Life wasn't fair, Kieran thought. Up until six months ago, he had been happily married to Megan. And then, suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, she had asked him for a divorce. It wasn't his fault, she had told him, it was hers. She just didn't love him anymore. Of course, there wasn't anyone else!
Rubbish! It had been a lie, he later found out.
For both their sake, she wanted everything to be amicable between them while they separated, and he found somewhere else to live. Oh, and could he continue paying the mortgage, and the bills? Also, she needed money as an allowance for herself, so that she could continue to live as she had become accustomed. He could take some time to find somewhere else to move into, but she wanted him out of their house by the end of next month if possible.
Kieran had a decent job, and he earned a reasonable wage, but continuing to pay out that amount of money, plus renting a flat somewhere for himself, would leave him flat broke. That was if he could find somewhere with what little he would have left after paying for his house and wife. Megan also had a decent job and a good wage, but it appeared that she was unwilling to share any of that for her new independent lifestyle. When Kieran lost his temper and told her to 'Fuck off,' the amicability went out the window and their separation turned nasty.
They both employed solicitors which ate into the money they had until eventually, a court decided the house must be sold. It was then that he found out about the other man; Megan and her new partner deciding to buy their old home.
Kieran wasn't bothered anymore. In the time he and Megan had owned their home, it had more than doubled in value, which meant that when she re-mortgaged it, he would be due a substantial pay-out. For the time being, and to save money, he had moved back in with his mother. She was now in her mid-forties and was happy to have him back under her roof. She knew exactly what was happening with him, hadn't she gone through her own divorce many years earlier?
Aged twenty-seven, Kieran never considered that a time may come when he may have to start dating again. It was years since he had last done it, and all of his friends nowadays were couples. Some of them were his old friends, and some of them were Megan's; those couples quickly disappearing once they separated.
His mother urged him to take his first steps. 'You go out and enjoy yourself. You've still got mates, and you can always make new ones. Find yourself a pretty young girl and make Megan jealous.
Dating wasn't as easy as he thought; he was out of practice, and it wasn't as though the places he frequented were full of women of his age. When he was young, venues were full of other youngsters, females in abundance. Now, all those females were married with kids and were not frequenting bars and clubs.
Until the house sale went through and he got some cash, Kieran was in limbo. It felt strange being back at home, sleeping in his old bedroom as though he had never left.
As several months passed, what he found he was missing the most was sex. Up until the last few months of their marriage, it wasn't as though he had gone short, and he could honestly say that he had never looked at another woman, let alone thought about having an affair with someone. At the moment he had to resort to his right hand when the pressure built, watching clips, and looking at pornographic pictures on his laptop with his bedroom door firmly locked.
Kieran had just got back from visiting Megan, wanting to know how the sale was progressing. As usual, she was making demands, and he had come close to losing his temper, only controlling himself so that she had no reason to return to court and demand more of a settlement.
The weather was miserable, the leaden sky full of moisture which it decided to release, his wiper blades only just managing to clear the screen as he drove towards home. He and his mom sat down to their evening meal and then afterwards they watched television. It was too wet to venture out, and anyway, he had work in the morning. He retired early for no other reason than he was bored with what they were watching; perhaps an early night would do him good.
With his door closed, he stripped off and got into bed. Before he married and was still a youngster at home, he had worn pyjamas. But after nearly seven years, Kieran was used to sleeping naked. He heard his mother come to bed, and then, far off in the distance, the first rumble of approaching thunder. 'Were they going to have a storm?' He wondered, sliding from his bed, and opening the curtains wide.
It did not appear to be materialising as he felt himself drifting into sleep. Suddenly there was a loud crack and his bedroom lit up white for a brief second. It brought him awake, the rain hammering at his window as the wind began to gust strongly. Another loud rumble, this time closer, and then his room lit up again. He had been about to get out of bed to watch it when his door opened.
'Are you awake Kieran?' His mother's voice trembled and sounded full of fear.
'Yes. It's ok, mom. I'm here. There's nothing to be afraid of...... We are safe indoors.'
There was another loud crash and the room lit up again, his mother nearly jumping out of her skin as she suddenly scuttled forward and dived beneath his covers. He could feel her trembling and would normally have wrapped her arms around her to offer warmth and protection. But feeling embarrassed, he tried to keep his distance. He was naked beneath the duvet, nothing covering her lower regions. With his mom in situ, it wasn't as though he could jump out of bed and climb into his boxer shorts.