by Crist, J. D.
They all enjoyed a fantastic meal and shared stories that made them all laugh. Dinner ended with the staff singing a loud and very off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday." Soon they were back at Emily's house and saying their goodbyes. Emily promised her parents that she would make it to the store that night to pick up the things she needed. Charles made her promise she would get the right stuff and not shop cheap. Emily waved goodbye as her sister's minivan and parents' truck pulled away. The day had not gone according to plan, and she had very few secrets left. However, she had not felt this happy in years. She could not help but rethink the philosophy that secrets are needed to be happy. As the cars pulled out of view, Emily could feel that someone was still standing behind her. She turned to see Joe standing next to his hatchback, looking up at the sky.
"You don't have to worry. The house is not going to explode during the night. Your car, on the other hand..."
"Hey now, I told you she's sensitive." Joe laughed. "I thought I would go with you to help you pick out stuff. After all, I'm not sure you know how refrigerators work. If you did, you probably would have put the ice in the freezer. It would have kept everything cold, and mom would have never noticed."
"I did not know that" Emily laughed. "Maybe I could use your help after all."
"It will also give me a chance to show you that my old girl will not explode." He joked. "Come on; the store closes in a few hours" Emily walked over to the small car and opened the door. This thing had not changed since he was in high school. As she climbed in and shut the door, Joe started the car. The seat belt automatically went back over her shoulder. "See, she wants you to feel safe."
"Or to keep me from escaping," Emily shot back. Soon they were at the store and shopping. Emily took her time working her way through her dad's list, asking Joe his opinions on each thing. They finished just as the store was closing. Joe confirmed with the clerk that everything would be delivered in the morning, and they were back in the car. Emily hated to admit it, but this car did have a better ride than her own. She watched as the city flashed by out the window. She suddenly realized that they were not headed back to her house.
"Are you kidnapping me?" she asked Joe.
Joe let out a laugh and replied," Yes, and there is torture planned. You have to pick a flavor of ice cream AND eat it." Emily pretended to be suffering but could not help but laugh. Joe pulled up the drive-through window and waited while she chose strawberry and ordered chocolate for himself. They received the ice cream and sat in the parking lot to eat their cold treats. Joe suddenly stopped eating and stared at the steering wheel for a long time.
"Everything alright? Did you get a brain freeze or something?"
"No, my brain is fine. I want to say I'm sorry, Em. All those years ago, I should not have tried to push you to leave Chad. While I may not like the guy, it is obvious that you love him. I was not there for you, and it's kind of the one thing as a brother I am always supposed to do." She could tell that he was struggling not to talk bad about Chad and that his apology was genuine. "I still don't like the guy, but you are my sister. I can keep my mouth shut about those things if you will let me back into your life. I can't be there for you if I'm pouting like a three-year-old. It's your life Ems, your choices, and your happiness. I just don't want to have to go away again."
"I don't want that either. I miss being able to talk to you." Emily fought back the tears that were trying to find their way out of her eyes. "Let's just move forward and eat ice cream." Joe laughed and took a few more bites. When they were done, he took the empty cups to a trash can, and they headed back to Emily's house. Emily was so exhausted all she wanted to do was go to bed for a week. Joe walked her to the door and promised to see her in the morning. She waved as the little hatchback disappeared down the street. Once inside, Emily made sure the door was locked and slipped into a sleep shirt. She had no time to think about the day as she fell straight to sleep when her head hit the pillow.
Chapter 4
Emily was ripped from her dreamless sleep by a banging on the front door. She cursed whoever it was as she pulled herself out of bed and walked to answer it. Even half-asleep, Emily remembered the hole in the floor and was able to step over it. She fumbled with the lock for a few moments and could hear voices outside laughing and talking. She was too tired to be perky with salespeople this morning. As she opened the door, the events of the previous day came flooding back to her. There stood her sister holding a cup of coffee out to her.
