Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall

*Author's Note: I still don't have my 'mojo' back, but I enjoyed finishing up this story. It was a little more than half done, and I've been slowly pecking away at it for a couple of months. I hope you enjoy it!

******

"I really wish you'd come home, honey."

There was a long pause before her daughter answered.

"I can't. Not yet anyway."

"Will you at least let me pay for the repairs?"

"Mom, you've already helped so much."

"Since your father passed away, money isn't an issue. So please let me do this. Okay?"

Alicia Wells was 37 years old and recently divorced. A year ago she'd been happily married to her college sweetheart and they'd just celebrated their 14th anniversary. She'd fallen head over heels for him her senior year when he was a Navy ROTC student at the University of Washington in Seattle.

He was so handsome and so confident, and he was always driven and goal-oriented. Alicia wasn't a slouch by any means, but she'd never had his focus. But after a few years as the wife of a Navy officer who later became a Navy SEAL, she learned things like time management, budgeting, and many other things that were, to her ex-husband, Jerry Wells, second nature.

She'd always wanted children but Jerry didn't, and she'd known that going in and believed it wouldn't be that big a deal. He loved the Navy and he loved being a SEAL even more, so she put her wants aside and focused on him and his career. But two years ago, when she turned 35, her biological clock began ticking. As the days went by it turned into an alarm clock. Over a six-month period, it became a jackhammer that was so loud she could no longer ignore it.

She began dropping the first hints about having a baby a couple of months after turning 35. Her husband laughed at first then began ignoring her. But once it became clear she wasn't going to let up he got angry.

This was a side of him Alicia had never seen, and the first time he blew up at her, it scared her so badly she didn't mention children again for the next three months. In fact, she didn't say much of anything during that time. But as the internal ticking got louder and louder, she worked up the courage to bring it up again.

She planned what she thought was a perfect evening. His favorite dinner, her wearing his favorite outfit, and passionate lovemaking later on. But even then, when she casually said she wanted to revisit something, he told her if it was a 'kid' to save it. Actually, the words he used were, "That's never gonna fucking happen!" before he threw off the covers and stormed out of the bedroom.

They'd been stationed at Coronado near San Diego for almost three years, and Jerry had orders sending them to the East Coast that summer. But just two weeks before the movers came, Jerry told her she wasn't going with him.

There was no discussion. He simply informed her in no uncertain terms that he was done and wanted out.

"If it's the baby, I can...."

Alicia didn't get to tell him she could wait another year or two. He cut her off and told her it wasn't just that. What it was drove a stake through her heart.

"I've been seeing someone," the newly-promoted commander told her calmly and matter of factly.

Jerry was what the Navy called a 'fast burner.' He'd been promoted to lieutenant commander and then commander ahead of his peers, and if he continued on pace, he had a very good chance of being an admiral one day.

But all Alicia wanted was a child, and her husband wanted no part of it.

So the following day, as she vacillated between anger and tears, she went looking for a place of her own. Unwilling to ask her mother for help, Alicia called a friend who sold real estate, and started looking for a house or an apartment.

Nothing near the base was even close to her price range. In fact, she couldn't find anything she was willing to live in anywhere in San Diego. So she went a little further south, to the city of Chula Vista, population 271,651, and found a small, two-bedroom place that was liveable but not ideal. The truth was it was far from even being close to ideal, but it was the only thing she could afford even with her half of what they'd saved.

Alicia had a degree in nursing but had never worked in the field. Jerry wanted her to be a stay-at-home wife, and for as long as things went well, she'd mostly enjoyed it. But with a divorce looming, and no money coming from her soon-to-be ex-husband, she needed to find a job ASAP.

The only thing she'd been able to find was working as an LPN, a licensed practical nurse, in a free clinic where the doctor who did the hiring took a chance on her. Alicia was well aware that even at 37 she was still a very attractive woman, and as much as she hated using her feminine charms for anything, she played to her strengths, charmed him, and took the job.

