by Naomi Niles
“I thought I’d make use of my last few weeks of free time before starting work,” I explained. “So, I thought of building an addition to the house.”
“Wow, that’s a big project for one man.”
“Well, I have Sam and John around to help,” I said. “They’re busy with their own jobs, but I know I can count on them in their free time.”
“Still, those boys have stressful jobs,” Andy pointed out. “Will they really be able to help out that much?”
“Doesn’t matter either way,” I said. “I like the idea of working on the house with my own two hands. I don’t mind doing it alone.”
“You take after your father, don’t you?” Andy smiled. “He was good with his hands, too.”
“He was a carpenter,” I nodded. “And, he loved it. He taught me everything I know. I think I benefitted the most from his expertise. The others weren’t nearly as interested as I was.”
Once we had unloaded the lumber, I followed Andy into his house. I had been to the house a few times when I was younger, but I didn’t remember it being so small. The front door opened out into one bare room. There was a door to the side of the square room that led to the bedroom and a door just in front of the main entrance that led to the kitchen.
“Is she bringing her own furniture?” I asked.
“I mentioned that the house was bare, but she didn’t seem to care,” he replied. “So I assume she has her own stuff.”
“Where would you like to start?” I asked.
“The bedroom has a small leak that I’ve been meaning to take care of,” he said, as he led the way. “Maybe we should get that out of the way first.”
It was nice working with Andy, and I realized that as much as I liked working on my own, sometimes it was nice to alleviate the silence with some conversation. I was starting to think that he felt the same way.
For as long as I’d known him, Andy had been a bachelor. I’d gotten used to seeing him tottering about the house alone. I had always assumed that he enjoyed the solitary life, but now I wasn’t so sure.
“I remember when I first moved into this house,” said he recalled fondly. “The house was a dump and needed a lot of work. Your father was the one who helped me out.”
“Really?”
“I was only twenty-four years old and didn’t have a clue what to do with the house,” Andy reminisced. “But your dad was kind enough to lend me a hand whenever he could. Sometimes he’d come home from work and walk around to the house to ask if I needed help with anything. Your mother was always around, but I never spoke to her very much. She had her hands full with you boys.”
“I must have been really young when you moved in.”
“You were only a year old,” he replied. “I remembered seeing you, bouncing away on your mother’s hip while that brother of yours tore around the back yard. He was a handful when he was younger, that one.”
I laughed. “Ironic now that’s he’s the quietest out of the bunch of us.”
“He takes after your mother,” Andy said unexpectedly.
I glanced up at him. “You think so?”
“She was quiet, too,” he nodded. “There was a faraway look about her, like she didn’t quite belong here. I’m not afraid to admit it now, but I always had a little crush on her. She was a beautiful woman, your mother.”
I smiled, but I didn’t reply. My mother was and always had been an enigma to me. Growing up, I’d always had the feeling that she wouldn’t be around for long. In my mind, I had assumed I was just afraid of her dying, but I realized later on that I had always been scared of her leaving.
“How are your brothers?” Andy asked, cutting through my thoughts.
“Everyone’s doing great,” I said, even though I was just making an assumption in Talen’s case. Talen had been around a lot during my recovery in the hospital. But the moment I’d moved back into the house, he had become reclusive and distant once more.
“I watched Alan at the Olympics,” Andy said. “That was an amazing victory to watch. For weeks, I told everyone I met that I had watched that kid grow up.”
I smiled. “It was pretty amazing.”
“There are rumors floating around that he’s dating some pretty gold medalist,” Andy said with interest.
“He is,” I confirmed. “Her name’s Jessica Winters.”
“Well, well,” he smiled. “Alan’s done well for himself. All you boys have, come to think of it. Your parents would be proud.”
“I know my dad is,” I said, purposely avoiding involving my mother in that sentiment. I knew she was out there somewhere, but I had no idea if she cared enough to even think about the five sons she had left behind.
Andy and I spent the next few hours in companionable silence, working over the little repairs in the house. We took a lunch break around mid-day and then continued on till dusk. With the sunlight fading, we stepped outside and shut the door behind us.
“That front door is-”
“An eye sore,” Andy agreed. “And, it’s rotting at the edges. Unfortunately, I don’t have the extra cash to replace it. She’ll just have to make do.”
Andy thanked me for my help, we said our goodbyes, and I walked back into my house to prepare for dinner. I had just finished the pumpkin soup when I heard the sound of John’s car outside on the drive. Moments later, he walked through the kitchen door.
“Hey, Pete,” he greeted. “Sorry I missed breakfast this morning.”
“No worries,” I nodded. “Nothing serious, was it?”
“No,” he replied. “Just a rushed appointment. You look beat.”
“I spent the whole day working on Andy’s house,” I said, as I set the bowl of soup down in the middle of the table next to the bread.
“Andy’s house?” John repeated. “I thought the addition was for this house.”
“It is,” I nodded with a laugh. “But I needed some help with the lumber in exchange for some manual labor on his place.”
“Does that mean he finally found a tenant?”
