A Hero's Reward

by Morrel, Amy

  Margaret looked at Greg and he saw her eyes soften with emotion as she was speaking. Then she truly looked at him, possibly for the first time. She took in his weathered face, the barrel chest, fit lower torso, and the legs which gave him his height. Then she looked back up to his face. She took in his expression which showed both that he cared for her and that he was worried that he might have offended her with his last statement.

  “Thank you Greg. I seem to be saying that an awful lot. I do mean it each time but I think that this time I'm thanking you for a lot more than just pointing out these self-made chains that you're helping me break. I think I'm breaking through a lot more than just those that controlled my clothing choices.”

  A half-smile crept onto her face. It wasn't an expression of joy or contentment but more an expression of wonder as she began to see possibilities opening up in front of her.

  “So, what do you think I should get then?”

  “Whatever you want, but if you want my opinion, didn't you say you hadn't owned pants since you were much younger. Did you like wearing pants and were they comfortable for you? If so, you might want to look at some of those. You can get either blouses or t-shirts, most likely colored, to go with them if you choose that option. White t-shirts nowadays tend to be rather see through. I'll also note that if you get some of the more well-made jeans, you can normally wear them for several days before they need washing. That might be a good option, all things considered.”

  “Okay then, how about I get one pair of those better made jeans you mentioned. I can use those to test whether or not I still like pants. I'll get a few different t-shirts to go with them so I can wear them multiple days if I need to. Then I'll get a skirt and blouse combination and one dress. Plus the necessary underthings for say... a week?”

  “Sounds about right but I'd suggest a pair of slacks also. Something a little less rough than jeans. That way you can try both basic types of pants instead of just jeans.”

  “Alright, I will.” she gestured towards the wall of jeans available, “Which brands are the most durable?”

  “I don't know their brands really well but they do carry Levi's. Those are pretty good. Sorry, I could give you a better recommendation for a pair of man's jeans but I don't know woman's clothing really well. Go with the non-stonewashed though. I'd swear stonewashed jeans wear out faster, just from my own experience.”

  “Oh, there are about fifteen different types, any idea there?”

  “Try some of the relaxed fit definitely. Aside from that, I couldn't tell you. You could see if there is someone manning the counter over near the dressing rooms, they might be able to give better advice than I can on this. If you have a problem talking to them, don't think of it as personal, think of it as some sort of business instead. I bet you can talk to employees in a grocery store if you need something, yes?”

  “Yes, I can. That's a good thought, I'll try it.”

  They walked over towards the dressing rooms and there was a lady behind the counter there, rehanging some clothing.

  Margaret walked over to the lady behind the counter and asked her a question. The employee looked up at her and gave her an answer. They continued to exchange a few sentences and the employee came out from behind the counter. She led Margaret over to the wall of Levi's and began to look back and forth between Margaret and the various styles of jeans.

  Greg moved over closer, he was trying hard not to hover but it was difficult. It seemed to him that Margaret was growing closer to him, or at least fonder of him. He wanted to give her space but at the same time he wanted to be in contact with her constantly. This had him trying desperately to keep his distance and failing as often as he succeeded. As he moved closer to them, he could hear the employee speaking to Margaret:

  “Well honey, you seem to have the figure for some of their more flattering types but you say you don't want them too tight?”

  “Please, they don't have to be really loose or anything but I don't want them to fit like a second skin.”

  “I can think of about three styles you might like then. Your man there was right, relaxed fit is one of them but they don't call them that here. These are the ones that are closest to the relaxed fit style.”

  “Oh, Greg isn't my man, really. Although I think we're moving in that direction.”

  “Well honey, with the way he looks if he's even a half decent person, you better snap him up quick. The good ones never stay on the market for long.”

  Margaret looked thoughtful for a moment:

  “He's just getting over a nasty divorce. From what he said she always wanted him to be something he wasn't. I don't want to push him too much, I think he's interested though.”

  “Honey, he came clothes shopping with you. He's interested.”

  “Maybe he really is. Anyhow, can I take all three of these back to try on?”

  “Sure thing, hon. Let me just get you a tag and you can model them for your man there. He looks like he can't get enough of looking at you, so you go give him something to look at.”

  Margaret blushed and headed back to the dressing room carrying three pairs of jeans.

  She came out quickly to show the first pair to Greg.

  “Those look good on you, are they comfortable?”

  “Yes, they are. These are what they have for a relaxed fit style. Let me try the others though.”

  The next pair was a low-rise and he could tell that she was uncomfortable in them.

  “They look good also but you don't look very comfortable.”

  “No, I feel like they're going to fall off of me any second. Let me try the last pair.”

  The last pair was a mid-rise and while she looked more comfortable with them than the last pair she still looked as though the first pair were her preference.

  “I'm beginning to think you'd look good in anything since these look good also, but I think you were most comfortable with the first pair, so if you want my opinion I'd go with those.”

  “Thanks, that would be my choice also since I was the most comfortable in them.”

