Chapter 1

The year is: 2020
The place(s): Memphis/Nashville, TN/Vincennes, IN

Hello,
I’m Jeff (21), and I have a sister named Jennifer (20).

Our parents are Richard (43) and Ruth (42) and they live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Our parents met going to the University of Memphis, got married but moved to Nashville when she got a job at Nissan North America. Dad got a job right out of college at HCA (Hospital Corporation of America), also with an office In Nashville!

They have spent their whole working careers at their respective companies.

Mom was only months away from retiring at only 44 years old (20 years). She mentioned getting a ‘Golden Handshake,’ due to a clause in her employment contract.

After explaining what that was, during dinner, her fabulous spaghetti to be exact, she explained that it was for $10,000,000 which shocked us kids to no end! She explained that she could work until her 25th year, but the Handshake would only go up to $11,000,000.

Dad must have known about it in advance and he gave her a big kiss for explaining it. They do love each other so very much.

Before either Jenn or I could ask, Dad explained he didn’t have such a clause at HCA, but all he needed to do was give plenty of notice and he would get a six month severance pay of $600,000 which made Jenn give him a kiss on the cheek.

Dinner was excellent, with side dishes of asparagus, toasted and buttered sourdough bread, and tossed salad.

As they were finishing up, Jennifer asked if it was Ok if she could take her big brother went off to see a movie together. We had been doing that since before either of us were old enough to drive. Back then, we were dropped off, and took the city bus to the nearest stop and walked home together.

“What are you planning to see?” Dad asked.

“The sequel to the 2009 movie Avatar just came out,” I responded. “It’s at the Palace Drive-in on Front Street!”

“Has Fantastic Beasts 3 come out yet?” Mom asked.

“Yeah, at the same place, have you guys been to a movie there since it opened?”

“No,” Richard said. “It’s about time I take my wife to a drive-in, how long has it been, Ruthie?”

She had to think about it, then said with a blush, “It had to be 1999...”

“Was it American Beauty?” Dad said.

“I believe so,” mom remarked.

“That Drive-in doesn’t exist anymore, I believe,” Rich said. “Jennifer, you were born almost nine months to the day after we saw that movie.”

Ruth gave him a slap on the shoulder.

We knew what that meant!

It was Friday, so Jenn and Jeff decided to go to the final showing of the day, starting at 11:15pm.

The kids got up, cleared the table and sent mom and dad to their movie that was starting in under 45 minutes.

After being finished washing the dishes, and being alone, we sat down to watch TV.

After finding a movie to watch, Jenn got on my lap and said, “Do you think that Mom and Dad have a clue about us?”

“I hope not,” I replied. “They are both so busy they don’t have time to keep a close eye on us anymore.”

Her lips were right in front of his and the first lip contact was bliss.

“Do you think that the kids know that the digital clock above the TV is also a camera?” Richard said to Ruth.

She got out her phone and activated the live feed and said, “They are already making out, Rich.”

“It’s funny how we decided to do that putting digital display clocks in every room when we had the house fitted with security cameras,” Richard remarked with his wife scooting over and getting his arm around hers. “One of these days we should explain our real relationship.”