“Yup,” I nodded. “And, she needed a place in a hurry, hence the rush.”
“It’s a woman?”
“Apparently,” I nodded.
“Hmm…”
“Hmm?” I questioned.
“Nothing,” John said, with a laugh. “I was just thinking about what Sam would say if he were here.”
“I know exactly what he would say.”
“What if she’s hot?” John and I said together, at the exact same time and then laughed.
“She could be hot,” John nodded. “And if she’s not, then I might score myself a new client.”
I rolled my eyes at John and sat down at the table. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Sam.”
He laughed and nodded. “I think so, too.”
We settled down to a nice, quiet dinner and afterwards, we sat in front of the television to watch a game. By the time eleven o’clock rolled around, I said goodnight and retired to my bedroom in exhaustion. Before I drew the curtains to my window, I looked outside searchingly, but there was still no sign of the new neighbor.
Chapter Four
Madison
It was almost two o’clock in the morning when I drove into Fort Collins. The town was steeped in the silent restlessness of sleep. Polo slept next to me in the passenger seat, but the moment I came to a stop outside the gas station, he perked up and looked around curiously.
“Hi, buddy,” I said, leaning in and patting his head. “Sorry to wake you up, but we’re here. We’re in Fort Collins…at last.”
Apollo blinked his sleepy eyes at me. “I know,” I nodded. “It’s really late, but the drive took longer than I expected. I’m going to have to call the landlord now.”
After I replenished my nearly empty gas tank, I got some cold sandwiches from the twenty-four-hour deli store that adjoined the gas station and dialed the number for Mr. Wilkins and prayed that he was still awake.
“Hello?” The voic
e on the other end was groggy with sleep.
“Mr. Wilkins,” I said apologetically. “I’m Madison Wright. We spoke on the phone yesterday.”
“Ah, yes, yes…”
“I’m so sorry for calling so late, Mr. Wilkins, but I just got into town,” I said. “And, I’m sort of stranded in my car without the keys to the house.”
“Right,” he replied. “I’ll send you a location for the house and I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes.”
“Great. Thanks so much, Mr. Wilkins,” I said emphatically.
“Don’t mention it,” he replied good-naturedly. “And please, call me Andy.”
I hung up and started driving the moment I received the location. Ten minutes later, I drove down a long stretch of road that led to an old-fashioned house with a huge bunch of lumber sitting right outside. For a moment, I didn’t recognize it, and then I realized why: I was parked outside the wrong one. I drove up a little further and the house that I was renting was right next-door; it was much smaller and it had the air of neglect about it.
The front door itself looked like a safety hazard waiting to happen. It was obviously old – there was rust forming at the sides and it looked positively sinister in the darkness. “Well, what did you expect?” I asked, looking down around at Polo. “This is the only thing I can afford on my budget. Don’t worry, it’ll be better on the inside.”
I parked and let Apollo out of the passenger seat. Together, we walked up to the house. “This is it, Polo,” I whispered. “This is our new home. What do you think?”
Apollo butted his head against my legs, and I smiled down at him. “I think we’ll be happy here, too. It’s no mansion, but it’ll do just fine. No one knows us here, so at least we’ll be safe.”
A few seconds later, light hit the gravel path and I heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. A little blue Chevy pulled up right behind my SUV and a middle-aged man with graying hair and dark eyes got out.
“I’m so sorry for getting you out of bed at this time,” I said, as he approached me.
He smiled. “Oh, I don’t mind,” he said.
“You’re very kind,” I said. “I’d probably be annoyed if someone woke me up in the middle of the night.”
“Some things can’t be helped,” Andy said. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to arrive so late.”
“True,” I nodded.
“You have a dog,” he said, bending down to pet Apollo. “He’s a shy one, isn’t he?” Apollo was hiding out behind my legs, trying to avoid being touched, but Andy was persistent. He had didn’t quit until he’d managed to stroke the top of Apollo’s head. “What’s his name?”
“Apollo,” I replied. “But I like to call him Polo for short.”
“Nice name,” Andy said appreciatively as he opened the front door for me and gestured me through.
He turned on the lights and I blinked, adjusting to the burst of color. The house was small and bare. There was no furniture, but at least there was electricity and a little security.
It took me a only minute to cover the entire space. The main room served as the living room; there was a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and a small kitchen with running water. I had been right about one thing: it was a lot better on the inside than it was on the outside.
“You’ve cleaned in here recently,” I pointed out.
“Kind of you to notice,” Andy smiled. “I came over this… I mean yesterday morning and did a few repairs around the house in anticipation of your arrival.”
“You did it all by yourself?”
“Oh, I had some help,” I said. “I lived in this house for over twenty-five years and got to know the neighbors pretty well.”
“The house next door?”
He nodded. “One of the boys came over to help me. I’m sure you’ll meet him one of these days. He’s a good neighbor to have.”
“Good to know,” I smiled, as I circled the small living room again. Apollo trotted along behind me, as though he were scared to be alone in this new space. Andy kept trying to make friends with him, but Polo would have none of it. He just kept cringing away and running to take cover behind me.