But what she'd done proved to be a double-edged sword. Yes, she had a job, but fending off the doctor who hired her had become constant battle, and after rejecting his advances for the umpteenth time, he let her know he could find numerous legitimate reasons to fire her. Most of it was trumped up, but due to her inexperience there had been a handful of things he could point to, and she had nothing to use to defend herself.

So, as of a week ago, Alicia found herself with no source of income and very little money left in the bank.

Making matters worse, she now had a serious leak in her kitchen, and after having a friend she'd met at the clinic look at it, calling a plumber was her only option. And as much as it pained her to ask, her mom was her only remaining choice. So...she'd called.

"I don't know how much it's going to cost, Mom. It could be expensive."

"Honey? Did you not hear me?" her mother, June Griffith, said as nicely as she could.

"I know. Dad's life insurance was substantial. But that's your money, and I hate asking."

"But I don't hate giving," her mom said just as kindly. "You're my only child, Alicia, and I love you. So it's not a burden to help you out."

Her mom paused for a moment then said, "It wouldn't be a burden to have you come home and live with me, either. At least until you get settled."

There had been plenty of times when the financial stress had nearly broken her, but Alicia still wasn't willing to admit defeat. Determination was another leadership trait she'd learned from Jerry, and giving up was quitting, and quitting was something she despised.

Chula Vista wasn't exactly her idea of heaven on earth, but at least she was free, healthy, and independent. However, the added pressure of her growing need to have a baby wasn't helping, and it was all she could do not to accept her mother's very generous offer to go back home. There, she focus on meeting someone while looking for work without the constant worries about money.

"Not just yet, Mom," Alicia replied rather quietly.

"All right. Just let me know how much it is, okay?"

"I will. And...thanks, Mom."

She paused to swallow hard as she teared up before saying, "I love you."

"I love you, too, honey," her mother, who was also tearing up, said back.

Her mother almost repeated her offer but felt like it wouldn't be much longer until her daughter threw in the towel. She knew her daughter well and understood that the only way Alicia would be able to accept her mother's help was when she realized she couldn't make it on her own. Were she to try and pressure her to come home now, her daughter would resent being there, so for the time being, she was willing to wait.

"Oh. I...I've been thinking about going back to my maiden name."

Her mom knew that meant court costs, and no matter how small they were, any amount of money was too much.

"Well, I can't say I blame you. After the way Jerry treated you, I wouldn't want any reminders of him, either."

Alicia felt herself tearing up again, something she hated, so she silently wiped her eyes, told her mom she agreed, then thanked her again before hanging up.

Her friend from the clinic who'd look at the problem knew a plumber she'd used before and gave her the name and number of the company. Knowing she could afford to pay someone, Alicia picked up her phone, took a deep breath, then dialed the number and waited.

When someone answered the phone she introduced herself, mentioned her friend, then described the problem.

"Oh, we love referral business," the woman who answered the phone told Alicia after she explained why she was calling. "What's the address?"

Alicia could tell the other woman was writing the address down as she said, "I have Jon available at 2pm. Will that work?"

"Today? Yes. Thank you!" Alicia told her, assuming it would be at least a day or two.

"No problem. I have your information and Jon will give you a call when he's on his way."

Alicia had a job lead she wanted to follow up, but this took precedence, so she jumped in the shower and got dressed leaving her just enough time to grab something to eat before the plumber got there.

Feeling good for the first time in days she decided to tackle another problem that had nerved since it happened.

The one and only time Jerry stopped by her new place was to deliver the signed divorce papers. In just the year since she'd moved out he'd changed. Dramatically.

She tried to be civil yet he took something she meant to be lighthearted the wrong way. Even now she could remember being afraid of him again after trying to put those fears aside since moving out. His face looked different than it ever had. She saw him tense up then came the balled-up fists. In a rage, he turned around punched the wall so hard it left a jagged, 3-inch hole.

Then, just as suddenly, he turned back around and quietly said, "Sorry."

Not another word of explanation. Just 'sorry' before he walked out, and that was the last time she ever saw him.

