Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >The Pool Girl by Leto Armitage Chapter 39 I have had a lot of cause to think about that Tuesday later. My mind always starts at the red pen. The pen had nothing to do with what happened later but in my mind events started there. Dance practice was over and I put Coraline -(TM)s manuscript and the red pen down to take off my shirt for Ji. Melissa was still reviewing choreography with Grace. Melissa had been frustrated by how easy it was to overlook the hand movements of the routine until she realized while watching some music video that the trick was to move the dancers rapidly into each other -(TM)s spaces making them interlock arms and trade gestures as they moved. It drew the eye and was mesmerizing. The downside was that during practice a lot of accidents happened as there was no room for error. But they did it slowly, over and over, gradually speeding up. It was like hummingbirds doing ballet. They were excited as they watched the footage back from their phones which they always used to record the sessions. Ji went through her inspection of the thing I had grown to think of as -~the distraction, -(TM) as in a distraction from my life. -The stitches look fine but the swelling of the muscles looks even worse than yesterday. Are you taking the anti-inflammatories and resting it? - -Of course, - I replied. -Did you make the appointment to see the doctor again? - -I forgot. - She paused before saying. -That -(TM)s what you said yesterday, too. - -It feels fine so it just hasn -(TM)t been a big deal to me but I will make the appointment. - -You know Robert, you skipped the last physical therapy. I can keep the stitches clean but if you tear it up from the inside you -(TM)re screwed. - -I promise, I -(TM)ll be a good boy. - Ji didn -(TM)t sound convinced. -The body is unforgiving when you push it. Seriously, do I need to get Lavi and Melissa and have them to drag you back to a doctor -(TM)s office? - -Did I hear my name? - That was Lavi coming back with little plates for everyone with mushroom and feta cheese meatballs, minus the meat, and skewers of teriyaki beef with pineapple and sauteed bell peppers. -I need to rest my arm more, - I said. Ji discreetly gave me a little push from behind. -And, I need to go back to the doctor -(TM)s office. - She patted me that time. The truth was the pain was getting worse and had been for the last week. But it was natural that it would hurt. I was healing and that was what mattered. The pain wasn -(TM)t constant so it must be getting better. Lavi made a note on her phone to remind me about it later and put her phone down on top of the papers. Looking at the papers Lavi asked, -Any good? - She was home tonight because her grandparents had decided on a night out just for them. -Yeah, they are. I need to talk to Coraline though, and see what she -(TM)s trying to accomplish with them. - -Why? - That was Zahra. -It isn -(TM)t a genre I read. - Ji, -What kind of genre is it? - -A hybrid really. I expected something similar to Sylvia -(TM)s writing and there is a definite influence but the setting is very different and either she has read some Nero Wolfe or independently created some of the same elements. - Lavi, between bites, -I -(TM)ve seen you read some of those. - -Yeah, I like them. The writer imagined Wolfe as the child of Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler and then made Wolfe like his uncle Mycroft and added a man of action to be the main point of view. Stout, the author, never laid all that out though, copyright being a thing. Still, it -(TM)s the first time I can think of fan fiction becoming it -(TM)s own real stand alone work. - Ji paused eating to say, -Like 50 Shades of Grey? - I looked at her. -Please, for the love of what is good and decent in this world, never make that comparison again. - She grinned and Zahra laughed. We talked more. Zahra had questions about critical analysis, deconstructionism and objective evaluation of a work versus its value as a work with expectation of the readers. The topic largely left everyone else eager to start separate conversations of their own that did not include those topics. My impression of Zahra as a future philosophy major was improved. Combined with her head scarf and talking like a valley girl, she was starting to become less an oddity and more just Zahra. Eventually Grace and Zahra left but Ji stayed behind for our weekly cooking lessons. We were continuing pizza and spending time tonight on techniques for rolling out the dough. Melissa had already taken a place at the dining room table and was studying with Lavi -(TM)s help. She had a big math test and was studying for it but had moved down the table twice already as we -(TM)d taken more and more room for rolling out the dough. -All right, - I said. -You gotta take the dough and roll it into a ball. - I put flour on the table after cleaning it carefully. We had some back and forth but eventually I took it from Ji and showed her how to make it into a perfect sphere. My shoulder complained but I blocked it out. -Here, - I passed the sphere to her. I cringed a bit and reached into my pocket. I had taken to keeping a few of the pain pills with me. I took one with a sip of wine. -See how it -(TM)s a lot easier to make a round disc for the pizza if you start from a sphere? - She pushed down with her hands like I showed her. -Now, reform the sphere and take the roller, I -(TM)ll show you to make it even more symmetrical so it -(TM)s less home made looking. I like the informal look myself and don -(TM)t mind it being a bit uneven but it -(TM)s good to be able to make it both ways. - I tossed some more flour on the table and some of it floated over to Melissa who blew it off her keyboard and gave me a dirty look. She was already stressed about the test and I wasn -(TM)t helping. I put some more flour down but tried to do it less forcefully so that it would stay in that area but I had decided to pick up the flour jar with my bad arm and it slipped going everywhere. Melissa grabbed her laptop and jumped in surprise. Ji looked annoyed at me and I didn -(TM)t