Living Together

I was just north of Atmore, Alabama headed north on interstate 65, destination, Sault Ste Marie, MI. A city in the Upper Peninsula who's main industry was the lock and dam system for the upper Great Lakes. I was headed there to move my sister, she and her husband had moved there over thirty years ago, he was part of the maintenance crew and had retired four years ago, unfortunately, like so many others, he died within a year of his retirement. At the time of Rays death my wife was on her death bed, there wasn't any way to make Rays funeral, I sent flowers in our name, but it wasn't the same as being there. When my wife died 4 months later sis was still too distraught to attend my wife's funeral.

Their two children lived halfway across the country, halfway around the world if you listened to Cam, one living in Arizona the other in northern Louisiana. They hated living in the cold and snow, the isolation, the lack of good employment unless you could land a position working on the locks. They bolted as soon as they graduated high school, met and married someone in college and vowed never to live in the UP again. When they learned of their mother moving south to live with me, they were quite excited, both kids would be closer than they had been.

My wife was of Norwegian descent, when we took our twin boys to Norway to meet cousins and other relatives in their freshman year of college little did we know we'd lose them. As fate would have it they met a set of twin Norwegian girls, moved there after college and married those sisters. We would see them every few years, I had grandchildren I'd never seen or held until the boys returned with their families for their mother's funeral. The last time I'd seen my sons or grandchildren was when I went there to spread her ashes in the mountains she loved so much.

Camryn and I had been talking about this move since Christmas, she was already tired of winter, I suggested she come down for a month or more. She loved the idea but was having a knee replaced the second week of January, we talked weekly after her surgery, now that her PT was complete, she was ready to do more than visit, she was ready to move.

I was surprised how busy traffic was for 6am Thursday morning. I was pulling a 6 x 12 foot tandem axle enclosed trailer which slowed me some, but the Tundra was clickin along at 65, still getting 14 miles per gallon. Cars and trucks were whizzing by me as though I were standing still, not that I cared, it was going to be a three day trip whether I went 65 or 70, the difference in gas mileage was significant though, I kept the cruise at 65 and listened to my oldies stations. When they'd fade out, I could usually pick up a classic rock station until I found another oldies station.

Since it was only me to consider I drove until I needed to pee, fueling at the same time if need be. I had snacks along with a cooler full of water and Dr. Pepper, a few sandwiches and two apples. All I had to do was lean back, keep my eyes on the road and let the long miles fade as I went. I drove until Toledo the first day, pushing harder than I should have, resulting in an aching tired body that didn't wake until 8:30 next morning. Following breakfast, fueling and a check of the trailer I pulled back onto I-75 headed north. I felt the long drive of the previous day and stopped more often than normal. I got as far as Grayling before stopping for the night, I called Cam, had a decent supper, showered and hit the sack.

When I called Camryn in the morning, she told me I was a half day away give or take an hour depending on traffic. I enquired how much she had to move, she said she'd had a large yard sale over the past weekend and had gotten rid of most things she no longer wanted, the few remaining items were being picked up by St. Francis Thrift Store that afternoon. She sent me a pic of what was stacked in the garage, there would be plenty of room in the trailer, if there was enough room left over maybe I'd drive across the UP and stop at a saw mill in Mellen, WI for some lumber. I build custom furniture using all northern hardwoods, none of which are available in the deep south.

It had been years since I'd been to her place, and let's face it, most women's directions suck. Thank God for Google maps and the lady down the street who showed me how to use it before I left. As I pulled onto her street, I saw her at the end of the driveway waving, a smile as big as all the earth, jumping up and down as much as a 65 year old woman with a new knee can or wants to. I hadn't seen her since our pa died almost six years prior, she looked more stunning now than she did at his memorial service. Most of her adult life she'd worn her hair short, but now it was long, well over her shoulders as she used to wear it in high school.

