It was cloudless and sunny when I finally stirred around, stretching and wincing a little at the sore, sensitive spots on my body.
I quietly slid out of bed, careful not to wake Bella. Finding a clean shirt and a pair of raggedy looking jeans (also clean), I quickly dressed and went downstairs to take a look at the damage from last night.
I slowly peeled the cardboard off one of the windows, and satisfied that it wasn't broken or cracked, removed it completely. The perfect weather outside didn't give a hint of the storm that hit the house the previous day, except the damage, of course.
Methodically, I stripped off the cardboard from the other windows, checking for damage. Only one window in the whole house appeared to be damaged, luckily. The kitchen window had a spiderweb of cracks running along it, like someone had lobbed a baseball at it.
I made a mental note to replace it as I tucked the cardboard boxes back into the closet. I pulled on my boots and went outside in the backyard. There was a broken treelimb on the ground, and some scattered twigs and leaves knocked off from the wind.
The limb had crashed through the fence, leaving a man-sized gaping hole in it. Trash was scattered all over the grass, and oddly, a large piece of aluminum siding piercing the ground. The lawn chairs were scattered, all knocked off the porch.
I checked the shed and the front yard. Nothing else seemed to really be damaged. It seemed to be concentrated in the backyard.
By the time I got done surveying the damage and back inside, Bella was already up, and cooking breakfast. She had the shirt she had on the night before, and she smiled at me as I walked in.
"Good morning," she said sleepily. I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and hugging her close.
"Mmm, smells good. I thought you told me I had to fend for myself?" I joked. She yawned and flipped over some bacon in the pan.
"Well, I figured I'd give you a break and make it this morning, since it looks like you're going to have your hands full fixing things." She explained.
"Oh, well the damage actually isn't really bad. I just checked it out. All I really have to do is replace the window in the kitchen above the sink, and fix the fence. I can probably pick up all that trash and the tree debris too, if you want." I added.
She nodded her acknowledgement of my report, as she started on the eggs and toast. "I guess you're going to have to go into town to get some supplies?" she asked me.
I pulled out a chair and sat at the table. "Yeah, I guess I'm going to have to get a pane of glass. I'll have to take measurements. And I've got to get some fence boards to replace the ones that got damaged. Unless you have any extras?" I asked her.
"Oh, no, I don't have any, sorry. I do have nails and a hammer and stuff like that. There might be some window caulk in the tool shed, as well. I was wondering if you could pick up some groceries while you're out in town? I'm gonna have to get ready for work in a few, right after breakfast, and I won't have time to do it. Do you think you could do that?" she said as she laid out the food on the table.
"Sure, I don't mind." I told her, as I piled food on a plate.
After we finished breakfast, I told her to get ready and that I'd get the dishes done. She thanked me and headed upstairs to take a shower. I washed the dishes and set them on the dish dryer rack.
A few moments later, she came downstairs, wrapped up in her bathrobe, and handed me a list and a few folded bills.
"That should be enough to get everything on the list, and the stuff you need to fix everything up, too. Keep the receipt so I can file it later. When you fix that, after I get home, I'll pay you. I have to get dressed now, or I'm going to be late!" she said, and rushed back up the stairs.
I followed her, heading to the bathroom to make myself a little more decent. I took a quick shower and brushed my teeth, then pulled the clothes on I had worn this morning (hey, they were still clean).
I stepped out of the bathroom and almost got ran down by Bella rushing out of her room. She had on a light gray pinstriped suit, with a knee-length skirt and light blue shirt underneath, along with some black heels.
"Oops, sorry! I'm off to work, I'll be back around four or five." She said, a little breathless. Giving me a quick kiss on the lips, she rushed back downstairs.
Grabbing my wallet and keys, I went out to the garage. I saw her pull out of the driveway, and waved to her. She waved back. I climbed into my truck and headed to town.
*****
I fidgeted and squirmed in my chair, tugging at the hem of my skirt. This board meeting was dragging on, and all I wanted to do was go home.
It was the last meeting of the day, but from the time I first stepped inside the building, time was going by like someone trying to extract cold molasses from a jar.
I managed to take a few more notes and absorb some of the information, trying not to convey my feelings that this was the last place on earth I wanted to be at the moment to everyone else in the room.
Finally, the old woman doing the presentation wrapped it up, and I collected my papers and notes, shoving them in my bag. I pushed the chair away from the table, and hobbled out of my seat.
My muscles were a little stiff, and the hour plus long meeting sitting in a chair did not help at all. Placing my hands on the small of my back, I straightened up, my back popping and crackling. "Ooh, that's better," I sighed. I grabbed my bag, waving goodbye to a few people I knew.
Once I stepped out of the building, I inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet, fresh outside air, and clearing the stuffy circulated office air out of my lungs.
I walked briskly to my car, stopping occasionally for a vehicle. I opened my bag and dug around for my keys. I couldn't find them.
"Ugh," I grumbled, then sat the bag on the hood of my car, carefully dumping it out and searching through all my things. Still no keys. I patted the few pockets on my suit. Nothing.
I stood there fuming quietly for a few minutes, then shoved everything back in my bag, rechecking everything as I put it back.
I circled around the vehicle and peered inside the passenger window. "Oh, come on..." I said angrily to no one in particular. Or maybe it should have been directed to me, since I somehow ended up stupidly locking my own keys in my car.
I gave an experimental tug on one of the doors. Locked. Well, I had to try, didn't I? I knew I had a spare key at the house. Maybe Jacob was still there.
I pulled out my phone and his business card, dialing his cell. There was a click and I could hear it ringing. I almost hung up after the fifth ring, but I heard someone say hello before I pressed the button.
"Hello? Yeah, Jacob, it's me Bella. Oh, you just got in? You finished with the repairs? That's good. Look, I've got a bit of a problem here. You know how to get to the veterinary hospital? Ok, good. There's a spare set of keys to the house and my car in the nightstand in my room. Grab those and meet me in the parking lot." I told him.
