Next Door Neighbors

by Hoelsema, Frances

  Jill could sense how much her mom cared, and appreciated her for it. “Well, she has what’s called fibromyalgia. I’m not sure if you really know what that is. Do you?”

  “Uh unh,” Jill’s mom shook her head.

  The young waitress stopped by the table and placed their drinks in front of them. “Thank you,” they both said simultaneously.

  As Jill’s mom tasted a sip, Jill continued, “Fibromyalgia is an invisible disease.”

  “Invisible disease?” Jill’s mom asked, confused.

  “You know, a disease where the person aches internally, but on the outside they might look and try to act perfectly normal,” Jill explained, adding, “To the extent some people don’t believe they’re really suffering.”

  Jill tried her salted caramel hot chocolate. “Oooh, that’s good,” she sighed.

  “So what exactly are her symptoms?” Jill’s mom curiously questioned.

  “Elena has a lot of physical pain. Not all days, but most. On her good days she is able to do pretty much anything a normal person can do. However, if she overdoes it, she’ll pay for it the next day. So, needless to say, she’s got to plan out each day carefully.”

  “I see.”

  Jill continued, “And then there’s the mental aspect of it. Her mind gets foggy; she forgets things easily.”

  Both women took another sip of their respective drink.

  “Well, none of that sounds fun at all. How long has she had this?”

  Jill thought back to when some signs had started to appear. She answered, “It’s been going on at least a couple of years I believe. She wasn’t diagnosed until six months or so ago, though.”

  “That’s too bad,” Jill’s mom stated, slowly shaking her head.

  Again, the waitress came back to the table. She asked how the drinks were and also delivered the rest of their order. After being thanked for her service, she walked away.

  “What did you order again?” Jill asked, almost drooling.

  “Oh, it’s the wild berry cream cheese danish. You know how much I love danishes. Do you want a bite?”

  “No, but I’ll have to remember that for next time. That looks really good!” Jill then looked down at her asiago cheese bagel, suddenly not as thrilled to eat it as she was when she ordered it. Her mom’s danish definitely looked more appealing.

  After taking a few bites, both of the women got back to their conversation.

  “So is there anyone helping take care of Elena? Or doesn’t she need help?”

  Jill replied, “Yes and no. She doesn’t really need help, but it’s nice to have, which is another reason I’ve been busy. I’ve been checking in on her, making meals for her, running errands and doing some chores for her.”

  “That’s so sweet of you, hunny,” her mom commended.

  “Actually, her son has been taking more care of her now than I have.”

  “Son?”

  “Yeah, his name is Brian. He lives in the south, but soon after the official diagnosis, he showed up to help her out with some things she wanted done.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  “It is nice. Elena treasures her son so much, and I can just tell she’s a million times better now that he’s helping her.”

  “How old is he?”

  Knowing where this was heading, and not liking it one bit, Jill slowly answered, “Thirty, I believe.”

  “Everything still good over here?” the waitress interrupted.

  “Yes. Thank you,” Jill’s mom replied, smiling at the waitress.

  Thankful for the interruption, Jill tried to steer the conversation back to Elena, although she feared she didn’t do a good enough job. “Brian’s actually gone back home right now, which is why I told you I could only stay out so long. I promised him I would look in on Elena a couple times a day while he was away.”

  Jill took another bite of her bagel and enjoyed the savory goodness. She thought it odd that her mom hadn’t said anything back yet, which could only mean she was thinking about one thing. She just kept eating and drinking until her mom let it out.

  “So this Brian, what’s he like?” her mom finally asked with an impish grin.

  There it was. Jill was certain it would all come back to Brian, and she knew exactly where that would lead. However, she decided to give her mom the benefit of the doubt. After all, she knows everything that Jill’s gone through and her view on men.

