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“Oh.” I say, looking at the little rundown camper. This is a far cry from the type of place I would picture someone living in full time. The camper itself is quite small, honestly it’s smaller than most of the minivan’s I see driving around Fawn Creek. The exterior looks almost as though it’s been painted with spray paint to bring some sort of cohesive look to the metal panels that have been replaced over the years.
“I know what you’re thinking. The camper is just a temporary solution. I’m building a barndominium. It’s just going to take some time.” He says.
“You’re building a barn?” I ask, puzzled.
He laughs. “No, a barndominium is a house and shop combination. The exterior is completely metal, so it will go up rather quickly. I have a group from the Amish community slated to take care of that part for me. The rest I can handle on my own, little by little.” He pulls up a picture on his phone and shows me. “It’ll be really nice once it’s done.”
I nod and take in the photos in front of me. The front of the house looks like a typical farmhouse. It has a white metal exterior with a large porch and wooden beams. The back of the house has three garage doors leading to the shop. “That’s beautiful.” I tell him. “So, does that mean you are going to be living there before winter?” That camper can’t possibly be warm enough to sleep in once we hit below freezing temperatures.
“Yes. If nothing else, the structure will be up, and I’ll be able to park the camper inside the shop to keep myself out of the elements.” He assures me with a smile.
I guess at least he has it all figured out.
He pulls the truck to a stop and puts the gearshift in park before turning to face me. His face softens and a wave of seriousness washes over him. “Tyler. I need you to understand something. I’m in this for the long haul and by that I mean I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I’m sorry that I hurt you and I’m so sorry I disappeared.” He pauses. “I got into my head about things that happened to me in my past, and about people that have hurt me before. I realize now that you are not those people. You do not deserve to pay for the crap that other people put me through. And I swear I am going to spend as long as it takes proving to you how sorry I am and how much you mean to me.”
A tear escapes down my face and before I can wipe it away, he brushes his thumb against my cheek and does it for me before he continues. “You are everything that I have been waiting for, for my entire life. Everything in my life that has gone wrong until now finally makes sense. I can see now that nothing ever worked out because it wasn’t with you. You are my missing piece and I can’t wait to show you how much you mean to me.”
He leans forward and gently kisses me.
He is going to make being cautious a lot more difficult than I imagined.
Chapter 24
Andrew lowers the tailgate of his truck before he turns to look at me. “Are you sure you’re ready to say goodbye?” He asks.
I shrug. “I don’t think there is any other way around it. It just has to happen.”
He nods. “Welp, let’s get this show on the road, then.” I follow Andrew around to the back of my house, where we find Fernandez standing in the live trap we left out for him, eating leftover garlic bread.
“I can’t believe no one claimed this guy,” Andrew says, shaking his head as he moves to lift the cage. “I mean, look at him. Who wouldn’t want him as a pet?”
“Literally every person in this neighborhood.” I laugh. Over the last few weeks, I’ve asked everyone I’ve seen if they knew where Fernandez the rooster had come from. I got the same response from every Fawn Creek resident. He just randomly appeared one day, but no one knows from where. The general assumption is that he was probably dumped off. “I might actually be given a medal of honor for getting him out of here. I guess standing outside my window waking me up early isn’t the worst that he’s done. He apparently also loves to destroy people’s gardens.”
“Well, Rob and Megan are more than happy to let him live on their farm. Megan said she has something like 50 chickens now and she won’t even notice another rooster walking around.” He says, as we climb into the truck.
“Good.” I say with a nod. “That makes me happy to know that he will have a happily ever after of his own.”
He chuckles and squeezes my hand. “You never cease to amaze me, you know that? I can’t believe how kind you have been to that mean old rooster.”
“He’s not that mean.” I say. “He’s only chased me like three times, and I really think that he thought I was going to steal his food. The guy has just had a rough life. He’s been fighting for survival for who knows how long.”
“I just hope he will be happy.” I say, gazing out the window.
Andrew just laughs and shakes his head.
“What? No one is meant to do life alone.” I say, turning towards him. “Everyone in this world needs some sort of village to turn to, whether it’s a couple of friends, or a whole yard full of hens. Sometimes, you just don’t realize it until you get thrown in the middle of it. No one should live in isolation, not even a mean old rooster named Fernandez.”
He smiles. “I sure am glad I get to be a part of your village.”
“I’m glad you do, too.” I say with a smile.
Just then, we pull into Rob and Megan’s driveway. An enormous flock of chickens immediately surrounds the truck to meet us. A lady who must be around my mothers age, steps out of the swinging screen door to meet us with a wave and a smile.
Andrew and I climb out of the truck, and Andrew introduces me to Megan. Then he introduces Megan to Fernandez.
“He’s beautiful.” Megan says, admiring his red and teal tail feathers.
“He is.” I agree. “Thank you so much for taking him in. I hope he isn’t too much of a handful.”