  She dropped back into the dressing room and came out in her dress again. She returned the other two pairs and put the comfortable ones in the cart.

  “Let me go look at the slacks. And the skirt I want was one I saw on the clearance rack, but passed by at first because it was colorful.”

  “Whatever you like Margaret. I'm more than happy to tag along and give you opinions if you want them.”

  Margaret moved through the woman's department quickly. She'd scan through a section and if nothing caught her eye then she'd move on. She ended up with a black pair of slacks to try on, a dark purple skirt from the clearance rack, and a dark green dress. She moved through the available blouses more quickly still, picking up a simple white one with a thick enough fabric to be opaque and a second one in dark purple that could easily have been made to match the skirt she had already picked out.

  “Let me try these on and then I'll check out some t-shirts, then get necessaries.”

  Greg gestured back towards the dressing rooms.

  She had a good eye for clothes and sizing. The first outfit she came out in was the black slacks and white blouse. She looked almost professional and the clothes fit well. When she went back in and came out once more in the purple skirt and blouse Greg nearly had to pick up his jaw off of the floor. It was just about the perfect color for her and the skirt was higher than he thought she would pick, coming down to knee level only. He found himself noticing that she had very shapely calves and that the purple blouse wasn't nearly as thick as the white one she had chosen. Finally she came out in the green dress, she still looked good to him, despite the dress coming down to mid-calf and having full sleeves. In each case he nodded his approval when she looked at him.

  “Good then, we'll grab the other things I need and then get some groceries and head home?”

  “We can stop at your bank after we put the groceries away if you like but I'm starting to feel a little str
ain in my back so that will probably end our outside adventures for the day.”

  “Did you bring your painkillers with you?”

  “Yes, well I brought two of them anyhow. I'll grab a bottle of water on the way out and take them then. I just don't want to strain my back more so I'm trying to be cautious.”

  They headed off and found her two packs of t-shirts. Each had a multicolor assortment and she ended up with four different colors between the two packs.

  “Umm, maybe you could go get that bottle of water now? Sorry but I think I'd be a bit embarrassed asking your opinion on my other necessaries.”

  “Well, we should get you another pair of shoes or two. Plus we still need to pick up a couple of outfits for Jack. Why don't we do that first?”

  Margaret picked out two pairs of sneakers, one for her and one for Jack. She claimed that the loafers she was wearing would be adequate for any of the clothes she had just gotten. She also grabbed a few pairs of socks. After that she claimed that she was set for herself except for the things she'd prefer to get by herself. They headed to the boy's section next. In the boy's section it was quick and easy, she knew just what Jack would like, or so she said, and made her decisions based on that. Maybe ten minutes after they got to the boys section she was done with selections for Jack.

  “Okay, now you can get your water and take your pills. I'll go pick out the rest of what I need.”

  “Okay, meet me up near register one when you get them picked out. That register is right near the grocery area and we can run through the grocery list once we're both up there.”

  “I can do that.”

  Greg headed up towards the front of the store and purchased himself a bottle of water. He took his pills and downed the water. Then he settled in to wait. He ended up waiting for a little while longer than he thought she would take.

  * * *

  Chapter 8 – Margaret Unchained

  Margaret met Greg at checkout aisle number one. He tried to figure out what it was that was different about her. Finally he determined what he thought it was, she still wasn't smiling but she looked like she might actually be happy, or close to it at least. A glance in the cart showed him that she was still shy about her underclothes. They were not on top of the pile of clothing so she must have tucked them underneath the other clothes.

  Greg found that grocery shopping with Margaret was fast and easy. If it wasn't on the list, she didn't even look at it. The couple of times he was distracted by an item or a sale, she quickly got him back on track. As she put it:

  “If you had needed it, you'd know that you did. Since you didn't already know that you needed it, you're just being distracted by advertising. They want you to throw more money at them but you don't have to if you plan out your list in advance. The only things I normally look at that aren't on my list are meat and produce discounts marked down because their expiration date is close, and their clearance rack if they have one.”

  Greg looked appropriately scolded and then kept his attention on Margaret herself through the rest of the grocery aisles.

  “Greg, do you prefer beef, chicken, or pork?”

  “I like all of them. Probably I like beef the most but I don't feel an overwhelming urge to have it over the others most of the time.”

  “Good, that will make cooking for you easier. I eat all of them as well. Do you have a vegetable preference?”

  “Well, not really. Most of the time I don't notice the vegetables too much, I just shovel them in, chew, and swallow. Although the carrots you made last night were delicious.”

  “I'll have to find some vegetable dishes to make that suit your fancy. Maybe you'll actually taste them then. I have a few other vegetable recipes that you might enjoy. Well, let's run up the produce aisle and we'll be all set.”

  As they were checking out, Margaret asked Greg to go and grab her a spiral notebook and some mechanical pencils if he was willing. Greg turned to go get them and as he was walking away, a glance back showed her pulling something out from the bottom of the cart and putting it right onto the belt. His curiosity was piqued, it looked as though she were trying to keep him from seeing something.