I liked the fact that she let it be a natural silver grey, instead of coloring it, my late wife colored hers. Though I preferred it natural, it wasn't worth spending time fussing about. We'd been together 46 years, in that time you figure out what is and isn't important, if you're smart you learn not to major on the minors. Camryn was still what others called petite, as far as she was concerned, she was just small. At 5'6" and about 120 she still had it all together. I doubted her breasts were any longer "perky", a much over used word these days, but they still stood out instead of hanging down, I liked how they jiggled and swung slightly as she bounced around. She had never been one to wear a bra if she could get away without one, I guess she figured she didn't need one to load boxes.

I chose to back into her driveway before getting out, she guided me with precision as she had done for years when we were still at home emptying loads of firewood for the furnace. Sliding off the seat my body groaned, but as soon as she rounded the front and headed toward me with arms open wide, I felt a sudden burst of energy. Jumping up she wrapped her arms around my neck, squeezing me as she had oh so many decades ago, her feet a few inches off the ground as I held her around the waist. Setting her on her feet I was going to let go until she stopped me.

"Nope, not yet. Hold me another minute or so, I haven't seen you in so long."

I whispered the neighbor lady was watching intently with a scowl on her face. She pushed back, patting me on the chest and shot a dirty look in the neighbor's direction.

"Screw her, she's a nosy old bat, can't stand her. Now she'll have some juicy gossip to spread. Who knows Toad, maybe I'll be pregnant by morning, you know how fast things happen in the gossip crowd. Shit, I shoulda kissed you, she'd have peed her pants."

I looked at her with a big grin, "Toad. You're the only one who still calls me that. I think you're the one who gave me that name, but I don't remember why."

"I certainly do. You put a toad down the back of my panties when I was seven, when I told mom she looked at you and said you were a toad. I liked that name, still do."

"Yeah well, so did everyone else Cam, all the way through high school people still called me toad. The only ones who used Brandon were the teachers and mother. Hope you're proud of yourself."

"As a matter of fact, big brother, I am."

Camryn and I were born 13 months apart, me in February and she in March the next year. We were the youngest of five, there being a nine year gap between me and the next older sibling. It was like mom and dad went on a breeding sabbatical for nine years and then tried to make up for it in two. I mention that because she and I were our own best friends, living in the country you find friendship and fun wherever possible. For us, it was she and I, we needed no one else.

Cam and I went in through the garage where I perused what she had to load. I helped her break down the bed moving that into the garage as well. While looking at it I asked if she had any place she needed to be tonight or tomorrow, she replied wherever I was is where she'd be. It was just before noon, I recommended we load up and head out right away. If she didn't mind, we'd go over the top on highway 2, stop in Ashland for the night and in the morning drift down on Hwy 13 to Mellen where I wanted to buy some Curly Maple, Ash and Hickory.

She liked that idea, not wanting to be where she was any longer than necessary. The house was sold, she'd left the lawyer a POA to sign for her and have the title company direct deposit the payment into her account. I was able to get the lions share of her belongings to one side, leaving approximately two feet on the other side. With lumber on the open side the weight would be evenly distributed, I was so glad this was late May and not January when we first started talking about her moving in with me. Ice and snow are enough without a trailer, with one in tow it gets much worse.

We hadn't talked much beyond the occasional comment or question while we loaded, on the way out of town we stopped at the local gas station, filled up at an unreal price, then headed south where we would meet Hwy 2. By the time we made Manistique a potty call was way overdue. We filled up at a Shell and jumped back on the road, reaching Ashland around supper time.

I'd been to the lumber yard in Mellen several times over the years, I had previously spent a night or two in Ashland and was familiar with the city, for supper we went to a Chinese buffet I'd been to before. I drove to the Americ-Inn, getting a room with double queens. Neither of us was in the mood for TV so we sat talking until our tired bodies dictated sleep. She was in an oversized tee and I assumed underwear, at least panties, I was in my underwear alone. As I skooched under the covers she walked to my bed and sat down.

"Brandon, one of the things I miss most about not having my husband around is a kiss good morning and a kiss goodnight. Can I ask a favor and have you kiss me each morning and again each night?"

I reached up, pulled her toward me and gave her a soft kiss, then uttered, "goodnight dear". She was smiling ear to ear, "goodnight Toad, sleep well."

