Andrew fumbled with the doorknob to his old room and somehow managed to get himself inside with all three suitcases that he was carrying. He set the bags down near the bed and heaved a sigh of relief.
Andrew was home.
He hadn't been in his room for almost a year, and that was only a quick stop to drop some things off. College had taken all of Andrew's time. Now he was back. Four years closer to a business degree, Andrew was ready for a break.
Andrew stretched his back and yawned. His room was as he'd left it, almost. A thin layer of dust had settled over some surfaces, but otherwise it looked, smelled and felt exactly as he remembered it. There were few things more comforting than coming back home after years of life in college.
Among the clutter on Andrew's desk was a photo of him and his ex-girlfriend Stephanie. They looked happy. Time had certainly changed some things. Andrew picked up the photo and looked at it for a moment. He smiled, wiped the dust off of the photo and put it safely in his top desk drawer.
"Life goes on." Andrew said to himself.
He turned to one of the windows in his room, opened the blinds and looked out. It was summer, and the weather was beautiful. He pushed the window up and wide open. Fresh air wafted through the room for the first time in months.
Andrew was surprised that evening when his father handed him the keys to the old family pickup.
"Here. Old girl's getting rusty. Since your mother and I bought the SUV, the old truck doesn't get used much. You might as well drive it until you can get something fancier." Andrew's father smiled as he handed the keys over.
Andrew was honored. The old Chevy was a piece of family history. He didn't think it would ever be sold. The truck was brick red or burnt orange, depending on the light, and the bed was scuffed, rusty and well used. Still, the paint held a shine and the windows were spotless. The interior smelled of pine tree air fresheners and the occasional cigarette (from when grandpa was visiting). Andrew's brother Mark had been trusted with the truck's care for a year or so back when the boys were in high school. The truck held a lot of great memories for Andrew, and he was happy to have it.
It wasn't long until Andrew was given his brother's old job at the local country club. Andrew hadn't been keeping up on his golf since he had been away at school, but the guys at the pro shop were so worked up over stories of his brother that it didn't seem to matter. Andrew filled out the necessary forms and the job was his. He was even granted the weekend shift behind the counter at the pro shop.
Leaving the country club, Andrew took the long way home. He drove the old truck slowly, taking in the sights of his hometown that he hadn't seen in years. There was really only one house that he wanted to drive past; Stephanie's house. He knew that Stephanie was no longer living there, but that her parents still called the place home. Andrew rounded a corner onto Quail Drive and let the truck coast down the street. It was about noon, and the street was quiet. Once 1221 Quail came into view, Andrew could see that only Stephanie's mother, Mrs. Doreen Wilson, was home. Her minivan was parked in the driveway. Andrew scanned the yard, and couldn't help but notice that it looked fairly unkempt. This was odd, since Doreen had always tried to keep the yard looking nice.
Andrew took the next left on Maple, and drove his truck down to the dead-end. He wheeled the truck around and parked it out of sight by a stand of trees. It appeared that the house there was still vacant after all these years. It was as if everything in this neighborhood had simply been put on pause while he had been gone. Andrew felt a lump growing in his throat as he pushed the heavy door of the pickup closed and walked back toward the Wilson's old house.
Would he still be welcome there?
It had been over four years since he had seen Doreen. The affair that the two of them had engaged in all those years ago had been put from Andrew's mind after he started dating Doreen's daughter. There was still a whisper of heartache over his breakup with Stephanie, but Andrew had spent over two years recovering. After a week tooling around his hometown, memories of Doreen had started to haunt Andrew. His loneliness hadn't been apparent to him until he was back home.
Andrew stood on the Wilson's front porch and rang the bell. He heard the back door close distantly, and footsteps ringing out in the entryway. The door opened.
Doreen beamed at him. "Well. Isn't this a pleasant surprise." She stated plainly. "I ran into your mom at the store, she said you'd be in town soon."
Andrew nodded. "Well... I guess I'll be staying for awhile." He said weakly.
Doreen put her fists on her hips as her face melted into a knowing smirk. "Well," she said, unable to hide her elation at seeing Andrew, "come on in, we'll catch up on old gossip."
Andrew stepped inside and Doreen closed the door. He could not help but notice that she had let her hair go gray. It was also cut short, and worn high. She looked more than ever the lady of style and grace. She had put on weight, but it was only just noticeable thanks to the clothes she wore. Loose button-up shirt and light blue jeans; as always hiding the curves that lay beneath. She was nearing fifty years old, but Andrew found himself melting in her presence as he had years ago. He felt those old butterflies fluttering down in his stomach as she lead him down the hall to the kitchen in the back of the house. It was as if nothing had ever happened between the two of them.
Doreen sat the two of them down at the small kitchen table with ice tea and some cookies she'd baked. They spoke about college. Doreen seemed to avoid speaking of Stephanie. Andrew knew that she would, being the caring woman that Doreen was. Andrew told her about his job at the golf course.
"Well, you'll be seeing a lot of George at the country club." Doreen added. "It seems like he's always there if he's not here or at work. He's only consulting now, probably retire in another year."
Andrew's heart sank a little at the casual mention of Doreen's husband, George. She seemed to be addressing Andrew as an old friend, instead of an old lover. As if noting Andrew's shift in moods, Doreen rose and bid Andrew follow her outside. In the backyard, Andrew followed Doreen around, inspecting all that needed to be done. They paused near a tree that Andrew had once kept so neatly trimmed. It now looked overgrown and bushy.
"I haven't been keeping the yard in order this year, I'm afraid." Doreen sighed. "Sometimes it seems pointless when it's just me back here all the time."
Andrew hovered behind her, wanting nothing more than to embrace her passionately. Doreen turned and looked up at him with her big beautiful eyes, set above her handsome, regal nose and pouting lips.
