R.L. Mathewson Chronicles

Great Idea Part III

“Go tell your mom that we need to work on the back roof and to keep the kids away from it so that they don’t get hurt,” his father said, not bothering to glance at him as sorted through his tools while Cole stood there, wondering how this day could get any worse.

“Mom wants us to organize the garage,” Cole pointed out, not because he was looking forward to spending the day cleaning the garage, but because he would rather do that than spend the day on the roof, tearing up shingles in this heat with his father glaring… Read More

Great Idea Part II

“What do you think?” Haley asked only to be met with matching glares.

“I thought you loved me,” Cole finally said with a sad shake of his head and a shuddering sigh.

“I do, which is why I think this is a great idea,” she said, nodding as she gestured towards the vision board that she’d made this morning.

“How exactly is spending time with him,” Cole said, emphasizing “him” when he gestured towards Jason, who hadn’t said a single word since she’d finished explaining everything, “a great… Read More

Good Ideas Part I

“Where’s your mother?” Jason asked, rubbing his hands roughly down his face as he sat there, trying to make sense out of this online platform for his classes only to go still when he heard the magical words that guaranteed that his day was about to get better.

“She’s taking a nap,” Elizabeth said, shrugging it off as Jason bit back a smile.

“In our room?” he asked even as he pushed away from the kitchen table and started heading that way.

“She went to lay down a few minutes ago,” his sweet little baby girl said absently as she worked on… Read More

Stubborn: Part I

“It will be fine,” Jodi said, but something, mostly the fact that his father was shaking his head and mouthing, “It’s not fine,” told him that this wasn’t fine.

That, and the fact that his wife was in the fetal position, hugging the hand that she’d landed on wrong after an unfortunate incident that involved their sons’ collection of dinosaurs, Legos, and a remote control car that their baby girl had been trying to figure out how to drive when she was carrying laundry into the boy’s room.

“I-I just need some ice,” Jodi said softly as Danny glanced at his… Read More

The Great Lockdown of 2020 Part IX

“Why are you glaring at Dad?” Joshua asked, frowning as he reached for his brother’s plate only to have his hand absently slapped as Cole continued to sit there, glaring at his father.

“You don’t want to know,” Cole said, narrowing his eyes on Jason, who she’d like to point out, was glaring right back.

This was not going to end well.

Not at… Read More

The Great Lockdown of 2020 Part VIII

“Go to bed. I’ve got this,” Jason said, rubbing his hands down his face on a groan even as he mentally went over every possible hiding spot in the in-law apartment and-

“Goddamnit,” he said, sighing heavily as he got up and headed back to the in-law apartment where the old woman that he adored was currently struggling to open a twenty-ounce Coke.

“I need it!” Grandma said as Jason plucked the Coke out of her hand, opened it, and took a sip as he ran his gaze over her wheelchair and-

“This is just sad,” Jason said with a pitying shake… Read More

A Bradford Mother’s Day Special Chronicle

“You know what I think Mommy needs, Daddy?”

“What’s that, baby girl?” Devin absently asked as he searched for the bacon.

“Fluffiness, Daddy,” Abbi said, drawing his attention away from the fridge to find his baby girl nodding solemnly. “She needs fluffiness.”

“She has fluffiness,” Devin said with a pointed look at the large German Shepherd currently sleeping on his back in the middle of the floor.

“She needs more, Daddy,” she said with a sad shake of her head.

“No,” he said, chuckling as he returned his attention the refrigerator only to find his son standing in front of him, taking over the… Read More

The Great Lockdown of 2020 Part VII

“Look,” Jason said, sighing heavily as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I just don’t think this is going to work out. I’m sorry.”

Sighing, because really, what else was she supposed to do at this point? Haley couldn’t help but nod in agreement as she finished off the last bite of the incredibly delicious Boston Cream pie that Reese dropped off for her. “You know? I think you’re right. I’ll have my stuff packed up and out of here by the end of the week,” she said, placing her empty plate on the coffee table while she bit… Read More

The Great Lockdown of 2020 Part VI

“It’s just that,” his son, who he loved more than anything, said as he shifted to get more comfortable on the bed between them with a heavy sigh, “I think things would have gone differently if I’d chosen the dog instead of the top hat.”

“Why are you here?” Trevor asked as he laid there on his stomach, biting back a groan as his erection that had been enjoying the way his wife had been running her hands over him finally died while the reason that he hadn’t been able to make love to his wife for the past five… Read More

The Great Lockdown of 2020 Part V

“That’s a lot of salt,” came the softly spoken words that had Kasey wondering how much more of this she could take.

“It’s not salt. It’s sugar,” she calmly explained even as she threw the closed kitchen door a panicked look, wondering when Reese was going to save her.

They’d worked out a deal, one that benefited both of them so that they didn’t lose their damn minds. They were supposed to take turns spending time with Mikey, otherwise…

Oh, god…

She couldn’t do this, Kasey thought, licking her lips nervously as she stared at the kitchen door, praying that her husband was… Read More