know why. Shakily I put the lid back on the flour. Melissa got up and walked out the sliding door to the patio, holding the laptop and shaking flour off. Fortunately it had been facing away so I think it just got on the outside case. Following, I reached out to Melissa and touched her shoulder but she jerked away from me. I tried to put contrition in my voice. -Babe, I -(TM)m sorry. - She didn -(TM)t look at me. -Just let me clean this up. - Her voice was cold. -I -(TM)m sorry it got on the laptop, I -(TM)ll be more careful. - -It -(TM)s not about the laptop. - Lavi brought out their books and was shaking them off. My arm didn -(TM)t feel good. -Am I being distracting? - -Yes. - She said it too easily. I pressed. -Yes, but what? - -Nothing. - When a woman tells you that something is nothing like that, it is in fact everything. -Are you jealous I -(TM)m spending time with Ji? - Melissa turned to look at me then, her eyes wide and face tense. -Jealous? Are you kidding? You can fuck her on the table and that -(TM)s just fine. Go to the movies with her! I don -(TM)t care! This isn -(TM)t about you! - I stepped back but she wasn -(TM)t done. -You want to know the problem? Do you? You want to know my fucking problem?! - I tried to find that cold part of me, that part that doesn -(TM)t feel things but I was angry when I replied, -Yeah, yeah, I do want to know! - -My problem is that fucking table! - Melissa pointed at the kitchen table. -The table!? - Something didn -(TM)t make sense. -The table, exactly, it -(TM)s THE fucking table, the only fucking table. It -(TM)s the only table in the goddamn house, the only table to eat at, the only table for me to study at, the only table for anything. - -I... - -It -(TM)s not just me either. You know Lavi needs some place to cut cloth, not that she has her sewing machine or serger here! How many bedrooms does this house have? Four? We use one! There is a whole room that is nothing but a dumping room for your books! YOUR BOOKS! I have a few piles next to the bedside table. I... - She held up her hand. -I don -(TM)t have time for this. Fuck this. I need to study where I have a desk. - With that she closed the laptop and walked out of the house. Lavi looked at me. -I -(TM)ll talk to her, - she said, gave me a quick kiss and then soon she was gone too. Of course she was. I looked around. Ji was gone. She probably bailed when the screaming started. It felt like a light switch had flipped on my life. -I thought Lavi wanted to still do the sewing at her mom -(TM)s house. - I said it to no one because no one else was there. It was quiet and I imagined I could hear the pain of my chest beating and my arm throbbing. I walked through the house. My house was largely unchanged since they moved in. Melissa had gotten me a new couch and there were a few new pictures on the wall, some clothes in closets upstairs. Everything was still comfortably familiar. God, I was a fucking idiot. Why did she have to be such a bitch about it though? Why couldn -(TM)t she talk to me!? I found myself punching the wall and stared at the little hole I made. There, there was a change. Fuck, I -(TM)d have to patch that. Maybe I wasn -(TM)t that different from my father. My shoulder throbbed. I kept forgetting this was Melissa -(TM)s first real relationship. What was my excuse? I remembered other fights in the distant past, other things I had ignored and I had sworn I wouldn -(TM)t do again. Where were my pain meds? I went upstairs and found them. The bottle was nearly empty. I had been taking an extra here and there but not that much. Right? It hurt but I couldn -(TM)t tell the difference between what hurt in my chest and my head and my shoulder. I could fix this though, I knew I could. But I needed to do things. I tried to think but it was hard. Two of the bedrooms had junk in them but they could be cleaned out. I could rent a storage facility and there was plenty of room for an office for Melissa. The other could be a craft room for whatever Lavi would use. I had a recreation room downstairs that was ... what? I had intended to make it into a library but really it was just shelves and piles of books. I could make it more useful. I started to make plans but realized I needed to involve them, not decide for them. But I could clean it out now to make it ready. The next hour is not something I am proud of. I thought I was acting out of love. I only understood later it was fear and pride. I started in the rec room and carried boxes of books to the garage. When my bad arm gave out and couldn -(TM)t hold the weight anymore I tried doing it one handed but the boxes tore and books spilled everywhere. I was pushing the box with my foot towards the garage door when I realized I should have been screaming in pain but couldn -(TM)t feel my arm at all. I looked at it and thought it was funny because it was so red and swollen and I thought of a lobster -(TM)s shell. Pain and endorphins fought for dominance. I slapped the button to open the garage door and felt the cool air wash over me. I walked to the end of my driveway. I hadn -(TM)t decided anything. I wasn -(TM)t even really thinking but I sat there a long time. Eventually I pulled out my phone and called a cab. I remember the rest of the night in snapshots, like only the fifth moment or so got saved into my brain. The cab picked me up and the driver helped me into the hospital where I was admitted. They wanted to call someone but I refused, knowing that Melissa needed to study. About 11 pm I was getting inspected and a doctor was telling me I was an idiot when I got a message from Lavi. They were going to stay at Melissa -(TM)s place tonight. I was still in an evaluation space off the emergency room and fell asleep there. I was woken up at 3 AM and moved to a hospital room. Later I woke up with the sunrise and checked my messages. Nothing. I left a note for my boss that I was taking a full sick day and back in the hospital. And looking around at an empty hospital room I realized it was the first time in a long time I had woken up alone. I texted Melissa and Lavi. -I -(TM)m sorry. I -(TM)m an asshole. I love you. - And I