"Well, now I owe Joe five bucks. Take this, drink it, and go put on some real clothes." Rachael laughed. As Emily began to close the door, she saw Rachael hand Joe five dollars. He must have bet that she was still in bed. She made her way back down the hall and helped herself to a few sips of coffee. A glance at the clock showed it was seven in the morning. She pulled out a pair of old jeans and the t-shirt she wore while she painted the shutters. It already had paint spots on it, so it was perfect for a days' worth of work. She made her way back to the living room where her family had let themselves in. They were already moving things out of the way. The plan looked to be to take all the furniture out front. New couches and a dining set were on the list her dad gave her yesterday. She was sure that the old ones would be taken for recycling and never come back in.
"There's doughnuts on the counter if you're hungry. We are going to be starting in the kitchen so eat while you can," her mother chimed while carrying the coffee pot into Chad's office. It could stay there for all Emily cared. Thinking of Chad made her realize that he had not called back or even texted since she hung upon him. She decided to quickly check her bank account to ensure that he had not found a way to get to the money. She breathed a sigh of relief when everything was how she had left it. She made her way to the doughnut box and chose a glazed one. She was eating it as a man walked in that she did not know.
"Good morning, miss. Name’s Steve, your dad asked us to climb up on the roof and see if we can do something about the leak. I've taken a look, and I have good news and bad. If someone had been called right away, it would have been a simple fix. But it looks like it's been leaking for a while. It will take my boys all day to get it repaired, but on the good side, the rest of your shingles are in great shape. Your dad says the bills on him, so no need to worry about that. I just wanted to make sure you are okay with us spending a Sunday banging around on your roof."
"Welcome to the construction zone." Emily laughed. "It's perfectly alright. If you can stop the leak, you can stay up there all night if you need to."
"Well, that is not plan A, but if your good with it, we will get to it right away."
"Would you like a doughnut before you go up?" Emily asked.
"Don't mind if I do." Steve grabbed a doughnut from the box and headed outside. In moments Emily could hear footsteps above her. Just as she finished her last bite, Joe came into the kitchen and laughed.
"Thanks for helping with the money this morning," he patted his pocket.
"No problem, what else are sisters for," She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked around. "So, what should I do?"
"Well, dad and I are going to start removing the big stuff from the kitchen. But mom and Rachael are ripping up the carpet in the living room and hallway. I think they want to get the painting started. I would head in there and give them a hand."
Emily walked into the living room to find her sister cutting the carpet into strips and her mother rolling it.
"I got that, mom," she stated as she walked over and began rolling the new strip of cut carpet.
"Perfect, then I will get to work taping so we can paint it soon." The carpet removal went quickly, and soon the bare sub-floor was all that could be seen. Emily had glanced up a couple of times to see her old kitchen appliances leaving. Her mother had the paint cans all set up and the rollers ready to go.
"I'm just going to get a glass of water quickly. Does anyone else want one?" Emily asked as she walked towards the kitchen.
"There's bottled water in the
cooler outside," her mother replied.
"It's okay. I got it." Emily stopped in the kitchen doorway. She had expected the appliances to be gone, but the room was empty. There were no cabinets, counters, or even a kitchen sink! Her father was even removing the linoleum from the floor.
"Don't worry. Everything will work when we are done." Emily did not know what to say and instead just turned to walk outside for the cooler. She grabbed three bottles of water and took them back in. She was not mad but shocked. She would have been over the moon just to have new appliances, but they were replacing everything. She felt out of place, a little like this wasn't happening. She set to work helping to get the first coat of paint done while Joe was working on cutting out the rotted piece of sub-floor in the hallway. They would be able to paint it once he was done. They took a few minutes just to relax on the living room floor while he finished. It didn't take long, and he came down the hall with an "All Clear" to let them know it was good. The hallway was fast to paint, and soon they were done. A glance at her watch told Emily that it was only nine. They had accomplished so much in just two hours. She could still hear the footsteps on the roof, showing that the men were still repairing the leak. She was pulled back inside by her father's voice.
