Next Door Neighbors

by Hoelsema, Frances

  “Thank you for stopping by today. Feel free to come any time,” Elena smiled.

  “No problem. You may not be my next door neighbor anymore, but you’re still my friend.”

  Elena hugged Jill, and just as she walked out the door she said, “Can you say hi to my son for me? I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

  “Okay. I will,” Jill stated.

  Elena watched Jill go down the hall and out the front door, her heart burdened. Seeing as Jill didn’t confide in her, she hoped that she would be able to figure things out on her own. Until then, she would continue to be the friend Jill always knew her to be.

  When Jill reached her car, she buried her head unto the steering wheel. Lifting it back up, she groaned. She knew she said she’d say hi to Brian for Elena, but for the first time that she could remember, she might not be able to keep her word.

  14

  When Jill got home from work, she crashed on her couch right away. It had been an extremely long couple of days, and for whatever reason, Jill hadn’t been sleeping well. Taking a nap was something she had looked forward to since her alarm had gone off that morning. Now back home with the blinds closed and a comfortable blanket wrapped around her, she sank into the cushions of her couch to catch some shut eye.

  Sleep came fast, and a dream of vacationing someplace warm quickly flooded Jill’s subconscious mind. In her dream she was lying on a beach wearing a red bikini with gold stars imprinted on the fabric. She had on a dark yellow giant beach hat and black sunglasses to shade her from the sun’s powerful rays. Seagulls were heard and seen above and around Jill, some gliding effortlessly on the slight breeze that the air offered. The water before her was as smooth as glass except for the occasional rolling wave near the shoreline.

  Jill was happy. She was relaxed. She was comfortable.

  She was everything she wasn’t in her current waking life.

  In her deep sleep she noticed a towel next to her where someone else was sitting or was supposed to be sitting. Maybe it was her friend Amanda who had many times gone to the beach with Jill. It could have been her mom or Elena, the two women Jill felt closest with. She didn’t know for certain though. The other person never became clear.

  But a voice finally spoke up.

  The deep, husky voice said, “Thanks for bringing me here, Jill. I – we needed this.”

  Jill suddenly awoke.

  Was that Brian?

  Shaking off any remnants of what she remembered from her dream, the sound of a running snow blower became closer and closer. Jill was curious. She got up and walked towards the direction of the sound, keeping her blanket closely wrapped around her for warmth. Opening the front kitchen window blind slightly, she was surprised at what she saw. There Brian was cleaning out her driveway with his own snow blower.

  Brian’s back?

  She watched him clear out the driveway, which was badly needed. More and more snow kept getting piled up, and she just didn’t have the time lately to do much; only doing the bare minimum to make it to work.

  Brian had on a bulky winter jacket, some gloves and a hat. The snow was falling quite quickly, and from the looks of it, it was frigid.

  Jill half smiled. Not only because of Brian’s kind gesture, but also because of how he looked. His cheeks were red, and snow was sticking to his coat and face. Yet there he was doing her a huge favor.

  She didn’t expect him to be back so soon. He only left five days ago so Jill figured he must have gotten home and turned right back around. Some of the edge was taken off with him gone because she didn’t have to worry about running into him, but now that he was back she could feel her pulse speed up over excitement.

  Forget it, Jill, she told herself. Remember to just stay away.

  In an effort to distract herself from Brian, she glanced at the nearest clock.

  Two hours?! I slept for almost two hours?!

  Jill had no idea that she was now running late because of her much needed afternoon nap. She and Amanda were supposed to go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant since Amanda’s husband was out of town, something that had been happening a lot more lately.

  Having to get ready and make it to town yet, Jill knew for a fact she wouldn’t make it on time. Dialing Amanda’s number ended in having to leave a voicemail. Explaining the situation and hanging up, Jill quickly went about her business in getting ready.

  Now all she needed was for Brian to get done with her driveway so she could leave without confronting him.

  ---------------

  Jill had arrived at Michelangelo’s Fine Italian Dining only fifteen minutes after the agreed upon time.

  Not bad, Jill thought.

  She definitely thought it was going to be later than that, but the roads were much cleaner and the traffic was much lighter than anticipated.

  Amanda was spotted right away as she entered the old Italian country house style building. They greeted each other with a friendly hug and smile, and then took a seat as they needed to wait for an open table.

  Jill had been there once, maybe twice, before. The setting was very true to life, and the dim lighting and music softly playing overhead complemented the Italian theme well in Jill’s opinion. Although she was not quite familiar with the menu, Jill wasn’t worried about finding something she may like to eat. Anything Italian was her favorite.

  Both girls chit chatted about nothing serious; mainly catch-up talk on work and the nasty weather they were having.

  “Amanda, table for two,” a tall, slender man called out.

  The two friends got up and followed the man to their booth. It was a corner booth that provided a bit of privacy; the perfect setting for a romantic night out.

  Not so much for just two friends getting together to hang out, Jill thought.

  They were handed menus, water and a spiel on specials. The waiter then left both of the girls to themselves to figure out what they wanted to order.

  “Should we get an appetizer?” Amanda asked.

