by Kate Kasch
Picking up a sander, Gabe started to move it back and forth along the long piece of wormy maple. After only a few minutes, the repetitive motion had a calming effect, and Gabe could feel his body start to relax. Underneath the sound of the sanding, Gabe heard his phone ringing. He decided to ignore it. He was pretty sure he knew who was calling and Gabe was still unsure how to deal with the situation. Mayor Jessup must not be happy that he saw Adrienne Harkins at his office earlier, and Gabe had been expecting the phone call all day. Gabe and Mayor Jessup had decided to partner up and start buying investment properties, and one of the properties on the list the Mayor made was 22 Oak Street. Gabe thought he had time to figure out how to handle that property, but it looked like his time was running out.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Waking up in her childhood bedroom was like waking up in the twilight zone – a pink twilight zone, that is. Adrienne didn’t remember ever liking the color pink very much, so why did it look like a pink bomb exploded all over her room? Her walls were a pale pink, her sheets and bedding were all pink polka dots, and her drapes were long sheer pink panels. It must have been her mom who decided on the décor in here -- the thought sent a pang shooting to Adrienne’s heart.
The heavenly smell of coffee wafted up the stairs and beckoned for Adrienne to get out of bed. Wrapping a robe around her and stuffing her feet into fuzzy slippers, Adrienne followed the aroma. As she entered the kitchen, Adrienne decided she really must be in the twilight zone. Gretchen was up and moving around early and had made coffee.
“Was waking up in your room as weird for you as it was for me?” Adrienne startled Gretchen.
“You’re awake! And, yes. It was déjà vu – but not necessarily in a good way.”
“I know, right? You know what is not déjà vu? You awake before me and making a pot of coffee -- I’m not sure this has ever happened. Ever.”
“Very funny. I can’t explain it – I have this amazing amount of energy, and I can’t wait to get the day started. We have so much to do! Thankfully Nick and Gabe are coming here today to help out.”
“Ohhhhhh, now I see where this is all coming from – it all makes perfect sense now! Nick. Of course, Nick is coming over today and you are glowing at 7 a.m. Ha!” Adrienne laughed at her sister.
“Hey – you won’t be laughing when that big, strapping man who is also a construction professional is helping us fix this house.”
“Did you just say big, strapping man? Wow – you are so smitten. Beyond smitten. This is going to be an interesting day.”
“Right, let’s focus on today, can we please? We need to go through our Christmas List and decide what we can do ourselves and what we’re going to need help with.”
“But first, coffee.”
“Do you see what I’ve done over here?” Adrienne walked over to the big chalkboard that hung on the far kitchen wall.
The sisters stared at the big number ‘4’ written on the chalkboard.
“A different kind of countdown to Christmas,” Adrienne said. “Only four more days to make this happen.”
“Right. So, let’s get to that Christmas list.”
The girls sat at the kitchen island sipping their coffee and looking over the list.
Harkins Christmas List:
Mow lawn
Trim bushes
Paint house
Clean gutters
Fix roof
Paint front door
Fix front porch/pillars
Paint and Re-hang shutters
Rake leaves
Dust
Wash floors
Clean refrigerator
Buy Christmas tree
Decorate interior
Exterior Christmas lights, wreaths
Clean bathrooms
It felt good to cross off a few of the chores they did yesterday – but then they also needed to add one more item: clean bathrooms. There would definitely be a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” to decide which lucky sister got to do that.
As Adrienne was re-filling her coffee cup, there was a knock at the door. Not wanting to be seen in her robe and slippers, Adrienne ran upstairs to get dressed while Gretchen, ever relaxed, rolled her eyes and went to answer the door in her sweatpants. Upstairs in her pink room Adrienne quickly tugged on a pair of jeans and a sweater. She brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her pin-straight hair. Without thinking, she started to smooth her hair back into a bun, but then paused, looking at herself in the (very dirty) mirror. Today, she would leave her hair down. After a light dusting of makeup, she made her way back downstairs.
Once at the bottom of the staircase, she could hear the sound of chatter and laughter emanating from the kitchen. Adrienne couldn’t help but think that this was what was meant to fill this house: Laughter. Life. Love.
“What’s going on in here?” Adrienne walked into the kitchen and Gretchen’s face was lit up like a Christmas tree. Nick and Gabe were around her laughing. Even having just woken up and still in her sweats, Gretchen looked beautiful. Her long wavy hair was half up in messy bun, the rest of it falling down her back. She was telling some story that had all of them in stitches. When they saw Adrienne, all three of them tried to cover up their chuckling – some were doing a better job than others.
“Okay, seriously Gretchen – what are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Nothing,” she said starting to laugh again. “Definitely not about that time you insisted on putting lights on the roof so that Santa and his reindeer could find our house, and you slipped and were hanging off the house holding onto a string of lights for dear life. It definitely wasn’t that,” Gretchen couldn’t hold the laughter in any longer. Whatever restraint Gabe and Nick had was gone, and the three of them laughed so hard they could barely breathe.
