Autumn Awakening

by Amy Sparling

  “That’s me,” I say, stepping back and letting him inside. “We’re hoping for cable on these two walls,” I tell him, pointing to the walls in question.

  “Not a problem,” he says. “I’ll just get started.”

  I thank him and head back to the table with my paint swatches and the notebook I’d been using to write down ideas for the business. It’s a little awkward being in the same room with the guy, so I busy myself by playing with my phone. I send a text to Becca asking for her to hurry up and choose a paint color and she immediately replies with something that makes me laugh.

  Becca: I refuse to help. Last time I tried, you lectured me on how purple was a terrible color for a dirt bike track. You’re on your own! Xoxo

  “Cute baby,” the cable guy says, nodding toward Jett who now sleeps in his car seat next to me by the table.

  “Thanks,” I say, hoping he doesn’t continue. I’m not really good at small talk.

  Luckily, he goes back to work, drilling holes in the walls and affixing a cable outlet over it. He installs one cable box and tells me that the other TV will work wirelessly and not need the box. It doesn’t take long before he’s finally done, and now I’m anxious to go get new TVs to try them out.

  While we’re at it, we should also get a couch so we won’t be watching television on the floor. Of course, the walls need to be painted and the floor needs to be installed. Building your own business from the ground up is a lot of work and after a few months of this, all I want to do is sit back and relax.

  “I think we’re all done here,” the guy says after all of his tools are gathered up. “Can I just get your signature here?” He turns his tablet toward me and I sign with my finger. He takes a step closer to me and it really seems unnecessary. Then I look up and realize he’s giving me this weird grin.

  A creepy grin.

  “Would you like to text sometime?” he asks, his grin getting wider. “We could trade pics.”

  “Um, no thanks,” I say, taking a step backward. Am I imagining this or is he being kind of creepy?

  “Aww, come on. It’ll be fun.” He takes a business card from his back pocket and scribbles his phone number on it, then shoves it into my hand. “Text me anytime.”

  “No, really. I don’t . . .” I say, but he wraps his hand around mine, and presses the business card to my chest. I try to jerk away but he lets his gross hand linger on mine for an uncomfortable amount of time.

  “Just send me whatever pics you’d like,” he says, his voice now low and raspy. “I’d love to see any part of you.”

  “Oh my god,” I say as my heart pounds like crazy beneath my ribcage. This guy is a total creeper. “You need to leave.”

  His eyes stare straight into mine and I take another step back, only to realize I’ve hit the wall. “What if I don’t want to?”

  I swallow. I should scream. But Jace is outside on the tractor probably, and won’t hear me. My phone is on the table which now seems so very far away. I could run to it and threaten to call 911 if he doesn’t leave . . .

  But then the door slides open wider and Park enters, his face a pure picture of rage. “You need to get the fuck out of here.”

  The guy jumps, clearly startled, and he whirls around to look at Park. “Dude, she came on to me.”

  Park’s jaw flinches. “Take a hike.”

  With an indignant huff, the cable guy goes to leave. But as soon as he nears Park, Park’s hand flies out, presses against the guy’s shoulder and stops him in his place. Park reads the name embroidered on the guy’s polo shirt. “Ralph Walker. Your supervisor is going to hear about this.” He drops his hand. “Now get the fuck off my property.”

  When the guy leaves, I let out the breath I’d been holding. My chest heaves, suddenly needing way more air that I’m getting.

  “You okay?” Park says, walking over to me. He takes my arm in one hand and studies me. Only now do I realize how badly I’m shaking.

  “Yeah . . .” I say, drawing in a deep breath. “That was just scary.”

  Park squeezes my arm. “You’re okay now. And that guy’s boss will rip him a new one after I talk to him.”

  I try to smile but it doesn’t come out right. “I just can’t believe he would come on to me like that. I mean, it’s just me.”

