The Weird Travels of Aimee Schmidt: Seeking Others

by J. A. Schreckenbach

  Dylan tilted his head towards the closed door. “I kinda thought we might make this our room, since it's almost twice the size as the other one.” With that, he reached back and opened the door. Aimee immediately noticed her bedroom set was already set up, and packed boxes lined the walls.

  Aimee grinned at Dylan, then she dropped his hand and stepped into the room and twirled around taking it in. “Oh, Dylan,” she started, but stopped. The waterfall was gushing now. After a few seconds, she managed to finish, “How did you get this here?”

  “Well, as soon as the deal was finalized, I talked to James and Sacha to let them know we were going to move in together, and the place would be ready by last Friday. Sacha packed your stuff, and James helped me move everything on Saturday. I called your dad a couple weeks ago and told him, and he and Hannah sent us a check for five hundred to stock the kitchen, and the bathroom, whatever we need. And Mom and Paul told me to pick out whatever else the five hundred doesn't cover, as long as we don't go wild and spend more than a couple thousand.”

  Suddenly, Aimee felt overwhelmed. She collapsed onto the edge of the bed shaking her head.

  Concerned, Dylan asked, “What's wrong?”

  She grabbed Dylan's hand. “Nothing's wrong,” she replied. “It's all perfect.” Dylan's lips perked up as she pulled him into her, wrapping her arms around his waist. Aimee looked up into his beautiful, brown eyes as he stroked her hair. “Damn, I've missed you soooo much,” she whispered.

  An hour later, Dylan yanked the covers up over them and snuggled Aimee into his warm body.

  “Sorry about the chill in here. I didn't turn the heat up when we got home. Here, let me go...”

  “No,” Aimee commanded. “Stay here. I'm fine. Your body is keeping me warm.” Dylan settled back down and turned towards Aimee, then they snuggled back into each other.

  “I've missed you, this, and everything so much,” he admitted. “I don't think I can stand you being gone again that long.”

  Aimee giggled. “Dylan, I was only gone a little over a week.”

  Dylan tenderly brushed away a strand of hair from Aimee's face and tucked it behind her ear. He looked deep into her eyes and replied, “Well, it might have been only a week, but it felt like a year.”

  “What are you gonna do when you get drafted and you’re gone on the road for months at a time?”

  Dylan paused, thinking over her question carefully. At last he said, “You'll go with me where ever I go.”

  Aimee chuckled. “For real? You think your coaches are gonna let you have your girlfriend with you on the road?”

  “Yep, if they want me bad enough,” he said cockily.

  “Well, I would love to go where ever you go, but I'll have to come up with a job that I can do anywhere.”

  Dylan pulled her into him a bit tighter, then said, “You won't have to work, Aimee.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I'm gonna take care of you,” he responded matter-of-factly.

  Aimee unexpectedly bristled a bit. Not that she minded his wanting to take care of her, but because she didn't think of herself as a stay-at-home girlfriend. She had always envisioned herself as maybe becoming a counselor, or perhaps running a nonprofit that helped troubled teens. But now wasn't the time to take a stand. She would cross that bridge when she needed to. For now, she just wanted to enjoy being in the arms of the man she loved, and to relish the little bit of time they had together. Suddenly she noticed Dylan had gotten quiet. He was staring off, his mind miles away. Aimee said, “A penny for your thoughts.”

  Dylan quickly came back to her. “Sorry, I guess my mind's on the game Thursday.”

  Aimee touched his cheek gently, then kissed his lips. “Don't worry. Y'all are gonna win.”

  A snicker escaped from Dylan. “Yeah, because you're gonna be there, right?”

  “Yep, I'm gonna be there with James and Sacha. He managed to snag three tickets as soon as they went on sale.”

  Again, Dylan laughed. “All right. Deal. You're our good luck charm. If you're there, we'll kick butt and take names.”

  For a long moment, they stared deep into each other's eyes. The tension from New Year’s Eve, and the issue with Joseph seemed to be long gone. Only love was evident, and only talk about their future together.

  Finally, Dylan mentioned, “I'm sorry. I was in such a hurry to get back to the house that I didn't even ask if you were hungry.”

  Aimee replied, “Yeah, I guess I could eat. I didn't have time for breakfast this morning. All I've had is some coffee.”