“Okay, I see what’s going on. You all think the fact that I almost died falling off a roof is funny. Okay. Sure. Well, I just hope that never happens to any of you,” Adrienne said. This comment only fed their insatiable laughter.
Once the merriment died down a bit, Gabe walked over to Adrienne who was standing with her arms folded across her chest, and held out a latte from the Dreamy Bean, the coffee shop in town.
“Forgive me?” He asked her, doing his best to look contrite.
Hiding the smile that wanted to spread across her face, she said, “Maybe if you had also brought some pastries with my latte.”
Just then, Nick smiled and held up a box of pastries, “like these?”
“Well okay, you’re forgiven.” Adrienne smiled and reached for a pastry.
“Now that all the goofing around is over, let’s get down to business,” Adrienne said. “I’d like to first thank you Gabe, and Nick, for coming here so early on a Sunday morning to help us try and figure this all out. As you may have guessed from when you pulled up to the house, we’re in a little over our heads here.”
“We’re drowning,” Gretchen piped in.
“Gabe explained your situation to me on the ride over, so I’m all caught up,” Nick said.
“Did Gabe also mention that we’re broke?” Gretchen asked.
“Yes, he mentioned that.”
“I will call in any and all favors that I can,” Gabe said.
“As will I,” Nick agreed. “And there’s a lot here that Gabe and I can do on our own, that is, if you two help as well,” Nick pointed to Gretchen and Adrienne.
“We’re up for the challenge,” Gretchen said, and Adrienne nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
After further study of the list, they all decided that Gretchen and Adrienne would finish cleaning the house and start decorating inside. Instead of arguing over who had to clean the bathrooms, they decided each of them would clean two bathrooms, considering there were two bathrooms upstairs and two bathrooms downstairs. Since this was the worst item on the list, they chose to do it first and get it over with. The decorating, including trimming the tree they could do later, while sipping wine.
Gabe and Nick talk
ed together for a while and then spent some time on their phones calling all types of friends and associates. Once they were satisfied with the plan, they both took off in separate directions looking for Adrienne and Gretchen.
The sound of muffled Christmas music was coming from the front of the house. Nick followed the sound, stopping by some of the photos that hung on the walls to study them. When he reached the source of the music, he stepped back and watched the show. Gretchen was in one of the downstairs bathrooms, still in her sweatpants, with rubber gloves up to her elbows and all her hair piled on top of head in a giant bun. Music was blasting out of a small Bluetooth stereo and she was dancing around the bathroom sink as she scrubbed it clean.
Once she noticed she had an audience, she stopped mid-dance and turned the volume down on the stereo, her cheeks burned red.
“I like to have music on while I clean. Makes it a little more enjoyable.”
“You definitely looked like you were enjoying yourself,” Nick laughed. “And I was enjoying watching you. You’ve got some good moves.”
“Very funny. So, how’s it going? Have you and Gabe figured anything out?”
“We have. The reason I came to find you however – do you know where there might be a lawn mower? And a weed trimmer? There’s no way we can start off with the mower – the grass is too high.”
“Hmmmm, whatever we have would be in the shed in the back yard. You’re going to have to cut the entire lawn with a weed trimmer? And then mow the whole lawn too? Isn’t that going to take forever?”
“Ah yeah. Probably. It’s a big lawn.”
“Okay, I have to ask,” Gretchen leaned against the sink. “Why are you doing this for us? We only just met you last night and you are going to spend your day cutting our lawn?”
Nick looked down at his hands, “I wasn’t sure when I was going to tell you this – but I guess now is as good a time as any. Gabe told me the whole story about your family, and this house, and how things used to be here.”
“What, and you feel bad for us? Look, I don’t want your pity . . .” Gretchen started to get upset.
“Let me finish,” Nick said. “Gabe told me the whole story about your family, and when he was done, I asked him your parents’ names. He told me that your Dad was Tom Harkins, and I couldn’t believe it.”
“You knew my Dad?”
“Your Dad saved me. A little over four years ago, the construction industry around here was in a slump. That was when I had the idea to open a tree lot for the off-season. I didn’t know how I would make it through the winter otherwise. No one was lending money back then, but Gabe suggested I talk to your Dad. I went in and met with him and he loved my idea. He convinced the bank to give me a small business loan.”
Tears filled Gretchen’s eyes as memories of her father, and the special man he was, flooded her mind. She had never thought about how her dad’s job affected people, and she was so grateful that after all these years she got to see him in a whole new way.
“Without your Dad, I wouldn’t have Saint Nick’s – which floated me through that first winter until things picked up again. I only had the opportunity to know him for a short time, but he was a good man – a great man. And I feel honored to have the chance to help him the way he helped me.”
Gretchen was so touched, without thinking she stepped toward Nick and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest.
“Thank you,” she whispered, still holding on to him.
“It’s the least I can do.”