  Park snorts. “Don’t underestimate yourself. You’re adorable and any guy would find you attractive. But a decent guy wouldn’t fucking act like that.” His jaw clenches and he shakes his head. “He’s lucky Jace didn’t walk in here or he’d be lying unconscious on the floor.”

  Now I smile for real. “You’re right about that.”

  Chapter 3

  Jace wakes me up the next morning by sitting on my side of the bed and bouncing up and down. I wake pretty much instantly, but I keep my eyes closed and hope that he’ll go away. It’s no doubt super early in the morning and I don’t hear Jett crying so why the hell would I wake up?

  The bouncing continues.

  “Baaaaabe,” he whispers in a way that is much louder than a regular whisper. “Wake uuuuuup.”

  “I’m dead,” I say, keeping my eyes closed and rolling over to face away from him.

  “You’re really vocal for a corpse...” He gasps and stops bouncing on the bed. “Oh my god, are you a zombie?”

  He leans down, resting his head on my shoulder. The scent of his cologne washed over me. “Guess not...you’re not trying to eat my brain.”

  I snort, opening my eyes. “Maybe you just don’t have a brain for me to eat.”

  “Oh it’s gonna be like that, huh?” Jace says, his lips stretching into a wide grin. He leans over and tickles my rib cage, right in the spot he knows will drive me insane. I squeal and twist and roll over under the blankets, trying to get away from his stupid finger that always knows where to tickle.

  “Okay okay okay, I’m up!”

  He releases me and sits back on the bed and I sit up, pushing hair out of my eyes. I make a grimace, as much as I can while looking at his adorable face. “Why are you making me get up so early in the morning?”

  He lifts an eyebrow. “It’s ten-fifteen.”

  “WHAT!” I throw the blanket off and bolt out of bed in a panic. “Where’s Jett!?”

  Jace chuckles, shaking his head like he’s in on some joke that I don’t know about. “Baby, Jett is fine. He’s in his playpen in the living room where I’ve been hanging out with him all morning.”

  “Is he—”

  “Fed?” Jace supplies the word for me and nods. “Yes, and his diaper is changed and he’s perfectly happy.”

  I let out a breath. “I can’t believe I slept so late.”

  Jace grabs my arms to steady me. He looks down into my eyes and gives me a warm smile. “Baby, you slept late because I got up early and took care of our kid. You act like I’m incapable of making a bottle or changing a diaper.” He rolls his eyes. “I am actually awesome at it.”

  “You’re just never here,” I say, quickly adding, “Because you work a lot and I respect that.” I don’t want to make him feel bad. He works hard for the family and I appreciate everything he does. I shake my head. “I haven’t slept this late since Jett was born.”

  “I took the day off today. It’s Sunday, after all.” Jace leans forward and kisses the top of my head. “I needed a break to be with my family.”

  I put a hand on my hip. In the distance, I can hear Jett giggle at some cartoon that’s playing on the television. “Then why did you wake me up?”

  Jace’s eyes gleam. “Oh right! I forgot. Park just called. We need to go see our house.”

  “You mean our slab?” I’ve been lovingly calling our new house that because over the last two months, the builders managed to clear the land, lay out the foundation border and then pour the concrete. Since then, all we have of our house so far is a big giant slab.

  Jace nods. “Yep. Get dressed! I’ll handle the kid.”

  “You’re seriously getting him dressed to go out?” I ask, folding my arm
s across my chest.

  “I’m dad of the year,” he says, smiling. “Plus, I’ve already dressed him but I wanted to impress you by making it seem like I dressed him in record time.”

  I snort. “Anything less than fifteen minutes and I would have known you were lying.”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault the kid has clothing with a million buttons and snaps!”

  I poke him in the stomach. “You’re such a dork.”

  #

  After we’ve piled into Jace’s truck, we swing by the closest donut shop and load up on donut holes and coffee, with orange juice for Jett. There’s something odd in Jace’s demeanor as we drive, and I’m not sure if something is wrong with our future house, or if it’s something good. Whatever the news is, he’s trying to keep it a secret until I can see for myself.

