Once they’re gone, I pack up the rest of the clippings we pulled around the house, put them in the trashcan, and pack away my tools. Fall cleanup is all done, now I just have to maintain the leaves. Next weekend I’ll decorate the front with corn husks, wrapping them around the pillars, then have pumpkins filling my yard.
Yeah, I’m that guy. I decorate the outside of my house for every season. Every day when I walked home from school, I would pass this one house on the corner of my street. It was a white Victorian house. In my young eyes, it looked like a mansion, a perfectly manicured and put-together mansion. Every holiday the house was decked out in decorations. Whether it was bunting for the Fourth of July or wreaths for Christmas, the owners always made the house look welcoming and festive. Whenever I walked by that old house, I told myself that one day I’d own my own house and it would be decorated just like that.
Instead of an old sofa stained in cat piss sitting in the front yard, I have a single black light post. Instead of brown weeds suffocating the yard, I have beautiful green grass, trimmed and edged. And instead of a dilapidated porch littered with ashtrays, I have a wraparound porch with a simple porch swing I’ve spent many nights swinging on.
I snag my shirt from the grass and head inside just in time to hear my phone ringing. I jog to my kitchen where it’s charging and answer.
“Hello?”
“Aaron, dear? It’s Mrs. Ferguson.”
“Mrs. Ferguson, how are you?” I lean against the counter and rest my head against the cabinet behind me.
“Fine, dear, fine. I wanted to call you to let you know our new tenant will be moving in on Monday.”
“Monday, okay. Do you know what time?”
“I told her you won’t get out of work to meet with her for key exchange until after five thirty, so she’s aware of your work schedule.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Ferguson, I appreciate that.”
“Oh, you sweet boy. No need to thank me, you’re doing us a favor. She already sent in her security deposit and the first month’s rent.”
“Okay, so I only have to give her a key then?”
“Yes, but can you do something else, Aaron?”
“Sure.” I push off the counter and fill a cup of water from the faucet. Mrs. Ferguson has always been so kind to me, so of course I’ll help in any way I can.
“You’re so sweet.” She clears her throat. “The young lady moving in is actually retuning home to watch over her father, who has dementia. He’s living in the Susquehanna Nursing Home. She dropped everything when she found out he had a bad fall. She’s a school counselor and doesn’t know many people in town, as apparently all her friends she grew up with moved away. Do you think you could help her move in? I’m worried she’ll be too shy to ask.”
“Yeah, not a problem at all. Does she have furniture? I can get my buddies to help.”
“No, she’s using the furniture we left in the house.”
I take a big gulp of water and nod, even though she can’t see me. “Okay, not a problem.”
“Thank you. I figured a big, strong boy like yourself would be able to lend a helping hand.” I’m the muscle in the neighborhood, well, around the worksite as well, but especially in the neighborhood full of old bones. Whenever anyone needs help lifting something, they come to me.
I chuckle. “You’ve got that right.”
We exchange a few pleasantries and with a thankful goodbye, we hang up the phone. A new neighbor who doesn’t sound like she’s seventy. That might be nice. Who knows, we might become good friends.
Chapter Two
AMELIA
“Is that the last box?”
“Yeah, I believe so.” Trey stands before me, head cast down, hands stuffed in his front pockets, his T-shirt tight across his chest. When he looks at me, his eyes speak the words he can’t seem to get out.
“I don’t want to leave, Trey.”
“I know.” He nods and pulls me into a hug. “This doesn’t change anything. You’re still my girl; there’s just a little distance between us for now.”
I snuggle into his comforting chest and take a deep breath, trying to memorize the feel of his body pressed against mine.
“Thank you for understanding.”
He tilts my chin up so we’re looking into each other’s eyes. “Amelia, no need to thank me. You have to take care of your dad. I get that. I would never stand in the way.”
A stray tear falls down my cheek. “I’m scared.”
His face softens as he pulls me into another hug. With his chin resting on my head, he asks, “Why are you nervous?”
“Because. I’ve never had a long-distance relationship before. Everyone I’ve talked to says they never last.”
“We’ll last, sweetheart. We’re different, okay? We already have a schedule for when I’m coming to visit and when you’re coming to the city. I’m going to look for jobs in Binghamton, and the minute I find one, I’ll be packing my bags and heading to you. Okay?” I nod against his chest, more tears falling down my face.
“We’re going to FaceTime every night, right?”
“Yeah.” He squeezes me. “And you better show up naked.”
“Where’s the fun in taking my clothes off for someone then?”
He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Temptress.”
“I can be.” I stand on my toes and kiss his jaw. Letting out a sigh, I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him tight. “Tell me it’s all going to be okay.”
“It’s all going to be okay, sweetheart. This is just a small roadblock on our journey. And look at it this way. You’re getting some much-needed experience under your belt. You’re finally going to be a school counselor, not an intern.”
“It isn’t a permanent job.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Trey pushes me against my car and rests his hands on my hips while he looks at me. “Take advantage of your predecessor going on maternity leave. And like she told you, she wasn’t sure if she would come back to work. So make the most of that. Be immersed in that school so they have no other option but to hire you when that lady decides not to come back.”
I bite on my lip and ask, “And you’re okay with moving to Binghamton? Your line of work is really down here.”
Trey doesn’t answer the question, instead he grips my shoulders and kisses my forehead. “I can find a job anywhere. Don’t worry about me. Be with your dad and get that job experience, okay?”
I nod, hating every minute of this.
When the nursing home called to tell me my dad had a terrible fall, I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I decided to pack up my city life and head three hours north, back to my hometown. How could I not? My dad has been everything to me, so I need to trust that we’re going to be okay.
I’ve taken a temporary job in the town I grew up in, and even though I hate leaving Trey, I know going to look after my dad isn’t a decision I’ll regret. Trey has been more than understanding. He’s the one who actually found me a place to rent, but even with his support, I still feel wary, as if this isn’t the right decision.