Decisions

River said to her husband the next morning, "Hon, You remember that we moved here because my Mom said that she wanted to live out the rest of her years here?"
Haruo who was placidly eating pumpkin pie...was wondering where that line of questioning was going, but with a mouthful of pie, could only say, "Mmmhmm?"
River asked, "So...have you thought about whether we plan to spend our twilight years? Do we stay on here or do we move back to Sunset Valley, or do we go somewhere completely different?"
Haruo kept concentrating on his pumpkin pie for a long moment.

Haruo gave her a rather muffled "hmmmm..." while ingesting bits of masticated pumpkin pie filling, that told River that he was thinking about what she was saying, only that he couldn't really respond because he didn't want to choke.
"I don't know if I want to move right away...it just wouldn't feel right once Mom's gone...that we up and move..." she opined as she partook of her own plate of pumpkin pie.
Once Haruo could get his mouth clear, he said, "Yeah...well, I'm hoping that that decision is a long way off..." He wasn't sure if he was ready to let his dad go and he'd do his best to make sure that dear old Dad was in the best of health...as he aged...into his later elder years, but lately, he noticed that Dad was looking rather tired, weather-beaten, even though he still showed that he enjoyed life, a lot, especially since finding his soul-mate, Susan, late in life.

Haruo considered himself very lucky that he had found River so early in life...as they had been soul-mates who had stuck by each other through the years.
River looked over at her husband, who by now after so many years of marriage, she knew, was thinking...and cataloging his experiences...weighing his answer before answering her question.
"I think...that...I could live out the rest of my life here...if that's what you were thinking.", he said...quietly...as he looked up from his plate to contemplate her, and then back down to put his fork in to the next bite of pumpkin pie that he was eating.

"I don't think I want to move from here either..." River said..."We've built so much of a life here, including investments and other things...our children are at home here...and it would be a shame to uproot everybody all over again. If they want to move...well, let it be their decision as to where to go...I'm just as happy living here and spending my last years here in Riverview, just as Mom wants to..."

"I'm fine with whatever you want, sweetheart." Haruo replied, as he ate some more pumpkin pie. "You know that old saying home is where the heart is... and he looked meaningfully at River who nodded and smiled at him, knowing that no matter what, he would always be by her side. It didn't have to be said that Haruo considered River to be his heart and the one that he would always love.

...and a tacit decision was made that day that Haruo and River would live out the rest of their lives where their Dads and Moms would, right here in Riverview. Riverview was their home, the place where they came to lay their heads; home base for the Chikamori family.

...and River was satisfied.

...and Haruo went out to sell some more paintings because the §40,000+ bills weren't going to pay themselves.

River sold another commissioned painting and it seemed as though they were doing well to keep the simoleons rolling in.

Claire Ursine and Judy Bunch were visiting from Sunset Valley. Poor Judy was looking worse for wear...and it seemed like Claire was ageless...she was older than River, but she wasn't looking much older than what Claire looked like before River and her family had left for Riverview.

...and a slight question arose in River's mind about how Claire was managing to keep so ageless? After all, River looked in the mirror and could start to see the slightest hints of age-lines starting to mark her face. But she couldn't wonder for long...as she had yet another customer to make a painting sale to.

Have to keep the roof over their head.