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Life By The Hour
Chapter 5: Anne

Chapter 5: Anne

Frank was in the kitchen, slowly working his way through a ham and cheese sandwich he made for himself. She looked at him for a minute, taking in his features. He wasn't the young man she had fallen in love with anymore; thirty-eight years together had robbed him of his youth. His ashen face creased with wrinkles from a hard life of labor, and even though it had been two years since he had worked as a mechanic, his hands were still calloused and dry from years of abuse. His clothes were nothing special; he wore his trademark plaid long-sleeved shirt and torn blue jeans, stained from the oil and grime of his old trade. Anne sighed quietly, wondering why she had spent so many years with this simple man. She went to the table and pulled a chair out to sit.

"Hello, my dove. Would you like a sandwich?" The corner of Franks's eyes crinkled with his smile, making Anne cringe inwardly. Knowing that some of the wrinkles would go away in the next year instead of increasing gave her a little hope for her marriage. If he couldn't improve enough to start working again, she would need to find another person to provide for her. Putting on a smile, she touched his hand with her fingertips.

"Mom just called. She got us a year of that LyfeX serum. Isn't that wonderful! We will be able to get up to 20 years back! You could return to work, and I could start school again." Frank's face didn't change, his gentle smile lighting up his face.

"That's great, Anne, but I don't really care about such things. Im an old man, and I have lived my life. I will try it for you, but I dont need to be younger to be happy. I have you, my love. That's all I need." He set down the sandwich with his free hand and placed his rough hand on Anne's. "Though I will admit, having a few more years to work would be good for us in the long term…" He lifted his hand from Anne's and scratched his chin. Anne knew that look; her husband was planning something. You can't be married for over thirty years and not learn each other's expressions. Anne smiled.

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"What are you planning, old man?" His eyes flashed with a mischievous flare. Frank took a bite of his sandwich and chewed for a moment. Then, the thoughts came together, and he looked again at his wife.

"We have a little bit saved up. If we can keep living the way we have been and start working again, it could allow us to live comfortably in a few years. I might even be able to get my old job at Calvin's place. As long as it's not too expensive, we could have a few more decades in us after all." He scratched his chin again, a slight grin lifting the ends of his lips.

This is the man I fell in love with, she thought as she smiled in return. She could see her new life falling into place. She would have her youth back and spend her second youth doing things for her instead of toiling away trying to help kids who didn't care a lick for what she had to say. Yes, it would all be different, and she would be the one to come out on top.

"I'll let Mom know we accept the offer! If it's anything like what happened to Mom on the TV, we should be young in no time!" Her excitement burst out of her like an overfilled balloon. She returned to the living room to grab her phone, texting her mom that they would happily accept the offer. Her mom texted back three seconds later, a simple smile emoji. Now Mom's using emojis!? She barked a laugh and shook her head. It truly was a miracle drug if her mom was catching up with the times.

"I have a few errands to run before nightfall. Would you like me to pick up the dry cleaning? I think they said it would be done today." Frank had appeared in the living room, his gnarled hands working together absent-mindedly as he waited for his wife's answer. She looked at him again and took in the sight of the man she had spent a lifetime with. He was supportive and caring and cared for her the best he could, but he wasn't rich. Anne sighed and nodded at her husband.

"Yes, if you could. Oh, and pick up some salmon from the store. We are celebrating our good fortune!" She put on a brighter smile than she'd worn in ages and clapped her hands. "And some white wine. Let's splurge a bit." Frank laughed, a warm, low sound, before walking over to the mantle and grabbing his keys.

"You're the boss! I'll be back shortly. Don't get too young without me!" He teased her as he crossed the space between them to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Love you."

"Love you, too." She purred. Once he had shut the door and heard his old truck start, she sat back on the couch. She grabbed her tablet to look at the latest news stories regarding LyfeX and spent the time reading obsessively about the new miracle drug.

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