"I've repaired the pipes and electrical. If you lovely ladies could start with the paint, me and my oaf of a son will start on the bathroom. It shouldn't take too long in there. So, Em, if there is anything in your bedroom you don't want us to see, you better go move it now." he teased.
"Nope, it's all good. I moved it all already," Emily teased back. The work continued non-stop until lunch. The old floorings had been removed by then, the walls had all been painted, all of the broken cabinets removed, electrical switches repaired, and windows were fixed. Emily barely recognized the house as they all headed outside to enjoy their lunch. Her mom had brought deli sandwiches for them all, and it tasted like they were from a gourmet restaurant. They even invited the workman on the roof down to join them. After lunch, it was back to work, the new cabinets were installed in the kitchen and bathrooms, the new lighting fixtures were in, and the sink flowed cool water that stayed in the sink and off the floor. She had chosen laminate flooring for the kitchen. Joe had tried to talk her into the tile, but she liked the look and feel of the laminate better. Joe and Charles made short work of the kitchen floor, and soon Emily watched as a new stove and refrigerator were brought in and put into place.
"Well, that's all for us in here. The rest is up to you, ladies. We will get to work on the living room floor.” Emily knew that it would take them longer as she had chosen a wooden laminate that would have to be pieced together. She worked with her mother and sister to carry in the new table and chairs, careful to try to stay out of the guys way when they walked through the living room. Next was brand new small appliances that Emily did not remember picking out. She helped unbox a stainless-steel toaster and microwave. However, it was the coffee pot that gave her a pause.
"I know how you like things to match. I thought the red one could go to Chad's office." Her mother stated after seeing her stare at it for a moment. Emily wrapped her mother in a hug. While she knew that her mother might be confused, it was nice to know that someone knew her well enough to know which coffee pot she would like. They continued to work and put away the dishes and silverware that her sister bought her, so there would be plenty for family dinners. They were putting the final decorative touches on the kitchen when the footsteps on the roof stopped, and Steve entered the kitchen.
"That should do it, miss. If you have any issues, give me a call, and I will be straight out to fix it". Emily reached out and took the card from his hand.
"Thank you so much, Steve. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Anything for Charles's daughter. I mean it, any issues, and please let me know. I will come by once a year to do an inspection and make sure that everything is still up to par." With that, Steve turned and left. Emily heard him say goodbye to her dad and then the sound of the work trucks pulling off.
"Well, I think we are all done here," Christine said while looking around. Emily looked around and could hardly believe that she was standing in her kitchen. Everything was so beautiful. She walked to the refrigerator and was greeted by a cold gust of air. She smiled and walked to the stove. She turned on a burner just to watch it turn red from the heat. If they had done nothing else, these two things were life-changing. She turned the knob to click off the burner and turned back to her mom.
"You deserve it all and so much more, honey. I don't hear banging anymore in the living room. Let's go check on their progress." Emily nodded and followed her mom back to the living room. The floor was done in both the living room and the hallway. It was beautiful, and Emily could not help but stare at it. When she looked up, she saw that her dad and brother were carrying the new couches in. They were a lovely cream color and looked so comfortable.
"We've got just a few more big things left, and then it's up to you ladies. We will head to the bathroom next, and we should be able to finish it by dinner. Not bad for a day worth of work. Don't worry Em. We will be back in the morning to finish your bedroom and other bathroom."
"I'm not worried. If you don't have time to come back, that's fine. I am so happy with everything that has been done already." Emily could feel the tears stinging her eyes.
"You know what dad says." Joe puffed out his chest and began to speak in a deep voice, "A job doesn't count unless you finish it all the way. Half-assed work makes you an asshole." The three siblings began to laugh together.
