Chapter 5

They came out Saturday, and spent almost an hour wandering around the house and grounds. I showed them the apartment and asked if they thought they could stand living in the suburbs.

“How much?”

I grinned at Lindsey. “How much are you paying now?”

“Eight hundred apiece.”

It must have been a really nice apartment. “Well, we’ll see what we can do. I’m thinking fifty a week, but there’s a catch. I hope both of you can cook, because part of the deal is one homecooked meal from each of you per week, and I furnish the food. And you can each have a space in the garage, just don’t bother the other bay. Deal?”

They stared, they stuttered. “Fifty isn’t fair, Dean! We don’t want to take...”

“All right. You drive a hard bargain. Twenty-five then. And we’ll sign a one year lease, just so you can be comfortable with the deal.” Suddenly I had two hands full of crying women, and we stayed locked up for a long time, before they finally calmed down and let me go. They spent the rest of the day cleaning the apartment, borrowed my truck(and me) to move the furniture they wanted to keep. They were firmly in place before the weekend was out. I had one more condition they had to agree to before I gave them the keys.

“Do not tell anyone this is my house. I like privacy, and I don’t care to have to discuss how I came to own such a big place. Understood?” They agreed.

It was an adjustment. I took them on a tour of my house, and introduced them to Miss Agnes. “She’s watching, and she can be cranky. Best not upset her.” They both looked at me funny, but after that, every time they came over, they greeted her, and told her goodbye when they left. I rarely went up into the attic, but one day I went to check on the heat ducts, and saw it. Her wedding album. I could swear it wasn’t there the last time I was up. Agnes was a knockout when she was young. Before I knew it, I was talking.

“Gee Agnes, you were hot! I bet your husband was the envy of every male in town.” I felt a soft sigh go through the attic. Wind, most likely. A box fell off a shelf. I picked it up and opened it. Love letters from each other while he served in WW1. A picture of him in his uniform. His medals. One of her with their first child. Her letters were lyrical, and downright erotic for the time. I grinned.

“Agnes, Agnes, I bet these warmed up the trenches he was in.” The attic got a little warmer, and I remembered why I was up there, to check the ducts. I went to set the box down when I saw a smaller box in the bottom. I knew what it was as soon as I touched it.

“Oh no, Agnes, this is too personal.”

I couldn’t help it though, and looked. A wedding set, her band, his band, and what could only be described as a rock for an engagement ring. They had to be worth a lot of money. I fingered the rings, remembering my research. They had been married for fifty-six years, and died within days of each other. Wishing I could find a love that enduring, I carefully placed the box back on the shelf.