The Harp Star Lesbian Story

A Good Thing

05: A Good Thing

Alice and Andy rode in silence for about 20 minutes just south of town. The Watsons lived at the end of a 1/4 mile private drive on about 5 acres of land surrounded by woods and bordered by a small creek. The farmhouse was about 3000 square feet, 2 floors, with an unfinished basement. Alice had always thought that the porch that wrapped completely around the home and fireplaces at either end of the house made it special. A handful of hemlocks surrounded the home and there were two outbuildings. One large red barn served as a spacious garage for Ed's truck, Bea's 4-Runner, a small workshop, and the mechanical odds and ends of the homestead. A smaller barn, once infested with unwanted squirrels stood a few hundred feet away served as additional storage space. The Watsons referred to it as the "Squirrel's Nest." It was typically where they cultivated seedlings and small plants for the extensive garden behind the house. It held the firewood for the season and overflow from the house. Both buildings were wired and had plumbing running from the well.

Alice parked the truck in front of the house and stepped out of the cab taking in the house. She had been home for a long weekend over the Christmas holiday, the landscape looked so different at the beginning of the summer season.

"Alice." Andy stood at the foot of the porch stairs.

Alice looked up expectantly, "What's up Andy?"

"Thanks, for what you said." Andy's expression didn't change but Alice was hopeful that he was being sincere and she nodded in acknowledgment. "You're gonna want to go look in the Nest. Dad's been working pretty hard out there for the last three weeks."

Alice smiled softly and glanced toward the building. "Okay, are you going to come with me?"

"No. I'll be in the house." Andy turned and started walking up the stairs.

Alice sighed and mumbled to no one, "Baby steps buddy." Alice walked over to the smaller wooden structure. There were two large 5' doors that met and opened allowing for vehicles and large equipment to gain access. A smaller "man-door" was offset to the left of the barn doors. The barn itself was 24' wide x 40 deep with a loft in the back half of the barn. Alice entered the Squirrel's Nest through the small door and flipped the bank of switches but she noticed right away that the lighting was different. She stepped inside and let out a small gasp. The space was completely cleared of the overflow from the house. She looked up and saw two symmetrical skylights running the length of the main beam. The building's concrete pad was covered with a patchwork of 1x4s and timber creating a very rustic hardwood floor covering. On one of the outside long-walls, there was a wood stove sitting atop of a 12x12 hearth of brick, it was vented out the wall.

A sofa, 2 armchairs, a nightstand, and a coffee table were arranged facing the stove. A couple of standing lamps and a large bookshelf finished the space. Two-thirds of the back wall of the barn was a small kitchen set up, counter, sink, a hutch, and a small refrigerator. A small wooden kitchen table and 4 chairs sat in the middle of the "kitchen" area. It was loaded down with the items from Alice's old room and the things she had shipped home over the past weeks; books, clothing, and small apartment items.

The last third of the back of the Squirrel's Nest wall was framed out for what looked like a bathroom, the plumbing "roughed in." Alice walked up the staircase to the loft area and hit the light switch at the top of the stairs. Strings of Christmas lights strung along the joists came to life as well as along the railing at the end of the loft. The large 24' x 20' loft had a Queen-sized bed and a nightstand at the back wall. There was an armchair and standing lamp in one corner, a desk and chair along the wall. On the far wall was a couple of mismatched dressers and a large framed mirror. Wooden dowels were mounted in the back corner, as well as, floating shelves made from reclaimed timber forming a makeshift closet. The space between the bed and the railing at the end of the loft was covered with a huge floor rug.