She smiled slightly and touched the comforter again.
“Thank you for this.”
I nodded and was about to ask why she was worried when Liam called out.
“Emmitt, can we work on my bed?”
“I’ll be back,” I said and turned to help Liam.
Before I could get Liam situated, Michelle left her room and started moving stuff over from the old place. It didn’t take her long. As soon as she put the last of Aden’s shorts into his dresser, Winifred called for Michelle’s help in the kitchen.
The day Winifred had gone rummaging, she’d managed to pick up boxes of houseware items. All of it needed to be washed, dried, and put away. Once we finished, the apartment would be a fully equipped home. Finishing would take a while, though. Liam and Aden loved helping, but holding screws wasn’t enough. They wanted to use the hammer and the screwdrivers. They wanted to help lift anything that needed lifting. By the time we finished, Jim’ stomach was making noises.
“We need some food after all this work,” he said to Aden. “But we’ll have to be quiet about it.”
Aden nodded in agreement, looking very serious. Jim brushed his hands on his shorts then casually left the room. Aden copied every move.
“Do you think they’ll get in trouble?” Liam asked, looking up at me.
“Nah. Nana knows growing boys need food. She’ll let us get away with a snack before dinner.”
Liam nodded and reached for my hand.
* * * *
I lifted Aden and carried him up the stairs. Liam followed slowly behind me. The sun hadn’t quite set yet, but both boys were exhausted. After leaving the apartment, we’d eaten our snack, played, made dinner together, and played some more, and now they were ready to crash in their new bunks.
“Do you think Mimi and Nana are done cleaning yet?” Liam asked.
“Yep. I think so, little man.”
“Good. I don’t want to clean,” Aden said, his head on my shoulder.
I laughed and set him down when we reached the top. Michelle and Winifred were still inside. Everything was neat, and the place smelled faintly like cleaners.
Michelle looked at her brothers with worry.
“They’re just tired. We played hard today.”
“I forgot about dinner.”
“Don’t worry. Jim and Aden didn’t. We all ate downstairs.”
“Thank you. Nana, I better get these two to bed. I can finish the rest on my own.”
“Have a good night, dear. Enjoy your new home.”
Michelle nodded as her stomach growled.
Didn’t you stop to eat? I asked Winifred as I followed her out the door.
No. Time slipped by us.
While Winifred went downstairs, I went into my apartment. It still smelled like Michelle and the boys. I breathed deeply. Her scent wrapped around me, and for the first time in weeks I felt myself relax a little.
Checking the freezer, I found she hadn’t taken any of the food with her. I shook my head, took out a package of chicken breasts, and started thawing them in the microwave.
While I cooked, I listened to Michelle get her brothers ready for bed. Despite their exhaustion, they still had enough energy to fight over who would get the top bunk. I grinned as I turned the meat.
By the time I had two potatoes microwaved and a side of green beans hot, Michelle was in her new kitchen, checking the cupboards. I plated everything, set two spots at the island, and cut off a chunk of cooked meat, skewering it on a fork before going to the door. As soon as she entered the hall, I opened my door all the way and lifted the fork.
“Thought I might see you yet tonight.”
She smiled at me and took the fork, hungrily eating the bite.
“Mmm...” She closed her eyes as she chewed.
Why did that sound have me staring at her neck? Probably because I still wanted to know how she tasted.
“I didn’t think you could hear through closed doors,” she said after she swallowed.
“I can if I’m close enough. Just across the hall from a closed door, I can hear things like footsteps.” I stood aside so she could enter. “Will you eat with me?”
She nodded, and when she passed me, I could smell the familiar sweetness I was coming to crave.
“What do you think of your new place?” I asked, motioning for her to sit.
“I love it. Thank you.” She blushed and focused on her food.
“It was no problem. I liked working on it.” Man, why did conversation have to be so hard? “So, Michelle who is nineteen and likes the color blue, what else can I learn about you?”
She finished chewing before answering.
“There’s not much to know. I mean, before Blake, I remember playing softball and hanging out with friends. But that’s not who I am now.”
“Who are you now?”
“I don’t know who I am. But when I figure it out, I’ll tell you.”
I thought about what she said.
“We’ll figure it out together.”
* * * *
Over the course of the next few days I observed Michelle, trying to figure out what motivated her, what she liked and didn’t like. She excelled at cooking and liked honest praise for her efforts. She liked spending time with her brothers and doing activities with them. She didn’t like bugs, much to Aden’s displeasure. She didn’t like Jim’s singing, but was too polite and amused to say anything. But the biggest epiphany was her desire to be a normal girl.
We were on the porch watching the boys run through the sprinkler. Winifred had just returned from a rummage sale with some fashion magazines from the prior year. When she set them on the porch while unloading the rest of the things from her car, Michelle had picked one up and started thumbing through it.
She’d pause every now and again to study an ad. I began to notice a pattern. Ads with everyday girls caught her eye.
She needs to know what it’s like to be a normal nineteen-year-old, I sent to Winifred as I carried a bag of men’s clothes into her apartment. Most likely that clothing would find its way up to the Compound.
And do you know what it’s like to be a normal nineteen-year-old girl? Winifred’s amusement was clear over our link.
I have some ideas. But I’ll need your help.
You will always have my help.
I waited until Jim was home and Michelle had taken the kids upstairs for the night before discussing what I wanted to do.
“I want to take her on a real date.”
Jim made a pained sound.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Emmitt.”
“Why not?”
“Every time she leaves this place to ‘go out’ she comes back drunk. That girl has a drinking problem.”
Winifred stood, walked over to Jim, and smacked him on the back of the head. Just as calmly, she sat back down. Jim was grinning from ear to ear.
“What did you have in mind, Emmitt?” she asked.
“A nice dinner at that fancy place just outside of town.”
“She’ll need nicer clothes than what she has here.”
“I know. I want you to take her shopping on Saturday. A girls’ day. Back on base, the women would get together to have their hair done and go for lunch. The point was to get out and just be with the girls.”
“You hung out with Army wives?” Jim asked.