cried until I fell asleep. The next time I woke up a clock on the wall said it was 6:17 PM. Lavi was there. She was sitting in a chair next to the bed, drawing. -Hey. - I think it was more of a croak but she smiled at me. It wasn -(TM)t a warm smile but it was more than I deserved. -Sorry, - I said. She kept drawing and didn -(TM)t say anything. I didn -(TM)t either. After a while she finally said, -I -(TM)m trying to figure out what to say. - -I thought you -(TM)d start by yelling at me. - -I went through that phase a few hours ago. You slept through it. They gave you morphine with my permission. It -(TM)s a good thing you had Melissa and I set up with power of attorney for health care. - -Going to yell at me now? - -No, - she sighed, -I figure I shouldn -(TM)t have let them give you morphine if I was going to yell. - -Still pissed? - -Yes. - -I know it probably doesn -(TM)t mean anything but I love you. - Her hand tightened on her pencil. -Of course it means something, it means everything. I love you too you god damn ... forget it. - She shook with some kind of emotion I couldn -(TM)t read. -Sorry. - She closed the drawing pad and looked at me. -I -(TM)m really tired of hearing that from both of you. It -(TM)s starting to piss me off even more. - I started to say sorry but stopped myself. I thought it might be funny but it wasn -(TM)t the time. -I have spent the last few hours thinking. A lot. I had always assumed maturity was a spectrum, like you were or you weren -(TM)t and there were degrees between but it -(TM)s not is it? It -(TM)s a bunch of different things and you can be really good in one and awful in another. - -Yeah. - I closed my eyes. Her phone dinged. She looked and answered a text message. -That was Melissa. She was waiting at home. - My chest tightened. -Her home I -(TM)m guessing. - -Our home, her only home. I slept with her last night in her old bed. She hated it. She hated not having you there even while she was mad at you. - I didn -(TM)t know what to say so I stared at the ceiling. Lavi continued, -If you -(TM)re wondering why she didn -(TM)t come I insisted she not. - -I know the hospital is bad for her so that -(TM)s good. - -Well, she is coming now. She needs to see you now that you -(TM)re awake. - -I can get discharged and go to her. - -Don -(TM)t even think about it. The doctors are evaluating your arm. You might need surgery right away or they might be able to send you home in something that binds your arm so you can -(TM)t move it. They -(TM)ve told me there will be surgery one way or another though. You fucked it up pretty good. - I wanted to defend myself but I couldn -(TM)t so I didn -(TM)t say anything. -You know, - Lavi said, -Melissa blames herself. We went home after our class blocks mid afternoon and found the garage door open and the boxes piled up. You were clearing up space weren -(TM)t you? For us? - -Yeah. - -You can -(TM)t just turn around and - she snapped her fingers, -fix everything. - -I know that. I can ignore the other stuff. - I let out a bitter laugh. -I hope to god that was self directed sarcasm. - Her voice dripped ice. -It was. - -I am going to say this one time Robert Christopher Carlo. You don -(TM)t do this again. You can -(TM)t just let yourself fall apart. We need you. - I scoffed. -Need me? Have you looked at you and Melissa? You -(TM)re amazing. You are both gorgeous, smart, vibrant. I -(TM)m a middle aged guy who dropped out of school. - Lavi stood up and held the bed side railing. -Robert, I -(TM)m not going to stroke your ego. If you -(TM)re looking to have a pity party and have me affirm things for you, you need a reality check. We love you and there are very, very good reasons we do. Can you accept that and move on? I really need to know. - She stressed her words and I felt emotion in them. -Yes. - I tentatively reached out a hand and was relieved when she grabbed it and held it. -Things need to change, - she said. -I know. - -No, I don -(TM)t think you do. It -(TM)s not just you. Melissa and I need to change too. We -(TM)ve gotten so used to you being reliable that we didn -(TM)t even notice when you seemed to bounce back from that stabbing like it was nothing. Of course you were faking it. I don -(TM)t think you -(TM)d lie to us but you -(TM)ll lie to yourself. Even worse, we let you. Melissa is right, we share blame in this. - Lavi held my hand. -How is Melissa doing? - -It -(TM)s hard. You just got slapped off your pedestal. This might be the first time she -(TM)s seen you as an actual human. - -She might not like what she sees. How are you doing? - -I lost some illusions too but I didn -(TM)t have quite as many to lose. You -(TM)re fucked up. So am I. So is Melissa. We -(TM)ve said that before but it -(TM)s not how we acted. - -Honeymoon is over huh? - -Yeah. It is. And that -(TM)s okay lover. But we can -(TM)t go backwards. - Lavi squeezed my hand again and sat down. She began drawing again and I just stared at the wall. The hospital in New Orleans had been much nicer. It wasn -(TM)t long before Melissa showed up with Ji in tow. I waved hesitantly with my good hand. Melissa -(TM)s face was red and puffy, she was in jeans, a t-shirt and carrying a letter. She was gorgeous. I thought about asking how the test went but maybe it wasn -(TM)t the time. Melissa came over and looked unsure what to do so I put my hand up and she grabbed it and rubbed her face against it. Ji, -You look like hell. - I tried to smile. -And worked hard to get here. - Melissa was crying quietly. -If you weren -(TM)t already in a hospital bed, - she said through soft sobs, -I -(TM)d beat the ever living shit out of you. - -I -(TM)ll give you a rain check for when I -(TM)m better. - I tried a smile. -I -(TM)m sorry, - she said. -You don -(TM)t have anything to be sorry for. - Her bitterness came out in her voice. -God, don -(TM)t I? I was so wrapped up in figuring out how to beat this stupid cheerleading thing, getting back at Richardson, all that, I didn -(TM)t even pay attention to what was happening in front of me. I wasn -(TM)t looking out for you. - -I was lying to myself, to you, you couldn -(TM)t have. - -You