  “Well,” Dylan began, “why don't we go get something to eat, then we'll go shopping for the house.”

  Aimee instantly became ecstatic. Chels had dragged her all over New York City shopping for clothes, but shopping with Dylan for their own place thrilled her. “Cool. Give me a sec and I'll be ready.”

  Within a few minutes they were dressed and out the door. In the back of her mind, Aimee had already been planning on what they needed if they ever got their own place. This was more exciting than anything else Dylan could have surprised her with. The rest of the day they went from shop to shop, selecting pots and pans and dishes and towels, and even a living room and dining set. Aimee was used to pinching pennies, so they still had the check from Dad and Hannah left at the end of the day. “Hey, why don't we open a savings account and put half of this in it, and use the other half to buy some stuff for the deck out back,” she suggested.

  “That sounds like a plan,” he agreed. It was almost six o'clock when they made it back to the house. The furniture would be delivered the next week, but they had all new cookware and dishes. Aimee liked to cook so she asked Dylan to run up to the store and buy a few groceries for their empty refrigerator so she could make him their first meal in their house. While he was gone, she called Chels to let her know she had made it back safely, and to thank her for the incredible week in New York.

  Chels answered the phone on the first ring, “So, how do you like it?”

  “Are you serious?” Aimee replied. “You mean Dylan told you about the house?”

  “Yep,” she answered. “That was one of the reasons he stayed behind. He had to meet with Paul, Jill, and the owner a couple times to square the deal.”

  “He told me he had practices all week.”

  “He did. But the main reason was to get the house before the end of the year.”

  Aimee couldn't believe Dylan. He seemed to love to surprise her, and a house together was the best surprise he could have given her. If he had to miss the week with her in New York to do it, she guessed it was worth being apart. She made a mental note she needed to do something special, extra special, for him. “Well, he's quite the keeper of secrets.”

  “Aimee,” Chels began, “I've never seen someone love another person as much as he loves you.”

  Aimee knew Chelsea was right. Dylan was crazy in love with her, and she was the luckiest woman alive. But she loved him as much as he loved her, and she wasn't going to let anything come in between them to screw this up. “You're right, Chels. He does love me more than any woman has been loved.”

  “Well, don't ever let him go. Guys like that just don't exist,” Chels replied with a snicker.

  “I know,” Aimee agreed. “Hey, I better go. We just bought all new kitchen stuff and I need to wash a few things so I can make our first dinner in our new place.”

  “How romantic.”

  “I'll talk to you later.”

  “Later, BFF,” said Chels.

  For the next thirty minutes Aimee busily opened boxes and washed pots and pans, put them in the new drain, then opened the box of dishes and pulled out a few and washed them. Finally, she opened the silverware, then pulled the stickers off the utensils and stuck them in the soapy water. After a few minutes, she dried her hands on a new dish towel, then found some music on her phone to listen to while she continued cleaning. Before long, the headlights from the FJ lit up the dining area as Dylan pulled into the drivew
ay. Aimee flew to the door to let him in, then she grabbed her jacket and ran out to the SUV to help unload. In a few minutes, they had the kitchen counter full of bags to empty. Aimee started quickly putting stuff into the refrigerator. She informed Dylan she wanted to wipe out and put down some shelf paper in the cabinets before she put away the can goods, but the refrigerator looked clean. While she was bent over sticking veggies into the bin, Dylan snuck up behind her. Surprised, she came up quickly and spun around into his arms.

  “May I have this dance?” he asked.

  Aimee smiled, then nodded. They danced slowly to a love song. Everything felt perfect. The moment was perfect. This house was perfect. And they were perfect. They moved together as one body until the end of the song, then without hesitation, both looked into each other’s eyes. Dinner could wait.

  A half hour later, back in bed with the sound of the music drifting into the bedroom from the kitchen, they lay in each other’s arms just enjoying being together, alone by themselves, in their own place.

  “Happy?” Dylan asked finally breaking the silence.

  “Happy,”Aimee whispered.

