Brothers in (her) Arms

I made the turn onto the street that led to my house in a nice middle class neighborhood and made my way to the driveway where I lived. I waited while the garage door opened and saw my next-door neighbor pushing a lawn mower out of her garage onto her driveway. I pulled my car in and turned off the engine. It took a few minutes to carry the groceries into the house before I walked down to the mailbox to get the mail. As I walked I watched my neighbor trying to get the mower started. She was obviously not very comfortable with using it and was getting increasingly frustrated as she attempted to get it to work. Walking back up the drive I heard her say loudly, "Fucking piece of shit!" as she kicked the mower, doing more damage to her foot than to the uncooperative mower.

"Excuse me, but would you like some help with that?"

"Oh would you? I hate to bother you but as you can see the grass is way past due for a trimming so I decided to try and do it myself. I'm not having much luck."

I put the mail on the trunk of my car and walked over to her. She was a nice looking woman in her late twenties I'd guess. She had light brown hair pulled back with a rubber band around it in a short ponytail to keep it out of her face. Her jeans were worn and it looked like she was wearing a man's shirt that was too big for her.

I kneeled down and examined the mower. "When was the last time this was used?"

"I'm not sure. I had a deal with a kid down the street to mow for me but he can't do it anymore and I haven't been able to find anybody else that I can afford. My husband is the last one to use it and that's been some time ago."

I told her I'd be right back and went to my garage to get some things and returned to the mower to see if I could get it operational. It took about fifteen minutes to clean it up, change the spark plug, suck out the old gas that had been sitting in it and replace it with some from a can I had. Then I adjusted the mechanism for the height of the blades and spritzed some WD40 on them to make sure they could spin freely. I stood up and pressed the automatic start button on the handle and it fired right up.

"Oh great. Thank you so much. I would never have known to do all that you did to fix it."

"I'm pretty handy with things like this. In fact it's what I do to stay busy. I like doing handyman stuff and fixing things. Just let me make sure it's been adjusted correctly." I began to mow a strip of grass to see if it was working OK. I got to the end of her lawn and cut another strip alongside the first one as I came back to where she was standing. When I got back to her I heard an alarm in her pocket sound.

"Can you wait here for a minute? That's my baby monitor and I need to go check on my son." She started walking back into her house. I started cutting another strip of the lawn and continued while she was busy in the house. It wasn't a huge lawn and I had it all done by the time she came back.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for you to cut the whole lawn. It took a little longer than I thought to take care of Chucky. Can I pay you for doing it?"

"No. I told you I like doing things like this. Especially since you're my neighbor."

"Well at least come inside and have a drink and we can talk for a few minutes and get to know each other."

I rolled the mower into the garage then followed her into the house and was surprised by my eyes being drawn to her shapely ass as it moved enticingly when she walked. We went to the kitchen that had a nice size breakfast room with a sliding glass door that led to the back yard. I noticed that a lot of things in the house seemed to be unfinished or in need of repair. The kitchen cabinets needed to be replaced and the countertops were old.

"What would you like to drink? I have real iced tea and lemonade in the fridge or I could make you some coffee if you prefer."

"Iced tea would be perfect, if it's not sweetened."

She poured me a glass from a pitcher she took out of the refrigerator and sat it on the table. "I try to limit my use of sugar, especially now that I have a baby in the house. Would you care for a slice of lemon or lime with that?"

"Lime please and I'm impressed that someone your age knows the proper way to make and serve iced tea."

"Thank you. My grandmother taught me a lot about cooking. My name is Alicia Carpenter by the way and thanks again for mowing the yard."

"Walter Mason and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance Alicia."

"You must be wondering about the state of this house. We only bought it two months ago. It was in the process of being flipped by a couple of men who bought it six months ago and then were killed in a car accident after they started the rehab. I work for a real estate company that was hired by the bank that was financing the flip and they wanted to just unload it as quickly as possible. My husband, Grant, is in Afghanistan; he's in the Marines. I told him we needed to act fast so we used what little savings we had to take over the loan that the bank had given the two men so we were able to get this lovely house for only seventy-seven thousand."