  We turn down the narrow country road and drive for a mile until I see Park’s house looming in the distance. Beyond that is our land and our slab—only, it’s no longer just a slab. I sit up, the seat belt pulling tightly across my chest. “What the hell?” I mutter as we get closer.

  Jace grins. “Cool, huh?”

  My eyes go wide. “How did this happen? I was just here yesterday!”

  “They work fast, apparently.”

  From the backseat, Jett giggles in his car seat and I turn around and run my hand across his soft hair, which is the same golden color as his dad’s. Jace pulls into our makeshift gravel driveway, which will one day be concrete and lead around the house and into our three car garage.

  As soon as he cuts the engine, I jump out of the truck and unfasten Jett, eager to check out the new addition. Our slab, which used to be an empty foundation of our future home, has been given a skeleton. The wooden framework is in place all around the house, and so are the inside walls. There’s a second floor too, but no actual flooring is laid down. The whole thing is see through with ladders lying across the wooden beams.

  “How did they get up there without a staircase?” I ask, standing in the dirt that will one day be the walkway to our front door. “And how was this put up so quickly?”

  “Park said it only took a few hours yesterday evening,” Jace says, standing next to me as we both gaze up at the wooden structure. “They had a huge crew of guys working on it.”

  “Think I can go inside?” I ask.

  “It’s our house,” he says with a shrug. “Do whatever you want.”

  I make a little squeal of excitement, much to my chagrin, and jump up onto the tall slab. I walk through the hole that will one day be our front door and into what will one day be our living room. Looking up, I see the makings of the balcony that will stretch across the whole living room, allowing you to be upstairs and see down. I picture hanging Christmas garland from the railing and teaching Jett how to make little tiny parachutes for dolls that we can toss over the ledge.

  Jace picks up our son and follows along as I meander through the construction scene. I am so unbelievably grateful that this crazy dream I’ve had for two years is now becoming a reality. My cheeks hurt from how much I’m smiling. We have a kitchen with an open space that will be the island with black granite countertops and white cabinets. There’s a wide hallway with an opening for the bathroom and then for Jace’s future office. There’s a guestroom in the back corner.

  I walk back into the hallway and look up. “There’s our room,” I say, wishing we had stairs and a floor to go up there and experience it.

  “One day,” Jace says, placing a hand on my lower back. “The foreman said that if it doesn’t rain, it should be finished in about two and a half months.”

  My heart leaps with a kind of joy I can’t quite place. This house, this land, this life. I spent most of my life living with Mom in low-rent houses and eating the cheapest food found in the grocery store. We didn’t have granite countertops or second floor balconies or curved edges in the walls. And now I am married to the greatest man and we’re building the most beautiful house. Our son will have everything I didn’t have, including a loving father.

  “Babe?” Jace says tentatively. I realize a tear is rolling down my cheek and I wipe it off.

  “I’m fine.” I force a smile. “I’m just really happy to see our house becoming a real house.”

  “I’ll be glad to get out of that apartment,” Jace says. “I love it because it’s our first place, but it’s small and outdated and—”

  “Trust me, I know,” I say, interrupting him. “Hey, do you still have that Sharpie in your truck’s cup holder?”

  His brows draw together. “I think so, why?”

  I reach for the baby and he jumps into my arms. “Can you go get it please?” I say, giving him a cheesy grin.

  When he returns with the marker, I walk around the living room looking for the perfect place. Then, I come back to the square area of the foyer, realizing that the welcoming area of our house will be the perfect place for this. Jace watches me curiously as I uncap the marker and choose a wooden beam by the front door. My lips press together while I think of the perfect thing to write, and then finally, it comes to me.

  Our first home I write in cursive. Then, underneath it: Jace, Bayleigh and Jett.

  I look back at Jace, who watches me with curiosity. “We won’t be able to see it when the walls are done, but we’ll know it’s there,” I say.

