Of Love and Other Tragedies

5 | just jasmines

Him
An incessant beeping woke me up two hours before my 7am alarm.

Dragging myself to my bedroom window, a woman stood beside a large moving truck that was backing into the driveway next to mine. She had light brown skin and dark, curly hair, and was wearing sweats and a hoodie.

She was helping the man in the truck back up safely, "Back!... Back!... Back!— okay, stop!" The man halted and got out, the woman opening the back of the truck as more men joined her.

Having seen enough, I turned away, sighing, "I hate mornings."

It was even worse being up before my alarm, as I didn't get enough sleep as it was. As a registered nurse, I worked long hours and often didn't get home until 2 or 3 in morning. It was a difficult schedule to get used to, but I focused more on the need to help people rather than my sometimes nocturnal behavior.

With the chatter outside as background noise, I slugged myself into a steaming hot shower, relaxing at the temperature. Completing the remainder of my morning routine, getting dressed and such, I fixed two eggs, pancakes, bacon and sliced fruits. Since I'd gotten up too early, there was plenty of time for a hearty breakfast instead of oatmeal or cold cereal.

Living alone had its perks, including not having to cook to please two. The only reason I could do without a roommate was due to my grandparents. They'd passed away a few years ago and left their only grandchild a hefty sum of money, so I rented a two-bedroom home after college. My next-door neighbor when I'd first moved in was a grandmother herself, well into her 80s but lived alone as well. She could get around just fine and her children visited every week, but then she had a stroke and never recovered. It was two months ago that she passed, so I suppose her family sold her house already. A little heartless, if you ask me, but the situation could be different.

"'Bye, thank you for your help!" My new neighbor yelled from outside, before the sound of trucks starting up began. Having eaten my fair share, I packed up everything else and straightened up the kitchen and my bedroom, stepping out of the house with thirty minutes to spare. "Oh, hi!" A voice startled me as I was unlocking my car, the woman I'd seen earlier walking down her front porch. She offered me a smile and stretched out a hand as she reached me. "You must be my new neighbor. Julianna, and you are?"

I hesitated, but clasped my hand with hers. "Uh, Cooper. Nice to meet you." Wow, I thought, she seems so much smaller than me. It was only when she stood right in front of me that I realized she was about 6 inches shorter than my 5' 9" frame.

"Likewise, are you on your way somewhere?" She glanced over my scrubs.

"Y-Yes, I work as a nurse at the hospital 15 minutes away."

"Sounds busy," she began to back away, hair bouncing with her steps. "But I'll leave you to get to work. I'll see you around, yeah?"

Nodding, I got into my car, starting it up. "See you."

Pulling off, my neighbor, Julianna, waved for a second before turning towards her house. I drove off down the familiar route to work, though my eyes lingered on Julianna's retreating figure.

The next few days, she and I didn't interact any further, as I'd assumed she was busy. The loud noises late into the night meant she was renovating, so did the open windows that allowed me to gather my own ideas. Thankfully, my night shifts kept me away from the ruckus of her labor. When I was home, there was the urge to offer my services, but my awkwardness held me back. After day four of renovations, lounging around following an 11-hour shift had me dozing off for the second time. That is, until a knock on my front door interrupted the silence.

Shuffling over, pretty brown eyes gazed up at me once the door was open. Suddenly, I was wide awake. "Hi, Cooper! Hope I'm not interrupting."

"Hey, not at all. I— would you like to come in?"