Chapter Thirty Nine

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Michael the Fourth knocked on his brother's door. "Hey?"

Malcolm looked over from closing a box. "Hey?"

"Are you done?"

"Yes. Finally."

"So you don't have to pack away anything else?"

"Nope." Malcolm collapsed in a chair.

"Are you still moving tomorrow?"

"That's the plan. She called to confirm with PODS earlier."

"What if it's still bad out?"

"Our walkway can be cleared and so will ours at the house. It'll be easy. Put down some salt."

"You just want this over with." He accused.

Malcolm dropped his head back. "Yes! I can't wait to be done. Buying a house and moving in winter is the worst idea in the world!"

"You could have stayed home." Michael pointed out.

"Nah. She wanted out."

"I would say, "I wonder why" but I think I know why."

"Why?"

"Privacy. You can't get to know each other with other people around. She's way too shy for that."

"How'd you know she's shy?"

"Like recognizes like. We're shy. We know other shy people."

Malcolm chuckled.

"Mom wants us down for dinner."

Malcolm put a hand to his flat belly. He could feel its rumble. "I am hungry."

"Me too. I was just practicing my cello and I started envisioning myself cutting a sandwich."

Malcolm laughed.

M-

Malcolm opened the door. "Hello. Right this way."

The two men from PODS followed him upstairs.

They began gathering boxes and bringing them down to the truck.

Michael the Third and Fourth began helping. Malcolm picked up boxes and began taking them downstairs.

Marcus Donald showed up on the second trip. "Hey!"

"Marcus Donald!" Malcolm slapped his hand. "When'd you get in?"

"Last night." He'd come to help his sister and new brother-in-law move.

"Well we're getting started now. My room is the one with the open door and all the boxes."

"Got it." He went inside.

Jeanette and Madeline watched all the men work for a while before going to the Jones home.

"You've got the bags, too." Marcus Donald noted.

"Yeah, your sister said it'd be better and I didn't want to argue it." Malcolm brought out bags.

"That'll save you time cuz she'll argue you down."

"Really?" Michael the Fourth felt like laughing.

"Oh yeah. She doesn't like to argue but that doesn't mean she won't."

"Yikes...!" Malcolm grimaced.

"Women argue, son." Michael the Third told him. "It's sport to them. They're better at it than us."

"Marcy is great at arguing. She talks so fast, you have no idea what she's talking about." Marcus Donald grinned.

"Jeanette is a lawyer." Michael the Third scoffed. "She can take even a small thing and twist it. I'm lucky she's mild-mannered. If she were brash, I'd be in a lot of trouble."

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