  It's probably just her underclothes he thought, I wonder if she forced herself to forget that I've even removed her underclothes from her once. Admittedly I wasn't paying that much attention to looking at them at the time, but still...

  When Greg returned with the notebook and pencils, the cashier still had about five items to ring through. He would have winced at the burgeoning total but he'd been prepared for it to be much worse than it was looking.

  The cashier finished ringing up the order and Greg swiped his debit card. It was a bit pricey but still under five hundred dollars between clothes and groceries so he was okay with it. Heck, he'd even gotten to see Margaret happy, or so he thought, even if she still hadn't been smiling.

  They loaded the car and headed home. When they got there, Margaret intentionally gave Greg the lighter bags to carry into the house. When they got everything in they put away the groceries. Margaret prepared a quick lunch for them and after they had eaten Greg asked:

  “Shall we go to the bank now and request a replacement debit card?”

  “Is your back doing alright?”

  “Yes, I got those last pills down in time. It was starting to feel a touch uncomfortable but no major twinges or anything and now the pills have kicked in and it feels fine again.”

  “Okay, but then we need to come back and let you rest. Maybe you can take a nap on the couch when we get home. So far your scheduled bed rest has been anything but. Give me ten minutes first though, I want to put on some different clothes.”

  They headed out again as soon as Margaret had changed into jeans and a t-shirt. The bank was only five minutes away so it was a much shorter trip this time. The individual they spoke to was very helpful when the the situation was explained. Margaret was issued a temporary replacement card and told that the permanent replacement would arrive in seven to ten days.

  They headed back home and since Greg wasn't tired yet he decided to take care of a few more problems for her. After finding out which credit cards had been destroyed, he searched online for contact numbers for those companies. He handed Margaret his phone and a list of the numbers.

  “Sorry, I'd call them for you but they'll want to speak to you. You just need to tell them your card was destroyed and ask for a replacement. They'll verify your identity with some questions and then issue a new card.”

  “Okay, I can do that.”

  Greg lay back on the couch and relaxed. He listened to Margaret's side of the conversation and discovered that the sound of her voice relaxed him even more. Before she was done with her calls, he had drifted off to sleep.

  “Greg, wake up.” a voice penetrated his dreams as a hand gently shook his shoulder.

  “Wake up.” it repeated.

  Greg opened his eyes to see Margaret leaning over him. She noticed his eyes opening and spoke again:

  “Good, you're awake. How do you like your steak? Dinner is nearly done.”

  “Normally somewhere between medium and medium-rare.” Greg replied, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs.

  “I hate taking naps during the day normally, they always leave me disoriented for a bit after. It seems to have become a habit recently though.”

  “Well, your body knows what it needs to heal. If it needs sleep, it'll put you to sleep. It needs food also though so dinner is coming up in a few minutes.” Margaret said as she turned and headed back for the kitchen.

  Greg stumbled to the bathroom and cleaned up for dinner. When he headed out to the table in the living room area he saw that Margaret had actually set the table properly. He hadn't realized that he missed things like that but it struck home now. It felt more like a home with the table set properly. He paused for a moment and mentally corrected himself. It felt more like a home because Margaret was there and setting the table was only a small part of it.

  He w
andered into the kitchen to find Margaret tending three dishes simultaneously. He didn't even recognize one of the pans, he'd never used it anyhow. As he peered over her shoulder he could see steaks, potatoes, and broccoli. The broccoli was steaming in the two pan contraption with a cover that he hadn't been able to identify.

  “Here, you can take this pan over to the sink. Pour the water and potatoes into the colander I have sitting in it. Keep an eye on it and let me know when it stops dripping.”

  “Yes Margaret” he said, doing as he was told.

  Greg realized he had already relinquished the kitchen to her. When he was in it, he did what she told him to. He kind of liked the feeling since it had a homey domestic feel to it.

  “I used your computer while you napped. All I need to do to get a replacement SIM card is to go to my local store and ask. I can get a new phone at the same time.”

  They discussed getting her a replacement phone and SIM card as Margaret finished making dinner. Greg discovered that there was a branch store she could go to right near a local Redbox DVD rental he used sometimes.

  “Well, depending on how late they're open, we could do that after dinner. I know one of those nearby that's right next to a Redbox DVD rental that I use sometimes. We could get you a new phone and maybe find a movie to watch tonight at the same time, if you'd like.” Greg offered.

  “Are you sure? I know we've already done a lot of errands for me today. Don't you have anything you need to do for yourself?”

  “Well, I needed to go grocery shopping but we took care of that. Other than that, not really. I'm offering because I thought you might like a wider variety of choices for movies than I have here. Assuming you don't mind watching a movie with me again tonight.”

  “I'd love to watch a movie with you again Greg. Why don't we check the hours on that store after we eat and if they're still open we can do that.”