"Wow, that is a deal. Houses in this neighborhood start at two-seventy even without having been updated. Of course you being a realtor would know that."

"I just hope we haven't bitten off more than we can chew. With Grant away and a one-year-old baby, I don't have time or money to continue remodeling so I have to make do with what is here and work around some things. Thankfully the two men hadn't had time to really wreck the place before their accident. What do you do Walter?"

"I'm forty-seven years old and in a position to do pretty much what I want to do. I was a career Army man for twenty years and retired as a major. I get a nice retirement payment every month and my house is paid for. Two years ago my wife Donna was killed in a freak accident at one of those shopping clubs where you have to pay to be a member. A young child ran around a corner in front of a forklift and the operator swerved to avoid him and clipped the tall shelves that had merchandise piled up high on them. One of the shelves collapsed and killed my wife. I was only twenty feet away from her when it happened."

"Oh Walter, I'm so sorry to hear that. You have my deepest sympathy."

"Thank you. I'll never get over it but I got an attorney and he got me a six million dollar settlement so I can live just about anyway I want to now. Only trouble is, the way I want to included living with my wife."

"Oh you poor dear man. I see your sadness and I know what you must be feeling. I miss Grant too and it scares me terribly that something is going to happen to him."

She walked over to me and leaned down to hug me. Suddenly we had a shared bond. We both had to live without the person we love. The hug was genuine and heartfelt. There were tears in both our eyes. Despite the unhappy reason for the hug, it made me realize that it was the first time I had put my arms around a woman since Donna died. Her warmth and the way she smelled did not go unrecognized or unappreciated. Apparently she felt similarly because the hug lasted a little longer than one would usually allow for a sympathy hug. She stood up and her smile had just a hint of something besides condolence in it. My smile said a little more than thank you for making me feel better.

"So Walter, since you can do pretty much as you please what do you spend your time doing?"

"I'm a handyman, I fix things. When I was in the Army I took every bit of training on repair and maintenance that was offered. The men who worked with me called me MacGyver after the TV show. I always loved to tinker and find out how things worked and the Army was happy to allow me to indulge my predilection. There was never a shortage of things to fix in the Army. Anyway, it kept me out of combat. I was never much of a warrior; didn't have the killer instinct."

"More of a lover than a fighter huh?"

I smiled at her remark. "If I had to choose, I'd prefer lover."

"Maybe you shouldn't have told me you like to fix things. As you can see, there are a lot of things I need fixed. And you did such a good job on the mower. Don't let me take advantage of you Walter."

"I've had worse things happen to me Alicia. Actually I wouldn't mind helping you out. I know it has to be tough raising a baby, holding down a job and trying to live in a house that is under reconstruction. I don't have many close friends, and that's by choice, but I already feel like we could be friends. It would do me a world of good to be around a woman and a young baby. My daughter is grown and lives in another state so I don't get to spend time with her anymore. I don't think it's healthy to be a recluse and we seem to be ideally suited to each other."

"Don't say you weren't warned Walter. I could use all the help I can get right now. I've had to cut back on my work to half days and they're kind enough to let me do a lot from home but it pushes me to my limit to have to do this all by myself and I get lonely too. You would be saving my life if you could help me manage all of this before I stress myself into a breakdown."

"Let me start by fixing dinner for you tonight. I like to cook and you could use a night off from having to either eat junk or spend time cooking. You and Chucky can come over to my house and be my guests."

"Oh God Walter that sounds divine. I like to put Chucky to bed by seven. Can we eat about six-thirty?"

"Six-thirty would be fine but you can come a little early if you want to have a glass of wine. Is there anything in particular you like to eat?"

"I like fish. Grilled Salmon would be perfect."

"An excellent choice Madame. I haven't used my grill in a while and now that the weather is so nice we can have dinner on the deck."

"Walter, you don't know how much I appreciate what you're doing... and what you already did by fixing the mower. Thank you."

