That Old House

I rolled with her, putting her on her back, kissing her firmly. "Whatever you need. I...I was afraid to tell you. It's too soon. I didn't want to scare you away."

She awarded me a shy little smile. "You could never scare me away. You should know that by now."

"I love you, Karen McCoy. Like no woman I've ever known."

"Please don't trifle with me, Jack. I couldn't take it."

I kissed her again, then sat up, buttoning my shirt. "You know it's true. Hell, I wouldn't know how to trifle with you. The only question now is what we do about it."

She got on her knees, and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning her forehead against mine. "We have an eternity to think about it. A whole week." I received a quick kiss. "We gotta go down there, or I'll never hear the end of it."

I helped her to her feet, and followed her down the stairs. I don't know why I had said it. It was like I couldn't help myself. I was happy to get it out of the way. Now she knew, for better or worse. Only one thing bothered me.

She hadn't said it back.

* * *

The House had been transformed. Nine months earlier, it had been a shambles, a hollow shell. A month ago, it had been rendered barely habitable. Now it was a home.

The smells of the holiday filled the air. Dinner on the stove, the fire in the fireplace, the tree and its decorations. Outside, a light drizzle had started. My first thought was disappointment, it would have been nice to have a white Christmas. Then, as the falling rain damped the outside noises of the world, bringing a crispness to the air, amidst the faint patter of raindrops against the windows and porch, I realized how wonderful it was. How perfect. Our world, encapsulated on that hilltop, isolated by distance, the dark, and now the elements.

I opened the front door wide, standing in the doorway, breathing deep of the clean air, embracing the cool wind carving around my body. Karen and Bev were still chatting. I don't know how women do it. Together for hours and hours every day, they can always find something new to talk about. The most common daily event was worth an hour long discussion. Their voices rising and falling, changing timbre, inflection, pace, alternating in ragged blocks, that was my Christmas music. No finer had ever been written.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring out into the night, the cold air pressing against me, the heat of the interior against my back. The sound and smells of the inside and outside dueling around me, as I served as a human shield, keeping my home, my women, safe from the elements.

A caress against my cheek. "You feel it, don't you, Mary? It's a home again." I said. "Was it like this for you?"

"Jack! You're letting the cold in!" Karen called out to me.

"And letting the heat out," Bev added.

I closed the door, shivering momentarily. It was cold outside. I needed to get a thermometer, I imagine it was below 40.

With a few quick steps, I reached Bev, enveloping her in my arms. I buried my face in her neck, hugging her. "Best Christmas ever," I told her.

She laughed, ruffling my hair. "You're frozen! Warm up by the fire."

I gave her a kiss on the cheek, and turned to the blazing wood, crackling comfortably. I held out my hands, letting the heat leech the cold from hands and arms.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I looked around at my home. Once more seeing the decorative changes. The stockings above my head were no longer empty. The picture above the mantle, Mary's gift, was still wrapped. The tree a few paces away was floating amid a sea of brightly wrapped gifts.

Karen settled in behind me, her arms wrapped around my waist, her legs outside mine. I felt her press against my back, her breath on my neck. "Happy?" she asked.

"As happy as I could ever imagine."

She kissed me just under the ear. "It shows."

I held her arms, where they clutched me. "It's true you know. What I said."

"What?"

"I love you."

"We barely know each other," she whispered.

"True. I know it's too early. I told myself I wouldn't say anything. I didn't want to scare you away. I...I'm too intense sometimes, I understand that. Too focused. Single-minded. I'm sorry about that."

Her lips caressed my neck from behind. "I like it. Determined, I'd call it. Persistent."

I laughed. "Obstinate, stubborn, is what I was always told."

Bev reminded us of her presence. "I think I'm ready to call it a night. It's been a long day."

While Karen went through the bathroom, and bedtime preparations, I made sure the bedroom fires were healthy, and banked the living area ones, putting the lamps out, and locking up.

I peeked in on Bev, giving her a hug and kiss goodnight, took Karen by the hand and led her to my bedroom.

Mary left us alone for the most part. Unlike the crazy unbridled passion of the previous night, it was a night of slow easy loving. I didn't need Mary's help to get up for Karen a second time, and it was even more relaxed than the first one, with her laying on top of me, as I joined with her, holding and caressing her, accepting her kisses.

