Soon Pt. 01

That day changed many things. Geoff didn't constantly think of the house as Bill and Penny's anymore. He had the architect draw up the alterations he wanted done and made sure the head contractor was aware of them. That left the demolition to Geoff... or as much as he could do on his own. Even though his muscles complained about some of the work he did, it felt good to be active again. He called local appliance centers and managed to find a package deal. Without a finished kitchen, he only had the refrigerator delivered.

Poppy still struggled a bit with the changes the virus caused in her life. The schedule her mother made helped. She looked forward to baking cookies and brownies so she could share them with Geoff. He made time every few days to sit under the walnut tree and talk to her. She brought a small lawn chair over and made her own little play area. Robin ended her workdays earlier and found more things to do with her daughter. They even painted positive messages on some of the wood from the old fence that Geoff saved.

The inside of the house looked far worse than it had the first time Geoff saw it. He knew it had to be that way to look the way he envisioned the finished project. Jobs that would normally take a week to complete came to a standstill when the virus hit. However, he knew he would appreciate it more because he did part of the labor himself.

Two months after Bill's death, Geoff invited Robin and Poppy over to see the house. He warned the little girl to stay at his side and not touch anything. She took his hand and nodded. He didn't want her afraid but a construction site wasn't a place to run around in.

"This is breathtaking. Did you restore it yourself?" Robin asked.

Geoff watched as she carefully ran a finger over the curved railing. His body reacted as if she touched him instead. Fully aware of the young girl still clinging to his hand, he cleared his throat.

"I grew up helping my granddad in his wood shop so I picked up a few things."

"I'm jealous," Robin said. "I can already see the Christmas tree in the corner and lights wrapped around the railing. It will be magical."

Geoff nodded and realized she saw the old house as he did. It might not be livable, or even close to it, but each time he tore down a wall or ceiling, he was a step closer. He turned and stepped into what would eventually become the dining room. Tall windows let in the natural light and made the room look larger. He took mother and daughter through where the kitchen would be. Poppy didn't say much but Geoff hadn't expected her to be able to envision the rooms as he described them.

"How come you have to tear things apart?" Poppy asked.

"Well, it's a bit like when you're trying to draw a picture. A blank paper is usually the best place to start, right?" He smiled when she nodded. "So I can't make the house better with all the old bad stuff in it."

"You're making it like new paper!"

Robin smiled at her daughter. It was clear she liked Geoff. Then again, the more time they spent together, the more Robin liked him too.

Geoff ended the tour by the back door. He guided Poppy around the yard, stopping near the walnut tree and the garden space. She instantly jumped up and down and grabbed his hand tighter.

"There's flowers, mama, where Mr. Geoff used a machine thing to break up the dirt."

"I found those behind the barn and transplanted them here. No one can see them back there."

"A new start for them, too," Robin whispered.

"Yes, exactly."

Geoff's eyes spoke words he couldn't say around Poppy. He wanted to know more about the redhead. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her full face before. She rarely had her mask on when she stepped outside to call Poppy in for dinner. Her pale skin lacked the usual freckles others with her hair color had. It gave her face a natural glow that made him want to see it closer.

That day was the start for the trio. Geoff joined them for dinner once or twice a week, even fixing hot dogs for Poppy on an old charcoal grill he found in the barn. Robin didn't ask about his personal life other than when he brought something up first. It wasn't as if he didn't want to share his past with her, it was more that he didn't want to relive some of those parts himself.

Robin saw the change in Poppy. She still worried how her daughter would handle it if Geoff left. Yet he seemed to love the old house and often talked about seeing it finished. No amount of worry would alter destiny.

A few months after he bought the house, Geoff finally had new electrical and plumbing, thanks to the state lifting some of the previous virus restrictions. He took advantage of it and scheduled a company to insulate all the walls as well as the drywall crew to cover it. The work took longer than if he hired someone to take charge, but he didn't want that. It was his house. He wanted the final say in anything done.

Poppy and Robin joined him to celebrate when the kitchen cabinets went in. The style he chose--and the pale green color--looked perfect. He couldn't wait to see the entire room completed. The lawn, with a new sprinkling system, was green and lush again. The garden highlighted as many flowers as he could fit into the space. Dahlias, petunias, snapdragons, lilies, and even greens such as ferns and caladiums brought a wild array of color to the garden. The new fence was the backdrop for roses. He added a gate when he installed the fence so Poppy and Robin could come over without having to walk far.

The constant sounds from the assorted machines coming from Geoff's house made it difficult for Robin to work. Not that noise bothered her. It was more out of curiosity to see the changes made. While looking at the drawings from the architect during the last tour, she commented on color choices she would make. It wasn't her house, yet somehow, he didn't care. He laughed and shook his head. What surprised her, though, was that when she saw the house the next time, he had taken her advice. It was almost as if they were planning things together, as a couple.

Late at night, when Geoff was alone, he imagined them as a family. Even in the short time since he met her, Robin stirred his heart in a way no one ever had. He wondered if the constant restrictions because of the pandemic gave them an advantage since they were always home. Robin spent time with Poppy, helping her with schoolwork, and of course, doing her own job, but they fit Geoff into their schedules too. They still wore masks just to be safe, but Robin started ordering her groceries the way he did. That gave her more time each week--and carried less risk.

Geoff and Robin often sat outside after Poppy went to bed. Some nights they talked non-stop while others they were silent, each deep in thought. He found it harder to leave each time without kissing her. She had to know, he thought one evening.

"Robin, I... I wish I could hold you. It's this damn virus. I've been careful but you know there've been workers at the house off and on. As much as I want to kiss you, I can't take that risk. What if one of those--"

"Me too," she whispered. "And I appreciate how thoughtful you are. But one day, real soon, this will be over, and then--"

"Then you won't be able to stop me. Nothing will."

Standing on her patio, close enough he could smell the intoxicating scent of her perfume, it felt as if they were worlds apart. He closed his eyes to clear his head before speaking again.

"I don't know what normal is anymore. The whole world seems to be falling to pieces around me. Yet when I sit here, when I see you and Poppy, everything feels right."

Robin pulled her mask down and smiled. "It is right."

She blew him a kiss that went straight through his entire body. He couldn't think as he stepped close enough to run his fingers across her cheek.

"Soon, Robin. That's a promise."

He could wait. Robin was worth it.