Divorced! Now what?

Chapter 45

Theo POV



The day was exhausting, and by the time I took a shower and climbed into bed, it was midnight. My head hit the pillow, and sleep came quickly; all the thoughts of what Bethany was going through left my mind. Either I was drained, or the ability to turn things off took over. I knew in my early days as a doctor I would have things go over and over in my mind, making sleep impossible to claim, and I would toss and turn. I have since learned to block those thoughts out of my mind, which might be what happened now.

It was nearly ten o'clock when I woke, the sun blazing through the window. Last night, I failed to close them, which was unusual for me, and I was shocked to see how late it was in the day. Throwing the blankets off of me, I raced around getting dressed. I was supposed to be at my parent's home by eleven and to grab some drinks. This was going to be a close run if I was to make it across town in half an hour at that time of day, and I had to think of the best place to buy drinks along the way. My usual place would be too busy to find parking; it was close to popular shops, and I needed a drive-through closer to my parent's home.

As I drove, I thought of yesterday and what had transpired. 

How was Bethany today?

That was a lot of baggage she was carrying around. The sooner those two are gone from her life, the better; they seem to be dragging her down to a deep abyss that would suffocate the loving, kind person. I know she is. Wonder what the rest of her family is like? What if her Dad was like that? I will take my father to meet him tomorrow and see if they will get along. If he is like his daughter Cynthia, I am taking Dad to meet someone I would prefer he did not have to spend his Sundays with. What have I got myself in for? I don't want my Dad to be hurt. 

I found a drive-through, purchased some drinks, and headed to my folks' place. It was not far from here, and I was thankful I remembered this place was here. It was on a backstreet that was not frequented by many, mostly the locals, and did not rely on passing traffic to stay in business. This might be an excellent place to take Bethany when she needs to get away from the city for a little while. It is close to the city but is an expensive part of town where only affluent locals live. Yeah, my parents are old money. Part of why, after my bad relationship with a money-grabbing cheating girlfriend ended, I only had the occasional woman who knew that the night was for company and sex and nothing more. I left them high and dry if they looked like they were getting attached. I have trust issues, and being rich made me a target for a lot of women who want that style of life. My family was concerned about my lack of a girlfriend and that it was time to get back into the game. I exploded once, and they sort of tried and hinted and not come straight out and tell me what to do now. I felt terrible for yelling at them, but I will not apologize; they should not have tried to set me up with anyone. I needed to do this in my time, not theirs. I am getting older, so what? No rules say I have to be married with kids before I am thirty.

I pushed the fob to open the sliding gates and waited for them to fully open before setting off to the house. I had gone before they fully opened a few years ago, eager to leave, and the gates closed back up on me, scratching my car, so I make sure now that they are fully opened. I loved that old car. It is still undercover in Dad's garage. It is my occasional day-out car, too old, and it is loved by not just me but Dad too, and it is not an everyday car. It used to belong to my granddad, which is why it is cherished.

The moment I pulled up, the doors to the house swung open, and my youngest sister came running out and threw herself at me. I lifted her and swung her around. She was eighteen but still acted like a child at times, but I loved it. When she was like this, that meant the house was in a good mood, and we would have a great day.

Leaning into the car, I grabbed the drinks and handed some to Cindy. I grabbed the other two cartons of beer we would take to sports day tomorrow. I should have left them in the car. It was too late now, so I followed her inside. Her bounce in her step made me enjoy her exuberance and happy nature. She has a boyfriend, but I don't think it is serious yet.

'Mum!' Cindy yelled as we entered the house.

'Theo is here.' She yelled in a sing-song manner once she was through the front door. I am sure Mum already knew this, but this was Cindy, a bubbly young lady who had yet to have her heart broken, unlike my other two sisters, and I hope she never does. But life has a tendency to make you go through hard times. Mum said it was, so you can recognize the good times and cherish them more. I would prefer not to have the tears, and because of the look that Dad often has on his face when facing a woman in tears, I feel he agrees with me.

Dad was in the lounge, seated in front of the television, looking at the basketball game that was playing. He loved all sports, but none of the teams he followed played today, so he watched the competition and how they played. He hoped I would be a sportsperson and play football. I had the size and the muscle and even played a little in college, but I was not that keen and ended up following his footsteps into medicine instead.

'Hey, Dad.' I greeted him as I continued down the hall, knowing he was glued to the game, and the most I would get was a grunt or a wave.

As I entered, Mum was putting something in the oven. I placed the drinks in the fridge and moved to hug Mum and kiss her on the cheek. She quickly dried her hands on her apron and pulled me in for a longer hug, which made me wonder what was going on. She rarely needed a longer hug unless something was wrong or her job got her down. 

'Felicity said you have a girlfriend.' Cindy said as she put the drinks she had carried on the table.

'I do, when did I get a girlfriend?' I replied, unsure what was happening.

'She said you were out at the same restaurant as Sam and her and that you were entertaining a lady.' That was why the house was all excited; they thought I had a girlfriend at last. Way to go, Felicity. 

'That woman is my colleague, and we were discussing work, not having a date.' I grumbled back as I watched Mum's shoulders drop slightly at this.

'She is pretty.' Felicity voiced as she entered the kitchen area, with Sam following close behind. At least Sam did not try to join Dad; the last time was a disaster, and I only interrupted Dad and his game if he showed signs that he was not really into the game.

'Maybe you could be more than workmates if you put your mind to it.' Felicity said, hugging Mum and handing over dessert.

Today was going to be a long day. I was going to be the one on the agenda.

'Bethany is my neighbor, and Dad will meet her tomorrow. It is her place. We are having a sports day, and her dad will join us.

'Wonderful.' Mum clapped her hands in joy at this news. I groaned at the implication that action meant.

Chapter 46 - Divorced! Now what?