their relationship appear to be more than neighbors. It seemed intimate. And Lord help her, she liked it.
From her porch, she glanced back. Caleb stood in the dark, watching them until they were safely inside.
♦♦♦
Saturday afternoon, Caleb returned from town, hoping to find Julie at home. He carefully removed the gift bag and hurried over to Julie’s back porch and set it down. Her van was gone, so he figured she was working. The glass hummingbird figurine wasn’t much just a way of saying thanks. She’d done a helluva job on his laundry.
Caleb smiled when he recalled stargazing the previous night. He hadn’t enjoyed anything that much in a long time. He could’ve kicked himself for telling Julie he liked how she smelled. It was too personal.
He changed out the washers in the faucets and fixed the leaks. The job lingered on for an hour. Truth was, he wasn’t much of a repairman, and what he did know he’d learned in prison.
He picked up his tools and put them away before grabbing a tall glass of tea. The gray dismal morning had transformed into a beautiful, sunny May afternoon, so he walked into his backyard with his glass and sat in an old rusted lawn chair. The fragrance of lilies filled the air, and fishing boats sped up and down the river. People on rafts and in brightly colored inner tubes floated downstream. Their laughter lifted in the air.
For a brief second, for the tiniest fraction of time, an image of Connie and Amy on their tubes formed in his mind then vanished. As though vapor, it dissolved into thin air, and he couldn’t grasp the memory. He closed his eyes, but only heard their faint laughter echo somewhere in the dark crevices of his mind. Then it too was gone.
Ally’s voice caught his attention. “Push me, Scott.”
He angled his chair so he could watch the children. He’d been so distracted that he hadn’t heard Julie’s van pull up.
“I don’t want to,” replied Scott, who lay on his belly at the river’s edge, gazing into the clear water. “Swing on the Jungle Gym.”
“You promised me you’d push me on the tire swing if I gave you my candy bar. I’ll tell Mommy.”
“Oh, all right.” The boy stood and took lumbered steps toward his sister, his face a sight of misery.
“Push me real high,” Ally demanded.
“Whatever.” Scott pushed against the tire swing until it was almost over his head. He jumped back as the tire went berserk, spinning and turning and swinging back and forth. Ally giggled hysterically. Scott even smiled.
“Again. Again. Higher!” she shouted.
Scott pushed the swing and let go. A loud pop followed by a thud-like crash brought Caleb to his feet. Ally, frantically sobbing, lay sprawled on the ground beside the tire.
Her sobs turned into a screaming cry, and Scott darted inside to find his mother. Caleb ran over, lifted Ally, and tried to console her as he carried her up the back porch steps.
Before he could knock, Julie opened the door. “Bring her in and put her on the sofa.” She moved the throw pillows out of the way. “My poor baby girl.”
After a few minutes, Ally stopped crying and wiped her eyes. “It’s Scott’s fault. He pushed me too hard.”
“She asked me to.”
“Did not!”
“Ally, tell the truth,” Caleb coaxed.
She sniffed a minute, then nodded. “I asked him.”
“Honey, that rope was too worn. It’s my fault. I should’ve replaced it.” Julie knelt beside Ally lying on the large plush blue sofa and examined her.
Caleb pointed to a swollen red knot on Ally’s forehead at the hairline. “A silly goose has gone and laid its egg on your head. You have a goose egg.”
“She sure does,” Julie agreed.
“It hurts. I don’t like goose eggs.”
“Scott, grab the ice pack from the freezer,” Julie said.
Her son returned quickly giving the small blue pack to Julie. She gently lowered it to Ally’s head. “That should make you feel better in a jiffy.”
“We don’t want the goose
From her porch, she glanced back. Caleb stood in the dark, watching them until they were safely inside.
♦♦♦
Saturday afternoon, Caleb returned from town, hoping to find Julie at home. He carefully removed the gift bag and hurried over to Julie’s back porch and set it down. Her van was gone, so he figured she was working. The glass hummingbird figurine wasn’t much just a way of saying thanks. She’d done a helluva job on his laundry.
Caleb smiled when he recalled stargazing the previous night. He hadn’t enjoyed anything that much in a long time. He could’ve kicked himself for telling Julie he liked how she smelled. It was too personal.
He changed out the washers in the faucets and fixed the leaks. The job lingered on for an hour. Truth was, he wasn’t much of a repairman, and what he did know he’d learned in prison.
He picked up his tools and put them away before grabbing a tall glass of tea. The gray dismal morning had transformed into a beautiful, sunny May afternoon, so he walked into his backyard with his glass and sat in an old rusted lawn chair. The fragrance of lilies filled the air, and fishing boats sped up and down the river. People on rafts and in brightly colored inner tubes floated downstream. Their laughter lifted in the air.
For a brief second, for the tiniest fraction of time, an image of Connie and Amy on their tubes formed in his mind then vanished. As though vapor, it dissolved into thin air, and he couldn’t grasp the memory. He closed his eyes, but only heard their faint laughter echo somewhere in the dark crevices of his mind. Then it too was gone.
Ally’s voice caught his attention. “Push me, Scott.”
He angled his chair so he could watch the children. He’d been so distracted that he hadn’t heard Julie’s van pull up.
“I don’t want to,” replied Scott, who lay on his belly at the river’s edge, gazing into the clear water. “Swing on the Jungle Gym.”
“You promised me you’d push me on the tire swing if I gave you my candy bar. I’ll tell Mommy.”
“Oh, all right.” The boy stood and took lumbered steps toward his sister, his face a sight of misery.
“Push me real high,” Ally demanded.
“Whatever.” Scott pushed against the tire swing until it was almost over his head. He jumped back as the tire went berserk, spinning and turning and swinging back and forth. Ally giggled hysterically. Scott even smiled.
“Again. Again. Higher!” she shouted.
Scott pushed the swing and let go. A loud pop followed by a thud-like crash brought Caleb to his feet. Ally, frantically sobbing, lay sprawled on the ground beside the tire.
Her sobs turned into a screaming cry, and Scott darted inside to find his mother. Caleb ran over, lifted Ally, and tried to console her as he carried her up the back porch steps.
Before he could knock, Julie opened the door. “Bring her in and put her on the sofa.” She moved the throw pillows out of the way. “My poor baby girl.”
After a few minutes, Ally stopped crying and wiped her eyes. “It’s Scott’s fault. He pushed me too hard.”
“She asked me to.”
“Did not!”
“Ally, tell the truth,” Caleb coaxed.
She sniffed a minute, then nodded. “I asked him.”
“Honey, that rope was too worn. It’s my fault. I should’ve replaced it.” Julie knelt beside Ally lying on the large plush blue sofa and examined her.
Caleb pointed to a swollen red knot on Ally’s forehead at the hairline. “A silly goose has gone and laid its egg on your head. You have a goose egg.”
“She sure does,” Julie agreed.
“It hurts. I don’t like goose eggs.”
“Scott, grab the ice pack from the freezer,” Julie said.
Her son returned quickly giving the small blue pack to Julie. She gently lowered it to Ally’s head. “That should make you feel better in a jiffy.”
“We don’t want the goose
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