by Ina Williams
Elijah sat down and pulled a beer from the cooler near the craft table where his tools hung and as he pulled the bottle up to his lips he saw Earnest’s shadow—looming, sad, ominous. Wasn’t there a single place in this town where he could find some peace? He quickly took a swig of his beer, put it down and picked up his sand paper. He hoped that if Earnest saw him hard at work he’d take a hint. He didn’t.
“Hey,” Earnest muttered.
Elijah lifted his head slightly in reply. Earnest brushed off the halfhearted greeting and picked up some sand paper. Elijah fumed silently and continued his work.
“Where’s honey bee?”
Elijah stared blankly at him.
“It’s what the guys call Molly.”
Elijah fought off a smile. Honey bee, Molly would love that.
“Went home to see her family,” Elijah mumbled without looking up from his work.
“Is this how it’s going to be now,” Earnest asked. He was calm, but Elijah could sense the storm that was coming.
“How what’s going to be?” Elijah rose to take another swig of beer. Earnest glared at him.
“You know what Elijah, if you want to sit around hiding in your fort pouting like a little girl go right ahead,” Earnest tossed the sand paper and headed towards the door.
Elijah stood from his stool, livid. “Little girl? Who came home and sulked for months without so much as a word about why you were here? You never even would have come clean about keeping the shop if I hadn’t dragged it out of you.”
“I was trying to fix it!”
“Fat lot of good it did us both, huh?”
“You know what Elijah, forget you. I lost everything! Everything I own, everything I am. Do you get that? Do you even know what that means?” Earnest shouted moving closer to him.
Elijah took a step back, he didn’t want to hurt Earnest, but if he took another step towards him he was definitely going to.
“How would you know? Everything you ever wanted, you got.” Earnest moved closer to Elijah with each word.
He must have been drunk. Earnest had never won a fight against Elijah in his life. Not even a playful wrestling match.
“Every girl, any job, this shop!” Earnest came closer still and Elijah’s hand closed tightly into a fist.
“You could never know what it’s like to—”
Elijah shut him up with a fist to his jaw and Earnest stumbled back. A calmer, more sober Earnest would have known his limits. He would have seen that Elijah could have ended this fight with two more punches. But drunk Earnest believed he was a gladiator. If this fight was to the death, so be it. He spat blood and landed a swift right to Elijah’s eye. Instinctively Elijah lifted his hand to it, the flesh around his eye was warm and throbbing. Earnest felt this small victory too deeply and Elijah wasted no time landing a solid punch to Earnest’s gut. When he folded forward in pain, Elijah leaned in and hissed, “You have no idea what I lost!”
Enraged, Earnest lunged at him forcing him into the sideboard. Fists flew and one piece of furniture after another took blows.
All the things they were fighting finally had a face and they fought with all their strength. But they weren’t sixteen-year old boys sparring in the back yard anymore. Nearly killing each other took much more effort than it once did, there was much more pride at stake now. Neither had come this far to give in to something as trivial as age, so with one last burst of energy Earnest ran at Elijah pushing him through a door in the workshop where they collapsed in a breathless heap in front of an elaborate piece of woodwork. They laid on their backs in silence trying to catch their breath. The fight was over, but neither wanted to be the first to admit it. That would be admitting defeat. There had to be something they could talk about instead. From his back Earnest looked up above his head and saw the woodwork.
“What’s that?” Earnest asked with much more breath than words. Elijah turned to see what he was looking at then turned back and rested his head on the ground.
“Porch swing for Molly.”
“Oh. It’s nice.”
The two broken men rested on the sideboard each with a beer in his hand. There was no use trying to be respectful now, the sideboard had taken a few hard hits in the scuffle. Elijah was sure it was going to need twice the work it had when Thompson brought it in. Elijah shrugged it off. He’d fix it, stall with Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, and then discount them for the extra time. There were also two broken antique chairs, and a table that suffered in the great struggle. The damage was minor, but would still require time he didn’t have. Fighting as a grown man seemed more trouble than it was worth. But he did feel better and, judging by Earnest’s whimsical use of his beer bottle as an ice pack, so was he.
“So why haven’t you given your girl the swing yet,” Earnest asked before bringing the bottle to one side of his mouth to avoid touching the side of his lip that was busted and bleeding.
“She’s not my girl anymore,” Elijah said evenly. The punching and beers had made it easier to say, but apparently not any easier for Earnest to hear.
“Come on man, don’t tell me that! What’d you do?”
Elijah laughed, not offended in the least. He was almost certain it was his fault too, he just wished he knew what “it” was.
“I don’t know man,” he mumbled into his beer.
“Does she even know about it?” he pointed to the swing.
“No,” he answered matter-of-factly. And she’s not going to. Exes don’t get refurbished antique porch swings, he thought to himself.
“So what are you going to do with it now?” Earnest pressed.
“Probably sell it. It’s a nice piece, I could probably get about a thousand for it.”
“A thousand dollars?” He almost choked on his beer.
