Perfect Mess

Chapter 4 - Monday

"Sister! How are you?" Jeanie yelled to me as she answered her door. "I thought I heard you pull up, but I was guessing you went to watch the sunset on your bench. How was it?"

I hugged Jeanie and laughed, letting her know the sunset was beautiful. Jeanie hugged Caleb next, taking a long inhale.

"Hmmm. You smell better every time I see you, Caleb." She tore away from him but hesitated, winking at me and giving me a thumbs up after looking sneakily at his ass. I shook my head in disbelief, trying to ignore her childish antics.

Caleb blushed, attempting to change the subject by sniffing and asking Jeanie, "did you make blueberry muffins for me?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did!" Jeanie took our coats and told us to make ourselves at home. She said we would have to share the guest room since she had Troy, her son, and he took up the other room she had.

"Speaking of Troy, where is the little guy?" I looked around the house as I walked towards the guest room, Caleb in tow.

"He's actually with Izaak right now. They went out for some groceries but should be back soon. I wanted to make sure I was home when you got here." Jeanie opened the guest room door and led us inside. "I know it isn't much but it's what I have. Hopefully this is okay. I don't know how long you'll be in town, but you can stay as long as you like. I miss having my sister around." Jeanie looked toward the ground and I hugged her again.

"Sorry, sister. I know I haven't come around a lot and I'm sorry. It's just hard being here."

Jeanie nodded and patted me on the head, letting go of my embrace. She then left the room saying dinner should be done shortly.

Caleb set our duffel bags on the queen-sized bed, letting out a whistle. "So, which side of the bed do you want?"

A blush crept up to my cheeks just imagining sleeping in the same bed as Caleb. We had done it so many times before but for some reason, being back in Winona to a place that didn't feel like home much anymore, it felt different. My apartment in the cities was different because it was natural at this point. In the cities, we were both adults living our own lives, going to work, paying to keep ourselves afloat. Here, I am back to being a teenager who is thinking of sleeping in the same bed as a cute boy.

"I'd like the one not closest to the door. That way you get attacked first if there's an intruder."

"Very funny. Jokes on you because I have the skills I need to prevent said intruder from causing either of us harm," Caleb jabbed at my side. I laughed and began to tickle his side as payback. Before I knew what was happening, we were in an all-out tickle fight. The tussle ended with Caleb holding my wrists in his one hand and tickling me under my armpit. I fell onto the bed and Caleb followed, out of breath from laughter.

The two of us continued to try and catch our breath while lying on the bed. Caleb gazed at me and I swear I saw him look towards my lips, but I must have been imagining things. There was no way he had thought of kissing me. Before I could give it another thought, I heard a small voice belonging to Troy yelling "Auntie Erin!".

Caleb and I shot up and off of the bed in seconds. I straightened out my clothes and walked over to Troy, lifting him up in the air. Though I had only seen Troy in person once when he was born, video chatting happened often and he knows who I am. He also knows Caleb thankfully, otherwise he may have been scared after seeing us on the bed like that.

"Auntie, why were you on the bed with Uncle Caleb?"

"Well, we were having a tickle fight and I won," Caleb grinned, ruffling Troy's hair.

"Did not!" I said. Troy giggled and pointed towards the door saying "daddy". I put him on the ground and followed him as he walked to the kitchen, where I found Izaak and Jeanie kissing near the kitchen island.

"Visitors entering the kitchen," I warned. "Please don't try to make another baby while we're in town." They pulled apart and Jeanie blushed as I laughed.

All of us sat down at the table for dinner and to discuss the last-minute trip to Winona.

"So what's the reason for your sudden return, Erin?" Izaak inquired, cutting his meat with a steak knife.

I cleared my throat, taking a sip of milk to wash down my potatoes. "I figured I haven't been here in a while and it was time to come back. I also had some time off of work that I needed to use, so it was good timing. Thankfully Caleb isn't working for a few more weeks due to some construction within his company, so he was able to come with me."

Caleb spoke up and explained that his company was reconstructing their plant where he works on machines and he was getting paid for the hours missed. He said he was due back to work in a few weeks.

Izaak, Jeanie, and Caleb talked throughout dinner about his work, his mother, and how things have been going in Winona and with Troy. I was spaced out in my own world, slowly eating my meat and potatoes while thinking of why I came back. I still don't know what exactly I'm looking for, but to be honest, I really wasn't looking forward to the inevitable: a run in with Colin.