Continental breakfast at the motel left much to be desired, we made our way toward the edge of town where I knew of a small local dive called *Ed's Eats*, I normally avoid such places, but happened to stumble upon it some years ago. The walls were full of smarmy high school sports memorabilia and I think the older waitress had been there since Christ was a child, but the place was clean, and the food was as good as it had been the first time. Walking to the truck she stopped as I opened her door.

"I think you forgot something Toad." I looked at her wondering what that might be. "I didn't get my good morning kiss."

Damn, she was right, I quickly solved that problem, she told me she was charging me interest and wanted another. We were laughing so damned hard it was more like two pair of lips vibrating against each other than a kiss. We were in Mellen within the half hour, I purchased the lumber I wanted, drove to the loading area in the yard and waited. The forklift came whizzing around the corner, lowered two hundred board feet each of Ash and Hickory onto the ground and went for the Maple as Cam and I loaded. Two hundred board feet is not a lot of lumber, the Hickory being a heavier wood I stacked it on the bottom. When everything was in and strapped down securely, we were back on the highway headed for home.

If we had pushed hard and drove 16 to 18 hours we could have made Paducah, KY, but since we had nothing but time on our hands, why kill ourselves, we stopped in Bloomington, IL for the night. I wanted to go for a decent meal, she agreed, we checked into a Hampton Inn, changed out of our travel clothes into some fresh jeans and a shirt, then took our lives into our own hands trying to cross the street to a Texas Roadhouse. As we walked back to the Hampton she took my hand, as she had done hundreds of times in the past, for us it was as natural as breathing. Walking through the lobby we were still hand in hand, she was smiling, I wasn't sure why, but we felt good together. If I wasn't going to be with my late wife, being with Camryn was the next best thing.

It was already 8:30, the drive tomorrow would be about 12 hours if we were going to make my house by days end. I showered first and was lying in bed when she walked out drying her hair with only the tee on, it was wet around her breasts, her nips were hard and poking against the fabric, her breasts were every bit as lovely as I had remembered from so many years ago, she had worn a 32D back then, I wondered if they were about the same.

Tossing the towel into the bathroom she sidled over to my bed, put her hands on the side of my face, kissed me and turned out the light. We had watched our parents kiss good morning and goodnight all our lives, it was something we carried into our marriages, and now it was something we felt good doing with each other. I was on my side, eyes open, looking toward her bed, I sensed she was looking at mine when through the darkness her voice permeated the night.

"Brandon. Do you ever think about us when we were younger? I mean when we were in our early teens?"

"How could I not, it was one of the most exciting times of my life. I learned more about love and life between the ages of 12 and 15 than the next ten years. Those memories are seared into my mind, they'll never leave. You obviously do as well, or you wouldn't have brought it up."

"I do toad. Like you, nothing will ever steal those memories from me. Goodnight Brandon, love you."

We were up and ready to go by 6:30, after bathroom, teeth brushing and our good morning kiss we hit the road, stopping at Mickey D's for a breakfast sandwich and coffee on the run. It was mid-day when we hit Nashville, what an f-ing mess, took us almost a full hour to get south of there. There's a Loves truck stop about twenty miles south of Nashville with a half way decent rib joint across the road, I dropped her off to get a table while I topped off the tank. I was only getting a bit over 11 mpg with the trailer loaded, which meant we were having to stop for fuel more often. The ribs weren't bad, nothing to write home about, but not bad and the meal filled the void. With six or seven hours left until my place I figured we'd be there between seven and eight.

While we drove, we had plenty of time to talk about everything and nothing. We spent most of our time talking about the specifics of our spouse's deaths, kids of course, and grandkids. What aches and pains we were dealing with, what meds if any each was taking, a lot of silly shit like that. At one point between Birmingham and Montgomery she became very serious.

"Brandon, do you think we can make this work, or are we just pissin into the wind? I really want it to, we have always had a special bond, we didn't see each other as much after we married, but we've always talked and now we text every couple day's or I should say we were. It almost feels like an adult version of our younger years when it was you and me against the world."