stupid, stupid man. What do you think a wife -(TM)s job is if not protecting lunk heads from themselves. - -Fixing me dinner in just an apron and heels? - Lavi, without amusement, spoke up. -You might get that. - The others nodded. -I -(TM)m not sure I understand, - I said. Lavi, -No more cooking. When you get out of here your recovery is going to be rough. From now on Melissa and I aren -(TM)t just scheduling your appointments but taking you. And you -(TM)re on rest, real rest. - Melissa, -I -(TM)ll find times one of us is available. And the doctors have said you need 24/7 care. We are cleaning up the guest room for Ji. - Lavi, -There are new rules. You can argue with us about anything but your medical care. From now on when one of your nurses, and I mean ANY of your nurses, tell you what to do you not only do it but take it to heart. - Ji stepped forward. -I -(TM)m not staying every night but I -(TM)m going to be around some of the times they can -(TM)t and we -(TM)re looking to see how we can fill in the remaining gaps. - -You don -(TM)t have to... - Lavi spoke over me. -That counts as arguing. - I took a deep breath. -Yes, ma -(TM)ams. - -And you have other problems to deal with, - Melissa said. -Like what? - She held up the letter and now I could see the logo for the homeowners association on it. -Like the neighborhood wants to evict you. - Chapter 40 -What the heck are they doing? - That was Melissa, seated next to me in a red sundress with white birds wearing the yellow earrings. She had my left hand held in both of hers in the backseat of Syliva -(TM)s SUV. We were watching some kind of ritual go down in the parking lot of the strip mall we were parked in. A black man and woman stood with a younger man, perhaps their son. They were all dressed very nicely. We had rolled down the windows to listen and could hear some kind of intonations from the father who had a white sash over his shoulders. -I have no idea, - I said. It looked like a religious ceremony but why? Does someone suddenly say, let -(TM)s have this ritual in the Target parking lot? Are there parking lot cults? -Is it the pain meds or is this really surreal? - Melissa replied, -It -(TM)s not the meds. - -Good to know. - We each watched, hoping to get some inkling of what was happening. We were waiting because I was freshly released from my week in the hospital. I now had rivets on my rotator cuff and had my arm completely bound. On the plus side after six days of hospital food I was being taken to a Korean BBQ and I was going to bloat myself on tender bulgogi marinated meats. I might eat a vegetable but only if I had room left. Or at least I would as soon as Peter, Sylvia and Lavi got back. Peter -(TM)s mother had texted asking if we could pick up some reading glasses for her and they had gone into the store together. Ariadne, Saul, Linda and Ryan were already at the BBQ place. Melissa, -How are you feeling? - -Like my doctor believes in better living through pharmaceuticals. - It was true. I was experiencing the world through a slight haze. -Well, we -(TM)re administering the meds this time Mr. I Don -(TM)t Pay Attention to Pills. - I didn -(TM)t have anything to say to that so I just kept watching the ritual. I debated going up to them and asking but not sure I should even when not stoned. I really did want to know though. I saw Melissa going back and forth between watching them and watching me. It felt great to know I would be going home with the girls once dinner was over. Over the week I saw Lavi and Melissa but they were busy. Melissa had stayed one night, the one after the actual surgery. Saul and Adrienne visited and Saul gave me a book about the founding of the Israeli state including detailed analysis of the economy during the formative years and challenges of building public services. It had helped me go to sleep when the pain meds weren -(TM)t quite doing the trick. I realized I had faded into the haze when the car doors opened and the Hellers got in. -Are we ready? - Peter asked. -Let -(TM)s rock and roll! - I replied. Melissa, -Ug. Yeah, Robert is ready to be a dad. - -What? - She looked at me. -Rock and roll? Such, a dad thing to say. - Peter, -Not fair, Mellie. - -Let -(TM)s do a scientific test, - said Lavi. She looked good in jeans and a low cut blouse. -Why are mountains funny? - -Why? - Asked Melissa. -They are hill areas. - The three women groaned, even Lavi, which was slightly unfair I thought since she was the one who said it. Peter and I laughed though. Sylvia pointed at me. -Busted. Dad -(TM)s humor. - -We -(TM)re just fresh meat for the harpies, - Peter said as he turned on the ignition and pulled out of the parking space. -Harpies?! - Sylvia was looking at her husband. Melissa and Lavi looked at me. -My beloved are nymphs and kittens thank you. - They were pleased. -Though at least one group of nymphs tore men apart in the myths. - Both thumped my legs. The drive was mercifully short. Time driving was time not putting delicious bulgogi into my body. I needed to remind my tastebuds what real food tasted like. At the restaurant I went in with Lavi and Melissa flanking me. I noticed that Melissa was always on my right and making sure nothing bumped into me. The place was all faux stone, chrome and dark with loud Kpop music. Giant screens played videos that went with the music. If it hadn -(TM)t had the best Korean BBQ in town I would have never come into this place. We were settled into seating that wrapped around a table with a propane cooking unit in the center of it. I nodded to Adriane, Saul, Linda and Ryan. Greetings happened all around. Everyone was in good spirits and apparently Linda actually knew how to be charming when she wanted to. Some idle chatter occurred but the most important person took forever to arrive. His name was John, looked Korean and spoke like he was from the deep South. John was explaining the options. I decided too much time was being wasted so I interrupted him. -John, we -(TM)re ordering the -~all you can eat -(TM), bring us a full selection of everything. I can -(TM)t drink but everything is on me. All I ask is a continuous supply of marinated