“Don’t mind him,” I said. “He can be a little skittish at times.”
“I always wanted a dog,” Andy sighed.
“You never got one?”
“Well, I live alone and I work all day,” he said. “It never seemed like the best idea. Maybe one day I will.” He made another attempt to make friends with Polo, but again, no luck. “Do you need help with your things?”
“My things?” I repeated.
“Don’t you have furniture?”
“Oh,” I said. “Actually, I don’t.”
“You don’t?” he repeated. “But I mentioned that the house was bare.”
“You did mention that,” I nodded. “And it doesn’t matter. I plan on buying new furniture soon anyway.”
“But tonight…”
“I’ll make do,” I assured him. “I was always pretty good at roughing it.”
“If you’d only told me, I could have brought you a blanket, maybe even some pillows.”
“That’s so sweet of you, but really, I’m fine,” I told him. “I really am. Thank you, though.”
Andy looked around the living room as though he hated to leave me alone without any amenities. He had a completely ordinary, completely forgettable face, but his kindness shone through despite that and made him seem much more attractive than he really was.
I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about me,” I said. “I’m tougher than I look.”
He smiled. “Oh, I have no doubt,” he said, as he moved towards the door. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“Actually, I do have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“I’d like to start working as soon as I can, and I was wondering if you knew any vacancies that you think might be suitable?”
Andy cocked his head to the side and thought for a moment. “Anything particular you’re looking for?”
“Well, I’m uniquely qualified for hair dressing,” I said. “I worked part time in a hair salon for four years. But I’m happy to do anything – waitressing, desk work, cleaning…anything really.”
“Hmm… You know what, there’s actually a new hair salon that opened up in town recently,” Andy said. “I’m sure they’re still looking for people. You could try there.”
“I will, thanks,” I nodded. “Do you happen to know the name of the salon?”
Andy smiled. “Umm…I think it was a girl’s name,” he said. “The same name as that famous female singer with the powerhouse voice.”
“Umm, Celine?” I ventured.
“I don’t think so…”
“Mariah?” I guessed. “Adele?”
“The one that died.”
“Whitney!”
“That’s the one!” Andy said enthusiastically. “Whitney’s Beauty Salon, or something like that.”
“Great,” I nodded. “Thank you, Andy. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.” He smiled and bowed his head to me in an old-fashioned gesture.
I walked out with him and waved him off. The moment his vehicle had disappeared from sight, I went over to my SUV and pulled out the sleeping bag and the small, second-hand suitcase I had stuffed with all my things. I dragged them both inside with Polo following at my heels.
I walked into the bedroom and unrolled the sleeping bag out into a cozy corner that faced away from the window. Then, I dipped into my suitcase and pulled out the blanket that I’d had the foresight to pack and turned to my makeshift bed. I stopped short as I saw Polo spread out on it, with his hind legs thrown into the air.
I shook my head at him. “You little rascal,” I laughed. “That’s my bed, too.”
I gently pushed him aside so that I could spread the blanket out on top of the sleeping bag. I changed into my pajamas and got into the sleep
ing bag as Polo cozied up to my side.
I connected to the Internet with the adapter I’d bought that morning and typed in Whitney’s Beauty Salon. I searched for one that was based in Fort Collins and then clicked on the link.
“Yes!” I said triumphantly. “They are hiring. Did you hear that, Polo? This job could be perfect for me.”
He looked up at me as though he were excited, too. “I actually did it,” I sighed. “I can’t believe I actually left him. I didn’t think I had it in me.”
Polo butted his nose against my leg and I felt a sense of relief fill me up. It was so overwhelming that I forgot for a moment to be scared and uncertain. Yes, I was on my own here and yes; I had probably left behind a shit storm that would at some point catch up to me.
But for now, I didn’t let myself think about that. I wanted to enjoy this feeling. I wanted to savor it – especially considering I didn’t know how long it would last.
I leaned in and kissed Polo on the top of his chocolate-brown head. “I’m going to do this, Polo. I’m going to get that job tomorrow. I’m going to save up and make this house a home. And when things settle down, I’m going to finish up those classes and graduate. I’m going to do better for myself than my parents did. I’m going to do better for myself than my brother. And you know why?”
Polo looked at me questioningly.
“Because I’m going to start making good choices,” I said confidently. “I’m going to get my act together and stop being so afraid. I’m going to pull myself out of this hole, and I’m going to make something of myself. Just you watch!”
My little speech was cut short at the sound of my cell phone going off next to me. I reached for it and stared at the name on the screen. It was Kameron.
I froze in place, staring at the name and all the feelings it conjured up for me. All I could do was stare. When the ringing finally stopped, I realized I’d been holding my breath the whole time.
Five seconds passed and then the ringing started again. I looked at Polo and he looked back at me with confusion and concern. I bit my lip and cut the line. My heart was beating fast and breathing didn’t seem to help. A moment later, there was a little beep that alerted me to the fact that I’d just received a text message.
