Abby

         The light breaking over the horizon did little to improve Abby's foul mood. Usually when sh couldn't sleep she could find something mind numbing to watch on TV but today she was much too restless. Abby had left home early to try and get some much needed work done at the house on Evergreen. It was going to be a mild week for early spring in Ohio and Abby wanted to take advantage of it. When Abby had first bought this house on Evergreen she had been excited about it. It wasn't the fist house Abby had renovated in this neighborhood. Abby loved the huge old houses but the neighborhood was shit. This was a high crime and low income neighborhood which made her profits small but her desire to help the neighborhood stronger. Abby fell in love with everyone of these old houses. So much so that she hadn't been able to part with her very first one she had bought three years ago. That house had become her home.
         This particular house she was currently renovating was built in 1910 had two stories and had been particularly trying. All the copper pipes had been stolen shortly after closing and Abby had put more money into Asbestos removal than she had planned. Today, Abby parked on the street and made her way to the front door wearily. When she went to unlock the door it was already unlocked. Abby was sure she had locked it when she left yesterday. Her mood dropped from foul to downright rotten when she saw somebody sleeping in a bedroll in the middle of the front room. Abby resisted the urge to kick the motionless lump that was covered with a heavy green blanket.
         "Hey! Get up," Abby bellowed and nudged the lump with her foot. Abby was caught off guard when it was a young woman that sat up quickly and put her hands in the air.
         "Whoa! Who the fuck are you?" The young woman asked sleepily.
         "I own this house. Who the fuck are you?" Abby replied hearing the anger in her own voice.
         "Shit," The stranger mumbled quickly getting to her feet. The stranger started stuffing her things in a green military sea bag. "I'm so sorry. Kyle said it wouldn't be a problem-I didn't-I should've known better." Abby was struggling for words, she was livid but the sight of this young woman in her white tank top and boxer shorts had her breath caught in her throat. The stranger was struggling to get into her jeans when Abby was finally able to shake it off and find her voice.
         "I'm going to kill him. When did you talk to Kyle?" Abby croaked. The stranger was reading Abby with eyes that were such a bright green that it made Abby uncomfortable.
         "About a week ago. I told him when I was coming in and asked if I could stay with him. He said he had some stuff going on at home but was waiting on some permits to come through on this job site." The look in the strangers eyes pulled Abby away from her anger.
         "I'm sorry, what's your name?" Abby asked.
         "Jordan," She replied.
         "Nice to meet you, Jordan. I'm Abby. Kyle is my cousin. He was supposed to be doing some work for me but hasn't showed in over two weeks. So I'm sorry if I was a bit short." Abby knew it was a weird thing to say. She was short with everyone.
         "It's all good but I do know my way around a tool belt if you want the help," Jordan spoke with confidence and Abby couldn't help but notice Jordan's well-toned arms.
         "Yeah, but I could use a coffee first. Do you want some breakfast?" Abby asked.
         "Sure," Jordan replied hesitantly remembered her dwindling bank account.
         "It's on me by the way," Abby added reading the hesitation in Jordan's voice. Abby turned to go out the front door and to her truck. "Repayment for the rude awakening." Abby stopped at the passenger door to move the tools off the seat. When she got into the drivers seat the dash told her it two minutes after 7 AM. She instantly felt guilty for not only waking Jordan up so rudely but so early. Abby pulled into the closest fast food joint. She hated fast food but it was the only thing around in this crappy neighborhood. Abby ordered a hashbrown and a large coffee and encouraged Jordan to order what ever she wanted. They ate briefly in silence.
         "You wouldn't know where to find Kyle would you?" Abby asked.
         "No," Jordan shook her head and swallowed a mouthful of food. "I have only kept in touch with him over the internet for the last few years." Amidst her disappointment, Abby's curiosity was ignited.
         "You were in the military?" Abby asked.
         "Yeah, how'd you know?" Jordan replied.
         "Your bag. What branch" Abby pressed.
         "Marines. Were you?" Jordan returned.
         "No," Abby replied shortly and Jordan was surprised. Abby was well built and tall, a few inches taller than Jordan. Abby's blonde hair and blue eyes made her beautiful but there was a toughness to her that Jordan would have guessed was ex-military. "So, how do you know Kyle?" Abby continued.
         "We went to school together. We were pretty close but lost touch when I left." Jordan was trying to read the look in Abby's eyes but couldn't put her finger on it.
         "Kyle isn't the best company," Abby clarified and Jordan laughed softly.