"Well, you guys were listening," their father chimed in. "Come on, son. You don't want to be an asshole." Once the two were down the hall and in the bathroom working, the women set to work. Emily's mother and sister helped her to decorate and arrange the living room in a way she never thought would be possible. As they were finishing, a knock came at the door. Emily answered to see that one of her parents must have ordered pizza for them all. Her sister stepped forward and paid the tip, and helped to carry all the food to the kitchen. The men could smell it at the back of the house and appeared before everything was set out. Soon all five of them were gathered around the table enjoying a well-deserved meal.
Emily remained quiet while they all talked and laughed. She had been having a thought most of the day that she had kept to herself. She had held her paycheck from Chad. Perhaps she could set up a payment plan with her dad to pay him back for everything he had bought. She knew he got significant discounts as he owned a construction company, but she felt wrong letting him pay for everything. At the same time, though, she knew that he would probably be insulted if she tried. She struggled with the thought and decided to sleep on it. She moved the dishes to the sink and turned on the water to begin washing them.
"You did realize we installed a dishwasher, right?" Charles asked from behind her. She looked down at the cabinets, confused, and was surprised that she had not seen it earlier. She had not had a dishwasher in five years.
"Did you install any trap doors I should know about?" she asked as she opened the dishwasher and began loading the dishes.
"Maybe." Charles laughed. We are going to put the rest of your stuff in the trailer for tonight and lock it. If you want, you can come home with us since your bed is not set up."
"I appreciate it, dad, but I want to stay here tonight. I'm still trying to convince myself that this is not a dream."
"I thought you would say that. We will be back early in the morning. Do you need anything else before we take off?"
"I wanted to talk to you about something, but I don't want you to get mad." Emily found herself staring at her feet as she spoke the words.
"You're not paying me back for any of this if that's what you want to talk about. Instead, take the money and promise me you will buy yourself a new car. That thing is leaking oil everywhere, and I know the heat didn't work in it last Christmas. Let me know you will be driving something safe, and we will be even". Emily knew that th
ere was no changing his mind on this. Instead, she said "I promise" and hugged her dad. She once again waved goodbye as her family left and then grabbed some blankets from the closet. She set up a bed on the new couch and then made her way to the shower.
She had not seen the bathroom since the guys were working in here and was surprised when she walked in. The bathroom was just as beautiful as the rest of the house. She took a long hot shower and felt relaxed as she made her way back to the couch. She allowed herself to slip off to sleep. The following day Emily woke at about six-thirty. She folded the blankets and put them back in the closet. She then made her way to the kitchen and brewed a fresh pot of coffee, and sat at the kitchen table, slowly sipping it. Once she finished her cup, she rinsed it and placed it in the dishwasher. She then headed to her closet to find an outfit for the day. It seemed like another pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt kind of day. She had just made her way back to the living room when there was a knock on the door. She opened it and immediately heard Rachael yell," I win!" Emily watched as Joe handed Rachael five dollars. She could not help but laugh.
"If you three are done with your games, maybe we can get some work done," Charles stated as he worked his way into the house. "I'm sure Emily would like a bed to sleep in tonight." With that, they are all set to work. By mid-morning, the flooring was done in her bedroom and bathroom, and furniture started moving in. Everything was going much faster than she could have imagined.
By lunchtime, everything was done. Emily couldn't help but walk back and forth in the house, making sure everything was real. Her family was gathering in the kitchen preparing for lunch and let her do her own thing. Once she had convinced herself that it was real, she joined them. She was beginning to get used to these family meals. She was already making plans to make sure that this became a regular thing. They had just finished cleaning up from lunch when she heard the front door open and slammed shut. She was pulled back to the reality of her marriage which she had avoided for two days. Chad was home, and he was not happy. Emily watched as her dad and brother started to make their way to the living room and barely heard herself ask them to stop. Even more surprising was that they did. She stood herself tall and walked out to deal with Chad. As she entered the room, she saw that Chad stood right in front of the door.