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Pushing the mower with a weighted backpack was often an extra workout for me. Though, today it was hot, so I skipped the backpack. I finished the acre around front and was starting the back when I saw Emerson walking out of the woods. She looked at me and just stopped. I released the lever on the handle and the mower went quiet.
“Do you ever wear clothes?” she asked, eyebrows raised.
“I have on clothes.” I looked down at my basketball shorts.
“Let me rephrase. Do you ever wear a shirt?” She looked me over again. I would be a liar if I said I didn't enjoy her eyeballing me.
I smiled indignantly. “I'm working out, and it’s hot.”
“You're mowing the lawn. I would hardly say that's working out.” She started to walk away.
“It’s exercise. That counts,” I called after her.
She shook her head and walked closer to her door. “Keep telling yourself that.”
“You wanna grill some chicken later?” I wasn't sure why I had asked or where it had come from... It just kind of came out. Maybe I missed grilling out with Ryan, and I figured she had to eat something. Plus, I saw the grocery bags she’d brought in, s
o I knew she didn't have much in the way of groceries other than coffee, a few cans of soup, and a loaf of bread.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” she said before she walked the last few steps to her door and went inside without even looking back.
Shot down. I hadn’t exactly made nice with the new neighbor, it seemed.
I finished mowing then headed inside. After a long shower, I went about getting dinner prepared. I lit the grill and waited for it to heat up before I placed the three chicken breasts on it. I walked back in and put some brown rice on and threw a bag of green beans in the microwave to steam. I had to eat clean, and it sucked, once again jealous that Ryan could eat whatever he wanted. I cracked a light beer and sat in my lawn chair as the chicken cooked. I intended to prove I could be a good neighbor and fix her a plate even if she didn't want to eat it with me. And after I finished eating, that’s exactly what I did.
I carried the plate over and knocked on her door. She pulled it open and looked at me over the glasses resting low in the bridge of her nose. I smiled at the sight of a pencil stuck in the messy bun piled on top of her head.
“Yes?” she said as her eyes met mine.
I hesitated, caught off guard by the lump in my throat. “I brought you this. Peace offering?” I pushed the plate out in front of me.
A smile played over her pink lips. “Thanks.” She took it and let the screen door close behind her. I followed her inside.
“I had extra, and without Ryan here to eat it, it’ll just go to waste,” I tried to explain.
“Thanks again. I was just about to take a food break, so good timing.”
“From?” I asked as I watched her unwrap the plate and grab a plastic fork from a drawer.
She looked over at me as she lifted a forkful of green beans to her mouth then paused. “I'm working on securing a grant to help me study this new fungus that is killing the deciduous trees in the area.” She placed the beans in her mouth and chewed.
“I've heard Ryan’s dad talk about that. Causes root rot or something like that?”
“We aren't exactly sure why, but yeah, it seems to concentrate on the roots. I've seen it on branches before, but mostly it attacks the root ball.”
“Well, I hope you get the grant. I'll see you later.” I turned to leave.
She stopped me and said, “Thanks for this. I'll clean your plate and return it tomorrow.”
“No worries. I know where you live,” I smiled and then let myself out.
I laid in bed that night listening to her music playing quietly through my wall. When Ryan and I had planned this place, I hadn't thought about separating the bedrooms. When Ryan was there, more than once I had slept on the couch because of it. This was different, though. Her soft voice was muffled as she sang along and, to be honest, it was soothing. I closed my eyes and listened as she unknowingly sang me to sleep.
Chapter Six
Emerson
I finished my paper around midnight and proof read it quickly before getting the email ready to send it off. I had worked for hours and hadn’t even realized how quiet it was. I grabbed a cup of coffee, stuck it in the microwave, and waited. When it beeped at me, I pulled it out and headed out onto the back porch. The stars looked amazing, and I found myself wandering out into the yard with my head back just looking at them. The sheer magnitude of the little sparking lights brought a smile to my face. I stood out there and gazed at them until my coffee was gone. As I turned to make my way back to the house, a faint light in a window on Luke’s side of the house caught my attention, and I wondered if he was still awake.