I fell asleep with her in my arms, and barely woke when Mary gave me my middle-of-the-night treat.

* * *

What can I tell you about that first Christmas in The House? It was all I'd ever hoped a Christmas could be, in every way. The only thing missing was snow.

I woke with Karen in my arms, and when she left to take care of Bev, getting her ready for the day, I gave Mary the first two of my Christmas presents for her. There's not a lot I could give her, but 30 minutes in the morning was a start.

We had a light breakfast, and I could tell the women felt the same excitement I did. We make the 9:30 service in town, where we met many of our neighbors for the first time. We were minor celebrities, once people learned I was the one fixing up The House. I felt an almost overwhelming pride to be there with Karen and Bev, while they bragged on me and what I'd accomplished so far. I'm sure a lot of people were wondering what our relationship was, but nobody was gauche enough to ask, and we weren't offering. At least I wasn't.

We were home before noon. Our first order of business was to get comfortable. It only took me a few minutes to change down to jeans and a t-shirt, and I had the fires roaring by the time the ladies appeared. I think they were as eager to get to the presents as I was, although I was a little nervous, and knew I'd catch a lot of grief for overdoing it.

Bev was parked in front of the fire, with her ever-present tea. I was recruited to help with the dinner, and it was almost 1:00 pm before we were finally able to settle in and open the gifts.

I was feeling a little guilty. After Karen passed out the presents, I had a pile in front of me, larger than both of theirs combined. "Way too much," I told them. "I thought we agreed to keep it sane."

Bev pooh-poohed my complaint. "They're little things, and a lot are for the house, it's not a big deal, Jack."

The smaller gifts went quickly, while I opened one for each they opened. Karen was expressive and appreciative for the small presents, a sweater, a gift certificate for a mani-pedi in town, a tree ornament, fuzzy slippers. Bev made a big deal out of hers, a tea cozy, a set of walkie-talkies, a silk scarf, a matching gift certificate to Karen's.

They exchanged gifts with each other, and I got half a dozen items for The House, new shirts, sunglasses, all of them great gifts. The girls each had one big package remaining, the ones I'd given them. I had two in front of me, one small box, and one very large one. Before opening those, I told them I wanted to open one more.

I went to the picture, and removed it from the wall. "A gift to The House," I explained, and unwrapped the touched up frame with new glass and the cleaned photo. The women both told me it looked great, and that we'd have to work on the other original items, to get them in shape. The hint of a kiss on my cheek, standing in front of the picture, was the 'thank you' I was happiest to receive at that moment. "Like it?" I asked.

She knew who I was addressing. I got another quick kiss, and a tug on my right ear.

I sat with the women, and they insisted I open the big present. It was from both of them.

The box weighed a ton, and rattled when I shifted it. I tore through the paper like a big kid, and tore open the top. It took a few moments for me to realize what I was seeing.

"How...where..."

Karen laughed. "I saw there was a salvage auction. I was actually looking for something that would fit the house, maybe a 100 year old door, an old dresser, whatever. When I saw that come up, I knew you had to have it. It was a bit more than I could afford, so Bev was generous enough to help."

I was pulling out the items, examining them. It was period hardware, at least a century old. Glass door knobs, brass handles, hinges, kick plates, keyhole covers, sash locks, large iron hinges, and many I had no idea what they were. There must have been over a hundred items in that box. Many didn't match, but I was surprised how many did.

The women were laughing, when I finally realized how long I'd been looking through my box of goodies. I had a couple of dozen items spread out around me. "I guess I have my work cut out for me."

"Do you like it?" Karen asked nervously.

"It's incredible. Perfect. I can't believe it." I pushed the box to the side, and gave each of my women a big hug and kiss. "Best Christmas present I ever got. Even better than my first bike."

Now I was nervous. The last two gifts were the shoebox sized disguised jewelry items, labeled 'OPEN LAST'. That, and the small box I had left.

Karen picked hers up and shook it. I saw her grin. "Feels like a book."

I did my best to hide my feelings. Excitement, nervousness, and that little bit of guilt.

She was a woman. She carefully opened the paper, putting it to the side to be reused. I tore gifts open. She opened the box, and I saw the look of surprise when she found another wrapped gift inside. "Like a Russian nesting doll," she commented, setting the empty box to the side and unwrapping the second package. This was a little harder to disguise, it was an oversized ring box. She opened the lid and I heard her gasp. "Oh my God," she whispered, pulling it free and gazing at it.