  Jill answered, “Well, let’s see.” Jill thought of everything she knew about Brian and carefully contemplated on what she would share. “He’s taller than me, and being from the south, he has a nice tan. He’s strong, but not overly muscular. Oh, and his hair is a dark brown. He’s got nicely trimmed facial hair, and although his hair is usually short, I’ve noticed he’s got a bit of a curl once it gets long enough.” Jill’s finger did a couple of loops in the air as she described the top of Brian’s head.

  “Wow! He sounds attractive,” Jill’s mom smiled.

  Jill gave her a nasty glare.

  “Well, he does!” she first laughed, and then added, “What does he do?”

  “What doesn’t he do is what I’m trying to figure out. I mean, he owns a hardware store, but they also do all kinds of services for people and their homes. He’s really handy. But this guy can also cook a meal that I swear you would think was from a five-star restaurant!” Jill put the last bit of her bagel into her mouth.

  “He sounds like a really decent guy,” Jill’s mom stated.

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “You know, Jill, he’s only about two years older than you. Maybe you guys –”

  “Stop right there, mom. I’m not…”

  The young girl who had waited on them came back. She put the bill on the table and wished them both a good day.

  When the waitress was again out of ear shot, Jill continued, “I’m not interested, mom. I highly doubt he’s interested in me either.”

  “Oh, I’m just teasing. I do worry about you, though.”

  “I’m fine. Can’t you see that? And with everything I’ve been through with Mark, there’s no way I’d want to go down that road again. Even if Brian was interested, I can’t see it working out.”

  Jill’s mom nodded slowly as if she could see Jill’s point of view, although she couldn’t help but feel sad for her only daughter. She wished things had turned out very differently for her.

  Looking down at her watch, Jill noticed that they had better get going. Her mom got out enough cash to pay for the food, and then each of them grabbed their purse and stood up.

  As Jill turned around toward the bar, her heart dropped to her stomach and she forgot to breathe. There at the bar, his back towards both women, sat Brian.

  How long had he been there? Did he hear anything we talked about?

  Swallowing her fears, she drew a deep breath and decided she would introduce her mom. After all, there was no way they would be able to leave without him seeing both of them. “Brian? You’re back already?”

  “Oh, hi, Jill,” Brian beamed as he stood up. “Just got back a little while ago. Thought I’d catch a drink before heading to my mom’s.”

  He seems surprised to see me so maybe he didn’t hear anything!

  “I see.”

  Jill’s mom could sense there was some sort of chemistry between the two of them, but remained quiet on the subject. Instead, she coughed to give her daughter the clue to introduce her to this seemingly charming guy.

  “Oh, sorry. Brian, this is my mom. Mom, this is Brian, my next door neighbor’s son.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Brian smiled, hand out ready to shake it like the professional he was.

  “Likewise,” Jill’s mom agreed.

  Making the encounter as quick and painless as possible, Jill insisted they get going. “Sorry to make this short, but we’ve got to go. I’m sure I’ll see you around, though. Elena will be glad you’re back!”

  “Yep! Have fun, ladies,” Brian directed.

  “We will,” bot
h of them said in unison.

  Brian sat back down to get back to his drink, as Jill and her mom walked out of the café.

  “He is cute, Jill!” her mom blurted.

  “Mom!” Jill hissed as she elbowed her.

  Jill’s mom laughed. “Just stating the obvious.”

  The two of them continued down the sidewalk to do some shopping. Jill, however, worried over their conversation in the café and hoped she didn’t say anything offensive about Brian. In the end, though, she decided to brush it off since Brian gave no indication whatsoever that he heard anything. Her mom suggested they go into a Christmas store, and the next thing Jill knew, she was determining what color theme she wanted to do on her Christmas tree this year.

  ---------------

  But Brian did hear.

  He heard everything that Jill and her mom had talked about while he sat down at the bar drinking his french vanilla cappuccino.

  When he walked through the door of The Coffee Cove earlier, he was surprised that Jill was there. But because she had company with her, he didn’t bother her. Instead, he figured a seat close to her would be a nice treat; a good way to be welcomed back.

