Cold Outside

2 - No clutter and chaos

Lucas Sanders considered himself to be a very lucky man which went beyond the fact that he was successful in business. Often he was told that he was a natural-born salesman, but he didn't always like what that implied. He never wanted to force a sale, but he preferred to find the perfect match.

He was a real estate man but had a large chunk of business in rentals. He had also purchased more than a few multi-unit homes in Portland which generated income for him. The properties he dealt with ranged from multimillion-dollar waterfront properties to inner-city apartment buildings that kept low-income families safe and with a roof over their heads. He tried to treat each one with that same priority.

Lucas was the first to admit that he grew up rich, but his family always had a high regard for the community and for philanthropy. It was for this reason that his grandfather started the family foundation years ago. Lucas was one of only two grandchildren, he felt the burden of keeping this endeavor going. His brother, Paul, was doing his part by passing on the family name. He had three sons and Lucas wasn't sure he and his wife, Joanna, were done having babies yet. As a cardiologist, Paul did well for himself, but Lucas couldn't understand how he could live the way he did. His home was beautiful just north of Portland in the town of Falmouth and Lucas had sold it to them so it was a perfect match. The home was still beautiful, but as a guest Lucas risked tripping over toys and cups or sitting on crumbs. His brother had dark circles under his eyes, and his wife always had a child clinging to her. Lucas couldn't help but think, what happened? She used to be beautiful and thin and... He still loved them both, but their lives didn't intersect very well anymore.

Long ago, Lucas has decided that he never wanted to marry and have children. His parents' marriage was horrible and Lucas couldn't understand why they didn't divorce. They basically lived separate lives, and he always suspected that his mother stayed married out of spite and for the money that staying his father's wife entitled her. Lucas never wanted to be attached to a woman only to find out she liked his money more than him. Having witnessed the changes in his brother's life, he had no desire for children. He liked order to his life and there was nothing orderly about children.

Ironically Bethany seemed unfazed by the clutter and chaos whenever they visited his brother. He once overheard, Joanna asking Bethany when it would be their turn for babies.

She replied, "Not us."

Although she was smiling, Lucas knew that his being adamant about no marriage and children would cause him to lose her. What he didn't know was when. Still, she had stayed for almost two years after she learned that they would never head down the aisle. He told himself that she loved him enough to stay, but deep down he was too smart to believe it.

Lucas didn't hate kids. In fact, the highlight of his week was his basketball games at the teen center. The foundation always donated to the teen center and typically their annual scholarship recipient was a teen center kid. Lucas more than once found himself involved in the lives of these underprivileged youths. He had found many families their homes, and he had two apartment buildings that he rented to low-income families. Financially he hardly broke even, but he felt good when he went to sleep every night in his luxury condo that he helped all those families have warm safe beds. He knew that Bethany was proud of him and the work he did.

He would take her out for a wonderful meal and remind her of just how much he loved her. He felt the need to loosen his collar when he thought about after dinner.