"I see no reason it can't work Cam, everything you said is spot on. I've more or less resigned myself to the fact that you're going to take over and rearrange the kitchen, so we won't have that to fuss over. As long as you don't try to be the lone re-arranger of my shop, we'll be okay. We've always gotten along and I love you as much now as I did when we were kids."

I could see the gears turning in her head. "Do you mean little kids, or teenage kids? They were two different worlds."

I had to think on that a moment, I needed to answer it properly. As little kids it was all play and adventure, as teens it was mostly love and experiencing life.

"I think some of both, but given our present ages, I'd lean toward our teen years."

She smiled but said no more about it that day.

I pulled into the driveway at 7:55 just as the sun was beginning to drop completely. I backed the trailer under the carport, we grabbed our overnight bags and went inside. The house was stuffy, the night air was fairly pleasant, I opened the windows allowing the breeze to filter through and freshen the house. Cam went exploring as I was opening windows, exclaiming loudly about this or that, she liked everything she was encountering. At the end of the hall she stopped, looking first left then right, asking if her room was on the right. I nodded as I flipped on the lights.

"Oh Brandon, this is gorgeous. My own bath, a walk-in closet, queen size bed, a sitting area and a vanity. I've always wanted a vanity, Ray said it was frivolous, now thanks to my big brother I have one."

She spun, kissed me, hugged my neck and told me she'd have to bake a cake for me, she wondered if my favorite was still white cake with butter cream frosting. She was right on the money. I suggested we make a run to Sonny's for supper and we could shop in the morning. She shooed me out of the room so she could change, she appeared in a pair of jeans, a cotton blouse and sandals. Hair pulled back and pinned at the sides, just a smattering of makeup.

I whistled, she grinned and told me to knock it off. Neither of us wanted a heavy meal this late at night, we shared a brisket platter with fries, it was just right. A scoop or two of ice cream at home before bed topped off the evening. After our goodnight kiss, she toddled down the hall, I could hear Cam snoring softly as I walked by her room on the way to mine. Since Ray died, she wouldn't sleep with the door closed, I thought it best to leave mine open a few inches her first night in case she woke startled. I woke at my regular time, 6, I had the lumber out of the trailer on drying racks by the time she shuffled out to the shop in her house coat and slippers.

She walked to me, pushed up on tippy toes and kissed me good morning. I scooped her up, carrying her in my arms into the kitchen where I told her to sit her little hinie in the chair while I got her a cup of coffee and cooked breakfast. Big breakfasts were always a thing as we grew up, it had dwindled through the years, our spouses wanting breakfast to be light and less filling. I decided to change back to what we grew up with. I had two leftover baked potatoes in the fridge which I sliced for home fries, diced an onion, carmelized it and put the potatoes in with them while the sausage finished on the griddle next to our two eggs apiece. She buttered the toast, I set her plate, topped off the coffee cup in front of her and stood proudly displaying my skills.

We did the dishes and began the process of unloading her things from the trailer, they weren't all going to fit into her room, we moved most of her belongings into the storage room, she could go through boxes at her leisure. I backed the trailer under its shelter, uncoupled and we set out for the grocery store. She'd quickly gone through the cupboards as I unhooked the trailer and had a list ready when we jumped in the truck. We were holding hands again as we walked across the parking lot, it felt so good being in close contact with a woman, maybe more so considering it was my sister, the first romantic love of my life. I grabbed a cart which she immediately took over, telling me men didn't know how to operate grocery carts, I quipped someone who looked a hell of a lot like me had been doing it for a few years. Thank you very much.

Sliding her arm through mine she pulled me close, looking in my eyes she stated softly,

"Gosh I've missed you, why did we ever move so far apart?"

We had a blast shopping, both of us screwing off all through the store. Her Ray and my Karin were both all business when it came to shopping, Cam and I were the exact opposite. Karin would get so pissed when I'd grab the bread, fade back and sink a two pointer in the cart from five feet away. When grocery shopping became a chore instead of fun, I let her go on her own, she could never understand why I wouldn't go along. Apparently, Ray had been similar, without our spouses fussing at us we had a rip roaring good time. Our conduct remained the same as we went through the self-serve check out and then taking our purchases to the truck. I hadn't laughed that much in years.