3. Jesse
3
Jesse
My heart is beating so loud in my body. It’s a miracle that I can hear anything at all.
Coraline Jennings, the girl who absolutely broke my heart and shattered the remaining pieces, is standing in front of me. I don’t have time to process this feeling yet. I have to put my feelings to the side, do my job like the professional I am, and then I can leave—seems simple enough.
As I step inside of the house, I notice two little boys in the living room playing games and giggling. My stomach plummets and I feel kind of sick.
I look around the room to see if there’s a husband or boyfriend anywhere. I don’t see anyone else. I also notice that she’s not wearing a ring on a very important finger.
Cora is still as stunning as I remember her to be. Five foot seven, with honey colored eyes and full lips. Her beauty has always seemed so effortless. Why am I thinking about her beauty? It's been years, I thought I was over her.
“Are these boys yours?” I ask and immediately wish I hadn’t opened my mouth. I know that it’s none of my business but I can't help myself.
“Yes. This is Harrison and Michael. They’re my sons.”
The kids both turn around at the same time and it suddenly feels hard to breathe again. Is it just me, or does the older boy look familiar? He has the same kind of hair as me, but his eyes look just like Cora’s. Nope. There’s no way. That’s not possible.
I lock eyes with the older boy and give him a small smile. He glares at me in return. I turn my attention toward the younger boy and he gives me a big smile and waves. You can tell they’re brothers but they really don’t look too much alike.
“Hi guys, my name is Jesse. I’m here to fix the oven.”
“Do you know my mom?” The younger boy asks innocently.
“Sort of. We went to school together a long time ago.”
Coraline turns towards me, sensing my discomfort. “Okay boys back to your games. Man, I am starving! Why don’t we get you to the kitchen Jesse?”
“That sounds like a great idea.” I follow her out of the living room.
“Don’t mind the mess. I started a new job today and Gemma was here with the boys.”
Honestly I’m too overwhelmed to notice much of anything at the moment. When I allow myself to look around, I do see that there are toys scattered everywhere.
“Eh, it doesn’t bother me.” I shrug my shoulders. “So, a new job? Are you back in town for good? Not just visiting?”
“Uh, yeah. I guess so,” she replies while avoiding eye contact. “I know this rental is temporary, but we’re staying here until I find something more permanent.”
“I see. Well, welcome back.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“It’s good to be back.” She finally looks towards me. “This town is perfect for my family right now and this house is so close to the campground. It was a no-brainer on if I wanted to rent it or not.”
“My favorite thing about the house, besides the location, is the view from the kitchen.” She longingly glances out the window and I follow her gaze. “It has the best view of the lake. If I didn’t have to go to work, it would feel like we’re on vacation.”
What she probably doesn't realize is that my lakeside house is highly visible from that very window. I helped design the cabin and it was one of my favorite finishing touches.
It’s a miracle that my legs haven't given out at this point. They feel like jello. I wonder if she notices that I'm an absolute ball of nerves.
“I see you still have excellent taste in candles," I comment, trying to break the ice again.
“Some things never change,” she says with a playful shrug.
I nod my head in agreement. “Soo… Henry explained what happened on the phone. I will get my tools in here and see what I can do, then I'll be out of your hair.”
“Cool,” she says as she turns around to go back to the living room.
Once she’s gone, I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I had been holding.
My hands are shaking by the time I bend down to take a look at the oven. What is the matter with me? She's just a girl that I used to know. She should not be affecting me this much. I’ve got to get it together.
I grab my tool bag and mess around with the oven to see what’s wrong with it. I notice that the oven has already been pulled out from the wall. Typical Cora, always so headstrong and determined—I guess some things don’t change after-all.
I do this repairman job as a side gig and to help out Henry Jacobs. I can afford not to work, thanks to software that I created and sold out to a big company a few years ago, but I like to help others out whenever I can.
That's the beautiful thing about Scottsdale, we’re all one big family. When someone needs something, we all pitch in to help. If we can’t help, then we know exactly who to call.
After about twenty minutes, I finally get the oven back up and running. I gather up all of my tools, clean up my mess and start making my way to the living room.
When I round the corner, I notice that Cora is on the floor playing with her kids. I unintentionally slow my steps so I can watch them. They’re playing with cars and dinosaurs and having some sort of battle.
“Mom, when is my dad coming home?” the youngest boy asks softly as he moves his car back and forth.
“Baby, your dad did some bad things, and he has to go away for a while. You might still get to visit him but it won’t ever be like it used to be.”
I take that as my sign to make my presence known before the conversation goes any further. I clear my throat loudly. “I got the oven working again. I’ll let Henry know— hopefully, you won’t have any more issues.”
“Thank you,” she says as she gives me a tight smile.
“I know you were planning on cooking, but why don’t I go and pick you all up something to eat?” I suggest. “It wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”
“We wouldn’t want to keep you any later than we already have. I’m sure someone's waiting for you to get home and I don’t want to be the reason you’re late," she replies. “I appreciate your help, and the offer.”
I nod, deciding that's her polite way of telling me to leave. What she doesn’t know is that my house is a football field away from hers. And there's no-one waiting on me at home— just Lucy, my German shepherd.
I’ve had a few girlfriends here and there, but nothing serious. I always found a reason to end things before they went too far. Cora is the only girl who ever made me feel something. After the way she shattered my heart, I pushed girls away on purpose. I never wanted to feel that kind of pain again.
I step out of the house and climb into my truck. For awhile, I just sit in silence, staring at the steering wheel. It doesn't seem fair— her family is inside, weighed down by sadness, while out here the world is bright, happy, and beautiful.
I can’t help but wonder what her kids' father did. How did he treat her? How did he treat the kids? Where is he now? She’s practically a stranger to me, why do I care so much?
I shake my head and start the truck. I back out of the driveway and head back home.
My house is a lakeside cabin, tucked on about two acres of open land, just off the road to Camp Willowbrooke. The only other house nearby just so happens to be the rental where Cora's staying.
I pull in my driveway and as soon as Lucy sees my truck, her head pops up and her tail starts wagging. She's sitting on the front porch swing, soaking up the sun and waiting for me to get back home.
I rescued Lucy from the local animal shelter when she was just a little pup. That was four years ago now and she’s been my best friend ever since. She's the one and only woman in my life.
I exit the truck and walk over to her. As she leans against me, I rub her favorite spot behind her ear and I kiss the top of her head.
I unlock the front door and step inside. Kicking off my boots, I collapse on the couch and turn the tv on.
My favorite things to watch are classic movies from the seventies and eighties. Tonight, I decide on Back to the Future, my favorite comfort movie. I’ve seen it at-least a hundred times, but it never fails to help me unwind.
As the movie starts, I pull out my phone and mindlessly scroll through social media. I try to focus, but I can't shake the thoughts of Cora and her two sons.
Being the good guy I am, I order them some dinner— along with some sweet treats— and have it delivered to their house. Anonymously, of course. Hopefully it'll put a smile on all of their faces.