"You're very welcome Alicia. I'll see you later then." I got up and returned to my house then got back in the car and drove to an upscale market that had a great selection of fish. I picked up a couple of fresh Salmon filets and a bottle of Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. I had already bought some fresh asparagus and some quinoa. I got a little foil package of Japanese crackers made from rice flour for a little snack to have with the first glass of wine.

She rang my doorbell at six-fifteen. When I opened the door I was pleasantly surprised to see how she was dressed. Instead of old jeans and a loose fitting shirt like she wore earlier, she had on a long white skirt that was layered and made of fine, revealingly sheer cotton. Her loose-sleeved blouse looked Indian and was full of bright colors. On her feet were white sandals with little golden coins dangling from the straps. I detected the lovely scent of Gardenias emanating from her.

"You look beautiful Alicia. You're going to make this a special occasion."

"It is special Walter. I haven't been on a date since before Grant left. I needed this and I think you do too."

"That's very sweet of you to think of this as a date. I hope it's the first of many in that case. I realize I've been avoiding doing this and I must admit I feel a little nervous about fixing dinner for a pretty woman for the first time since I can remember."

She had Chucky in a bassinet that you could carry. "Can I help you with that?"

"Thank you, that would be very kind of you." I took it from her and led her to the deck in the back of the house and put the bassinet on the outdoor table. It was the first time I had been this close to a little baby since my daughter.

"That's a very fine young man you have there Alicia. You must be very proud of him."

"He's the light of my life Walter. He would be the only thing I had left if anything happens to Grant. That's why I insisted we have him before he got deployed so he'd have somebody to carry on his name in case..."

"Keep thinking positively Alicia. My grandmother used to tell me that she had never seen any situation improve by worrying about it. Please have a seat."

She picked up Chucky and sat down in one of the glider chairs and began to gently rock him while she held him. It was easy to see how much she loved him by the way she looked at him. He seemed to look back at her the same way. It made my heart feel really good to have them here. I went inside to get the wine out of the freezer where I had put it about five minutes before she arrived. I liked my Chardonnay cold, especially a really good one like this one. I thought the flavors released better when the cold wine met a warm tongue for the first sip. I poured some of the wine into two crystal wine goblets that had previously only been used for special occasions. I felt like tonight qualified as one.

I took the glasses out on the deck and handed one to her. I touched hers with mine and said, "Here's to new friends." She smiled and took a sip. I sat a dish of the Japanese crackers on the little table beside the chair she was sitting in.

"This is delicious Walter. You really know how to treat a girl."

"I was hoping I could remember. The two of you bring some much needed life into this house and I hope we can do this again sometime."

"Would every night be asking too much?"

"Be careful what you wish for Alicia."

"You mean I might just get it? That doesn't scare me Walter. You're one of the nicest men I've ever met and for the first time since Grant left I feel safe and relaxed. I can't tell you how much that means to me. You're one of those old fashioned men that used to be called gentlemen. You're an endangered species Walter."

"I don't think I've had a nicer compliment Alicia. I was raised to be a gentleman by parents who loved me so I took to it naturally. My grandmother was the sweetest, wisest woman I ever knew. She set a wonderful example for me. Whenever I had a problem I knew I could go to her and she would help me understand it and deal with it. Kindness seems to be in my DNA."

"I've already figured that out Walter. Can I change the subject? Where did you get this deck and all this wonderful outdoor furniture? It's some of the best I've ever seen."

"I did it all myself. Except for the furniture of course. I've been helping people for several years and sometimes I don't ask for money when I do something. I know a lot of businesses and individuals that deal with things for the home. Many times my customers want to redo something that I don't think needs to be changed but instead of talking them out of it I swap my services for the things they are replacing. That's how I got this furniture. A couple was putting in a pool and enlarging their patio to look like something you'd see in Hawaii so I did my part in exchange for their old furniture. I do this all the time. It's how I got the hot tub and most of the other things I've put in this house over the years.

"You have a hot tub?"

"Yeah, a big one. It does wonders for your body after a hard day."

