Love Lives On

Chapter Two

She went to the bedroom to put her clothes away when the doorbell rang. She ran to answer it, she looked through the peephole and saw Jenny standing on the other side with two guys and they didn't seem happy to be there.

She opened the door and the child walked in as if she owned it. "This is my father Roy, my older brother Carmine," she turned to the men to make the final introduction. "This is Carmella, she just moved in," the child said excitedly as she jumped from one foot to the other like she was on a trampoline.

"So, you've told us;" the father said with a smile. When he looked back at her she could see the rage in his eyes like it was her idea for them to be there. "I understand you need help with lifting the heavy furniture?" He looked toward the driveway. "I don't see a truck, so where is it?" he demanded, with accusing eyes.

Carmella was shocked at his tone of voice and decided to match it with her own. "I don't have any," she held up her hand. "For your information, it's in the attic."

"I will not go up there!" Roy yelled, making his children jump and Jenny bowed her head in embarrassment for asking her family to help Carmella, all she wanted was a female friend and her dad is being rude. He pointed to the ceiling, interrupting Jenny's thoughts. "We are not going up there!" He turned to leave, as the children looked at her.

He had one foot on the step when she exclaimed, "of all the nerve, why are people so scared of helping others?"

Roy turned his head and glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean!" She glared right back. Damn, he acts like I want him to jump from the roof, instead of helping with furniture. I wonder if his wife stands up to him when he acts like this? She saw the muscle in Roy's jaw move as he clenched his teeth, the muscles in his arms were flexing while he was controlling his anger. The muscles in his legs were so tight; they acted like a board holding up his backside. When she realized what she was doing, she got angry at herself for noticing all his assets and reverted her eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. "You don't have to help; I will manage on my own."

"Never mind," Roy said as he grabbed his son, and re-interred the house. "Show us the way then we will do the job and leave."

Carmella snapped her eyes back at him and smiled. "Thank you," she turned and led them to the attic.

Roy didn't like the house; he also didn't like this stranger snapping orders like a general. Her hair was in a braid and wrapped into a coil on top of her head like a crown. Her blue eyes had a way to wrap you in a web of warning. Roy couldn't understand why she needed to warn him, he didn't want to know her when he had two children to worry about.

They spent four hours moving the furniture from the attic to the lower floor. She would have offered them something to drink, but there were no cups or anything in the refrigerator.

When they finished moving the furniture, she went to her purse and looked through it for the money to pay them for help. Roy asked out of curiosity. "Why did you think I was scared?"

"Well, some men are scared to collaborate with women," she told him as she handed them money for help.

He smiled for the very first time. "Oh, I thought you meant I was scared of working," he told her, then he added. "No use paying us, if it wasn't for Jenny we would have never met, besides, you did your share of the work too. So, we are even," they shook hands and he left.

She was surprised by his words and placed the money back into her purse, then she looked at the time. "Man, I worked through breakfast and lunch!" She yelled. "I have to hurry or the grocery store..." She stopped when she saw a bright light coming from the kitchen.