One Day

Part 11 - Whisper

The house he just recently purchased is only a few miles from mine. It's small but just the right size for a starter home. We pull into the driveway and he leads me inside while giving me the rundown of his plans for the house.

"I'm going to knock this wall out," he says pointing the wall to the right. "Knocking it out will open up this space between the kitchen and living room."

With the wall in place, the kitchen feels very narrow and I can see why he wants to take it down. The cabinets and countertops are old and the floor is a horrible red laminate that is worn with age. He follows my eyes.

"It's terrible, isn't it?" he asks as he examines the flooring with me.

I try not to be rude but I'm not sure how to respond. "I guess with the right décor, it could work," I say making a face that says otherwise.

He laughs, "Well, we don't have to worry about that because it's coming up. I'm going to rip out the entire kitchen and redo it all. New cabinets, new countertops, and tile flooring." He walks into the living room and the narrowness of the kitchen matches the living room. "The paneling is coming out, too," he says as I eye the walls. "And the ceilings. Pretty much everything in this entire house is going to be ripped out and redone."

"Where is all of your stuff?" I ask making my way down the hall to examine the three bedrooms and bathroom. Besides a bed in the smallest room and a few miscellaneous items, there is nothing that would make it look like anyone lived here.

"I haven't really moved in yet," he says. "I have some clothes and toiletries so I can sleep and shower here but everything else is still at Bo's." He and his cousin, Bo, have been living together since we graduated from high school. "But with him getting married this fall, it spurred my plans for finding my own place and I'd really like to get this place completely remodeled before I move all the way in. Bo says I can stay there as long as I want but I doubt they will want me there once they are married."

I nod, "Makes sense. How long do you think it will take you to get everything done?" I'm skeptical he can get rip out walls and flooring and have everything replaced in the few short months before the wedding.

"I'm really not sure. I'm going to try to do everything myself." He walks into the small bedroom and empties his pockets onto the bed and slips off his shoes and shirt. "I won't be long. Sorry there is no tv but you can take a nap," he says nodding towards the bed. He gives me a quick kiss and disappears into the bathroom.

I walk over to the bed and plop down on my stomach breathing in his smell that lingers on the sheets. I hear the water turn on and listen as he starts humming a song before singing the words. I don't recognize the song and try to make a mental note to look it up later.

I said a whisper last night while I held you and told you that I needed you forever. I told you everything I want to live for and how we could be. When the words come to me and it's magic you know, and I find that I'm rhyming away where I go, and I feel that the wisdom is coming and I know. Magic in the way you move and every time I tell you that I want to give you something for something so true....

His phone vibrates next to me and I contemplate looking at it. It's absolutely none of my business who is texting him but I'm curious. I shouldn't look but I can't stop myself from reaching over and picking up his phone. I see January's name and drop the phone before I see what she has sent. He's still singing so I try to occupy myself with listening to the lyrics before I make the mistake of picking up his phone again.

I'm gonna need you when I get there. In my dreams, in my futures, in my prayers, too, and like a whisper in the wind, I can see you there.

His phone vibrates again and I glance to where it had landed when I dropped it earlier. It's turned just enough that I can see her name flash across the screen again. I reach over and quickly open the message before I change my mind.

January: I drove home last night after your call because I didn't know what else to do. I need to see you, please answer my texts.

As I'm reading that one another text comes through.

January: I'm lost without you. Please just talk to me. I'm at the school swinging on this old swing set that we've spent so many hours on. I can see your Jeep is home. You can come here or I can come to you. I just need to see you.

I can hear the desperation in her text and I feel really bad that I'm the one that caused her so much heartache. The fact that she is just a few hundred yards from his house at the elementary school that his yard backs up to is a little unsettling. I hear the water turn off and the shower curtain open. I'm debating on my next move when he comes in and sees my face.

"You okay," he asks as he opens the closet to find some clothes. My eyes linger a moment too long on the towel wrapped around his waist.

I swallow. "Yeah, I'm good." My mind is still swimming with the possible outcomes as I blurt out, "You got some texts while you were in the shower and I'm sorry but I was curious what she had to say when I noticed they were from January. She wants to talk and is currently at the school staring at the house." I didn't mean to sound so bitter when I said the last part. We aren't even dating and I'm acting like a jealous girlfriend. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like it sounded."

He smiles at me and picks up his phone. His fingers move quickly as he types out a text. He tosses his phone back on the bed and leans down to kiss me, "It's fine." He gives me no more information as to what he typed back and it's not really my place to ask. My stomach turns as I realize how much I like him already and how quickly jealousy reared its head. They've been broken up for less than 24 hours, I know I should expect her to want to talk to him.

He turns back to his closet and drops his towel as he pulls on a pair of boxer shorts. I small smile plays on my lips as he walks back towards the bed.

Thanks for reading One Day! I try to post each weekday and look forward to where this story takes us as it is a work in progress.

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