The Denver Cereal

by Claudia Hall Christian

  “Yes, I’m sorry,” Dr. Smuyth said. “I’d tell you that you still have use of your left arm. You’re still very young. I can also tell you to never say never. I’ve seen amazing things happen with hard work and a positive attitude. But you know all of that.”

  The rest of Dr. Smuyth’s visit was lost on Jacob. From the moment the doctor said, “you know all of that,” Jacob worked to get through it.

  When the doctor patted his left shoulder and walked from the room, Jacob took a full breath.

  And broke down.

  The thoughts flew through his head: He’d wasted the last four years babysitting his father; he threw away his last chance to do the work he loved; he would never be a carpenter again; he’d have to sit back now; he’d sit on the sidelines like a sad fuck while other guys played hockey, ran, or lifted weights; he was almost free of his Lipson Construction albatross NOW he’s incapacitated; how could this happen? While he cried, his mind spewed catastrophe after drama after “my life is over” scenario.

  Out of nowhere, he heard Celia’s voice: “Why haven’t you stepped into your wisdom?”

  Wiping his face and nose on the sheet, he blew out a breath and cleared his mind. Closing his eyes, he stretched his being. Not quite sure of what he was doing, he remembered Delphie’s childhood instruction — clear your mind of thought, create an open space, breathe, let the images come . . .

  The image of Jill walking across hardwood floors came to his mind. Her naked body was covered with goose bumps and her nipples were erect. The beeswax candle she carried shook side to side with her shivers. The candlelight reflected off the square cut diamond on her left ring finger. Catching his look, and lust for her, she tipped her head sideways and smiled.

  “Jake?”

  “Hey, Molly.” Jacob opened his eyes to his concerned bookkeeper. “Is it eight-thirty?”

  “Yes. Are you okay? Should I get the nurse?”

