in. She can’t continue to make herself responsible.
Aria wept until her tears ran dry, and still he held fast to her. Hiccups replaced the sobs, and her rapid breathing slowed to a more even pace. As her body seemed to lose its strength, she sagged against him. Before she completely gave in to the exhaustion, he picked her up in his arms.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he replied as he carried her through the darkened house and tucked her into the bed next to Jimmy. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and draped it over the window, then closed the door quietly behind him.
Stepping back out on the patio, he sent a text to his buds. Hopping over the fence railing, he walked down the pathway, to the road, and around to the front of his house. He stared at the furniture littering the lawn. “You’ve been a busy lady, Aria. Now, let’s see if I can be the one to bring you some ease and comfort.”
***
By the light of the streetlamps, JC and Hammer helped Dan survey the yard.
Taking a deep breath, Dan let it out slowly. “What a mess.”
“We can make quick work of it,” said Hammer, scratching his neck.
Dan didn’t want to think about the day’s events. It was much easier to tackle the project at hand. “Minimal talking once we’re inside the house. Aria and Jimmy are finally asleep.”
JC nodded. “Roger that.”
Hammer slapped Dan on the back and moved toward the refrigerator. Dan and JC had to double-time it to catch up to him. At the front door, Hammer said, “I’ll tip. Dan, you open the door, and JC, you catch the other end of the refrigerator and help me move it inside.” The choreography was timed perfectly, and the refrigerator was soon in place, connected properly, humming along, and beginning to cool down. Of course, they put several six-packs of beer inside before they went to the front lawn for the next load.
“Who has a knife?” asked Dan as he wrestled with a large box that had fifteen plastic straps crisscrossing it. A Ka-Bar was placed in his hand, and Dan smiled as he recognized the feel of it. “Aw, JC, you’re lending me Sally.” Sliding the blade over the straps, in one movement he severed all of the restraints and even slit the box for good measure. Tossing the blade at JC’s foot, the man caught it by the handle before it even touched the soil.
“Come to me, my precious.” JC slipped the knife into the sheath attached to his belt and went back to wrestling with the couch. “Dan, I’m not confident about our ability to fit this baby through the front door.”
“Is there another option?” Hammer did a quick measurement using his arms. “Unless you’d like me to get the ax out of my emergency tool locker and cut it down into three smaller pieces, this pup either has to go back or…”
Dan nodded. “Yeah, I was worried about that when I saw the size of it.” Ripping open another of the boxes, he smiled. “Great choice, Aria.” He pulled out the barstools and examined them. He liked them. “Let’s bring these inside. We’ll put them against the island in the kitchen. I think the back door, through the patio, will be our best option for the couch.”
They brought them in and agreed that it was time for a boat drill. Going back outside, they picked up the couch, hefted it over their heads, and trotted down the street as if it were one of the water-filled boats from their BUD/S training. Humping it along the path until they got to Dan and Aria’s place, they hefted it over the fence and through the patio into the open back door. As they placed it in the only spot available, it was clear the size completely overwhelmed the room.
JC waited until they were outside before he whispered, “Trying to compensate for something with that huge couch? You could’ve just gotten some tight shorts, you know.”
“At least I have some size,” retorted Dan.
“Too bad I have to put both of you to shame,” added Hammer as he headed back in with the
Aria wept until her tears ran dry, and still he held fast to her. Hiccups replaced the sobs, and her rapid breathing slowed to a more even pace. As her body seemed to lose its strength, she sagged against him. Before she completely gave in to the exhaustion, he picked her up in his arms.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he replied as he carried her through the darkened house and tucked her into the bed next to Jimmy. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and draped it over the window, then closed the door quietly behind him.
Stepping back out on the patio, he sent a text to his buds. Hopping over the fence railing, he walked down the pathway, to the road, and around to the front of his house. He stared at the furniture littering the lawn. “You’ve been a busy lady, Aria. Now, let’s see if I can be the one to bring you some ease and comfort.”
***
By the light of the streetlamps, JC and Hammer helped Dan survey the yard.
Taking a deep breath, Dan let it out slowly. “What a mess.”
“We can make quick work of it,” said Hammer, scratching his neck.
Dan didn’t want to think about the day’s events. It was much easier to tackle the project at hand. “Minimal talking once we’re inside the house. Aria and Jimmy are finally asleep.”
JC nodded. “Roger that.”
Hammer slapped Dan on the back and moved toward the refrigerator. Dan and JC had to double-time it to catch up to him. At the front door, Hammer said, “I’ll tip. Dan, you open the door, and JC, you catch the other end of the refrigerator and help me move it inside.” The choreography was timed perfectly, and the refrigerator was soon in place, connected properly, humming along, and beginning to cool down. Of course, they put several six-packs of beer inside before they went to the front lawn for the next load.
“Who has a knife?” asked Dan as he wrestled with a large box that had fifteen plastic straps crisscrossing it. A Ka-Bar was placed in his hand, and Dan smiled as he recognized the feel of it. “Aw, JC, you’re lending me Sally.” Sliding the blade over the straps, in one movement he severed all of the restraints and even slit the box for good measure. Tossing the blade at JC’s foot, the man caught it by the handle before it even touched the soil.
“Come to me, my precious.” JC slipped the knife into the sheath attached to his belt and went back to wrestling with the couch. “Dan, I’m not confident about our ability to fit this baby through the front door.”
“Is there another option?” Hammer did a quick measurement using his arms. “Unless you’d like me to get the ax out of my emergency tool locker and cut it down into three smaller pieces, this pup either has to go back or…”
Dan nodded. “Yeah, I was worried about that when I saw the size of it.” Ripping open another of the boxes, he smiled. “Great choice, Aria.” He pulled out the barstools and examined them. He liked them. “Let’s bring these inside. We’ll put them against the island in the kitchen. I think the back door, through the patio, will be our best option for the couch.”
They brought them in and agreed that it was time for a boat drill. Going back outside, they picked up the couch, hefted it over their heads, and trotted down the street as if it were one of the water-filled boats from their BUD/S training. Humping it along the path until they got to Dan and Aria’s place, they hefted it over the fence and through the patio into the open back door. As they placed it in the only spot available, it was clear the size completely overwhelmed the room.
JC waited until they were outside before he whispered, “Trying to compensate for something with that huge couch? You could’ve just gotten some tight shorts, you know.”
“At least I have some size,” retorted Dan.
“Too bad I have to put both of you to shame,” added Hammer as he headed back in with the
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