  As Jill talked about him, he was flattered. He never would have guessed that she would have said all the wonderful things that she did. His smile grew bigger and bigger, and for a moment he felt there was hope for him to be able to be with her.

  But as quickly as hope came, it left. Now he didn’t know what to think.

  Brian put some cash down on the bar and headed out of the café. Getting into his car, he reran Jill’s words through his head.

  What does she mean it wouldn’t work out? And who in the world is this Mark guy?

  Determined to find answers, he quickly headed home. If anyone knew, it would be his mom.

  Maybe she’ll give me the back story, he silently hoped.

  Driving past some of the nearby stores, Brian noticed Jill and her mom coming out from what looked like a Christmas shop. He particularly liked the way that Jill held the door for her mom and gracefully let her lead the way. A kind and caring person was what he wanted, and although he had seen this side of Jill many times before, he never grew tired of witnessing it.

  Brian was excited to be back to help his mom. He had missed her these last few days, and thought that getting back a little early would be a great surprise for her. He imagined the smile his mom would have on her face once she saw him, and immediately he felt happier.

  He drove the car up the driveway and turned off the ignition. Having grabbed some luggage, he made his way indoors. “Mom, I’m home!” he shouted so that Elena could hear. Then leaving his suitcases behind, Brian went looking for his mom.

  “Brian?” Elena’s voice indicated she was in the living room.

  When he entered it, there she was sitting in a rocking chair, a book by her side. She donned the biggest smile that Brian had seen in a long time, and he quickly rushed to her side to give her a big bear hug.

  “I’m so glad you made it back, dear.”

  “I’m glad to be back. Did everything go okay?”

  “Yes, yes, yes. Jill took such good care of me. That sweet girl stopped in a couple times each day and kept asking me if there was more she could do. I didn’t need all the attention she gave, but we had some good times.”

  “I’m glad,” Brian smiled.

  “So how was your trip?” Elena questioned.

  “Nothing to brag about,” Brian said as he took a seat on the couch closest to his mom. “I would have been back sooner but a drink sounded nice so I quick stopped at a little café in town.”

  “The Coffee Cove?”

  “Yep. Let me tell you, their cappuccino is good.”

  “I’ll never understand why you like all of those coffee drinks,” Elena stated.

  Brian chuckled.

  After a brief moment of silence, he added, “You’ll never guess who I saw there.”

  “Who?”

  “Jill!”

  “So that’s where she went. She told me, but I forgot. She was with her mom I think.”

  “She was.”

  Brian tried to figure out how to best proceed. He didn’t know if he should just jump into asking about what he overheard or if he should beat around the bush a little.

  “Is something wrong?” Elena asked. “You look deep in thought.”

  “Oh, I’m just trying to figure out something that I overheard. Maybe you can help me.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that, but I’d be glad to listen.”

  Brian sighed. “I overheard Jill talking to her mom about me a little,” he began.

  “All good things I’m sure,” his mom interrupted.

  “Yeah, mostly.”

  Elena raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and leaned in closer to Brian’s direction so she could listen more carefully.

  Brian continued, “She mentioned somebody named Mark and then how she could never end up with me.”

  “Ah, I see,” Elena exhaled.

  “Now I’m not saying I want to be with her,” Brian clarified, “But she seems so anti-relationships. Who’s this Mark guy, and what did he do to her?”

  Elena’s face went blank. It was obvious she was deep in thought, but after she remained silent for a great length of time, Brian became concerned.

  “Mom?” he asked again.

  “Sorry. I’m not sure what to say, sweetie.”

  “Well, who is this guy?”

  “Mark was her husband,” she revealed.

  “Husband?”

  The way Jill spoke and acted, he found it hard to believe that some man got that close to her. Clearly there was a story here; Jill probably wasn’t always the way she was now.

  “Yep. They were married just over two years, most of which was before I even knew her.”

