"Oh, let me get that for you." Miles went over and lifted the box of books
that had just been delivered, and grunted. Boy, they were heavier than he
had expected. He wondered how Sandra had been intending to do all this by
herself.
Sandra stood by the shelves, getting ready to shelf all the books. She didn't really like taking stock, and usually tried to do it as fast as possible so she could get it over with. Jesse hated it too, and so they'd try to work like lightning. That usually didn't go too well, and they'd end up having to do it all over again. Miles wasn't as hasty as the two of them, though, and she found that he even made it quite enjoyable. His steadiness made the work systematic and she found herself finishing what she needed to do faster than ever. "Thanks for helping. You don't know how much I appreciate it."
"No problem. I'm enjoying myself, actually." Miles put down the box with a thump, and they began to open it.
"Liar." Sandra grinned at Miles. He didn't look tired, but she couldn't believe that he would be ENJOYING himself, doing this work.
Miles laughed and sat down on the floor. "Yes, you're right. I was lying. This work is backbreaking! Suddenly I have a lot more respect for Jesse."
"We don't get new stock everyday. Usually Jesse and I just sit around drinking orange juice or coffee and getting up to attend to customers occasionally. It's pretty easygoing and enjoyable, except for this stocktaking thing."
They spent the next five minutes in silence, just shelving the books. Miles did everything carefully. With all the carrying over, he was beginning to enjoy himself. It was nice doing some quiet job, boring though it might be. Being a photographer for the newspapers wasn't easy. It required quite a lot of chasing around and shoving and pushing. So now it was nice to do a job slowly and steadily, with enough space to breathe. And he liked working with Sandra.
***
"Where's Miles?" Tuck asked.
"Oh, he's gone to town. I think he's taking over Jesse's job for today. That nice girl, Sandra, she offered to cover for Jesse while he's gone but there's some new stock coming today so Miles went to help," Mae replied cheerfully. Miles had seemed to be in good spirits this morning. He looked a little tired, perhaps, but he was in a very good mood. And that made her very happy too.
"That's nice of him. It's really good to have him back." Tuck settled down on the couch, turning on the TV. He didn't watch much, but he would watch the news everyday.
"Yes, it is. I think things are coming round right for our boys again. Even Miles. He seemed really happy about today. Said not to expect him home to early, that he might drive Sandra home after work, and have dinner before coming back." Mae dried her hands and went to sit next to her husband. "I haven't seen him so nice and generous to a girl for such a long time. It was love that hurt our boys; maybe it's love that will heal them again."
"They will never fully heal from the first blow, Mae. Maybe things will seem a little better to them at the beginning, but you know that for them, the love cannot last for very long. Soon the girls will find out the truth, and things will just go full circle. We'll never know. They might get hurt again."
Mae looked straight at her husband. He was frowning, and although his eyes were on the television screen, she knew that he wasn't really watching. For the first time, he had betrayed his worry for his sons. Her heart went out to him. Usually he seemed to be indifferent to matters, but no one really knew what they were doing to him on the inside. He was just such the quiet gentleman.
She put an arm around her husband's shoulders. "They'll be all right. They might get hurt, but our sons are strong. They'll be all right. And maybe this time they won't get hurt again."
***
Jesse sat in the kitchen, eating the last lemon meringue. He grinned to himself. To buy pastries as a peace offering had never crossed his mind. He had just walked past this really nice bakery and felt hungry, that was all. Ana had been mortified when he confessed that he hadn't bought the food for her, probably because she had already eaten the lemon meringue AND the doughnut before that, but after awhile she began to laugh again, and then he began to laugh, and they just sat there smiling at each other. Yes, life was good like this. He didn't mind having things like this every single day.
He frowned suddenly, remembering that there were still things to be said. He had to tell Ana that secret, and make her swear never to tell anyone.
There were still things to say to her.
***
Ana stood by the washing machine, smiling to herself. She was so happy. Everything seemed to be perfect now. Jesse was here with her, and he loved her, and nothing else mattered. She wasn't alone anymore. He would be right by her side through everything. Everything was perfect.