She had a new tube of spackling and thought she'd give it a whirl after finishing a half sandwich left in the fridge. But by the time the plumber showed up all she had was a huge mess and was no closer to finishing. The doorbell rang just as she was trying to spread out the huge ball of spackle which mostly fell behind the wall. Her hands were a gooey mess, and when she got to the door, she had to use her elbow and knee to open it.

"Hi. Please come in," Alicia told him as she stepped back, both hands held up as though she were a doctor waiting for someone to slip a pair of surgical gloves on her messy hands.

"Did something attack you?" the plumber asked, a big smile on his face.

Alicia was mildly embarrassed and hadn't yet noticed how attractive he was. But perhaps that had as much to do with him being so much younger than her that it didn't register. She also momentarily forgot about how the hole in the wall got there as she focused on his smile.

Whatever was happening in her mind she laughed and told him she was fine.

He saw the hole--and the goop--and said, "Oh, okay. I see what's going on."

"Oh, right. Yeah, it's a work in progress."

"Spackle might not be the best choice of weapons," the young plumber said with a polite smile as he took a closer look at the disaster she'd made of the repair.

"Oh. I thought it was for plugging holes."

"It is. But the holes it works on are nail and pin holes. You need a new piece of drywall for something that big or a patch kit."

"Then I should probably go wash my hands, huh?" she said before showing him where the leak was.

He bent down and took a look and told her it wasn't too serious, and a wave of relief swept over her.

"I'll be finished in 15-20 minutes. But I am going to have to replace the pipe. It's completely rusted out, and code requires you to have PVC."

He looked up at her then said, "Plastic."

"I may not know how to use spackle, but I do know what PVC is," she told him with no hint of having been offended, still very aware of how she ridiculous she looked. "Anyway, do what you need to do, and I'll go try and get some of this...mess...off of me."

"Okay," the plumber said with a little chuckle as he set some tools down next to him and got ready to go to work.

As he got busy Alicia washed, scraped, washed some more, and then cleaned under her nails to remove the mostly dried spackle. She now realized she had no idea how to repair the hole and had never heard of a patch kit. But it had been there for some time, and she also knew it wouldn't hurt for it to be there a while longer with 'a while' left undefined.

When she got back to the kitchen, she smiled because of what she saw. The standard joke, of course, was about a plumber's 'crack' when he bent over. As in...crack. Of the...ass. But he was on his back with his head under the sink, and what she saw was his shirt riding up to just below his chest, exposing a set of very well-defined abs that made her take a second look at him when he sat up to get something.

"How's it looking?" she asked as she tried not to do any more looking of her own in spite of her body reminding her how long it had been since she'd....

He smiled at her, and his smile was every bit as sexy as his abs. And his thick, black hair was quite possibly even sexier. Or was it his bright blue eyes? Then again, could it be the dimple in his chin or the day's worth of dark stubble? Southern California was full of beautiful people, but it was rare to actually meet one this attractive and even rarer for the person to be a plumber, of all things.

"I'm almost done. Just need a little pipe dope to seal it up, and once it dries, you'll be all set."

"Pipe dope? That sounds illegal," Alicia said, having no idea what this term meant, either.

He laughed, and that made her smile as he explained what it is.

"It's slang for any kind of sealing compound used by plumbers. It's a thick, viscous liquid, and has a strong odor to it, but it's essential in order to prevent a leak from occurring where the PVC was cut and joined together."

She watched him pull out the lid which had a long wire connected to it and a kind of ball attached at the end. He wiped off the excess then painted one end of a pipe, connected the other pipe to it, then put some more pipe dope on the connection.

"Okay. We'll give this a few minutes to set up, turn your water back on, and I'll be out of your hair," he told her, another smile on his face as he replaced the lid and screwed it on tight.

"Thank you so much. I wish I could take care of all these house problems myself, but my husband always did that for me or we just called someone."

He stopped smiling and got more serious before speaking.

"My dad recently passed away, so I'm hesitant to make assumptions for fear of saying something hurtful, but you said your husband 'did' that for you."

"Oh. Sorry. Yes, I should have said 'ex'-husband."

Alicia knew she shouldn't say anything else, but she said it anyway.

