The Lucky One

Part 4

The morning sun rose crisp and clear on Sunday, your ears tuned to any outdoor noises. Unexpected disappointment creeped into your mind to find silence. You had become accustomed to the early sounds of James sawing, hammering, or tossing bales of hay onto the ground outside the stables this early. You weren't really surprised, given that it was Sunday, but the promised words of "See you in the morning" echoed in your mind from last night.

Shaking off this odd feeling, you climbed out of bed and pulled on a cozy sweater before descending the stairs toward the kitchen. Soon you had pancakes on the griddle and all the other breakfast fixin's on the table. The delicious smells roused the rest of the house, soon hearing your mother's shuffling feet along with the frantic scamper of your energetic boy approaching.

After breakfast, you all dressed for church and headed out the door. You weren't particularly religious, but your mother attended every week and couldn't get around on her own very well, so you and Caleb tagged along. An hour-long service was all your mother's poor back could handle, what with the sitting on those hard pews and all the getting up and down constantly. Stepping outside the church, you lingered with Caleb as your mother thanked the pastor and chatted with the ladies she played Poker with. Any other aging mother would be playing Bridge, but not yours. She needed the thrill of taking the whole Jackpot, even if no actual money was exchanged.

You waved at a few friends as you pulled your sweater tighter around you. The dress you wore was one of your favorites, but it wasn't particularly warm. Caleb had settled on the steps with the small sketchbook he brought almost everywhere. Glancing down, you noticed that he seemed to be sketching the storefronts across from the church. He then looked up and pointed, drawing your attention, "Mama, look! It's James! Can I go say hi?"

Following his gaze, you saw that it was indeed the long-haired brunet. He was exiting the hardware store with a few bags in each hand. Shielding your eyes from the Autumn sun, you could see he wore his usual baseball cap, jacket, and gloves. You saw him looking around briefly, then he did a double take and paused upon spotting you. Caleb waved enthusiastically, standing from his crouched position while you hesitantly raised a hand in greeting. "You'll see him tomorrow, honey. Let's not bother him on his day off, mmkay?"

The blond-haired boy exhaled in disappointment, "Okay."

James had transferred all his bags to his left hand and raised his right in response with a smile. He then looked away and continued on down the street. Turning back toward the open church doors, your mother was finally approaching, ready to leave.

________

The repetitive sounds of hammering woke you on Monday, bringing a smile to your face. Another morning began with a quick breakfast, forgotten homework, and a mad rush to meet the school bus before you returned home and visited the stables. A ladder rested against the outside wall while sounds were heard up on the roof. Glancing inside, you could see that all the horses had water and food already so you passed by each stall, saying hello to every horse and nuzzling their soft noses. Jasper snorted and stamped his hooves at your approach, a frown tugging at your mouth with worry.

The sounds above were muffled from inside and you suspected James was hitting softly so as to not spook the horses. So considerate. Walking back outside, you rounded the corner toward the ladder and climbed up. You stood on a rung only about 8 feet off the ground with the roof visible. At the top you saw James on his hands and knees replacing shingles.

Waiting for him to pause in hammering, you finally spoke, "Good morning, James."

He turned your way with a smile, "Good morning, Y/N."