  “I’m okay. Thanks,” Jacob said. “There’s something you could do for me.”

  ~~~~~~~~

  Aden Norsen slowed his SUV to the curb at a small bungalow near Old Towne Aurora. Getting out of the driver’s seat, he went to the back hatch for his kids’ backpacks and suitcases.

  His children were supposed to spend two months with their mom in the summer. She had reminded him of their legal arrangement just last night. Of course, her “visitation” only happened when she was in town, when she felt like having them, and when whatever else that was more important than her children was over. This year, Nuala wanted their kids today.

  Of course, if this visit went the way of every other visit, the kids would get on Nuala’s nerves in a couple of days. She’d “tough it out” for a couple of weeks, and then the phone would ring. Aden would take them home. His home. Their home in Park Hill. Even though he knew this visit would be like all the others, he always hoped things would be different.

  “Bye-bye, Daddy,” his ten-year-old daughter, Noelle, said. She hugged him and then took her backpack and suitcase from him. “I’ll call you tonight.”

  “Bye, Dad,” his twelve-year-old son, Nash, said. He hugged Aden. “See you tonight?”

  “Soccer practice. I’ll be there,” Aden said. He gave Nash his backpack, suitcase, and skateboard. “You’ll . . .”

  Nash smiled a half smile. “I’ll call.”

  Noelle was halfway up the driveway when she turned and ran back. She threw her arms around Aden. Too cool to initiate the hug, Nash wrapped himself around Noelle and Aden.

  “Love you so very much,” Aden said.

  Standing with his arms around his precious babies, he prayed for their safety. Every year, he walked away with a knot in the pit of his stomach. Every year, he brought two silent children home. Every year, he sat with them night after night while they cried their hearts out. Aden let out a breath and let go. The God that brought these beautiful creatures to his life will care for them.

  Nash picked up Noelle’s suitcase. Noelle carried Nash’s skateboard, and the children began their walk toward their mother’s front door. As they approached, Nuala opened the door. With a lit cigarette dangling from her lips, and an infant on her hip, Nuala was all class in her stained tank top and no bra. She raised an arm to wave at Aden.

  Working not to flinch at Nuala’s hairy armpit and flopping breasts, Aden smiled. He watched his babies greet their mother and then turn into the house. He made it back into the driver’s seat before his emotions — rage, sadness, helplessness, shame — caught up with him. Swatting the tears from his eyes, he turned down Colfax toward Denver.

  He was due in Jake’s hospital room at ten.

  Stopping at a traffic light, Aden marveled at how life worked out. He had never planned on having kids. In fact, he never thought he liked kids. But when his crazy, wild girlfriend got pregnant, he did the right thing and married her. In a desperate attempt to keep them off the streets, he started as a day laborer for Lipson Construction.

  Lipson was good for him. Nuala was not. Fourteen months and another baby later, she was gone.

  But Lipson stuck. He worked his way up one job at a time, one year at a time, to become a site manager. He loved being a site manager. He thought he’d retire as a site manager.

  Four years and three months ago, Jake appeared at the jobsite. Aden had worked at Lipson almost ten years. He had seen Jake around the sites but hadn’t spoken to the owner’s son before. After all, Jake was a carpenter, a college boy, not an underground man. He wasn’t even a Lipson. Aden swaggered over to talk to the kid.

  “I need a good man to help me out,” Jake said. “Interested?”

  “Hire an assistant,” Aden said. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve got to get back. We’re expecting . . .”

  Aden stopped talking when Jake laughed. Aden shook his head at the kid and started to walk back toward the site trailer.

  “You’d get to set your schedule.”

  Aden spun around to look at Jake. He was about to walk away when he realized what that kind of freedom would mean for his children’s lives. He could finally coach a soccer team, participate in Noelle’s art classes . . . and . . . He squinted his eyes at Jake.

  “What do you want?”

  “I told you. I need a good man to help me out. I’m sure money’s not important to you, but the job comes with a fifteen-hundred dollar raise.”

  “A year?” Aden asked.

  “A month.” Jake smiled.

  Aden did the math in his head. Fifteen hundred dollars was a chunk of change, but less than a third of what he was making. How serious was this kid?

  “Two thousand,” Aden said. “And annual raises. This doesn’t cap my salary.”

  “Done.”

  And, as they say, the rest was history.

  He’d worked for about six months before he realized Jake was grooming him, Aden Norsen, to take over Lipson Construction. Jake made him finish college and forced him through an MBA program. Scumbag, loser, dropout Aden Norsen was an MBA.

  The thought still made Aden laugh.

  Pulling up to the Detroit Street workshop, Aden made his way through the tunnels to the Castle. He tapped on the kitchen door and was met by Delphie. Delphie gave him a small box and a hug.

  “They’ll be all right?” Aden asked.

