Chapter Fourteen
August
Hal didn’t want to worry me, didn’t want to be any trouble, but I did my best to show him that it was my pleasure to be there for him.
When I didn’t know why he wasn’t replying, I worried.
When I learned he was sick, I worried. But when I was present to help, to make sure he was clean and comfortable and fed, it was so much better.
Touched me right in my daddy soul to be there for him and help him as needed. That first night, when I tucked him in and read to him from the novel he’d had beside his bed, four days of worry dissipated. Outlive the virus? Damn right he would on my watch.
Two weeks later, nobody’d ever know he’d been ill at all.
And, to his expressed relief, I didn’t catch it either.
With things back to normal, I was once again setting out to work on my house renovation.
The last thing I had done was the wallpaper removal in the guest bath on the first floor, so it was time to prep for painting.
Hal had some kind of plans with his friends, and I had told him I could keep myself busy with my projects.
I got up early and made a run to the hardware store for a few things I needed and by eight o’clock was back and dabbing at the little imperfections on the walls.
Considering how long it had been behind that wallpaper, I’d expected a lot more damage, but the lack of use of the room probably helped, and I only had to spackle a few nail holes and dents.
Leaving the patches to quick-dry, I was stirring paint when the doorbell rang.
I had a delivery coming anytime, so it had to be that.
“Come in,” I called. “You can leave it in the front hall.”
“Leave what?” Hal called. “My shoes?”
“Hey, I thought you were UPS. I’m in the bathroom. Come on in.”
“Are you sure? I don’t mind giving you privacy. I can wait.” But the door was open wide and he peeked in, grinning. “I didn’t really think you were using the facilities.”
“You are adorable.” I meant it. “Are you on your way to hang out with Ernie and the others?”
He leaned on the doorframe. “Actually, I backed out. I’m here to help.”
Leaning back on my heels, I set down the stirring stick. “You don’t have to do that. You should go and have fun with your friends.”
“Hey, you helped me when I was sick, and I don’t need to remind you of how you rescued me from the side of the road. So, gonna say I can help you when you’re up to your eyeballs in paint.”
“I should insist you go, but the truth is, I can’t imagine anything I’d like better than to have you with me all day. Does that make me a selfish daddy?”
“You could never be selfish, Daddy. So, this is a very nice bathroom. There aren’t any bedrooms on this floor, are there?”
“No, why?”
He shrugged. “Usually a bathroom on a floor with no bedrooms is a powder room, you know, no tub or shower, just the basics.”
“I think when Grandpa built the house, that might not have been the norm. Or maybe Grandma wanted the full room. It’s basically never been used, which is why the tile is so gorgeous.”
“Ooh, it really is.” He leaned in and studied the pattern. “And it’s all original?”
“The tile, yes, and the tub. But you should have seen the wallpaper I took off. It had very ugly stripes.” I showed him a little piece that had ended up on the drop cloth, and he roared. “Oh my goodness, am I glad it’s gone.”
We fell into a rhythm of working together in the small space, one that probably would have been easier for a single person to manage, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun, and by lunchtime, we’d finished the first coat and needed to take a break to let it dry.
“Sandwiches? Or would you like something more substantial?” I asked. “We could go out?”
“Oh no, I’m here to assist, not drag you away to some restaurant. Let’s have the sandwiches and then we can do the second coat.”
We spent a half hour or so making sandwiches and eating them, teasing one another and generally having fun.
Everything I did with this man was great.
Big. Little. All of it, and I felt like the luckiest daddy in the world just for the time we did have together.
After the second coat, he was looking around for more work to do, but I was done with that for the day.
“Why don’t you come out in the backyard and see my project there? It’s almost completed.”
“Okay. I can help you with that.” He leaned into my side where we sat at the counter. “I’m having a great day.”
“You’re easy to please.” I refilled our glasses and picked them up.
“Normally, I’m actually not. You’re just pleasing to me.”
We went out the door and he looked around. “What is the project? Landscaping?”
“Nope, it’s right this way. I led him toward the back where there was a strand of trees. “You’ll see it in a second.” Passing the first pair of big trunks, I stopped. “See?”
“Is that a hammock?” Hal’s voice held such delight, I was thrilled I’d taken the time earlier that week to hang the double hammock. It had actually been in the garage for months, but between my trip to set up the other department and the catching up on my return, I hadn’t gotten to it.
“It is. Do you like hammocks?”
“I’ve always wanted one but apartments don’t usually have room for them. Maybe on a balcony…but I’d never had one of those either. So, what’s left to do? I’m here to help.”
“The only thing left to do is to test it out. It’s made for two people, and that wasn’t something I could do on my own. So, it would be a big help if you’d do that for me?”
“Sure.” He approached it, skirting around it and hemming and hawing. “I’m a little nervous.”
Gripping the edge, I winked at him. “I’ll hold it steady while you climb in.”
He was willing to try at that point, and I made extra sure to keep it from moving until he lay in the middle, grinning up at me. “This is so cool. Climb on.”
“All right.” He scooted over just enough to make room, and soon I lay next to him. “What will happen if we move?”
“What kind of movement did you have in mind?” I asked.
“Something like this.” He rolled over on his side and kissed me. We could honestly report that the hammock would withstand an intense make-out session. Or maybe it was more…
After a long nap in the dappled shade, we made our way back into the house and ordered dinner. Best. Saturday. Ever.