         "Subtle, but you are right. I was mixed up with some drugs before I joined the Marines. I had hoped Kyle had gotten clean by now but I guess not."
         "Why did you join the Marines?" Abby asked. Jordan saw the curiosity on Abby's face so she gave in.
         "I guess I was the product of my childhood. My mother was an addict and drugs were easy to get around her. When I was 19 I got caught holding but I also got lucky. The officer that arrested me told me that I was better than the life I was making for myself. The officer said he saw people everyday knowing they weren't going to change but somehow I was different. Instead of taking me to Jail he let me go with a warning and as stupid as it sounds that was a wake up call for me. No one had ever really believed in me before. The next week I went to the recruiter and got my life back." Jordan was only a little surprised at how easy it was to tell all this to someone she had just met. Jordan had never been shy but she did have a hard time trusting people.
         "So what brought you here?" Abby continued. Jordan noticed the softening of Abby's voice and even her body was more relaxed.
         "I got out about six months ago on a medical discharge. I guess I just ran out of places to go. This is where I grew up so I guess it's home."
         "This hood?" Abby questioned. Jordan thought she heard concern in Abby's voice.
         "Close enough. Just up the hill." Abby knew these neighborhoods well and both were rough places for a kid to grow up especially if you did't have good parents. Abby noticed Jordan analyzing her face. "You're a cop, aren't you?" Jordan asked but regretted it at the darkening in Abby's face.
         "I was but not anymore. You're right about getting lucky by getting caught by one of the good ones." Abby was deflecting and Jordan knew it.
         "You seem good to me. Why'd you get out?" Jordan pressed but Abby just shrugged and stood up turning away from Jordan.
         "I just got tired of it all. We should get to work," Abby finished walking away. Jordan's curiosity was left baited but she didn't want to push it. Abby was all business after that.
         "Let me show you around," Abby said when they got back to the house. "All this original woodwork is staying so not much needs done in the front room. Just going to restore the hardwood floors though out." The back of the first floor was the kitchen and dining room separated by a wall that made the kitchen tiny and cramped. "This wall is coming down and the kitchen is getting gutted. The kitchen and the bathroom upstairs are going to be the biggest overhauls. I'm still working on the plans for the kitchen but I'm thinking about and island right about where this wall is." Jordan followed Abby upstairs to three bedrooms. The first one to the left was slightly bigger but all of them had holes in the walls. There was some poorly repaired plaster in the first bedroom. "Kyle assured me he had a guy that could do great plaster repair but now I'm thinking about just tearing it all out and putting drywall up. It would be nice to be able to insulate these walls better." Abby paused and shook her head at the poor craftsmanship. Jordan ran her hand across the uneven plaster and felt it was cold to the touch even on this warm day.
         "Unfortunately, I might have to agree with you on the drywall," Jordan offered but regretted it at the look on Abby's face. Jordan knew that the minute they started tearing out walls the more problems they would find. Abby moved to the bathroom. There was mold around the tub, walls and ceiling. The floor and vanity were damaged and in bad shape.
         "This is getting gutted. The tub is staying and hopefully there's no water damage under it." Abby looked around the bathroom with eager eyes. Abby was ready to make this beautiful. "So, tell me what you think."
         "Demo is no problem for me. Give me a couple of hammers and this will be done in no time. The drywall is no problem either. I can just work around the existing woodwork. I'm not so good with tiling and I've never refinished hardwood floors so I don't know how much help I'm going to be there. I'm pretty good with electrical and plumbing. I did some general contracting back before." To Jordan everything up until she had joined the marines had just been "before" but the thought made her pause. It wasn't "before" anymore. It was "again" and that thought made her heart sink.
         "Perfect. I love tiling and finishing touches. I can't wait to make this place beautiful again," Abby said making her way back downstairs. Jordan smiled at the optimism in Abby's voice but noticed that no smile touched Abby's face. Jordan was baffled at the complexity that was Abby. Jordan followed Abby downstairs without another word but there were so many questions swirling around in her head. Abby looked around briefly then went to the front door. "Let me grab some tools from my truck. I think it would be best to start upstairs."
         "Sure," was all Jordan could mange. She had a million questions on the tip of her tongue but none of them related to the job and Jordan really wanted this job. She hadn't expected to find something like this and didn't want to do anything to lose it. Jordan dove into the work. It felt great to get her hands dirty and do some physical work again. Jordan was working on pulling the plaster walls down in the second room when Abby stopped her.
