To Build a Home

31 | Will They, Won't They

My brother died twenty-two days ago. A lot has happened since I received that call in the middle of the night in my ex-boyfriend's Manhattan apartment, but nothing as unexpected and wonderful as Darren Reynolds wrapping his arms around me from behind in the kitchen one morning, the scent of bacon and coffee wafting through the house, kissing me on the back of the head, and then saying, ever so casually, like he had been doing it forever, "Love you," as he walked down the hall and out the front door to go to work.

Sadie stared at me with a shocked expression as I told her. We were at the cottage, picking up debris and tossing it in the large dumpster that was on the front lawn. We'd pile the fallen sheetrock and wood and nails into wheelbarrows and push them across the lawn to the dumpster. We were mid-push when Sadie had stopped about ten feet from the dumpster. "What?" she said.

"I nearly broke the plate I was washing when I dropped it," I said.

"Is that 'love you' like 'love you, man, you're a great friend' or 'love you' as in 'I'm helplessly and head over heels in love with you and I want to make sweet passionate love to you every night as I renovate this cottage for you'?"

"You watch too many romcoms." I pushed my wheelbarrow to the dumpster as Sadie followed behind me with her own.

"We all saw the painting on the wall in the nook. Or as Hector calls it, the scene of the crime."

"But we haven't really talked about it," I said. "Not really." I started tossing the debris into the dumpster opening above my head. "It's driving me crazy. How did it happen with you and Rita?"

"Lesbians are different."

"Come on!" I whined.

"How did we make it official? I had been sleeping at her place for like a week or so and when she was on the phone with her mom, she said, 'I have to go, my girlfriend's here.' I assumed she was talking about me."

"It can't be that simple."

"You're overthinking it." She tossed a dusty piece of wood and small white flakes rained down on her. She coughed and swatted it away with her hat.

"Did he say anything to you?" I asked. Then my phone started ringing. I removed my gloves and took the phone out of my pocket. It was Darren calling. "Hi, boss," I said when I answered the phone.

"Don't be kinky," Sadie said. I threw my glove at her.

"How's it going over there?" Darren asked on the phone.

I walked away from Sadie and the dumpster. "Why don't you come over and find out."

"Ewww," Sadie yelled behind me.

I turned and laughed at her and then continued to walk away from the dumpster with the phone in my hand. Some of the guys were at their trucks eating lunch in the distance.

"I'd love to," Darren said and I flinched at the word. There it was again. Love. "But I was hoping you'd come back to town. Billy said he could squeeze us in this afternoon."

"What's the rush?" I asked.

"Don't you want to get it over with?"

"I guess." I agreed to meet him at the lawyer's office later that afternoon. We hung up, but he didn't say it again. Love you. I tried to ignore my disappointment.

Sadie was on her way back to the cottage, pushing the two wheelbarrows with each hand. I raced to catch up and took mine from her.

"So are you official yet?" she asked.

"No. We're meeting at the lawyer's office in Windber after lunch."

"That sounds extreme."

"For the reading of the will. He's been out of town."