Chapter 106

Neither of us wanted to get out of bed when the alarm went off. I hadn't looked at the clock when we'd finally dozed off, but I know it was probably 1or 2 in the morning. For every gain, there's some loss; it's all a matter of balance. As far as I was concerned, I was way ahead in the plus column this morning.

I stumbled out of bed and was all set to go down to the kitchen when I heard a quiet whine coming from the living room. Bozo didn't have any problem getting up with the alarm. He was waiting patiently by the front door for me to let him out.

"Good Boy." I patted him on the head and opened the door. He took off down the stairs and I left the door open for his return.

I made my way down the hallway to the kitchen, only running into the wall once. Eyes open, Jack. Eyes open.

I checked the coffee filter for used grounds, found it empty and put a couple of scoops of fresh coffee inside it. I took the carafe over to the refrigerator door and filled it. I was alert enough to empty the carafe into the coffee maker without spilling it all over the place. It went on the hotplate and I pressed the button until the green light came on.

I know that hot water travels thirty feet much faster than it goes 150. I'd even noted that our shower turned hot almost immediately, unlike the shower in the kids' bathroom in the house. I guess it was a combination of too little sleep, no coffee yet and the habit of years of taking morning showers in the house that made me do it.

I got my toothbrush, put some toothpaste on it and put it under the water in the sink. Using my left hand, I put my toothbrush in my mouth and started brushing my teeth. I walked sideways to the shower, reminiscent of a crab. I opened the door and reached in, turning on the water so it would be good and hot when I was ready. Closing the door, I started back towards the sink when I heard it.

It was the kind of noise the girl in a slasher movie makes when she realizes she's a goner and there's nothing she can do about it. The kind of noise that sets your hair on end.

Something streaked by me, knocking me into the sink. Somehow I had enough control to keep from burying the toothbrush in my throat.

I heard the shower door open and bounce off the wall. And then, "Oh, My God."

I looked over to my right. Jill was standing next to the open shower door. The shower was on full blast, spraying water into the enclosure. Steam was making its way up and out into the bathroom. Jill had a soggy, dripping brassiere in her right hand. She looked like she'd lost her best friend.

A puddle was forming on the Formica, directly below the bra. I kept my mouth shut.

"Jack. How could you? Now what am I going to do?"

I'm usually pretty good on my feet. I knew there had to be an answer. I was perplexed. Bewildered. Flummoxed.

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, Jack."

She headed out of the bathroom with the evidence of my thoughtlessness in her hand. Somehow, I was able to finish brushing my teeth and take a shower without screwing anything else up.

Using her hair dryer, the stove or microwave, even the actual clothes dryer all came to mind as possible solutions. But I knew we were beyond solutions. I'd sabotaged all her hard work to have a bra that would go with her outfit today, and there was no way to make it better.

I went into the bedroom, got a pair of white briefs from a drawer that was full of white briefs and slipped them on. I went to my closet, got and put on a pair of jeans. I looked over my T-shirts and chose a green one. I took three socks out of my sock drawer, found the two that matched, put the odd one back and sat on the bed to put them on. It was a lot simpler before we changed from Costco to Sam's Club and all my socks were the same. Now I had some that were all white and others that had a black ring around the top. But pulling three out of the drawer guaranteed at least two of the same.

Once I had my socks on, I put on my tennies and I was ready.

Jill was wearing a pair of panties, pantyhose and nothing else. There were two blouses lying on the bed, still in hangers. She had a dresser drawer open and would remove a bra, hold it up near the blouses, shake her head, sigh and take it back to the drawer. After three or four bras, I went into the kitchen, poured myself some coffee and looked around for something for breakfast.

There was a package of breakfast burritos in the freezer. I put four of them on a plate and put them in the microwave. I poured a cup of coffee for Jill and took that and two of the burritos into the bedroom. She was still dressed as before. I put the food on her desk, taking care to put it on the blotter instead of the wood.

"I brought you some breakfast."

"Thank you."

I went inside and had my burritos and coffee.

Jill came out as I was putting my dishes in the dishwasher.

"Hey. That looks good."

"Thank you."

She had chosen a skirt and a blouse that looked really sharp. I couldn't see anything wrong with it. But her response had been lukewarm, at best.

"Ready to leave?"

"OK."

Neither of us said anything on the way to school. She sat next to me but kept her hands in her lap. We pulled into the lot and she was all set to slide out. I reached out and took her arm.

"Jill, I'm sorry. I know you washed that bra last night, but I had no idea it was in the shower."

"Well, hasn't Mary ever left clothes in the shower to dry?"

"No, Mary knows that other people need to use the bathroom and doesn't leave stuff all over the place."

Amazing. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I marveled at how I could fit both feet inside it and still talk.

"Jill. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it came out."

"No, Jack, you're right." She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight."

"Wait a minute. Is Wanda going to bring you home? Should I go to our place or your father's?"

"She's bringing me to our place. I'll see you later, Jack."

Somehow, I made it to school, about as alert as I had been walking down the hall earlier.

I hadn't paid much attention while I was at Jill's school. For a minute, I wondered if I'd changed universes as I pulled into the parking lot at my own school.