Chapter 3

For the next three days, my phone would ring a little after 1:00 in the afternoon, and it was always for Josh. It was Mary Lou calling. Josh would come up with an excuse for why they needed to play in the woods. His mother just smiled and gave her permission knowing Josh was probably getting his ashes hauled by Mary Lou.

My week off was over, and it was back to work. I had hoped Pat would have worked out a plan for her and Josh and be gone before I had to leave. But she hadn’t, and I could not in good conscience throw her out. I locked up my valuables and checkbook in my safe. I left her some cash for food and hoped for the best.

Six days later, I came home and walked into the house. I stood agape as I looked around my home. The place looked cleaner, brighter, and the furniture had been nicely rearranged. There was a hominess about the place that I had never been able to achieve.

Pat came out of the bathroom wearing rubber gloves, shorts, a t-shirt, flip-flops and carrying a bucket of cleaning paraphernalia, “Oh, hi, Robert. Welcome home. I was just freshening up the bathrooms.”

“What have you been doing while I have been gone? The place looks...”

“I hope you’re not mad, but I was bored, and the place really needed some attention.”

“No, no, not mad. It looks great, but you didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”

“No trouble at all, Robert. I enjoyed doing it.”

“Well, thank you. Where’s Josh?”

“He’s over at Mary Lou and Betty’s.”

I couldn’t help but remark, “I hope Betty put some pants on.”

“I doubt it. Josh says she usually wears just panties and a t-shirt. But it sounds like you already knew that.”

“Yeah, Betty and I had a thing for a while,” I confessed.

Just then, Josh and Mary Lou came in holding hands. Mary Lou greeted me with the same familiarity as she had in the past, “Hi, Rob.” Then addressed Pat, “Hi Mrs. Swift. My mom wants to know if Josh can stay for supper and stay over tonight.”

Pat seemed delighted when she answered Mary Lou, “I don’t see why not if your mother is okay with it. I will call her in a little bit.”

“Okay, Mrs. Swift. See ya. Come on, Josh, let’s go.”

“Bye Mom, Bye, Mr. Hagger.” The kids left as quickly as they came in.

I was a little surprised. Girls didn’t usually ask boys for a sleepover, “It looks like they are still an item.”

“Yes, they are. I hope you don’t mind, but I let them use the guest room a couple of times. I’m pretty sure Josh will be sleeping with Mary Lou tonight. Betty knows they are having sex and finds it cute. Josh is really enjoying himself. I am so happy for him.”

I wouldn’t have allowed it if I had been here, but I let it go, “Yeah, I guess it’s alright. But let’s not make a habit of it, shall we.”