As Gabe climbed the stairs to the second floor, he still couldn’t believe he was in this house again -- here with Adrienne again. At one point in his life, he was at the Harkins’ house just as much as he was at his own. But after the accident, when Adrienne shut down and moved away, he never thought he would be back here again. He watched as the house slowly declined into the state it was in now – mirroring the state of the Harkins family.
Hearing movement in the hall bathroom, Gabe peeked inside. Adrienne was in there, furrowed brow, rubber gloves, scrubbing the bathtub vigorously.
“Be careful, if you scrub any harder, you’ll put a hole right through the porcelain.”
Adrienne looked up, happy for the interruption.
“You know me, if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it right.”
“It’s nice to know that some things about you haven’t changed.”
Adrienne smiled, “How are things going with you and Nick?”
“Great. We have a good plan, I think. I was wondering if you know where the lawn mower, weed trimmer, ladder, paint cans . . . where everything is. We need everything,” Gabe chuckled.
“Yeah, this is truly going to be a Christmas miracle if we pull this off.”
“I happen to believe in miracles,” Gabe’s eyes sparkled.
“Well, that’s one of us,” Adrienne said just as her phone dinged – a text message.
Gabe picked up her phone to hand it to her and glanced at the screen.
“Four missed text messages. Yikes – someone is really trying to get in touch with you.”
“It’s work. I’m ignoring it.”
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” Gabe asked her, his voice going up at the end.
“I’m supposed to go in tomorrow. And I should go in, since I’m up for this promotion at the end of the year – which as you know is in a week or so. And I didn’t exactly leave things on good terms last Friday.”
“It’s a family emergency – I’m sure they’ll understand.”
“Ha! No. No they won’t understand,” Adrienne started scrubbing again, shaking her head from side to side. “They really don’t care. They just want me in the office doing my job and not bothering anyone with my personal life.”
“Sounds like a great place to work,” Gabe’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Adrienne’s phone dinged again.
Picking up the phone to once again hand it to her, Gabe looked at the screen.
“Jason. Who’s Jason? Someone you work with?”
Adrienne didn’t know what to say. Here Gabe was, going out of his way to help her and asking for nothing in return.
“Ummmm . . .” Adrienne froze. She grabbed the phone and held it screen side to her chest. But her face said it all.
“Oh. It’s not work.”
“Look, Gabe . . ..”
“No, it’s okay. You don’t owe me an explanation. We haven’t seen each other in years. I’m not surprised you have a boyfriend. In fact, I would be surprised if you didn’t.”
Although his words sounded casual, Adrienne could see the disappointment on his face. She wanted so badly to tell him it wasn’t true, but she also couldn’t lie to him.
“Okay, so where did you say you think all the lawn stuff and paint cans are?”
“In the back shed,” Adrienne said quietly.
“Right. Thanks.” Gabe turned without another word and left.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It took Adrienne and Gretchen all morning and into the afternoon to clean the bathrooms. When it was done, they celebrated with lunch from the great deli in town. They took lunch orders from Nick and Gabe and then Adrienne ran into town to pick up the food. Upon her return, as she was pulling up to the house her spirits were lifted when she saw Gabe and Nick and some of their crew working on the lawn. Two men used weed trimmers to get the grass down to a reasonable height, and someone else was pushing her Dad’s old lawn mower back and forth across the lawn. That alone made a drastic improvement on the curb appeal of the house – despite the house still being in shambles. Gretchen was walking around the front yard taking photos of everyone helping. All the activity felt right.
The noise from the mower on the front lawn and the weed trimmer on the side of the yard made it impossible for anyone to hear Adrienne announce lunch. She walked across the lawn waving one arm in the air as she balanced the box of food in her other arm. She then dramatically pointed to the food to signal lunch. Ev
eryone followed her into the house and back to the kitchen where she unpacked the box. Paper plates were passed around and Adrienne, Gretchen, Gabe, Nick and everyone else helping out, dug hungrily into the sandwiches, wraps, chips and drinks.
Adrienne and Gabe hadn’t spoken to each other since the conversation in the bathroom earlier. The dynamic between them had shifted. Gabe was now polite and cordial, but no longer warm and open. The disappointment Adrienne felt spoke volumes, but she wasn’t ready to listen to what those feelings might mean – not yet. Gretchen, on the other hand, was one big bubble of positive energy bursting all over the place. She flirted and laughed with Nick every chance she got and was constantly making everyone feel appreciated. Adrienne was grateful for Gretchen, since she couldn’t muster up that energy right now.
Finding Gabe alone for a minute, Adrienne approached him cautiously, “Looks like you guys made a lot of progress already.”
“Yeah, it’s coming along. Didn’t know how big this lot was until I started trying to cut the grass with a tiny weed trimmer,” Gabe kept his eyes on his sandwich, attempting a smile.
“Gabe, listen, you have already helped us so much, if you have more pressing work to do, I would totally understand if you can’t come back here tomorrow.”
“I’m doing this for your parents, Adrienne, not for you. They were a big part of my life for years, and I feel I owe them. So please, don’t feel guilty or worry about me, which I’m sure you’re doing. I’m fine. This is where I want to be.”