My Mother's house

15

Nath was gone when I woke up.  I know I had been sleeping more often, but sleep had never felt like this.  So restful.  I got up and made the bed, noticing all traces of Nath were gone.  Even the heat from his side of the bed was gone.  I peeked out the door.  Golden silence.  The house was still asleep.  Unfortunately for me, my sleep clothes were currently my day clothes.  I decided that maybe, today, I should try to get back to normal.  I crept to my room and pulled out a pair of jean shorts.  My raw skin has scabbed over and my skin was getting less red by the day.  It finally felt like I was healing. 
Maybe tight jean shorts weren't such a good idea, but they were on now.  No turning back.    I changed my shirt into one of David's I had jacked, and cut the sleeves off.  Time to wake him up.  I can't wait until school, then I can wake him up every morning.  My step had a little spring in it as I made my way down to his room.  I swung open the door, ready to yell rise and shine, but the bed was empty.  That bastard.  Got up on his own.  There's always another day.  I closed his door and went downstairs.  Nath and David were sitting at the dinning room table, eating cereal, talking about the roof.
"Morning sis."  He had a little snicker come out at the end.  He knew I wanted to come after him this morning. 
"Morning David."  I left to the kitchen to make my own bowl, only to be left alone to eat.  Those two were already up on the roof starting the day.  His friends slowly trickled in.  I didn't care what time any of them got there or left, as long as the roof was finished before Friday. 
While they worked on that, I grabbed a hammer and pulled off the wood around the window.  I tried not to break any of it, but a few pieces cracked.  The first one split in half.  I got all of first floor done, and left the wood on the floor in front of the window I took it off of.  I could see what Nath had meant about having to measure from the inside.  I grabbed some scratch paper and a tape measure and started jotting down all of the numbers I would need along with where the window went.  God I hoped windows weren't expensive.  There were a billion of them just downstairs. 

I had to hand it to those boys.  The roof was finished before nightfall.  Or maybe the saying is true, many hands make light work.  Or maybe they just really wanted that keg party in the barn.  Before my wet dream of sweaty testosterone all left, I invited them to dinner.  I made a huge batch of chili in the crock pot, one of the few recipes I had learned from Mom. 
The table was full, even Dad had come back to see the new roof, but when he asked how much I paid, I avoided that part, asking if he wanted more crackers.  He didn't approve of underage drinking and he would flip out about the party if he knew.  The meal was loud and Dad got distracted when Chuck and his friends started talking about football and getting David to join the team this year.  David was a little nerdy and I listened intently as he tried not to completely agree to join.  Dad had quickly jumped in the conversation and was urging for his son to be manly.  Awww the awesomeness of peer pressure.
Nath had stayed quiet during most of dinner as had I.  Last night might have smoothed things over with us, but I still wondered about him, about our past.  I really wanted to know what happened to him as a little boy, and why we never came back after I was six.  It seemed like we had came here every summer the way Nath talked.  I didn't want to bombard him with questions and ruin what I had just newly fixed.  The only other source of information was sitting at this table.
"Dad are you staying the night here?"
"I can.  The roof is done.  Did you have anything else for Nath to do while I can still cover the hotel?"
Shit my windows.  "Well I do, but I thought it would be nice to hang out with you.  It feels like I haven't seen you in weeks and you're about to leave."
Dad was staring at me like there was a catch, and David had his spoon on pause half way to his mouth, giving me an evil glare.  Dad was a little hesitant to form his words. 
"Sure honey.  Anything you had in mind?  Like movie night or something?"
My mouth was open to answer, but David stuck his big nose into the conversation.  "And paint each others nails, eat ice cream, oh and talk about boys!"  His voice was shrill and unnaturally high pitched trying to imitate mine and completely missing, but somehow all of his friends managed to laugh.  Although I think some were laughing at him.
I frowned at him dismissively and turned back to Dad.  "I think movie night would be fine. Plus it will give you time to pack anything you left here, so you can leave straight from the hotel Friday morning. No sense in driving twenty minutes farther away just to sleep in an old house and crappy bed."
My Dad faked shock, holding his hand over his heart.  "Kicking me out already!  It's only Wednesday!"  I rolled my eyes at him, holding back my smile.  "I think that sounds like fun, honey, but only if we can agree on a movie."