  “They’ll be home tomorrow,” Delphie said.

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow night, late.”

  “Thanks.” Aden hugged her again.

  “Enjoy yourself today!”

  Delphie raised an eyebrow, then closed the door in his face. Aden made an irritated face at the door. Delphie always told him just enough to relieve his anxiety and pique his curiosity. She saved the full story for later, after it was all over, as a kind of “I told you so.”

  Anyway, he planned to work today then drink himself to sleep tonight. That’s what he did every time he left the kids at Nuala’s house. In fact, he already told Jake he was going to be hung over tomorrow. Lying in that hos
pital bed, wrapped in gauze and sprouting tubes like hair, Jacob Marlowe laughed at him.

  Aden tucked the box into his pocket and went through the tunnels to the workshop. Back in the car, he worked his way down Colfax to Colorado Boulevard. He had just enough time to run a couple errands before getting to Jake’s room.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Valerie waved from the side door of the Castle. Her publicist, Jennifer Lowe, weaved through the paparazzi with expert ease. Valerie hugged her. Jen pulled back to give Valerie a long look.

  “I don’t know about this whole marriage thing, but you look great,” Jen said. “A little thin. How’s your brother?”

  “Better, thanks. Yeah, I’ve lost weight this week,” Valerie said. “But I feel good. Really good.”

  “You’re sure you want to go out in public with this guy?” Jen asked.

  “My husband?” Valerie asked. “Yes. I want him to be a part of my life. I thought we could introduce him to everyone at a party next week? Maybe Friday?”

  “What about Wes? He’s sure acting like he wants you back something awful.”

  “Awful is the word.” Valerie shook her head. “That’s all over. Plus, he texted me to say he has a new ‘girl.’” Valerie imitated Wes’s voice, “‘No hysterics, Val. I can’t wait for you forever.’”

  Jen shook her head. “Will you . . .”

  “I’m exactly where I want to be,” Valerie said.

  “Okay, let’s take a look at this guy,” Jen said.

  “My . . .”

  “Right, your husband,” Jen said. Under her breath she added, “You’re going to have to say that a million times.”

  “He’s painting in his studio out back,” Valerie said. “I have to call him.”

  Mike answered immediately and said he would be right over.

  “I love this house, Val,” Jen said. “It’s very . . . gothic-modern. Is this his house?”

  “My mother bought it before her death. Mike and my brother fixed it up. Of course, Mike did the murals, ceilings, and detail work,” Valerie said.

  “He’s very talented.”

  “He is. I’m here probably six months out of the year. A week here . . . a week there. We have our own private apartment, plus all of this.”

  Mike came in from the kitchen wiping his hands on a rag. Seeing Val, his face lit up in a bright smile.

  “When did you get back?”

  As if drawn by a magnet, Valerie fit under the arm he wrapped around her. He kissed her head.

  “Jen wanted to meet you,” Valerie said.

  Jen had to wipe the stunned look from her face. Mike was almost the exact opposite of any of Val’s other men. He was big, muscular, and very hairy. He looked like the kind of person you’d find at the end of a hockey stick or maybe on top of a John Deere. He was not the kind of man you’d find standing next to a movie star. Jen shook her head.

  “He’s not going to work,” Jen said.

  “What?” Mike asked. “Why?”

  “We need to get Ramon,” Jen said.

  Valerie nodded.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Turning right, Aden parked in the lot behind Denver Health. On the elevator to Jake’s room, he went through the list of things they needed to accomplish. With Ashforth’s swinging straight pipe wrench, Lipson Construction had ceased to function. Every jobsite closed. Everyone — employees and clients — held their collective breath in hopes that Jacob would survive.

  They had to restart Lipson Construction.

  Today.

  Then he’d get drunk.

  On Jack Daniels? No, maybe Johnny Walker. One night a year, Aden allowed himself a serious drunk. Of course, every year for the last four, Jake happened to have some emergency on the night of his planned drunk. Tonight, Jake was in the hospital. Four years of sobriety would be broken tonight.

  “Hey, Molly,” Aden said. “Jake.”

  “How are you?” Jake asked. Molly gave Aden a hug on her way out of the room.

  “I’m . . . all right,” Aden said. “See you, Molly.”

  “How did it go?” Jake asked.

  “It sucked. It always sucks,” Aden said. “Delphie says they’ll be home tomorrow night.”

  “You need to renegotiate that custody.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” Aden said. “I just keep hoping she’ll go away.”

  “That’s not likely,” Jake said. “Did you get it?”

  “Yep. When does the illustrious Jill get here?” Aden asked.

  “She and a friend are stopping by,” Jake said.

  “Should we get started?” Aden asked. “Or wait for them to come and go?”

  “Let’s see what we can get done,” Jake said.

  Aden began setting up their laptop computers. He was almost done when the door to the room opened. Turning to catch a first look at Jacob’s Jill, he gasped. The door slammed shut.

  “That’s the girl,” Aden whispered.