  Looking things over, Jill didn’t see any appetizers that she felt she had to have. Instead, she was eyeing the five cheese stuffed lasagna rolls that was served with Michelangelo’s famous house salad and garlic toast. “I think I’m going to skip appetizers tonight.”

  Amanda didn’t respond, too busy looking through the various dishes offered.

  A few moments later the waiter came back ready to jot down their wishes. With a smile, he listened and doodled what each girl ordered.

  When it was Amanda’s turn to share what sounded good to her, she acted a little flirtatious. At first she asked the man what he thought was the better choice between chicken fettuccini alfredo and spaghetti.

  Jill noticed that, as he responded to Amanda, he looked directly into her eyes with a hint of desire and a smile that showed his perfectly aligned teeth.

  “Well, it depends. Which do you like better? Chicken or beef?” The waiter had a slight Italian accent that even tickled Jill’s ears.

  Amanda sat there gazing into the waiter’s eyes, batting her eyelashes and twirling her hair with her index finger, smiling in return. She finally decided on the chicken fettuccini alfredo, and the waiter took both menus and walked off to put their order in.

  The small scene almost made Jill sick. It came as no surprise that Amanda acted the way she did because she had seen it so many times before. But sometimes it was a little too much. Especially her being a married woman.

  “Why do you act that way sometimes?” Jill questioned.

  “What way?”

  Jill grabbed a sip of her water and said, “Like a flirt.”

  Amanda giggled, “That was not flirting.”

  There was no rebuttal. Jill didn’t see the point, and Amanda barely allowed time for one. Knowing they would have a good chunk of time where they wouldn’t get interrupted, Amanda immediately asked, “So are you still avoiding Brian?”

  Where did that come from?

  “Um, I wouldn’t say I’m avoiding him,” Jill sa
id, perplexed.

  “I believe that’s the word you used the other day, hun.”

  “Did I? Hmm.”

  “So what’s going on then?”

  “I don’t know. Nothing really. I haven’t seen him.”

  “Because you’re avoiding him.”

  Amanda’s face had a snooty look to it that Jill did not appreciate. She didn’t know the whole story or walked in Jill’s shoes. She had no right to judge. “Amanda, you make it sound like I’m the devil.”

  “I’m not trying to. It’s just that I don’t get why you would want to avoid someone as good looking and hard working as Brian.”

  “You know what I’ve been through. I can’t allow myself to be put in a position like that again.”

  “I think you should give him a chance though. Not all guys are bad.”

  Jill seriously believed that statement. She knew that not all guys were bad. It was just that she felt all guys were bad for her.

  Both of them went for their drinks and took a few sips.

  Turning the tables back to Amanda, Jill asked, “So where is Derek this time? He’s been going out a lot lately.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not sure. I think he’s cheating on me.”

  “What?” Jill shrieked.

  Amanda looked around to make sure no eyes were on them. “Shh!” Amanda warned with eyes bulging from their sockets.

  “Why do you think so?” Jill questioned, a little more quietly.

  “I don’t know. There’s just clues here and there.”

  Amanda shrugged her shoulders, and it became apparent to Jill that Amanda didn’t seem to care that her husband might be fooling around. “Doesn’t it bother you?”

  “It sucks, but if that’s what he wants then I’ll move on.”

  It’s never that easy to just move on, Jill thought sullenly.

  “But see, this is why I don’t want to get involved with another man. They can be scum.”

  The male waiter arrived as Jill’s words rolled off her lips. Coughing to get their attention, he then placed their platters before them.

  “Thank you,” both girls said in unison.

  A few bites later, Amanda mentioned, “I just don’t get you sometimes.”

  Jill tried responding with her mouth full, “What do you mean?”

  “What I mean is that here my husband is probably cheating on me and I’m ready to let him go and move on to the next guy. Yet your husband did this to you like three years ago now and you won’t give any other guy a chance.”

  Amanda’s words stung a little. Of all people, she felt that her best friend should understand and support her feelings. “There’s more to it than just cheating though,” Jill admitted in her own defense. “Brian doesn’t even live around here so how would it even work?”

  “Even so, if I had someone like Brian, someone who was as attractive and skilled as that man is, pursuing me, there’s no way I’d let him go. I’d work something out.”

  Jill continued eating her stuffed rolls and let her friend’s words sink in.

  “Face it, Jill. I may not know him too well, but from everything you’ve shared about Brian, that man is a good catch. He doesn’t deserve to be put in the same league as Mark, your dad or even Derek.”

  She hated to admit it, but Jill was beginning to believe that there might be a slight possibility her friend may be right on this one.

  ---------------

  Elena opened the door, and to her surprise, her son stood before her.

  “Hey, mom,” Brian greeted her, as he moved in to give her a giant bear hug.

  “Brian, it’s good to see you! Come on in and take a seat.”

  Elena’s son took off his jacket as she closed the door behind her. Both of them took a seat in the living room.

  “Boy, it’s cold out there,” Brian said with a shiver to emphasize his words.

  “It’s times like these I’m glad I don’t have to go anywhere.”

  “Yeah,” Brian half laughed.

