Three Words

Chapter 5 - Tris

I look out over the small yard and smile at my work.  One more item on my list of chores has been completed for today.  Granted, the yard is small so mowing it only takes about an hour.  I push the mower back into the shed, and grab the weed eater.  I want to get done before it gets too hot.  However, when I look to see if there is string, I know that I'm not going make my deadline. 

It's been nearly half an hour later.  I'm frustrated, hot, and I'm still not any closer to threading the string into the weed eater.  I've never been very handy, that was always Matthew.  I guess that's why he was an engineer.  Matthew had this ability to just look at anything mechanical and knew how it worked.  I however, am still sitting in the grass, getting hotter, and no closer to threading the stupid string into the spool. 

My father and brother had volunteered last summer to take care of the yard, since it took everything I had not to fall apart.  This summer, I told them I needed to do it myself.  It's not like I had never mowed or trimmed the grass before; I did it plenty of times as a teenager, but my Dad had always threaded the weed eater for me.  Its times like this that I really could use someone around to help.  Maybe Christina is right.

Last night's conversation with Christina comes back to me, and I smile.  Christina had insisted that I needed to get out, but after an hour of negotiation, I managed to talk her down to girl talk at home.  I'm sitting on the couch with my feet curled underneath me, a bowl of popcorn between Christina and me.  It's difficult to speak, as I'm laughing so hard, "Oh my God!  Do you remember that time when we snuck out to meet that guy you liked two counties over?" 

Christina practically has tears in her eyes from laughing at the memory.  "And the cop pulled us over, and you shoved the basketball up your shirt and told him you were going into labor."  Christina is holding her stomach, laughing as she leans her head back into the couch. 

"That was some smooth talking on your part and crazy lucky you had the basketball from practice that day."  I pause as I try to control my breathing from the laugher, "I swear he knew.  I think he only let you off because we gave him a good laugh." 

After we finally get over our laughing fit, Christina's face softens.  "You look like you're starting to feel better.  Did that doctor you were seeing finally help?"

"Oh God no!  If anything it made the nightmares worse when I would go see her."  I say waving my hand dismissively. 

"Then what happened?" Her face questioning. 

Christina has always been good at reading people.  It's like her super power.  I know I've been doing better, but I'm not even close to my normal self yet.  Should I tell her the real reason?  She'll kill me if she knew I wrote to a total stranger.  I decide to go with a partial truth, "I was able to help someone who was going through some problems of their own.  I don't know who it was, but helping someone seems to have helped." At least, I hope I helped them.  I bite down on my lip before I realize what I'm doing. 

"Liar."  Her eyes narrowing.

Damn it. 

"You always bite your lip when you're lying." 

I sigh, "Christina, there's a little more to it, but I don't want to get into it right now.  Ok?"

"It's a guy isn't it?"  Her eyes widen, a grin coming across her face. 

"No!"  Before I can add more, Christina sits up straighter and her face brightens.  Oh no, I know that face.

"Girl we need to find you a man.  It's been over a year.  You need to get back out there."

I'm about to interject, when she holds up a hand.  Her face becomes serious.  "I think it's time Tris.  You know Matthew wanted you to move on and be happy, to find someone else.  I was there for that conversation.  He made me promise to help you.  Remember?"