2: I See Your Point (Finding Our Way, Chapter 3 - Meeting the Neighbors)

Jeff laboriously scooted himself up into a sitting position and clunked his cast down on the coffee table, sending some of the garbage flying and making me cringe.

He chuckled. "Not used to visiting the hospital ward?"

Without thinking, I responded, "Not used to visiting the garbage dump." I slapped my hand over my mouth after I realized what I said, but Jeff burst out laughing.

"At last, a teller of truths! Who did you say you married?"

"Darren Criss. We live two doors down, next to Rita?" I replied, unable to stop myself from contemplating the detritus.

"Darren is a lucky man, Rhiannon. I'd offer you a seat, but as you can see..."

"Jeff, this might be presumptuous of me, considering that we just met, but can I...straighten up a little in here? I'm sure you'd feel better if you weren't surrounded by all this..."

"Why should I let you clean my house, Rhiannon?"

"Because, Jeff, I'm going to give you these home-made cookies to eat while I do."

"What kind are they?"

"Chocolate chip."

"Deal!" he said, perking up for the first time since I'd walked in.

Before he changed his mind, I asked, "Where do you keep your garbage bags?"

"The inside ones are under the kitchen sink."

Scanning the room with a significant look, I replied, "Where are the outside ones?"

Jeff looked around and snorted. "I see your point. They're in the mudroom, on the shelf above the washer."

Returning with the whole box, I started in the living room. Working from the walls toward the middle of the room in squares of decreasing size, I quickly established a routine that allowed me to focus on cleaning while I chatted with Jeff. He, of course, took great pleasure in "advising" me on my technique, occasionally interrupting our conversation with a "you missed something!" or a "what about that?" I took it in stride as I was used to dealing with my older brother's "assistance."

"So, Rhiannon..."

"Call me, Rhi. My mother calls me Rhiannon."

"And if she's really mad, she calls you...?"

"Rhiannon Abigail Harris!" I half-shouted.

Chuckling, Jeff observed, "They must teach that to pregnant women. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, 'Jeffrey Edward Cotner! Get in here now!'"

"Does your family live nearby?"

"Yep...my parents, and my twin sisters and their families live in Long Beach where I grew up. I moved to LA several years ago for my teaching job. It's not bad, but I really miss the surfing." He paused, scowling as he knocked on his cast. "Not that I'll be doing that any time soon."

"It will be over before you know it. Just a funny story to tell your grandkids."

"More like a story to scare them away from washing windows."

It occurred to me that Jeff had probably had very few distractions from his current predicament, so I hurried to change the subject.

"What do you teach?"

"Educational theory at Occidental College."

I paused for a second, but continued picking up the scattered trash. "Really? I just got a master's degree in early childhood education from UW-Madison. I've been sending out resumes here, but so far my efforts feel...scattered."

"You're kidding!" Jeff blurted around a mouthful of cookie. "We should get together and talk shop. Maybe I could help you focus your search."

Straightening up, I exclaimed, "That would be...fantastic! How about...lunch tomorrow? I'll bring the food, and we can eat while we narrow things down."

Jeff replied with a smile, "Let me check my schedule..." making me laugh when he lifted a couch cushion with his good hand. "Yep, I'm free."

Looking slightly embarrassed at the candy bar wrapper he had revealed, he held the cushion up while I grabbed the piece of garbage and put it in the bag.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

About an hour later, all the surfaces in Jeff's house were clear, and there were two overfull black trash bags tied off and waiting for garbage day in his garage. Jeff, obviously worn out by the unusual level of activity, had started to nod off, so I covered him with a light blanket as I headed for the front door.

Before I left, I cracked the windows to let in some fresh air, excited at the prospect of having a colleague - and maybe a friend - of my own!