meat at hand so that I can eventually be rolled out of here like a beach ball. You get dragged down by tables just do a drive by and see if we need more. We don -(TM)t need chatter. We can handle the meat and grill. - John looked at me and with a southern accent said with great solemnity. -I got you bro. - -And I got you. - We nodded, he took drink orders and left. Melissa looked at me. -Did you just dude bro bond with the waiter? - I did my one arm shrug. -He -(TM)s seen shit, I -(TM)ve seen shit. You gotta take care of each other. - -He -(TM)s seen shit? - That, surprisingly, was Linda. -Waiting. Being a waiter is rough. I let him know what I wanted. Now he takes care of me, I take care of him. - -When have you seen shit? - Linda was looking at me. -I worked as a fry cook and waiter in undergrad. A local diner. - She nodded. -I did the same but it was a big chain. - Melissa looked at her mom. -I didn -(TM)t know that. - -When you and your brother were babies money was tight a lot. I took a late night shift and your dad would watch you. - Linda looked back at me. -So, what is your tip minimum? - -I usually try for 25% but crappy service is crappy service. - Linda, -But never stiff the server because of the kitchen. - -Agreed. - Lavi and Melissa stared at us. Melissa, -Did you two just have a moment? - Linda looked in her lap. -No. - But smiled. Even Adriane and Saul laughed. -Well. - Adriane asked, -how are you Robert? - -Mending. - On the giant screens some Kpop videos had a song using the.chorus of an older En Vogue song though the rest of the song was in Korean. -Well, I heard you were very manly, - she said. -I was very stupid. - She smiled and looked a bit like Lavi when she did. -Which is very much like a man. - All the women and Rian laughed while Peter, Saul and I maintained dignified silence. Peter and I both glanced at Rian though. He reminded me of that guy who always tried to fit in a little too hard. -How have you been enjoying your vacation? - I asked. Saul, -It -(TM)s been good. My sister flew down from Philly to visit over the weekend. It was nice to see her. - Lavi was almost vibrating with contentment, two things I didn -(TM)t think it was possible to combine for anyone else. -It was neat seeing a bunch of family, - she said. The amount of family was made clear to me as discussion wandered into particulars of who begat whom and it felt like I was listening to Tolkien detail the lineages of the northmen. Lavi must have realized I was bored because I discovered her hand soon in my lap while she was talking about some cousin or other. Melissa meanwhile was in a separate conversation but I felt her hand running up my thigh. I slowly savored my steak while two hands rubbed my thighs. Occasionally a finger would reach out and stroke my bulge. I was so tired I wasn -(TM)t even sure I got all the way hard but it felt wonderful to have that contact. Melissa smiled at me and so did Lavi. I was stoned, about to gorge and meat and eat with my girls. Nothing was wrong with the world. I heard my name. Melissa nudged me and directed my attention to Sylvia. -So, what -(TM)s going on with the HOA? - Oh yeah, there was that. -Uh, well, turns out there is some kind of rule about multiple families in homes. They -(TM)re saying that multiple partners constitute multiple families and so the HOA is calling for my eviction. - Peter, -Is it legal? - -Well, we don -(TM)t constitute multiple families as far as the law is concerned but according to my lawyer homeowners associations have ridiculous amounts of leeway on this kind of thing. They don -(TM)t need a legal definition, just their own. - Linda looked ready to spit nails. -Which is way too vague, - she said. John at this moment appeared with food. While he was piling stuff on the table I directed Melissa on how to turn on the burner. Lavi took the meat scissors from John and said she would take care of it. When she did she leaned forward a little more than necessary and giggled just a tiny bit which did wonderful things with her low cut top. John lost the power of speech for a second. I was used to her and I still felt that way at times so I had sympathy. However sympathy took a back seat to food. -Bulgogi please, - I said. Lavi started putting pieces on the grill with a smirk. Most of the table was politely pretending to have not seen it except for Lavi -(TM)s grandmother Adriane who gave me the impression of a maternal cat watching her kitten play with a mouse. Soon the cart was empty, John left and Linda picked up the conversation where we left off. She was passing out little bowls of rice as she said, -The problem is Fred Benson, president of the HOA. - -And my neighbor, - I added. Melissa, -He -(TM)s always giving Lavi and I dirty looks. - -And the others, especially Ji, - said Lavi. -I thought we were cool, - I said. -He always said he liked my bees and that they were good for his flowers. - -Well, - Linda replied, -Fred does love his flowers and has been president of the HOA for as long as I -(TM)ve lived here. The rule predates us but was apparently created to keep out undesirables. - Adriane, -What do you mean? - Linda looked at her. -Hispanics mostly. The way I -(TM)m told it, people were concerned that they would move in and bring in extended families, park in front yards, that kind of thing. The official reasoning is all about property values of course. - -Charming. - Sault -(TM)s voice could have frozen water. -There is a long history of that in parts of Europe focused on Jews. - Linda avoided confronting that head on by saying, -Well, it -(TM)s never been used in my time here. Before me I don -(TM)t know. I was vice president for five years but it became clear that the position is a glorified secretary for Fred but I -(TM)m still active in the association. - Of course she was. I paid my dues but I -(TM)d never been to a meeting. Heck, it had been Fred that came over when I moved in and set up the payments with Jordyn. We were all eating now but talked between bites. Melissa pointedly put several pieces of zucchini on my plate so I ate them. It was a reasonable palate cleanser for more beef. I wasn -(TM)t trying to use the chopsticks left handed though, I went for the fork and speared meat mercilessly. -Irony is, - I said, -next week is my last payment on the house. I did a ten year fixed. So, I guess if we do get kicked I can at least sell the place outright. - Linda looked up from the grill where she was several pieces cooking. -You -(TM)re not moving. You have five weeks before the meeting when they vote. Fred gave you the absolute minimum amount of time necessary under the bylaws but that gives us enough. - -Enough what? - Saul asked. Linda didn -(TM)t look at him but delicately put rice and chicken together into a tiny bite. -Enough time to hoist him by the ankles. - Even when she was on my side Linda gave me the creeps. I intervened, -The lawyer said we shouldn -(TM)t talk about it just yet. Everything is going through him since the HOA escalated to something official. - Peter, -Who is the lawyer? - -The same guy who is handling the defamation case is doing it. - -How is that going? - That was Sylvia. -Weird. Apparently the school feels really confident. I guess they think I -(TM)ll just drop it but I -(TM)m not going to. - -You -(TM)re spending a lot of time with lawyers these days, - Rian quipped. -Well, I could try to beat people up instead but I don -(TM)t think violence is my strong suit, - I said tilting my head toward my bound up arm. Sylvia, -If this was one of my books Lavi would try to sleep with Benson, blackmail him and then there -(TM)d be a big hullabaloo over it. - Lavi pinched her face. -Ew! - -In Israel I -(TM)d get him taken care of, - said Adriane. Lavi raised an eyebrow. -Make him disappear? - -Lavi, - her grandmother -(TM)s tone was reproachful, -don -(TM)t be so dramatic. I -(TM)d just make some calls and get his taxes reviewed very, very carefully. - Lavi blinked. -You could do that? - -Not anymore. But once upon a time, well, when you had a hand in granting passports you had a chance to make a lot of friends. - Peter decided to change the topic away from questionable use of official authority, -So, Robert, I heard a rumor you were getting 24/7 care. Lavi said something about the -~nursing squad. -(TM) - Melissa shot Lavi a dirty look. -I have no idea, - I said. -I was told we would review all that when we get home. - Melissa, -Dramatic names aside, we -(TM)re just bringing in a few friends to help. The alternative was Robert staying in the hospital. - I kept my mouth shut about what I thought were other un-voiced alternatives deciding that might violate Lavi -(TM)s not arguing about my care rule. Adriane grinned, which immediately worried me. I -(TM)d learned where Lavi got her mischievousness from. -So, - she said, -are you girls going to wear those short little outfits, - she mimed pushing her chest out, -like in those movies Saul watches. - Her husband, for the first time that I had seen, turned red. So, he wasn -(TM)t totally immune. However, he wasn -(TM)t taking it passively either. -If they do, - he said as he took a bite of beef, -they need to wear the garters, it -(TM)s just not the same without them. - It was Sylvia that surprised me. -Just don -(TM)t take his blood pressure if you do, it -(TM)ll make the cuff explode. - She let a slight grin slip onto her face and everyone laughed. After that conversation went on for a while. Saul had a lot of recommendations about history books for me to read and I recommended to him several middle eastern fiction writers I liked. Rian was mostly quiet but I chatted with him a little about options to put a sound system into the jeep which Melissa heartily endorsed. By eight I was ready to pass out and was led out to the SUV. I took a nap as we drove home, leaning against Melissa. When Peter stopped the car to let us out I noticed three extra cars at the house, Ji -(TM)s, Grace -(TM)s and Zahra -(TM)s. Ji had let everyone in and they were already sitting around the patio. Ji was by herself, Zahra was accompanied by her father and Grace had Owen with her. I was grateful June wasn -(TM)t there, I wasn -(TM)t quite ready to deal with Grace -(TM)s mother right now. They had set a fire going in the patio firepit and stood up to cheer as I came through the door making me feel awkward. Three chairs were obviously left empty for me and the girls. I walked to the closest one and Melissa grabbed my good arm to help balance me as I lowered into it. I looked around, -So, nursing squad? - Lavi was pouring a glass of tea for me. -We looked at schedules. We already knew where there were times Ji could help out but that left three gaps. - Zahra was dressed in jeans and a red sweater with a pink head scarf that matched the sweater. -And I, completely, have Fridays off on my schedule so I can pitch right in. I -(TM)ll just bring stuff over to study. - I had to ask. -Are you sure that is all right Yussef? There won -(TM)t be other girls here. - -It is fine, Robert. - He spoke with that rich baritone. -I think there can be exceptions for the infirm. Besides, I told my dear daughter that she has a free license to punch you, rather hard, in the shoulder if you get fresh. - She nodded. -He totally did. - She smiled brightly. -He also said I could grab a knife and do a Judith thing with your little head. - I felt that little head shrink up a little at that image. -Well, I appreciate the baby sitting but I will be a gentleman. - She waved her hand. -I know, I know, Pops was just kidding. - Yussef nodded in agreement but I had a feeling it was only mostly a joke. -But, - Melissa said, -that still left your physical therapy appointment. Fortunately the office still had Thursday mornings available. Unfortunately for us Zahra has civics then. - -So... - I looked over to Grace. She gave me no reaction but to point at Owen, seated next to her. He was stretched out, reclining. The chair looked too small for him. Owen spoke, -I told Mellie it would be my honor to help out Mr. Carlo, sir. - -I also told him, - added Melissa, -that he was to carry you to the therapists if you tried to make any excuses. - Owen nodded gravely. -I -(TM)ll be really careful of your shoulder if I have to sir. - I didn -(TM)t detect any