  He nods. “I like it.”

  Jett reaches for my hand and I give him the marker and point him toward the same wooden beam, just lower where he can reach. He scribbles all over the wood, just like he does with his crayons at home. When he’s finished, I write his name underneath it, along with the date.

  “We’ve officially marked this house as ours,” I say with a smile.

  “That, and the miles of paperwork we had to sign to get it,” Jace says sarcastically. He smiles and wraps his arm around my shoulders as I hold Jett in my arms. We stand here staring at our new home for a few minutes. Even Jett seems to get how monumental it is that his parents have made it this far. Against all of the odds of young families trying to make it in this harsh world, we’ve done it. We succeeded.

  Chapter 4

  For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do in life. While my friends were stressing over college applications and planning futures full of keg parties and colleges abroad, I was stuck. I didn’t really have a career in mind and nothing stuck out to me as something I’d be passionate about. I felt like I was falling into this dark abyss of nothingness while everyone around me had their goals locked and loaded, ready to be carried out.

  Then I met Jace.

  And I know it sounds old fashioned as hell to say that spending my life with Jace has become my passion in life, but it’s true and I don’t really care how it sounds. Becoming a mother pulled something out of me that I hadn’t known existed. Suddenly, I no longer cared about parties or colleges or trying to look cool on social media in an effort to make people jealous. People that I didn’t even care about.

  Becoming a mother gave me more purpose than anything else ever did. And I’ve had people tell me that being a loving housewife and mom is a full time job of its own, but even that didn’t feel right, not fully. It wasn’t until Jace and Park started their business that I realized where I belong in this crazy adventure called life.

  We’re a family and we’ll be the kind of family that sticks together and works together. I am beyond thrilled to be lucky enough to work in Jace’s new business. Although Jace says I can probably learn everything I need to know about running the admin and office part of the business by searching online, I really want to go to college. I want to do this right and I want to make something of myself. I don’t want to just slip into a free job without any qualifications and have to fumble through life faking it until I figure out what I’m doing.

  I want to make this business just as great as Jace and Park will with their motocross knowledge. So I’m going to college, even if it is a couple of years later than my friends. There are a ton of great business degree op
tions at LCC but unfortunately I can’t start taking classes until next semester in January. That’s still five months away and the business will be in full operation before I even get to enroll. It’s hard to keep all the negative thoughts at bay, but I’m trying. I just have to keep reassuring myself that everything I want will happen with time.

  Jett sleeps in his playpen at the new business. It’s a week after the weird cable guy incident, and now we’ve painted the walls a greyish silver color that the guys really liked, hung up Becca’s inspirational artwork, and installed two TVs that are mounted to the wall. The hardwood floors have also been installed and now I plan to shop for some fluffy decorative rugs to lay down. This room is the best room in the building so far.

  All of the other rooms have had new flooring and paint, so they’re finished but not decorated. Our front office will be the first place people see when they step inside, so we’ve made the floor black and white checkerboard tiles to fit with a motocross theme. The front counter is stainless steel and a ton of motocross décor decorates the room. Park and Jace did most of that work and the place looks awesome.

  All we’re missing is a sign. And we can’t get a sign until we think of a name for the business.

  I take another look at Jett, confirming that he’s still sleeping soundly, and then I turn on the baby monitor and hook the other one onto the pocket of my jean shorts. I venture through the hallways that smell like fresh paint and follow the sound of a truck peeping as it backs up. At the far end of the building, where the gym room is, there’s a metal garage door that can roll up to let people walk from outside in the track area into the gym.

  It looks like our delivery of gym equipment is here. Jace gives me a quick hug as he looks over a clipboard, checking off each item off the list of what they’ve ordered. I watch as the delivery guys set up a row of treadmills and elliptical machines before moving onto the heavy weight equipment. There’s barbells and weight benches and intricate setups that I’ve never seen before.