         "Do you drink?" Abby asked. Jordan removed her gloves and dust mask.
         "Huh?" Jordan huffed. She was out of breath and had to shake her head to focus.
         "Alcohol? I'm going to grab some beer," Abby returned.
         "Oh, sure." Jordan was a little uncomfortable with letting Abby buy her things which is what she was sure she meant.
         "I'm going to make a run then. I'll be right back." Abby turned and resisted the urge to run down the stairs. Abby had really needed some fresh air and had to pause next to her truck to gulp in the spring air. There was something unsettling to having Jordan that close. Abby usually worked alone. When Kyle had, rarely, helped they always worked at different times. Abby was a morning person and Kyle the night owl. But Abby knew that wasn't all. Jordan was a beautiful woman. Her dark her was pulled back off her face to reveal eyes that were a strikingly bright hazel. Her body was well toned even muscular. Jordan had been working in that same white tank top and that was why Abby needed air. Jordan was the first person Abby had been attracted to since things had ended with Claire. Abby made sure to get two 24 packs of beer at the drive-thru. She also picked up a pizza on her way back to the house. When she returned to the house she went upstairs with two beers. Jordan had finished the second bedroom and moved on to the third. Abby paused to watch Jordan deftly pull planks of plaster off the walls. Jordan's chest was heaving and Abby could hear her tired, heavy breathing.
         "Hey," Abby called. Jordan stopped and without question took one of the beers.
         "Thanks," Jordan breathed after she removed the dust mask.
         "Why don't you come downstairs and take a break. I got a pizza," Abby invited then made her way downstairs.
         "Thanks. I needed this," Jordan mumbled between pieces of pizza. The beer was particularly nice, she thought as she grabbed a second. Jordan chuckled at the shelf full of beer. "Do you think you got enough?" Abby just shrugged to Jordan's dismay.
         "It's the least I could do, you do good work," Abby said.
         "I haven't done anything worth rewarding yet. Just you wait," Jordan paused, watching her beer and marveling at her tingling fingertips. "It feels good to do something with my hands again." Jordan looked up from her beer to find Abby analyzing her. Abby's analyzing didn't make Jordan feel uncomfortable and that surprised her. Jordan had never liked the attention on herself.
         "What did you do in the Marines?" Abby asked, her eyes never left Jordan's.
         "I was part of a combat engineer unit. We did everything from built bridges to disarmed mine fields." Jordan caught herself looking at her beer again.
         "You miss it?" Abby questioned but her face said she already knew the answer.
         "Yes. I didn't want out." Jordan hesitated, not knowing how much to divulge, but continued after seeing the questioning look in Abby's eyes. "We were 11 months in a 12 month tour in Afghanistan when our Humvee hit an IED. We were very lucky, it was a weak explosion. It was like being in a bad car accident. I was the only one really hurt. I broke my foot, ankle and collar bone. I had to have a few surgeries on the foot and the doctors said it wouldn't heal right so they pushed for discharge. The foot doesn't bother me but it was hard to argue getting forced out on medical with my foot in a cast." Jordan drained her beer and got another for the both of them.
         "That's it? They dump you like that?" Abby questioned.
         "I get medical benefits and 100% of my G.I. Bill," Jordan shrugged. Jordan hadn't wanted any of her benefits as she felt she hadn't earned them.
         "How do you do that?" Abby asked.
         "Do what?" Jordan looked up from her beer.
         "Shrug it off. Are you really fine with everything that happened?" Abby asked incredulously.
         "I can't change any of it. I don't blame anyone. It's a waste of energy. The hardest part for me is looking forward to the future. It was easy when I was in the military, the future was all mapped out for me. I took orders. I've just been trying to live in the present because the future scares the shit out of me." Jordan tried to read the dark look on Abby's face. Jordan wasn't sure why it was so easy to talk to Abby. Jordan had never really talked to anyone about it. The darkening of Abby's mood made Jordan uneasy. Jordan could feel the sadness pouring off of Abby and Jordan didn't know what she had said to cause it. Abby was very quiet for a long moment. Jordan remained quiet as well and let Abby work through whatever this was.