Then she frowned suddenly, remembering that there was something she had to tell him.
There were still things to say to him.
Sandra stood by the shelves, getting ready to shelf all the books. She didn't really like taking stock, and usually tried to do it as fast as possible so she could get it over with. Jesse hated it too, and so they'd try to work like lightning. That usually didn't go too well, and they'd end up having to do it all over again. Miles wasn't as hasty as the two of them, though, and she found that he even made it quite enjoyable. His steadiness made the work systematic and she found herself finishing what she needed to do faster than ever. "Thanks for helping. You don't know how much I appreciate it."
"No problem. I'm enjoying myself, actually." Miles put down the box with a thump, and they began to open it.
"Liar." Sandra grinned at Miles. He didn't look tired, but she couldn't believe that he would be ENJOYING himself, doing this work.
Miles laughed and sat down on the floor. "Yes, you're right. I was lying. This work is backbreaking! Suddenly I have a lot more respect for Jesse."
"We don't get new stock everyday. Usually Jesse and I just sit around drinking orange juice or coffee and getting up to attend to customers occasionally. It's pretty easygoing and enjoyable, except for this stocktaking thing."
They spent the next five minutes in silence, just shelving the books. Miles did everything carefully. With all the carrying over, he was beginning to enjoy himself. It was nice doing some quiet job, boring though it might be. Being a photographer for the newspapers wasn't easy. It required quite a lot of chasing around and shoving and pushing. So now it was nice to do a job slowly and steadily, with enough space to breathe. And he liked working with Sandra.
***
"Where's Miles?" Tuck asked.
"Oh, he's gone to town. I think he's taking over Jesse's job for today. That nice girl, Sandra, she offered to cover for Jesse while he's gone but there's some new stock coming today so Miles went to help," Mae replied cheerfully. Miles had seemed to be in good spirits this morning. He looked a little tired, perhaps, but he was in a very good mood. And that made her very happy too.
"That's nice of him. It's really good to have him back." Tuck settled down on the couch, turning on the TV. He didn't watch much, but he would watch the news everyday.
"Yes, it is. I think things are coming round right for our boys again. Even Miles. He seemed really happy about today. Said not to expect him home to early, that he might drive Sandra home after work, and have dinner before coming back." Mae dried her hands and went to sit next to her husband. "I haven't seen him so nice and generous to a girl for such a long time. It was love that hurt our boys; maybe it's love that will heal them again."
"They will never fully heal from the first blow, Mae. Maybe things will seem a little better to them at the beginning, but you know that for them, the love cannot last for very long. Soon the girls will find out the truth, and things will just go full circle. We'll never know. They might get hurt again."
Mae looked straight at her husband. He was frowning, and although his eyes were on the television screen, she knew that he wasn't really watching. For the first time, he had betrayed his worry for his sons. Her heart went out to him. Usually he seemed to be indifferent to matters, but no one really knew what they were doing to him on the inside. He was just such the quiet gentleman.
She put an arm around her husband's shoulders. "They'll be all right. They might get hurt, but our sons are strong. They'll be all right. And maybe this time they won't get hurt again."
***
Jesse sat in the kitchen, eating the last lemon meringue. He grinned to himself. To buy pastries as a peace offering had never crossed his mind. He had just walked past this really nice bakery and felt hungry, that was all. Ana had been mortified when he confessed that he hadn't bought the food for her, probably because she had already eaten the lemon meringue AND the doughnut before that, but after awhile she began to laugh again, and then he began to laugh, and they just sat there smiling at each other. Yes, life was good like this. He didn't mind having things like this every single day.
He frowned suddenly, remembering that there were still things to be said. He had to tell Ana that secret, and make her swear never to tell anyone.
There were still things to say to her.
***
Ana stood by the washing machine, smiling to herself. She was so happy. Everything seemed to be perfect now. Jesse was here with her, and he loved her, and nothing else mattered. She wasn't alone anymore. He would be right by her side through everything. Everything was perfect.
Then she frowned suddenly, remembering that there was something she had to tell him.
There were still things to say to him.