humor in that comment or insincerity. Given that he looked like he wrestled oxen for recreation I didn -(TM)t doubt he could. -I appreciate it, Owen. - That night Melissa told me she -(TM)d make sure I was nice and relaxed before I went to sleep. The innuendo was appreciated but wasted - I fell asleep long before anything could happen. In the morning I woke to the distinct feeling of having been more than eight more hours since my last pain pill. When I was in the hospital I had to meet with a counselor about healthy ways to deal with pain and he gave me a pamphlet on it. At that moment I had creative things the counselor could do with their pamphlet. I found coffee and pills set out for me on the bedside, both girls already up. The coffee was even seated on a little black disc plugged into the wall to keep it warm for me. That was probably Melissa, she was an angel. I laid back and took the pills one at a time and let them slowly kick in. My eyes were closed when I felt the bed shift and heard Melissa say, -Hey baby. - I opened my eyes and she was holding out a plate of eggs and a piece of toast to me. I took it and set it on my lap only noticing then that she was gloriously naked. Why do humans bother with any other art when women exist? She smiled at me and sat Indian style with her own plate, her full breasts bouncing as she situated herself. Behind her Lavi crossed the room, also naked and carrying her own plate. We sat for a few minutes eating. I was struggling a little to get a small piece of egg on my fork. -If eating becomes annoying, I can make you protein shakes, -Melissa said. Lavi, -we could add cheese and do like an egg sandwich too. - -This is fine, - I said. Stupid fork. Melissa didn -(TM)t say anything but watched me chasing the piece. -How is the pain, - she asked. -Bearable. Meds are kicking in. - Lavi, -I gotta head out soon but Mellie will be here for a few hours and Ji will keep you company this afternoon. - -Yes, ma -(TM)am. - I must have sounded glum because Melissa took my empty plate and set it to the side and said, -Don -(TM)t worry, it -(TM)s not all bad. Bath time. - She helped me up. -You mean shower. - Lavi added her plate to the pile. -She meant bath. We already showered. - I was led into the bathroom where a plastic chair sat in the large shower. Lavi fit a plastic sheet around my arm and I sat. Melissa knelt, carefully using an extended shower head to rinse me while Lavi used a sponge with soap. I knew this was necessary but i couldn -(TM)t help but be annoyed by it. -Lean forward, - Lavi said. I obeyed and she began working shampoo into my hair. I wanted to keep being annoyed but found Lavi -(TM)s heavy breasts pressed against my back as her fingers worked through my hair. I sighed in satisfaction. Melissa pulled my knees apart and I felt her direct the warm water over my crotch. I felt myself harden and she stroked me until I was mostly hard. A second later she leaned forward and took me in her mouth. Minutes passed as she slowly sucked me. The sensation was wonderful but the meds were making me feel like I was floating. I wasn -(TM)t sure if I would cum but eventually I felt myself release into her mouth. I would like to say that after a week of abstinence it was powerful and thick but it felt more like a sputter. But the intimacy of Melissa swallowing and running her hands on my thighs was better medicine than anything else. She looked up at me and smiled. -Thank you. - I chuckled. -No thank you. - I nuzzled Lavi -(TM)s arm. She was still massaging my scalp. -And thank you. - -You -(TM)re welcome. Now, Mellie, rinse him off. I gotta get ready for class. There are leftover scrambled eggs in the fridge. - She leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. Afterwards I watched her voluptuous ass walk out of the bathroom. A few minutes later I was being dried off and Melissa helped me into boxers before taking me back to the bed. I sat on the side of the bed and watched Lavi get ready for her day. I noticed that someone, probably Melissa had put out my phone, earbuds, tablet, ereader and more on the left hand bedside. I usually slept closer to the right but that was flipped now. My laptop was noticeably absent but Lavi had talked to my boss while I was still unconscious in the hospital. I was on complete bed rest for the next week and no work. After that I could start back some partial hours if the doctor approved it. It turned out I still had over three weeks of sick time built up even having used so much recently. I had had to listen to Tony tell me how this was a great time to burn the hours and threaten to shut off my email if I didn -(TM)t actually take care of myself. The only thing worse than having everyone I know chew me out over the last week was knowing I deserved it and only because they cared about me. Melissa meanwhile sat on the bed in bra and panties flipping through her phone. -Do you need to work? - I asked. -No I -(TM)m caught up. Why? - -I thought we could look at the IKEA catalog, and pick out stuff for your office room. - She looked at me gravely. -That would be nice. What about the stuff in there? - -I figured I -(TM)d let you and Lavi clear it out. I -(TM)ll be a good boy and just sit there in an advisory capacity. Honestly, most of it can just go, a few things I might want to keep but not much. - -If we put it up against the wall, I might keep the treadmill, - she said. -I never used it. - -I might if it gets cold. - I smiled at her. -You -(TM)re more athletic than me. - She leaned over and kissed my shoulder from behind. -I -(TM)ll make sure you exercise. - -Tease. - -More of a promise for when you -(TM)re better. - She rubbed my back a little. -I don -(TM)t know what to do for Lavi -(TM)s sewing room though. - -Well... - Melissa looked down to the bed. -I ... need to apologize for that. That wasn -(TM)t for me to say. Lavi tore me a new one about what I said to you. - -When? - -She waited a few days but she let me have it pretty good. - -Oh. - I didn -(TM)t know what to say. -She does have a sewing machine and dress dummy to bring over but most of the stuff is her mom -(TM)s. Those two