         "I think I'm going to go home. Get some rest and we'll pick back up tomorrow," Abby finally said quietly and left without further explanation. Jordan finished another beer on the front porch and enjoyed the warm afternoon sun. Afterwards, she went back upstairs to finish pulling down the walls. It was late when Jordan finished all the upstairs demolition. She had left the tub, toilet and subfloor in the bathroom but had to pull the drywall off the ceiling as there was mold up there. Jordan rewarded herself with another beer and went to investigate the basement. It was the only part of house that Abby had failed to mention in the tour. Other than it being an old basement it looked really good. The newer furnace and hot water heater made Jordan wonder what Abby had paid for the house. Jordan got the impression that this wasn't Abby's first try at something like this. Jordan found a small, old radio on the workbench in the corner and to her luck it worked. Jordan took the radio upstairs as she needed something to keep away the memory of Abby dripping with sadness. Jordan wished she could take that sadness away and replace it with a smile.
         The next morning Jordan was already awake and dressed by the time Abby arrived with two large coffees and a bag of muffins. Abby offered the food to Jordan with a short 'good morning'. Jordan nursed her coffee while Abby went upstairs and Jordan was half way through a blueberry muffin when Abby returned.
         "It looks really good but I told you to get some rest. Did you sleep at all?" Abby questioned.
         "A little," Jordan mumbled through her muffin.
         "It really does look great. I was planning on leaving the tub but the toilet is going. The subfloor looks good. What do you think?" Abby asked.
         "I think the subfloor is fine. Sorry about the ceiling but there was some mold up there," Jordan returned.
         "It will look great. I guess we should start with getting that toilet out of there and then maybe we can start the demo in the kitchen." Abby said and started up the stairs. The toilet was easy to move with two people and they spent most of the day taking a sledge hammer to the kitchen and dividing wall. They didn't say much during the heavy work as Jordan required little instruction. Jordan's mind was preoccupied with what had caused the darkness she had seen in Abby. Abby stepped outside to take a phone call and Jordan hadn't realized how hard she had been working. She stretched and felt the strain in her muscles. Everything hurt and it felt great. Jordan also realized she had worked up a sweat and was suddenly aware that she hadn't showered in a few days. Jordan went to the fridge they had moved into the front room and got a beer. They had shut off the water this morning and now there were no fixtures in the house. Abby came back inside with a tired look on her face and Jordan felt that yearning to see her smile.
         "Why don't we get some food and stop off to grab supplies. We can pick up enough drywall to make a good start upstairs," Abby muttered softly. Jordan only nodded sensing that Abby was upset by her phone call.
         "Let me change first." Jordan went to her bag pulled out a clean green T-shirt. She noticed she only had one more clean shirt and would have to fix that shortly. Jordan changed and finished her beer.
         "Do you like Chinese?" Abby asked.
         "Sure, I'm not picky," Jordan answered following Abby to her truck.
         "Good. Don't let the look of the place scare you, the food is great." A few minutes later Abby pulled into a strip mall that had a China Buffet and it did look pretty run down. Abby paid against Jordan's wishes and they ate in silence for a moment. Abby looked deep in thought and Jordan couldn't bring herself to interrupt her. It was Abby that finally broke the silence with a musing look on her face.
         "Can I ask you if you have any family?"
         "Sure," Jordan stumbled a bit but found her voice. "I never knew my father. Mom died about three years ago and I never had any siblings. I have an uncle in town but I'm not sure I'm welcome there."
         "Why not?" Abby pressed.
         "Mom died when I was overseas. It was my first tour and I wasn't willing to come home for the funeral. My uncle made it clear he didn't want anything to do with me after that."
         "I'm sorry. You weren't close?" Abby asked vaguely.
         "To my mom or uncle?" Jordan clarified.
         "Both," Abby confirmed. Jordan nodded shortly.
         "My uncle helped out a lot when I was younger but I can't say we were close. Mom just had a way of draining everything out of you. Emotionally, physically and mentally. After I left this place I just didn't ever want to come back."
         "You said your mom was an addict," Abby recalled.
         "You have to understand how draining a person like that can be. I loved my mom but I just couldn't give anymore to her. I couldn't help her. Of course I wish I could have done more for her but I can't change it." Jordan paused, hung up on an early memory of her mother. Her mother had once been warm and caring and it was how Jordan liked think of her mother. Jordan realized that Abby was quietly musing again with a frown on her face. "What was your phone call earlier?" Jordan asked breaking Abby's far away look.
         "It's that obvious, huh?" Abby deflected but Jordan remained quiet and gave Abby time to find her words. "My mother called. I love my parents but our relationship is strained. She just knows what to say to get under my skin."
         "Why is it strained?" Jordan continued.
         "The short version is my parents don't approve of anything I'm doing. I've been avoiding them so they have a right to be angry. I just don't have the energy to deal with their bullshit right now," Abby said wearily.