"He decided after 14 years of marriage that he didn't want children. So when he got orders from the Navy to move, he left and I stayed."

"I'm really sorry," the handsome, younger man said. "I don't mean to rub salt in the wound, but I'd love to have a family someday."

"You didn't offend me, but you don't need to worry. I mean, you're so young, and you still have lots of time to find the right woman and have a child."

He kind of tilted his head and made a bit of a face before saying, "It's like the old song says. Another Saturday night, and I ain't got nobody. I got some money cause I just got paid."

He laughed then told her, "I really can meet 'em...and get 'em...I just can't seem to meet the right one."

Alicia knew the song and laughed nervously, and before she could say anything, he also said, "And...that's how I'm in the state I'm in."

His playfulness not only made her laugh, it made her feel good.

"I have no doubt you have no difficulty meeting women," she finally said.

"Again, I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, but...do you date? Are you...looking?"

Alicia sighed audibly then told him she was having the same problem without going into detail about how she'd had very, very few dates since becoming a single woman again let alone how awful the dates had been.

He got a little more serious then said, "It the risk of a third strike, and this is none of my business, I have to say you're a very attractive woman."

His reference to a third possible offensive comment blew right by her as she felt herself blushing for the first time in many years.

"Sorry. That was way out of line," he said as soon as he noticed the redness in her cheeks.

He quickly got back to business and said, "Let me see how that's setting up."

He turned around and knelt down giving Alicia time to collect herself.

"What's the verdict?" she asked as she moved closer and looked in over his shoulder, too.

"It's fast drying, so I think we can give this a shot."

He reached for the handle under the sink, gave it a couple of turns then asked her to turn on the cold water.

Alicia reached over him and did as she was asked.

"We're good!" he said, standing up as he did.

Alicia hadn't completely moved out of the way, and as he stood up he nearly knocked her over backward. Realizing what happened, he stopped, then spun around and reached out and grabbed her left hand which had flown up to steady herself.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he held the hand tightly and moved closer, pulling her to him as he did.

He was only a foot or so away, and when their eyes met, Alicia immediately looked down at the floor between them.

"Yes. I'm...I'm fine."

"I'm very sorry. Did I hurt you?" he asked, bending his head a little in the hope of getting her to look at him.

She could sense his concern was real, and for a brief moment, she did look at him then looked to the side as she told him she really was okay.

"It was my fault, anyway. I was leaning right over the top of you, and it's not like you have eyes in the back of your head, right?"

Alicia felt foolish--again--even though it was an appropriate comment, if perhaps a lit awkward.

"Still, I knew you were there, and I should have been more careful."

She took one more quick look at him then stepped aside and asked how much she owed him.

"One-fifty," he told her, nearly taking her breath away before she remembered her mom was paying for the repair. He had indeed finished in less than 20 minutes, so the price seemed very high even though it was what any other plumber would have charged.

She and her mother shared a savings account at Navy Federal Credit Union, and all it would take to put money in Alicia's checking account was a quick, simple transfer. She shook her head when she saw the balance before moving money over. At that moment there was $17.12 in it as she'd just taken out $40 to buy food the day before.

"Is a check okay?"

"Yes. If you pay by credit card, we have to pay a 4% fee, so a check is even better."

"It won't bounce. I promise," Alicia told him as she wrote out the amount in longhand, a skill she rarely used and knew was rarely taught in public schools anymore. Her handwriting was beautiful, but it wasn't exactly a marketable skill.

He took a quick look at it to make sure the amount was right and that she'd signed it before thanking her.

"Oh, no. Thank you. I really appreciate you taking care of the leak. And same-day service."

"I can fix that drywall problem, too, if you like," he told her as he nodded toward the hole in the wall.

"What? No. I...I can't ask you to do that. Besides, you must have a full slate of other plumbing customers to take care of."

The younger man laughed politely and told her that was true as he put the check in his shirt pocket, and for the first time, Alicia noticed his name. It was sewn onto the shirt in white letters on a blue patch.

He saw her looking then glanced down.