"I can just imagine. You do know that this deck and outdoor kitchen add about twenty-five thousand to the value of this house don't you?" It's one of the nicest decks I've ever seen and I see a lot of them in my line of work."

"That's nice to know but that's not why I did it. I enjoy it and I'm glad you've given me a reason to use it again."

I got off the barstool I was sitting on at the bar that was in front of the galley style outside kitchen that was built in to a side of the house and walked around behind it to fire up the infrared grill. I had already put the Salmon in the outside refrigerator so it was prepared with a light layer of mayonnaise and a sprinkle of a Cajun style seasoning with just a little bit of a spicy bite to it. I put the quinoa in a saucepan with some water and added a little salt and pepper to it before putting it on a side burner to cook. I had a spray bottle with lemon juice and melted butter in it to coat the asparagus as they roasted on the grill with the fish.

"Are you ready for dinner Alicia?"

"Anytime you are Walter. I could just sit here and drink wine for another couple of hours if you'd let me."

"And miss the gourmet meal I've gone to all the trouble to fix for you? Not a chance."

"You're spoiling me Walter."

"Aw shucks Alicia, this is nothing. I'm glad you're having a good time." I went inside to get a couple of place mats, two chargers and two cloth napkins then went back out on the deck and put them on the table. I got knives and forks from a cabinet below the bar and put them next to the chargers. I brought the wine and a bottle of sparkling water out and put the wine in an ice bucket on the table.

A few minutes later everything was ready. I plated the fish and sides and took them to the table. "Dinner is served Madame."

She put Chucky back in his bassinet and tilted it so we could see him at the other end of the table. I sat across from her so I could look at her while we ate. I watched as she took her first bite. A look of pure joy came to her face and her eyes closed. "Oh my God Walter, this is incredible. A meal like this would cost fifty dollars a plate in any restaurant that knew how to do it this well. Where did you learn to cook so good?"

"Oh, here and there. Mostly from my grandmother and my mom but even in the Army. I did a stint as a cook for an officer's club once."

"Jesus Walter, is there no end to your talent?"

"I suck at playing golf. However, I can hold my own on a pool table, unless I'm playing a pretty girl in a low cut blouse. I tend to get distracted easily."

"I love your sense of humor Walter. It's so great to spend an evening with a man that's both charming and refined. Grant is three years younger than I am and lacks the maturity and experience that you have. Being with you is refreshing."

"Being with you is a delight for me as well Alicia. I haven't let myself enjoy a woman's company since Donna died and now I realize that I miss it. Thanks for spending some quality time with me."

"You're very welcome Walter. Now what's for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes, I do. Unless you have other plans."

"Even if I did, I'd cancel them. Same time?"

"Perfect. You can surprise me with the menu.

We finished eating and drinking the rest of the wine. I insisted on walking her home and carried Chucky in his bassinet for her. I said goodnight and she answered with 'see you tomorrow night'. It had seemed like a date and the wonderful thing about it was that I felt like Donna would approve. Likewise, Alicia acted like Grant would think so too. I'd never had a close female friend before and I found the prospect very satisfying.

The next day I had to change a light fixture for a woman and picked up some surplus appliances from a builder that bought too many of them and made me a deal I couldn't refuse. I took them to a large storage unit another of my friends let me use in exchange for having put in a security system for him. I kept a lot of things I knew I could use for future jobs in this unit. On the way home I stopped by the store with the great fish market and bought some Gulf shrimp and another bottle of wine. This time it was a wonderful sparkler that was grown just outside the borders of the Champagne region and cost a third as much as the 'real' stuff did but tasted just as good.

When I got back to my house I couldn't believe how excited I was about Alicia coming over again. I had only known her for a day and already I liked her. She was real and a new mother and I liked seeing the changes motherhood inevitably makes in a young woman. I'd been through this a long time ago with Donna and it was really special. I felt a little bad for Grant that he had to miss this. I really didn't want to do anything to interfere with their marriage. I was quite happy to be her surrogate dad and grandfather to Chucky.