         "As mad as I was for everything that had happened, I really just wish I would have told my mom I loved her more." They were both quiet for a moment until Abby surprised Jordan by continuing.
         "I know I'm very lucky to have my parents but I just wish..." Abby's voice was heavy and she sighed deeply. "I just wish they would stop pushing and give me some space." There was a deep sadness in her words that pulled at something in Jordan. Jordan wanted to push, wanted to know why Abby was so vague but said nothing. They finished lunch and went to the hardware store to get supplies. They returned to the house with a truck load and unloaded in silence. About half way through carrying the drywall upstairs, a white Oldsmobile pulled in front of the house.
         "Hey! Long time no see," Kyle nodded to Jordan. It had been a long time. Jordan hadn't seen Kyle in almost four years and while his eyes hadn't changed, he was hard to recognize. His face was sunken in and he was so skinny. The Kyle that Jordan remembered had always taken pride in his well-toned body. This thin, frail man in front of her was a stranger.
         "What do you want, Kyle?" Abby asked coldly.
         "I was hoping you had some work for me," Kyle replied.
         "No, I don't," Abby replied shortly.
         "Alright," Kyle paused to look back and forth between the two women. "Message received." Kyle turned and opened his car door.
         "My uncle still lives over on Harris. He might have some work for you," Jordan interjected. Kyle paused, turned only half his body towards them and looked down the street.
         "Thanks," Kyle said softly with a nod. He turned, got in the car and left. Jordan and Abby stood for a few moments, neither moved.
         "Don't you think that's enabling him?" Abby finally said.
         "No. I'd rather see him work and waste his hard earned money on drugs then some of the other options," Jordan replied carefully. She sensed Abby's anger and Jordan didn't want to push her. Jordan saw Abby grind her teeth.
         "I wasn't trying to be an asshole. I advanced him a ton of money for work he never did. I just can't do it anymore. Family or not," Abby said.
         "I know the feeling," Jordan replied softly. They went back to work without another word and hung drywall upstairs in silence the rest of the afternoon. When light started fading over the horizon Abby paused to look around and nodded approvingly.
         "Progress, finally. Since the bathroom is out of commission you are welcome to stay at my place. There's plenty of room," Abby offered.
         "I could really use a hot shower," Jordan laughed. Jordan hadn't been shy about imposing on others since she had got out of the Marines. She thought it had come from her childhood as they had never really had a place to call their own. Jordan attempted to contain her mess to her sea bag and threw it in the truck. Jordan was surprised to learn that Abby lived only a few minutes away as they pulled into the rear of an old two-story house similar to the one they were renovating. Abby's house was older and larger. There was some beautiful stained glass on the second floor that Jordan assumed was original. Most of the lots in this older neighborhood were smaller and Jordan thought this place was perfect. Abby gave Jordan a brief tour and showed her to the guest bedroom that had it's own bathroom attached. They returned to the kitchen after Jordan left her bag and Abby started to open a bottle of wine. Jordan was looking at the pictures on the fireplace mantle when Abby came up beside her and handed her a glass of wine. Abby gave a small, far-away smile at one photo where four people were smiling wildly. Abby was smiling in the photo with a huge smile that touched her eyes and Jordan thought it was hard to recognize Abby.
         "Who are they?" Jordan asked nodding to the picture.
         "That's my partner, Ryan and his wife, Rachel. The other is my ex, Claire." Abby pointed to each face in the photo. Her brief smile had faded.
         "That's the first time I've seen you smile," Jordan said trying to hide the fact the she was reeling. She wanted to know everything about Abby but Abby kept deflecting. Jordan wanted to make Abby smile so it touched her eyes again and Jordan wanted that smile to stay.
         "That was a good night. Ryan could make anyone laugh and he had a way of making you smile no matter what you were going through." Abby had that far-away look again and Jordan had caught the sadness in her memory.
         "What happened?" Jordan asked and Abby looked at her with eyes that touched her soul.
         "Huh?" Abby returned softly.
         "With your ex? You look really happy," Jordan recovered. Jordan wanted to know everything but would take what she could get. Abby pulled her eyes from Jordan, gave the photo one last glance and returned to the kitchen.
         "We just fell apart. Everything fell apart," Abby said sadly. Abby drained some of her wine and then started to gather things to make a meal. Jordan quietly watched Abby cook while sipping her wine.
         "Did you love her?" Jordan finally asked.
