“Did you just read boy books?” Sally asked.
“In the beginning. Remember, I’m still a bullied preteen. I didn’t want to get caught with Nancy Drew in my backpack. As I found my sense of self, I broadened my mind, adding female writers into the mix. I lost the hump in my back, not from exercise but because of the weight of the books in my backpack. The vast quantity of words pulled my shoulders back and released from their prison my emerging self-esteem. Did you read boy books?”
“Oh yes. In the beginning, I read everything I could get my hands on. Later, Mama Lee and I would discuss AARP magazine and how new laws affected her.”
Cid chuckled. “She sounds like a wonderful lady.”
“She was an excellent role model. She let me mourn my parents properly and then insisted I go outside. She homeschooled me until I caught up with the children of my age. I remember Carl coming home on school holidays and quizzing me on the evaluation tests. He really is a softy. Don’t let all that brawn scare you.”
“My parents tried,” Cid said. “But they had their lives to live and my sister overshadowed me. My father and I bonded early, and he taught me the basics of woodworking. One of my most treasured possessions is a small spirit level he gave me when we constructed my treehouse. Because of my eyesight, I didn’t run around like other kids. I wasn’t shunned but ignored. Once, I managed to find myself in the goalie position at a friendly soccer game in the neighborhood. I took one to the head, and it knocked me out. I think it gave my mother quite a fright. After, I was only allowed to be in supervised team sports. She tried to help me fit in. Unfortunately, she got most of her ideas from my older sister. There I was, more round than tall, spending the summer ditching basketball camp to spend my mornings in the library. My mother’s helicoptering eased when she got a job. I moved into the family chef position, and my sister was given free rein to boss me around. When Ted came into my life, he showed me that I could hold the bad things she was doing over her head, and she stopped bullying me. Although, she was quick to point out any faults I had.”
“Teenagers can be so cruel to each other,” Sally commiserated.
“It’s not an age I’d like to repeat. My parents probably were more involved than I remember. They weren’t bad parents. They were just trying to survive like anyone else.”
“How did they feel when you moved in with Ted?”
“I really don’t know. I’ve never asked. They’ve never said. Ted claims, until he brought Mia home in the flesh, that his dad assumed he was gay and he and I were a couple.”
“So, I’m not the first to make this error.”
“And you won’t be the last. Ted and I are best friends. We have each other’s back. I’m part of his family as if I were born into it. There was only one moment in our history that I had trouble being his friend, and if it’s alright with you, we’ll save that for our tenth anniversary.”
Sally flushed.
“No comment?” Cid teased.
“I’m fighting a war of trying to let this friendship of ours develop slowly and the overwhelming urge to throw myself bodily at you. There is so much we need to explore. Whatever this is, it’s way too important to be cavalier about.”
“I’ll never be a rich man, Sally. I’m very slow to make up my mind normally. Today, when I first saw you, I finally understood what Ted was trying to tell me for years.”
“What was that?”
“‘When you see her, you’ll know right away.’ Ted waited for Mia to finally see him. He moved so he would be there every time she turned around. But that’s Ted. You’ll understand that when you meet him.”
“Are you already scheduling a playdate?” Sally asked.
“Maybe…”
It was Sally’s turn to laugh. “I take it, if we are to become a couple, I have to impress the Martins and not the Garretts.”
“They call me their wife.”
“Now that you’re going to have to explain.”
“After Ted and Mia married, Mia never asked me to leave or to pay rent. There were no hints or emotional appeals to let her and Ted have the privacy a new couple deserves. I saved and bought the land adjacent to the Martin property and started building my home. Mia insisted that before I put in a driveway that I put in a walk to connect my home to theirs. She’s the one who calls and checks up on me. I have tried to teach her to cook, and aside from being a fabulous baker, she’d rather have me cook the big meals.”
“So, Mia wedded Ted and Cid. Um, that is going to take some getting used to.”
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t go beyond the kitchen.”
“I’m very territorial in my kitchen,” Sally warned.
“So am I,” Cid said.
“Tell me about Jessie. How does he fit into your life?” Sally asked.
“Friends. He recommended me to Kiki Pickles when a job for a finishing carpenter came up. I trust him.”
“I got a cowboy vibe off him,” Sally admitted.
“He’s not trying