  **********

  The next morning Dylan had to leave early to get to campus for the road trip with the team. Waking up together, in their own house, was as much fun as going to sleep together. Dylan kissed her good-bye and told her to not work too hard cleaning and unpacking. Aimee promised she wouldn't overdo, if he promised the Bears would win. He promised he would call her when they got to Seattle. Aimee, James, and Sacha were going up early Thursday morning so they could be there in time for the tailgate parties, and then the game.

  Most of the day, Aimee cleaned and put down shelf paper, then organized cabinets. She figured she could unpack all of her clothes and stuff on Friday. Because Dylan had to be out of the dorm by the end of December, he had already put up his clothes on his half of the small, walk-in closet. Aimee stood surveying what little space was left. Well, she thought, I'll put a few things in the closet and my dresser, then the extra can go into the spare bedroom. Dylan had already claimed the spare room as a man cave, but that was okay. His mom and stepdad were paying for the house, so Aimee felt he should have first dibs on what went where.

  She hadn't paid any attention to the time when her cell phone buzzed at 3:30 pm. Aimee snatched it off the countertop and noticed DT on the screen. In a second she had the phone to her ear. “Hey there. Did you just get to Seattle?” Aimee asked.

  “Nope. We've been here since noon, but we went to eat first, then to the stadium so they could get the gear unpacked while the team debriefed. We just got checked into the hotel a few minutes ago.”

  “Room nice?” Aimee asked.

  Dylan chuckled. “It's okay, I guess. Not as nice as our room in our own place.”

  “You've got that right,” she agreed.

  “Whatcha been doing?” he asked as the sound of the TV in the background got lower.

  “Well, I've made a small dent in getting things organized.”

  “Cool. Just don't do too much, okay? You just got back yesterday, and you'll be gone all day tomorrow, then school starts on Monday. The house doesn't have to be settled in one day,” he lectured.

  “I know,” she admitted, “it's just I've waited so long for this, that I just want everything to be up so we can feel like it's our home.”

  “It is our home, and we'll get it done together so don't worry any more about it tonight. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “So, what time are y'all leaving tomorrow?”

  “James wants to leave at seven so we're there by noon for the tailgate stuff, then the game at two. But I bet if I go over there right before seven, he and Sach will still be in bed.”

  Dylan laughed. “Yeah, I'm sure. They don't like getting up early.”

  “Well,” Aimee announced, “we're taking my car so if they don't get up on time, I'll just leave them. I don't wanna miss the kickoff.”

  “Aimee Schmidt, you are one mean sister,” teased Dylan.

  “Yeah, well, James has always been a night owl, and hates the mornings. I guess I'll just have to drag them out of bed and throw them into the car in their PJ's.”

  A loud guffaw came through the phone. Suddenly a knock came through, too. “Hey, hold on a sec,” Dylan said. He came back after a few seconds. “Hey, Jones and Lake are here,” he said. “Coach wants us down in one of the conference rooms to watch game reruns of the Tigers. I'll call you later. Okay?”

  “I'll be here. Talk to you later.”

  Aimee hung up and placed her phone back on the countertop. She stood looking at the open cabinets in the kitchen and her hard work. She stuck a cup of water into the new microwave, then unwrapped a bag of tea. As soon as the microwave chimed, she grabbed the cup, dunked her tea bag, and sat down on one of the two stools they bought for the kitchen bar. She continued to admire her organized cabinets while she drank her tea. After a couple minutes, she noticed James's car pull into the driveway. He and Sacha quickly got out and made it to the door. Aimee swung it open and greeted them, “Welcome to our new home.”

  Sacha hugged her as she stepped into the entry, then James followed. Both looked around and James finally said, “Well, I would make myself at home, only there's nothing to sit on.” Sacha jabbed him in the side, and James groaned.

  “Aimee, it is sooo cute,” said Sacha.

  “Thanks. I don't have any beer, but I can offer you a cup of tea,” said Aimee.

  James replied, “No, thanks. We were on our way to get something to eat, and wanted to swing by to see how things were going. This is nice, or it will be once you get all of your new furniture.”

  “Thanks, James,” Aimee said as she grabbed her cup of tea and took a sip. “I'm so happy we actually got this place. But,” she paused, bit her lip, then continued, “well, I want you to know how grateful I am for you putting up with me.”