things can fit in the upstairs office. So, we can just take the extra stuff and toss it in there. It -(TM)ll make things easier. - -You sure? - -I -(TM)m sure. - -Next question, how many books do you have? - She sat back again and brushed a long length of blonde hair out of her face. -What do you mean? - -Like a bookshelf worth? Two bookshelves? I figure I can weed a good bit and there -(TM)s that big corner that is open in the living room. IKEA has those corner shelvings we can expand with. - -This sounds industrious. - -They will deliver and build the stuff. I -(TM)ll let you and Lavi load stuff up. I promise I -(TM)ll remain as inert as a monk in a whorehouse. - She scoffed. -You inert? That sounds unlikely. - Ouch. -I -(TM)m trying, - I said. -I know, I -(TM)m sorry. - -I keep getting the feeling you -(TM)re waiting for me to do something stupid again. - She didn -(TM)t reply so I prompted, -Babe? - -I don -(TM)t know. - She moved and sat next to me. -Maybe? It -(TM)s been a lot you know. I have to go to school and you need looking after and they -(TM)re threatening our living here and I -(TM)ve come to think of this place as home. But anywhere with you and Lavi is home. - She reached over to take my hand. -And you gotta get a team to nationals. - She laughed. -Fuck, who cares about that? - I looked at her. -I do, - I said. She cocked her head, her blue eyes looking into mine. -Because you do. These are your friends and it -(TM)s about the group of you against the world and at least for Grace it really does matter. - She hung her head. -It feels like we -(TM)re fighting the world. Somewhere along the way we -(TM)re going to lose some of these fights. - -But it won -(TM)t be today. - She gave me a thin smile. -You -(TM)re pretty smart for a guy who nearly tore his own arm off. - I gave her my silliest grin. -Hey, if this were anime that would make me a bad ass. - She raised one eyebrow. -Name that anime. - -I don -(TM)t know, but you have to admit I -(TM)d intimidate the hell out of your enemies. - -Sounds stupid. - -Fair. - -So, how many books? - -Not going to let it go huh? - -Nope. - She smiled. -Uh, I have like a three shelf bookshelf back in my room at the old house and probably some laying around. Some are probably dupes of stuff here I can weed. Certainly, last summer -(TM)s reading. - -We can have dupes. - She squeezed my hand. -You -(TM)re not getting rid of me that easily. I -(TM)m holding your books hostage to make sure we don -(TM)t get divorced. - -I -(TM)ve found out your secret, you married me for my books. - -Yep, - she smiled, -I like your Longfellow. - She let that one sit there until I started laughing. -God, that was awful and you criticized me for laughing at hill areas? - She smiled exactly like an angel. -Someone is having a bad influence on me. - -Let -(TM)s go get them. - -Huh? - -We have some banker -(TM)s boxes. Let -(TM)s go get them. - -You -(TM)re not going anywhere mister. - -I -(TM)m supposed to get some light exercise. I won -(TM)t lift a thing but you can drive us and I can just walk with you. - She asked me. -This matters to you? - -It does. - -Okay. - She got up and in less than a minute had pants and a shirt on. I have never known a woman who could get dressed so quickly and yet looked so perfect, except maybe Lavi but clothes if anything hid how gorgeous she was. Ten minutes later I was standing in Melissa -(TM)s teenage room. I looked around. I saw evidence of a pink phase in the brightly painted walls. A goth phase showed from the posters. Melissa was crouched down, going through her books. She was putting most, but not all I noticed, of the books into boxes we brought. -What about those, - I asked, indicating the ones being left behind. -I -(TM)d prefer to not admit I read some of them. - I walked over to a little table. Sitting on the back were four amazingly detailed figurines of anime girls. -What are these? - -My waifus. The blonde one in the jeans skirt is - -Applejack. I can tell from the tiny pony next to her. - -You know My Little Pony? - -When I was engaged, Jordyn had a niece that stayed with us a couple of times. It was one of her favorites. - -Bro got it for me. I always thought Applejack looked like me. - -I can see that. And... - I was looking at the next one. -Chun Li? - -Yep. Alternate outfit. Lavi, Tommy and I used to play Street Fighter a ton. Lavi got it for me. Thinking back on it Lavi always did find Chinese girls kind of cute. - She grinned. -And those? - I indicated two more female figurines, one with long purple hair and one with short black hair, both in normal clothing for a teen girl. -Akane and Akane, from different anime. You got them for me. At least some of the pool money did. - She smiled, a little forced I thought. -You want to leave these here? - -Well .t.. I -(TM)m not sure where they -(TM)d fit in the house. - -They -(TM)re tiny. They can fit anywhere. The upstairs office, living room, wherever you want them. - -They don -(TM)t really fit the aesthetic. - -They will. - Melissa looked at me. She stood and approached me, taking my hand. -Come here, - she said. She led me to the bed and sat me on the edge before sitting next to me. -You know, I -(TM)ve had a couple of boys come in here but never made out with any in here. - -What about girls? - She blushed lightly. -Just Lavi, and only a couple of times after ... well, after I realized. - Even I know an invitation when I hear one. I leaned forward and slid my lips over Melissa -(TM)s. She opened her mouth and I captured her upper lip between my teeth before letting go. She was breathing deeply. She slid her hands under my shirt and stroked my chest. -I want you to take me right here. - -I -(TM)d love that but ... I don -(TM)t think I can. - She still stroked my chest and I loved the feel of her hands. I looked into her eyes, they were as deep as a pool of clear blue water. -When you -(TM)re better we are coming back here. I promise. - I kissed her again. It suddenly occurred to me that Ghost in the Shell had a protagonist who ripped their arm off but I kept that to myself and just kept kissing my nymph. I -(TM)d mention it later though.