“I don’t know why you hanging around here fixing stuff when you can make something worth a thousand dollars,” Earnest mused before taking another drink.
Elijah laughed it off but there was a feeling in the pit of his stomach, a feeling very close to the one he’d gotten that first day he spoke to Jim in the park. It felt close to hope, but was much more like destiny.
“But you know you’re never going to see that thousand dollars right?” Earnest prodded.
“Why not,” Elijah asked defiantly.
“Cause you’re not gonna sell it.”
“Watch,” Elijah said arrogantly.
Earnest stopped and turned towards him, “Elijah, come on man. I told you this girl was for you before I even knew her.”
“Exactly, you don’t know her.”
“But I know you,” Earnest replied, and there didn’t seem to be a comeback for that response.
“You love her man, and whether she’s confused or frustrated or whatever, she loves you too,” Elijah pretended not to listen, pressing the bottle to his lips again.
Earnest stood to leave, “Put that porch swing in the back of that raggedy truck and go get your girl.”
Elijah let out a sad laugh. Earnest walked towards the door but halted and turned to him.
“Elijah, about before,” Earnest started sincerely.
“Yeah, me too,” Elijah finished.
They shared a quick head nod and without a word the feud ended. With Earnest gone the quiet returned, and with it questions. He had so many questions and all of them about Molly. He needed them answered, every single one, and right now.
Molly was asleep when the buzz of her phone woke her. She was annoyed at first. Sleep had been hard to come by these days. She wasn’t crying as much anymore but at night when her mind was quiet all she could think about was Elijah. How she missed him, how she’d hurt him, how much she didn’t want to be hurt.
The text message read, “Come outside.” Her heart nearly beat her down the stairs it was pounding so hard. What was Elijah doing here and how did he even know
where here was? Elsa, she realized as she descended the stairs. Molly had given Elsa her parent’s address so she could mail her baby shower invitation. She knew it had been a ruse when Elsa asked for it. Molly had been planning the shower with her for a month and didn’t need an invitation. She knew the real reason Elsa wanted the address she just never expected Elijah to actually use it.
“Hi,” Molly said as she opened the door.
It was dark so she couldn’t yet see the bruises that were starting to develop on his face. A moment later, she gasped, “What happened?”
She reached for him, too worried to be nervous anymore. She touched his cheek gently, afraid she would hurt him if she applied any pressure. Her fingers felt like feathers on his skin and he missed her so much it ached. He wanted to hold her, but he steadied himself, this wasn’t what he came for.
“Why’d you break up with me?”
“What?” She pulled her hand away from his face instinctively.
“You broke up with me. Why?”
The question was straight and stiff and offered no soft places or corners to hide in, but that didn’t stop Molly from trying. She stared at her feet. One was on top of the other and she was moving the toes of one foot along the top of the other.
“Molly,” Elijah called a little more loudly than he intended. She quickly shushed him then put her hand on his chest to push him out of the front door. She pulled her robe closed and held it tightly, but it wasn’t cold. It wasn’t the air she was trying to keep out, it was him.
“Why did you…”
“Because I thought it was what you wanted!”
Elijah’s brow creased and he took a step back.
“You thought I wanted you to break up with me over the phone for no apparent reason at all?” He could see the wheels turning in her mind and for the first time it occurred to him that Molly may not know why they broke up either.
“You weren’t calling and you kept pulling away and I just thought you needed space because of the thing with the shop.” She was rambling and nervous, she couldn’t even look at him. “I just…I didn’t want to be in your way.”
He put his finger under her chin and pulled her face upward. “I like you in my way.”
She smiled, her eyes back on her feet now.
“Come here.”
He took her hand and led her to the back of the truck, lifting a tarp to reveal the swing. Even when he was loading the swing he didn’t know why he felt he needed to cover it. It was like he was protecting it, protecting her.
“What is this?”
“It’s a swing for your porch.”
She looked at him with her eyes wide then turned back to the swing.
“You said you wanted one,” he finished.
She was quiet and still and he couldn’t see her face from where she was standing. She doesn’t like it, he reprimanded himself. Earnest would have mocked him for this, “where is that thousand dollar swagger now?” Elijah was so distracted by her silence that it took him a moment to notice her shoulders shaking.
“Are you crying?”
She didn’t say anything. She just stood trying to make her body still. When she took in another breath the sound betrayed her and Elijah turned her around to face him. Her face was full of tears and her hands were clasped so gracefully in front of her mouth that it looked like she was praying.
“I love it,” she exhaled. “Thank you.”
Elijah pulled her into his chest and held her there. He still didn’t understand what all of this meant or why she was so afraid, but this was better, at least now they were confused together.
Later that night in the quiet of her parents’ basement Molly told Elijah about Clinton, about waiting in vain for him. She hadn’t realized, until she saw the swing, just how scared she was that waiting for Elijah would end the same way. With Clinton it hadn’t mattered as much, losing him was inconvenient, but not heartbreaking. With Elijah it was different, she didn’t just want him to stay, she needed him to want to stay.