  The two of them looked out the glass sliding door where snow was already accumulated up to knee level.

  “So did you just get back? It’s been almost a week since I’ve seen you.”

  “I just got back a few hours ago actually. I made seeing you one of my first priorities,” Brian smiled, sounding proud of himself.

  “Well, aren’t you just the perfect child,” Elena teased.

  They laughed together until Brian took on a more serious note. Leaning forward in his seat with elbows on his knees and hands folded, he asked his mom if he could talk to her about something serious.

  “Why, of course!” Elena was always willing to listen to whoever wanted to talk, especially when it came to her son. She was curious, though, as to what this serious topic could be about.

  “Okay. Well, you know that ever since I’ve started coming up here to take care of you that I’ve been missing this place more than I already did.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Every time I go home I count down the hours before I can come back here.”

  Elena smiled joyfully that her only son loved being around his childhood home, and in essence, near her. However, she wasn’t quite sure she liked where this conversation was headed.

  “Anyway, the thing is…and I don’t know how I would make it work yet, but I’m thinking about moving back up here.” Brian waited patiently for his mother’s response.

  Elena didn’t know what to say though. Did she want her son to be close by and see her often? Of course! Did she want him to move away from everything he owned and had? No. With a heavy sigh, Elena answered, “Brian, as much as I’d love for you to come back and see you often, I just don’t want you to do it.”

  “Why not?” Brian questioned, a slight whine in his tone of voice.

  “Listen, you’ve built your life down there. You have a business to run and a place of your own. Now that I’m in a place that can help me when needed, I don’t necessarily need you to be around anymore.”

  “Ouch. That’s a bit harsh.”

  “I don’t mean to sound like I don’t want you here. I’m just saying I don’t need you here. We’ve lived how many years apart now? I’ll be fine. I don’t want you moving here for me.”

  Brian let those words sink in a little, not sure if he should listen to them or not.

  “Now, if there’s another reason for you to move back then that’s a different story,” his mom added. “Is there another reason?”

  Brian saw the mischievous look on his mom’s face and knew exactly what his mom was referring to. She was basically asking him if Jill was that reason.

  “Uh, I don’t think so, mom,” he said in despair.

  Elena sensed Brian’s heartache, and in turn, she ached too. She ached for her son to get what he so deeply desired. “Want to talk about it?” she asked, noticing the gloom on her son’s face.

  “I’m not sure there’s much to say. I mean, I know Jill likes me. I can tell she wants to be with me. But she just won’t give me a chance. We had an amazing moment two weeks ago, but now she’s completely avoiding me. I just don’t know what to do.”

  Elena caught a glimpse of defeat, brokenness and deep sorrow in her son’s eyes. How she longed to make everything right.

  “I’m sorry, Brian. The only advice I can give you is this: a woman’s heart is a fragile thing, and unfortunately Jill’s has been shattered to the point of almost not being able to be fixed. If you love her, and I mean really love her, keep showing her. She’ll eventually come around if she’s the one you’re supposed to be with.”

  Brian nodded in understanding.

  “And between you and me, I think the two of you would be wonderful for one another. Just give it time, and never stop pursuing her.” Elena patted her son’s knee and then stood up to get a drink.

  Leaning back in his chair, he exhaled and mused over his mother’s advice.

  Just then someone knocked on the door.

  ---------------

 
After Jill and Amanda had finished their meal, they opted out of dessert. Talking about each other’s love lives, or lack thereof, proved too much for the two of them, and both could sense they should just end the night.

  Amanda paid for the whole thing, stating it was really her husband’s money, and therefore, it was a small way of getting back at him for his recent behavior. Even though Jill didn’t one hundred percent agree, she went with it, not in the mood to argue.

  Both friends parted ways outside of the restaurant; Jill parked near the side of the building while Amanda was right up front.

  As soon as Jill got into her car she checked what time it was. She was hoping to go visit Elena if it wasn’t too late seeing as she was just a few miles down the road.

  Just after eight? I think I can make a quick trip.

  Jill maneuvered the car out of the parking lot and down the road. The few minutes it took to get to Elena’s, Jill had thought about what Amanda had said about Brian. She thought about talking to Elena about everything seeing as she trusted her opinion. But she didn’t know if she should tonight being such a big conversation at such a late time.

  Peppercorn Community Assisted Living was spotted up ahead, signaling to Jill it was time to start slowing down. Making her way into the parking lot, Jill found a spot to park and turned off the vehicle. She briskly made her way to the building, wishing the weather would start getting warmer. Once inside, she was greeted by a friendly, young woman as she found the hallway she needed and made her way down to Elena’s room.

  1025 was on the right. Jill grew slightly anxious because she knew at some point Brian’s name might get brought up and tonight was just not the night to discuss him. But pushing past her mixed emotions, she lifted her hand and tapped the door three times.

  “Come in!” Jill heard Elena’s voice call out from inside.

  When she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw Brian on the left sitting in one of Elena’s recliners. Standing frozen, she made eye contact with him for a brief moment before shifting her glance over to Elena. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company,” she apologized. “I’ll come back some other time.”