  ~~~~~~~~

  “We start at Nordstrom and we’ll work our way to Macy’s.” Sandy outlined their shopping plan on the elevator up to Jacob’s room. “After all, you need all new clothing for your new lifestyle.”

  “What about my feet?”

  “What about your feet?” Sandy asked. “You can get a personal shopper!”

  Jill laughed.

  “Personally, I think I deserve a few pairs of shoes myself. You know, best-friend tax. Can’t you hear Jimmy Choo saying come and get me?” Sandy said. “It’s a Platinum American Express card?”

  “I’m going to pay him back!” Jill exclaimed. “It’s just for Katy . . . her meds . . .”

  “But he told you to take it shopping today?” Sandy asked. Stepping off the elevator, she followed Jill to Jacob’s room. “Do I have to watch you pay him back, because I like the details, but I’m not really . . .”

  Sandy pushed the door open. Standing in the doorway, she saw a man kneeling by an electrical plug. When he looked up, she gasped. Sandy grabbed Jill and pulled her from the room. Sandy slammed closed the door.

  “What?” Jill asked.

  “That’s the guy.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  So I’m asking . . .

  “Maybe you can stop going to every hair stylist in the city,” Jacob said.

  “I . . . I . . . I . . .”

  “Go.”

  “But . . .”

  “Go!” As Aden ran toward the door, Jacob yelled, “Just leave the . . .”

  Aden stopped at the door and threw the box to Jacob. Aden ran past a stunned girl standing at the door.

  “Jill?” Aden asked as he passed.

  The girl nodded.

  “Aden. Go on in. He’s waiting for you.”

  Just as Aden rounded the nurses’ station, he heard the elevator bell ring. With a burst of speed, he slipped through the closing elevator doors.

  ~~~~~~~~

  “Hi,” Jill said.

  Jacob scooted over in the bed. Jill sat down next to him. She leaned toward him, closed her eyes, and was swept away, again, by his lips. Each delicate kiss led to a deeper kiss. The motion of his lips brought a well of warmth that rose through her core. If she thought it possible, Jill would swear she had kiss orgasms. Breaking off the kiss was like coming to the end of a great ride at Disneyland. He left her willing to wait in a long, long line for the chance to take the ride again.

  “I have something for you,” Jacob said.

  His left hand stroked her hair. The bruise on her cheekbone was turning purple and a little yellow. He kissed her bruised cheek.

  “I can’t really get on bended knee, but the moment I can, I will.”

  Jill jerked back from him. She puzzled at his statement. Shaking her head slightly, she said, “What?”

  “Shh,” Jacob said. “I’ve practiced.”

  “You . . . I . . . I mean . . .”

  Jacob sighed. Jill wasn’t going to make this easy for him. He put his fingerti
ps over her sputtering mouth.

  “Will you marry me?”

  Jacob removed his fingertips from her mouth. Jill’s face broke into a huge blushing smile.

  “Really? I mean, I know that I said that I would marry you . . . and you asked at Pete’s, but . . .” Jill’s words came in a flood. “You haven’t even known me a week. And we’ve only had sex once and you don’t know . . . I mean, I suck in bed . . . and I have a child and . . .”

  Jacob flopped back on the bed. Jill laughed at the exasperated look on his face.

  “Well, what about the sex thing?” Jill asked. “I really don’t know anything, and . . .”

  “I think people learn from each other. I don’t know anything, not one thing, about really pleasing you,” Jacob said. “But I’m more than ready to spend a lifetime learning from you.”

  Jill blushed and looked at her hands.

  “So what do you say?” Jacob asked.

  At that moment, the nurse propped opened the door to Jacob’s room. Two male attendants followed the nurse into the room. Moving quickly, the nurse began unhooking Jacob from the machines by his bed. Jill stood from the bed.

  “What’s going on?” Jacob asked.

  “There’s an opening in the surgical suite. The doctor that was here this morning?”

  “Smuyth?”

  “He put you on an unofficial waiting list.” The nurse shrugged. “They’ll do your fusion today.”

  The attendants pushed the bed away from the wall.

  “Right this moment?” Jacob asked.

  “It was a last-minute cancellation. The scheduled patient spiked a fever,” the nurse said. “You’ll be out this evening sometime. I’m sure you two can talk then.”

  Rolling toward the door, Jacob retrieved the box from its hiding place under the covers. He tossed it to Jill. She caught it.

  “I love you, Jill. Go shopping. I’ll see you tonight. Tell Aden to check his Blackberry.”

  The room door closed and Jill looked at the box in her hand. She opened the tattered old box to find a plush ring box. Biting her lip, she couldn’t decide what to do.

  Should she wait for Jacob?

  Should she just open it?

  ARG!

  ~~~~~~~~

  The closing elevator doors clipped Aden’s shirt and then bounced open again. Sandy’s head jerked up when he rushed into the elevator. Her stunned face switched to annoyance.

  “Are you stalking me now?” Sandy asked. She pressed the lobby button over and over until the elevator doors closed again.

  “Stalking?” Aden asked. “I . . . Listen, I’ve looked all over the city for you. I’ve been to every hair stylist Jake or I could find.”