“I think that’s why I never talk about sex with you either.” She blurted.
He had wanted so badly to talk to her about this all the way up until the moment they were actually talking about it. Molly saw his face and laughed. She covered his chin and mouth with her hand and pushed it away. He smiled before grabbing her hand and kissing it.
“So we’re actually about to have this conversation?” He said into her hand.
“Sure, why not,” she shrugged, exhausted from all the crying.
“Ok, so you’re…” he started, afraid to hear the answer.
“Waiting until I’m married to have sex. Yes,” she answered, straight, no self-righteousness, no soap box, just the truth.
“Just, rip the band aid right off, huh?” He liked her like this, relaxed and honest.
She laughed aloud and this time it was he who shushed her. She covered her mouth quickly.
“So, I mean, you’re sure about this? There’s no changing your mind,” he teased.
She was still smiling, but she much more serious, “I’m sure.”
He turned his head to face the ceiling then nodded. “Why didn’t you just tell me this before?”
Molly leaned her head and pursed her lips. “Do you even remember our first date? You were like the rogue cowboy.”
Elijah recalled the old flames they ran into that first night at Lilly’s and laughed. Part of him liked that she thought of him that way, dangerous and sexy.
“Add that to the fact that you already had one foot out the door in the first place,” she continued.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Low blow, that’s not fair,” he said, more wounded than he cared to admit.
“Elijah! Are you kidding me? If we weren’t stuck in that house together every day you probably would have bailed after the first time I called you out.” It was true, as much as he hated to own it.
It occurred to him that she’d spent most of their time together listening, avoiding talking. Even though what she thought made him uncomfortable, he was grateful to have her share it with him.
“Well I’m really glad we were stuck in that house together every day then,” he said pulling her closer to him by her calf.
“Hmm,” she hummed
When she was close enough he rested his forehead on hers. “I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered to her.
She hung her hands from the back of his neck to pull him closer. “You promise?”
She was smiling, but he could hear her voice trembling again. How had he never realized how afraid she was? He had always thought of her as a strong woman. She never seemed to need anyone. But in the safety of her parents’ basement she had let him see just how fragile she actually was, she did need. She needed him. He held her face in his hands and lifted it so her eyes met his.
“I promise.”
She kissed him deeply then sunk so that her head rested on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and as he drifted back onto the arm of the couch he whispered, “I love you.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “I love you too,” she whispered before turning away again.
“You’re not going to cry again are you?” He joked with his eyes closed.
She punched him in the gut, and the memory of his fisticuffs earlier came rushing to the front of his mind with the pain. Despite the suffering he couldn’t help but laugh. He knew there were a few tears on her cheeks already.
“I’m so sick of just sitting here. Let me do something,” Elsa Rae whined from her bed
“You know what the doctor said, strict bed rest,” Bix said, as sweetly as he could. The bed rest had been difficult for Elsa, but apparently it was doing wonders for the baby who was growing heavier and moving more every day. Elsa was happy to know that her child was healthy but she was secretly a little resentful about being rendered
incapacitated in the process.
Although he would never admit it, Bix was as sick of the doctor’s orders as she was. He never truly understood how much work Elsa Rae did at home and at the nursery until he had to do both of their jobs. Not to mention that his sweet doting wife had turned into a demanding, angry hermit. Stress was piling by the moment and even with Elijah and Molly’s help, things were getting harder to manage.
Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted when Molly entered the bedroom, arms full and smile bright.
“I’m ready for girl’s night!”
“Thank God,” Bix sighed. He clasped his hands as if in prayer and mouthed thank you to Molly. He quickly kissed his wife and made a break for it.
Molly handed Elsa Rae a box of Junior Mints then headed over to cue up the movie. Since the pregnancy Elsa’s taste had gone from sweet romantic comedy to somewhat violent action. It was one of the only gains for Bix.
“Bless you,” Elsa Rae mumbled as she shoved another two pieces of candy into her mouth.
Molly laughed “How’s baby doing?”
“Baby’s great, flipping around like an acrobat in there,” Elsa said, half frustrated half proud. Molly smiled.
“I don’t see how the baby does it.” Elsa rubbed her belly, “There is barely any room left in there. I don’t know how I’m going to survive another minute of this.”
“I guess that sort of answers my question about how you’re doing,” Molly said.
“I feel so bad for Bix. It’s like the old me was swallowed by a really, really hungry monster.”
Molly laughed and pulled her friend in for a hug.
Without letting go, Elsa broke the comfortable silence, “How are you and my brother doing?”
Molly couldn’t help but roll her eyes, Elsa was so transparent. “We’re fine. Actually, Elijah’s taking me to dinner next weekend to some fancy restaurant in Atlanta.”
Elsa popped up from the hug like a jack-in-the-box, “Really?”
Molly laughed again, “Yes, really, he says it’s our official back together dinner.”
“But you’ve been back together for over a month now,” Elsa stated, almost like a question.