         "Yes," Abby said as she put a lid on the pan of food cooking and picked up her wine again. "I loved her very much and she will always have a place in my heart. I just pushed her away and we fell apart." Abby shrugged. She seemed to want to say more but her face said she was at a loss for words.
         "How long were you together?" Jordan asked, grasping at anything to keep Abby talking.
         "About five years," Abby answered, her eyes giving nothing away.
         "It's hard for me to believe that you could be with someone that long and that things could just fall apart." Jordan regretted the words the minute they left her mouth. She hadn't meant it as a jab at Abby but Abby's face said it had been. Jordan couldn't understand being that close to another person.
         "Have you ever been in love?" Abby questioned.
         "No," Jordan replied, trying her best to not say anything else stupid.
         "Then it's not something I would expect you to understand," Abby returned. Jordan was spinning. Abby was right, Jordan didn't know the first thing about loving someone. Jordan hadn't had loving parents that held a healthy relationship to model her own after. Jordan had always pushed people away before they could get too close. Jordan was more confused on why she wanted to get close to Abby and why she wanted to know everything about her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to sound so abrasive," Abby said softly.
         "You're right. I was just realizing what I said sounded pretty stupid," Jordan returned.
         "I guess it's something that is still hard to talk about. It's not one of my proudest moments and it's not something I want to do again," Abby said.
         "Fall in love?" Jordan asked.
         "Break someone's heart," Abby said sadly.

         Jordan was covered in drywall plaster dust. The drywall was hung upstairs, all the joints were plastered and ready for paint. The dust was clinging to every part of her body and her arms ached all over. Jordan made her way downstairs and grabbed a cold water from the cooler they had brought. Abby was arguing with her cabinet supplier over the delivery date when she saw Jordan standing in the doorway. Abby's breath caught in her chest at the sight of Jordan in her tank top covered in dust and sweat. Abby struggled to gather her thoughts.
         "Just get it here," Abby demanded into the phone and hung up.
         "Everything alright?" Jordan asked. Abby nodded and looked at her phone.
         "Just a setback on the cabinets for the kitchen," Abby returned. There was a knock on the front door and they both looked at each other before Jordan went to the door and opened it. Jordan was surprised to see Kyle standing there looking sober.
         "Hi," Jordan greeted.
         "Hey," Kyle responded. "I, uh, just wanted to stop by to talk to you for a sec."
         "Me?" Jordan asked.
         "Yea." Jordan could tell Ryan was uncomfortable under Abby's questioning gaze.
         "Well, What's up?" Jordan asked.
         "Right." Kyle shifted his weight nervously. "You should go see your uncle."
         "Really?" Jordan was bristled by the idea. She had nothing to say to her uncle.
         "Jordan, he didn't even know you were home. He's different," Kyle said quickly.
         "That's great but I don't think it would do any good." Jordan tried to hide the bitterness in her voice.
         "Well, I just think you should go see him and I wanted to thank you for the job. I've got a really good feeling about this." Kyle looked from Jordan to Abby and back again then he hesitated and turned to walk down to the street. Jordan shut the door and paused before turning to Abby. Abby's eyes were questioning but she said nothing. Jordan took her water out to the backyard and sat in one of the lawn chairs there. Abby sat next to her with a beer.
         "It's been a long time since I've seen my uncle," Jordan explained. "Even before I enlisted I hadn't talked to him for a few years."
         "Maybe Kyle is right. Maybe it's time to see him," Abby offered.
         "I just don't know what to say to him." Jordan shrugged and turned the water bottle over in her hands. They sat in silence for awhile just listening to the city around them. "Would you come with me to see him?"
         "Of course," Abby replied.
         "I think you might be a good buffer but I have to warn you that I tend to lose my temper around him." Abby stood and went into the house. She came back a few minutes later with a clean rag and her car keys.
         "You can clean yourself up on the way over," Abby said.
         "Now?" Jordan asked nervously but Abby's face was calm.
         "Yep." Abby turned and Jordan reluctantly followed.

         Jordan hesitated getting out of the truck when they pulled in front of the house. Jordan had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The house looked the same as it had years ago. Jordan led the way up the walk and knocked on the front door. Jordan's uncle answered the door and they both stood there staring at each other for a moment.
         "Wow, Jordan," He stumbled. "I was just talking about you today."
         "I guess it worked. Kyle came to see me," Jordan explained.
         "Will you come in?" He asked.
         "Jim, this is Abby. Abby, this is my Uncle Jim." Jordan introduced and they briefly shook hands.