  “Oh, Aimee,” Sach started, “we were really happy you stayed with us. I know it's gotta be hard living with family when you first go off to college. I remember before James and I started dating when I first came to UC, I was so glad to finally get away from home and be on my own.” She stopped and looked up at James, then took his hand. “But, it was even better once James and I finally made that big commitment and moved in together.”

  James scoffed. “Yeah, so you could keep an eye on me and not let me have any fun.”

  Sach jabbed him again. James groaned, then replied, “Hey, quit it.”

  “James, you are a butt,” Aimee accused.

  “I'm just kidding. I'm really glad, too, you stayed with us, but,” he stopped and grinned, “I'm really glad you and Dylan have your own place.”

  Sacha smiled, and Aimee felt her ears burning. “Thanks, James,” Aimee said, “I think.”

  James smirked, then said, “Well, we've gotta go. Do you want to come with us?”

  “Thanks, but no,” Aimee replied. “I think I'm gonna eat some leftovers from last night, then hit the sack early. I didn't get much sleep when I was in New York, and I've been working all day. I'll be by early tomorrow to get you, so you two better be ready by seven.”

  “Yes, ma'am,” James and Sacha said together. “See you in the morning,” Sacha said, then they left. Aimee shut the door, locked it, and watched them pull out of the driveway before she shut the blind. She finished her cup of tea, then rinsed it, and stuck it in the sink. She looked at the clock. It was only 4:30, but she was ready to go clean the bathroom, then take a long, hot bath. By six, Aimee was in bed, lazily reading a magazine. The internet and cable weren't getting installed until the following week, which was fine with her. She had already called Dad and Hannah to thank them for the money, and then Paul and Jill after Dylan left. She didn't have any more greeting or thanking left on her list so she decided to spend a couple hours reading and enjoying the quiet of the house. By 8:35, she had drifted into sleep. Her cell phone vibrated on the bedside table. She instantly awoke and grabbed it. Dylan was c
alling again.

  Sleepily, she answered, “Hi.”

  “I'm sorry,” he greeted, “it sounds like you were asleep.”

  “I was,” she said through a yawn as she pulled the covers up over her shoulders.

  He quickly said, “I'll let you get back to sleep.”

  “No, don't. I'm fine. I wanted you to call so I could say good night.”

  “Ahhh, that's sweet,” he replied. “I wish I was there with you.”

  “Me, too,” Aimee said. “One night, and I'm spoiled already.”

  Dylan chuckled. “Yeah, me, too. This is the part I hate about playing. I don't like being apart, even for a day or two.”

  Aimee swiftly agreed, “Me neither.”

  “You still plan on leaving at seven?” Dylan asked.

  “Yep, and I warned James and Sacha.”

  Again Dylan laughed. “Well, I'll be listening for you at the game. Holler loud.”

  “We plan on it.”

  “I'll let you go. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to call in the morning, but if I don't, be safe, okay?”

  Aimee replied, “Don't worry. We'll be fine.”

  “You better,” he said. Then with gravel in his voice he said softly, “I love you.”

  “Dylan, I love you more.” Aimee ended the call and put her phone back on the charger. She flipped off the light, then stretched out staring up at the green splotches from her alarm clock dotting the ceiling. It seemed Dylan was a little out of sorts. Nothing she could put her finger on, he just didn't seem to be himself. She decided he must be worked up about the game, and his emotions were a little stretched. She flipped over and eased back into sleep.

  At 5:55 am her alarm popped off. Aimee jumped, then swatted it off. She slowly got up and sat on the side of the bed for a long minute. She had to pee badly, so she raced to the bathroom stopping only long enough to turn up the heat a few degrees. After going, she tore to the kitchen, hit the button on the coffeemaker, then flew to get a shower. After she stepped out of the tub, she wrapped herself in her thick robe, dried her hair, then lightly painted her eyes. In ten minutes she was dressed, made herself a piece of toast, poured herself a travel mug of coffee, added some cream, then headed out the door to go pick up her brother and his fiancée. At 7:05 she pulled into the parking lot and whipped into the spot where she usually parked her Camry. She sped up the sidewalk to the door and knocked just loud enough to announce her arrival, but hopefully not too loud to wake neighbors. In three seconds James opened the door. He took a sip of the coffee in his travel mug, then shouted over his shoulder, “Sach, Aimee's here. Ready?”