"Is...Is it real?" she asked, trying it on her finger.

"I'm not sure what it is. It's old, we'll have to have is appraised."

"It's fantastic. Gorgeous. But it's way too much, Jack. We agreed."

"Like my box of goodies?" I reminded her.

She extended her hand staring at the ring on her finger. It was old-fashioned. Not what young women wore any more. But there was no denying it was stunning.

Karen turned to Bev. "Open yours Bev."

Bev's hands were shaking. I didn't know if it was from the excitement, or something else. The interior box wasn't a surprise this time, and she pulled out the paperback sized interior gift. She unwrapped the second item, and took a moment before opening the felt covered jewelry box. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes a moment, and her trembling hands lifted the cover back on its hinge.

She stared at it a moment, then turned to me. "Where did you find it, Jack?"

I blushed. "During the renovations, I found a hideaway in one of the fireplaces upstairs. It was in there."

"You don't know what it is, do you?"

"I imagine it was Mary's."

She gave me a mysterious look. "It was. You can't give me this. It belongs in a museum. I could never wear this."

"It's a necklace, Bev. It was made to be worn. Nobody deserves it more than you. Hell, it's yours anyway. It was part of The House that you should never have given away."

She removed it from the box gingerly. "Get the picture, Jack."

I knew which one she was talking about. The family picture where Mary was wearing the necklace. I passed it to her. She pulled it close to her face, gazing on it. "I remember it. She wore it on her wedding day. It was her mothers, and her grandmothers before that. A family heirloom."

"See. It should stay in the family."

She shook her head. "What do you think the center stone is, Jack?"

"I don't know. Topaz?"

"It's a diamond, Sweetie. Back then it was one of the largest canary yellow diamonds in the world. Over 60 carats. The matching ring is nearly 20 carats. This isn't something you just give away. It would pay off all your repairs a dozen times over. Maybe more. When it was first bought, by Mary's grandfather, it cost over $20,000, in the 1880's. I shudder to think what it's worth today. Everyone thought it was lost forever."

Her words surprised me. I knew it was pretty, but that was crazy. Who even knew diamonds came in yellow, and over 60 carats? I stood, and took it from her hands, removing it from the case. I opened the latch, stood behind her and placed in on her neck. "I want you to wear it. I know nobody else who could do it justice." I closed the clasp and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Mom. Please accept it. I know it's what Mary would want."

Her fingers rose slowly to touch it, while the tears coursed down her weathered cheeks. "It's too much," she whispered.

"Nothing's too much for you."

Karen had come over and was kneeling before Bev's wheelchair. She placed her hand against Bev's chest, next to the necklace. "We can't split these up."

I was ready for more argument, but Bev settled it. "Thank you, Jack. It's an incredible gift. We're both more than happy to accept your presents."

Karen continued to argue. "They're a set. It's obvious. You should have both Bev."

Bev smiled, and patted Karen's hand. "I'm certain they'll be a set again someday. Until then, I think it's appropriate we each wear one."

Karen blushed, and gave Bev a hug. "Open your last gift, dear," Bev said to me.

I tore open the paper, and found a folded envelope inside. "Don't say a word about it, Jack. Not one word, other than thank you."

I opened the envelope and found an invoice for a paved road to The House. It was stamped 'Paid In Full', in red. I started to open my mouth, to tell her no way. She'd already given me the property. A $30 grand road was out of the question.

"Not a word!" Bev snapped.

"Seriously, Bev..."

"If anything crosses your lips other than 'Thank You', I'm giving you the necklace back."

I glanced over at Karen, and she was smirking. "You knew about this, didn't you?" I asked her.

"Tell her thank you, Jack, or you're getting the ring back too."

I closed the envelope, and went over to Bev for another kiss. "Thank you."

She nodded, grinning. "That wasn't so hard, now, was it?"

"You're a trouble maker, crazy woman."

She laughed. "Like you have room to talk. Now let's clean up this mess. Monday, we need to get these appraised and insured."

