"Hey Leah, I'm so sorry to bother you, but I have a favor to ask," I heard my middle-aged neighbor say on my doorstep while she held some kind of basket.
"Oh my god, Agnes, you look so frazzled, are you ok?" I replied, genuinely concerned since I've known her for years and had never seen her like this.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's just the worst luck. I woke up today and realized my house didn't have any hot water. I guess my water heater broke? I called like a dozen plumbers, but the earliest someone could come out is tomorrow. Can I by any chance use your shower? I'm so sorry to ask, but I'm just in a real pinch."
"Of course! Come in, come in!" I said.
"You can use my guest bathroom. It's right over th-what am I saying, you've been over so many times you know where it is. Oh, and you can find some spare towels in that cabinet."
"You're such a lifesaver Leah! This is why you're my favorite neighbor!" she said, clutching her basket tightly.
"You're so sweet...but aren't I your only neighbor? Didn't old man Gil pass away and his family is still trying to sell that house?"
"Like, I said, my favorite neighbor," she repeated with a huge smile on her face and we shared a quick laugh with each other.
"Just so you know, I was actually about to step out to play some Tennis at the park. Feel free to shower and then lock the door on your way out."
"Oh yes, definitely! Oh, real quick before you go, do you mind if my son also comes over and uses the shower too?" she asked quickly.
"Your son? I thought he was in Europe with his father?"
"Oh my, did I never tell you? Bless my heart, I'm so forgetful sometimes. He finished High School there, but he just came home to go to college here. Would you believe it, he chose Wheaton College! How funny would it be if he took one of your classes! If only your son also went to Wheaton and didn't go to school on the other side of the country. I'm sure they would be fast friends."
"Wow, that's so exciting! You must be so happy to have him back! God, I don't think I have seen him since middle school, but anyways, yes, of course he can use it too."
"I'm so thrilled. It's so nice having one of my babies back in the house because it's been so lonely since my daughter left for college too. I guess I shouldn't call him a baby anymore, he's grown up so much. He's so handsome too! I just know the girls at school will be fawning all over him."
I scoffed with a smile and gently slapped her arm when I heard her continue, "It's true though! He's probably going to break so many hearts. Oh anyways, enough about me, you need to get going. I'll be fine!"
"Alright, I'll get going then. I'll see you at my pool party tomorrow, right?" I said while I grabbed my bag with my tennis gear.
"Wouldn't miss it!" she replied enthusiastically.
"Ok, I'll see you later!" I said as I walked out of the house and to my car sitting in my driveway.
A stranger might have thought it was really weird for me to leave someone in my house alone, but I've known Agnes for years and we've been neighbors for so long that I practically considered her a sister. Granted, I was a little hesitant about letting her son use my shower as well, but Agnes was such a close friend that I was confident her son would be respectful. I tried to imagine what he looked like now that he was fully grown, but I had such a hard time. I could only see him as this short, skinny kid.
I backed out of my driveway and drove a short distance to a local park where they had a lot of tennis courts. Ever since I was little, I loved playing. I even played competitively in high school and college, but sadly I wasn't good enough for the professional scene. Instead, I decided to get my Master's degree and eventually found my way into teaching at Wheaton College. However, I never stopped loving the game and always carved out time to play. Besides, it was a great workout to stay in shape. After I arrived and parked my car, I walked over to the courts.
It was the end of Summer, but still incredibly hot out. I was so thankful that tennis outfits were so light and breezy otherwise I'd probably melt right on the court. I put my long brown hair in a ponytail and started to practice by myself before playing a few friendly matches. As much fun as it was, after an hour or so I decided to head back home so I could focus on writing an academic article on my research. I hoped that by getting my blood pumping it would give me the energy I needed to focus and get a few pages typed.
After a short drive back to my house, I walked through my front door and dropped my tennis bag on the floor. My mind was already on my academic research when I turned a corner and somehow bumped into someone. For a moment, pure panic gripped me as I thought someone broke into my house! When I saw it was a young man clothed in only a towel and still wet from a shower, it finally dawned on me that this must be Agnes' son, George. Oh my, he looked so different from how I remembered.