two little angels tonight so me and Danny can attend a fundraising event,” Carli reminded me.

I turned to Tori and said, “Maybe instead of ice cream, I can take you and Lucas out for pizza?”

“Will there be arcade games there?” Lucas asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been. But I’m sure we can find a place that has some.”

“Sounds good to me,” Lucas said.

Tori pouted again. “But I like ice cream.”

“Maybe we can get one tomorrow.” When I won’t have you all to myself for most of the night.

“Okay.” She turned to Lucas and added, “You better let me win the game or I’m not going to play with you anymore.”

“Then you better play with Grampy, because he is horrible at video games,” Lucas said.

I chuckled. “That I am. Now listen to your mother and go change and get ready for the park.”

They both ran out of the kitchen, still arguing about the video games. Carli asked. “Are you sure you’re up to taking them today? I mean you had them both all day yesterday.”

“How much work can a park be?”

She laughed. “Guess you’re about to find out. Tori loves to swing, but loves being pushed on the swing even more.”

It was too late to back out. Giving her a huge smile, I asked, “Sure you don’t want to join us?”

Carli shook her head. “Nope. I don’t get many afternoons to myself, so I think there is a bubble bath calling to me.” She gave me a hug before leaving the kitchen. “We are all really going to miss you when you go back home. Maybe someday, you’ll come for a visit and decide to stay.”

Alone in the kitchen I made myself a cup of strong coffee and sat to ponder on her comment. Was it an offer or a suggestion? They had the room for me already, but I was only fifty-seven. Too young to retire. It would be wonderful to see the family all the time, but they’d grow tired of me being around all the time, and I’d grow bored.

There would be a time when it was right. For now, I needed to work and set myself up for a very comfortable retirement. One that meant I would have my own place if I did decide to move to California.

I’ve lived alone so long that I’m not sure I could live with anyone long term again.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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