Karen prepared our dinner, and Bev watched over me as I sorted through my box of old toys. I wondered how much things had changed over the years, what kind of changes would have to be made to the doors to handle the older hardware, or if I'd need to replace them. I sorted the like ones into groups, looking for enough to keep the floors similar. They were obviously heavily used, and I wondered how I should clean them.

I heard Bev's giggle. I looked up and she was smiling. "Like a big kid."

"Better than a train set," I admitted.

Things were off for a while, a little awkward. I wasn't sure why, but by dinner everything was back to normal. I was happy as any human could be, and I don't think I was alone.

After dinner we played a little cards, talked about the party the next day, and called it a night early. I thanked them both for the best Christmas of my life.

Karen thanked me in the bed an hour later, and a couple of hours after that, I thanked Mary in one of the few ways I could.

* * *

The 26th was a gorgeous day. According to my truck, it was about 60 degrees out, cool, but not uncomfortably so. Karen and Bev had me running around like a mad man getting everything ready for our guests.

Andrew, his wife Brianna, and his two kids were the first to arrive. Brianna brought an apple pie that looked delicious, and they gave us a welcome mat as a housewarming gift.

I accepted it warmly. "You know that officially The House isn't finished yet," I reminded him.

"So I hear. I also hear it's damned close. Still looking forward to how you finish it."

It seemed so different, kids running around, five adults wandering about, peeking into corners.

My new favorite shopkeeper showed up in a full van. She stood outside, gazing up at the building, while I went out to join them.

"Unbelievable," she said, and gave me a hug. She turned and waved her husband over. "Ron, this is...uh..."

I laughed. "Jack. Please to meet you Ron. Now if you'd just introduce me to your wonderful wife, we can get the names out of the way."

He chuckled, informing me his wife's name was Marge, and introduced me to the rest of his brood. Daughter Jean, her husband Drew, and their two kids. I escorted them into The House, did the rest of the introductions and mingled a bit. Before long I was giving everyone the tour of The House, listening with more than a little pride to their praise.

Ron was the most inquisitive. I learned he'd done the repairs on his own century old home. "You did all this?"

"I had help. Some of those beams are pretty heavy."

Andrew laughed. "Don't believe a word of it. He did it all. Even the wiring and plumbing, I don't care whose signatures are on the work."

"Where'd you get the wood? Mostly oak isn't it?" Ron asked.

"Off the property. The majority came from clearing the road. The trees there were younger, most less than 60 years old, and a lot easier to work with."

"The only place around where 60 year old trees are the new wood. You've done a hell of a job," Ron observed, running his hand over the wood paneling.

I took the men on a tour of the hilltop, while the women chatted, gathered around Bev's location. The kids were running around checking everything out. I'd given them the run of The House.

Ron's eldest, Dave, I'm guessing around 14-15 years old, came running over to us, while they were looking over the bench under The Oak. "Mom said to come back. Holly hurt her hand."

We all hustled back, and I found out that Marge and Ron's granddaughter had her hand pinched when the third floor trapdoor closed on her. There were a lot of accusations among the kids over who'd closed it. I went up to check on the situation myself. The door was closed, and when I went to open it I was shocked by Mary's appearance. A firm tug on my left ear, a definite 'No.'

"What happened?" I said out loud. The kids and parents were gathered at the foot of the stairs. A cacophony of answers came out of the kids, but the only answer that mattered was a whispered "...Danger..."

"Who locked this?" I asked, looking behind me. The bolt holding the doors shut had been slid in place. It had been open when I gave the adults the initial tour. All I got was denials from all the kids.

I opened the bolt that joined the twin panels, and felt a sharp tug on my left ear. I understood that Mary had strong feelings about the third floor. I opened the doors, and felt her hand on mine, pushing back. "...No..." she warned.

As rarely as she spoke to me, and the effort I knew it cost her, the two consecutive phrases had me hesitating. Still, The House was my responsibility and I needed to check it out. Stepping into the wide open space, there was nothing out of place. The windows were boarded up, the fireplaces temporarily bricked off. The two light bulbs illuminating the space did a poor job of fighting off the shadows. The access to the attic was still closed. Nothing there to see.

I turned to see Andrew peeking up through the opening. I stepped his way, and my bowels turned to water when I felt a firm push in my back. I would have blamed it on Mary, I recognized the type of touch, but Mary had made it clear in the last few weeks she wouldn't go past the last couple of stairs. No way she was up there with me.