  “So what happened?”

  “It’s not really my place to share with you. I wish I could, but I think she should be the one to tell you. Not me.”

  Brian was disappointed, although he admired his mom for her integrity.

  Seeing he didn’t get the answer he wanted, Elena said, “I’m sorry.” She then reached out a hand to pat her son’s.

  “It’s okay, mom.”

  Remembering he had to finish unloading his car, he told his mom he would be right back. The whole time to himself, he thought about a way to get Jill to share her story. He wanted to know what that good-for-nothing Mark did to her.

  Whatever I have to do, I’ll find out. She needs to know that not all men are the same, and that she deserves to be happy…with me.

  ---------------

  A few hours later, Jill stopped by the house. She almost walked right in, as she was custom to doing while Brian was away. However, in the nick of time, she remembered that Brian was indeed back home. Therefore, she stopped herself, ringing the doorbell instead.

  As her mind wandered, Brian answered. He looked tired; distraught. But he still smiled for Jill in a way that played with her heart strings. Welcoming her in, the two headed over to where Elena was still sitting.

  “Hi, Elena!” Jill waved.

  “Oh, hi, dear! What brings you by?”

  “Nothing really. Just wanted to quick check in on you one last time. Now that Brian’s back, I probably won’t need to as much.”

  “That’s nice of you. Don’t be a stranger though, you hear?” Elena demanded.

  Jill giggled, “I won’t. I promise.”

  She turned to Brian and said, “Can I talk to you a minute?”

  What could she possibly have to say to me?

  “Um, sure. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

  The two of them stepped into the kitchen. Elena watched them go and smiled. Deep down she knew that the two of them would be great for one another, but it was something they would have to figure out for themselves.

  Brian went first. “So what’s up?”

  “I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I di
dn’t mean to be in such a hurry. I hope you don’t think I was trying to brush you off or anything.”

  “No, I didn’t feel that way at all.”

  “Oh, good.”

  Brian could see that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but he didn’t know why something so trivial would be so bothersome.

  Maybe it’s just because she really cares.

  Jill smiled up at Brian and said, “Well, I’m glad you’re back. I’m sure your mom was quite surprised.”

  “She was,” Brian grinned in return.

  As Jill indicated that she was about to leave, Brian asked, “So how was she?”

  “Good! Nothing out of the ordinary anyway.”

  “That’s good to hear. I can’t thank you enough for being there for her.”

  “You don’t have to. It was my pleasure. The two of us had a really good time.”

  Jill nudged Brian playfully and added, “She even told me some more stories.”

  Brian’s face turned severe. “Seriously? Nothing too embarrassing I hope.”

  “Oh, come on. It’s all good stuff. Most of it I already knew, but I have to admit there were a few things I learned.”

  Lightening up, he decided to take a stab at flirting with her. With a smirk on his face, he asked, “Did you like what you learned?”

  “Maybe,” she playfully responded.

  Maybe? That’s all she’ll give me is maybe?

  Jill went on, “Anyway, I’ll see you around.”

  And the moment’s over.

  As Jill went on her way, Brian called out, “Like my mom said, don’t be a stranger!”

  Jill slightly turned back and said, “I won’t.”

  Brian closed the door. No matter how short lived, he concluded that the few seconds of playful banter they had was a good start to winning her over.

  Jill, on the other hand, kicked herself for being a little too flirtatious.

  I’ve got to be careful! I don’t want to lead him on.

  7

  The next day, Jill decided to do some yard work. It was rare that she had a day off in the middle of the week so she was going to spend her time wisely. Thankful that the weather had cooperated, she put on some shabby clothing and tossed her hair into a ponytail. Knowing it would get hot, she grabbed a bottle and filled it with ice and water. She decided that the first thing she would tackle would be the grass. Having worked so many hours the past week and popping over next door often on top of it, the grass had definitely been neglected and it was time for a makeover.