Chapter Twenty

Taylor

 

I shoved Milton’s file into the cabinet, hating that I would be gone all week, especially after scheduling extra days that I felt necessary for his state of mind to remain stabilized. I knew Mitchell would take good care of him while I was gone, and Friday was a great visit. He was talking about seeing his kids, making the plans to visit them, and he seemed excited. I knew the weekends were days that he spent mostly alone, and that was the time when depression took over the old man.

I looked up at the clock; it was just before noon. It was Saturday, so I knew he’d be home, probably alone, and most likely not eating a healthy lunch. I grabbed my keys, locking the quiet office as I left. I had his address in my phone and plans to surprise him with a nice lunch from the Asian café not far from his house.

I dialed Elijah’s number, realizing I’d promised to stop by the house and see his progress around lunch time.

“I wanted to let you know I won’t be by the house until after lunch,” I blurted as he answered.

“That’s fine. You okay?” he asked, a sweet concern in his voice that I loved.

“I am. I just want to check on one of my patients,” I explained.

“Milton?” he asked.

My heart raced hearing his name come from Elijah’s lips. I hadn’t disclosed who my older patient was to him, only that he was a retired Navy vet, his wife deceased, and his two kids living in the States. Shit. This was a small island. Of course he knew who Milton was; everyone knew everyone here. “Yes,” I said hesitantly.

“It’s okay. He was a client of my dad’s. I actually ran into his boy not long after his mother passed. He told me his old man refused to leave the island, and he worried about him,” Elijah explained.

“Okay. Well, I just want to check on him since I’ll be missing our Monday session,” I finished, and then hung up.

I pulled into the Asian café, grabbing my purse and rushing inside to get a quick order. The lady at the counter took my order and promised everything would be ready in five minutes. I watched her work, prepping the food for the cook and opening to-go boxes that she filled with rice, salad, and a sushi roll appetizer. She had to be at least ninety, but her smile was youthful, and her movements swift and agile. I thought about Milton, how he barely hobbled around. Maybe that’s what he needed, a purpose, like this woman had each day. A reason to get out of bed, other than just therapy. He needed a job, a hobby, or someone who relied on him.

“Thank you,” I took my order from the woman, smiling graciously at her for not only the food, but the inspiration.

Milton’s house sat at the end of the street with no nearby neighbors. The white siding was stained with green algae, and the front porch railing along the steps was broken, barely hanging in place.

I gripped the food, slid from my car, and walked up to the house that looked abandoned. No flowers in the flower bed. If there was, they were covered by the tall weeds. His grass was overgrown; shades inside the window hung crooked with broken slats, and the doorbell didn’t work as I pushed it. I knocked on the door, hard enough that the hard of hearing man inside could hear me on his porch.

“Comin’,” I heard him yell, and then a rustling as he was working on making his way to the door.

His eyes lit up as he opened the paint chipped wooden door and pushed open the broken screen. “Ms. Madden?” he gasped, out of breath from the ten feet walk he made to greet me.

“I brought lunch,” I held up the bags with a smile. “Are you hungry?”

“I was just getting ready to make lunch, but that smells better than anything I could make,” he smiled. I knew he wasn’t planning on making lunch. His frail frame told me he’d missed more than one meal at a time. He didn’t know how to take care of himself, and he didn’t know how to ask anyone for help.

“Come in,” he offered, shuffling out of the doorway so I could pass through into his home.

It was dark, humid, and extremely messy. No wonder I’d heard such a ruckus as he made his way to the door; there was no clear path for him to travel through the small, cluttered rooms.

“It was nice of you to come by,” he smiled, his dentures displayed proudly as his lips curled up his wrinkled face.

“I wasn’t going to see you this week, so I thought it would be nice to see you today,” I explained.

“Oh yeah. You’re going up the mountain,” he remembered.

“I am. It’s going to be a rough trip,” I smiled, unpacking the trays of food. The house was extremely warm. “Is your air working?” I questioned.

Milton shook his head, wrinkling his nose as he let out a growl of irritation. “It broke last week, damn thing. I don’t need it, but I can get a fan if you’re too warm,” he offered, starting to lift his tired body from the orange chair he sat in.

“No. I’m fine. Sit, eat. I was just wondering because it’s going to be pretty hot this week,” I warned.

I hated thinking about him in the hot home alone, with no one to call if he became ill from the heat. “I’ll be fine,” he waved his hand past his face to swat a fly. A smell was strong in the home, most likely coming from the kitchen. I figured I’d ignore it until after we ate, realizing whatever it was would probably kill my appetite.

“This looks amazing. But, you didn’t have to come all the way out here,” he sighed, the look of burden heavy in his eyes.

“I wanted to. I didn’t think I could handle a complete week away from you,” I smiled. It was true. I’d become to rely on Milton during the week. I loved talking to him, and it made me feel like I was accomplishing something by helping him. Looking around this place, I realized he needed much more help than just someone to talk to.

He ate his food, talking about his late wife in between each bite. It was obvious he missed her, and obvious she’d done pretty much everything for him around the house, including cooking and cleaning. When we finished, I shoved the boxes into the plastic delivery bag and excused myself to the kitchen. The smell was dismaying, causing me to cover my nose and mouth as I entered the room. Flies were everywhere: the window sill, the counter top, and swarming the top of the overflowing garbage. I quickly pulled the bag from the can, tying it tightly, and rushing to the back door. I shoved it in the large garbage can behind his house, realizing they too hadn’t been taken out for some time. I pulled them to the street, not sure when his garbage day was, but knowing I’d be gone up the mountain and unable to help whenever it was that week. I came back into the house, the smell a little better, but not much. It needed to be aired out, but I didn’t want to open the windows, letting the humidity in without any air to cool it down. “You didn’t have to do that,” Milton said, standing in the doorway with his cane in his hand to support him.

“I want to help. I realize some things are just not so easy for you to do with that cane,” I smiled at the old man.

“Thank you,” he said softly.

“I’m going to have that air conditioner looked at by a friend, if you don’t mind,” I stated.

“I couldn’t impose on you, or your friend. I can handle it,” he insisted.

Yeah, that was a lie. The poor man wasn’t even capable of handling his day-to-day tasks, the simple ones. His depression and his weakened body had taken over his life, leaving it in disarray. I wanted to help. I needed to help. I thought of my dad, and what his life must’ve been like before he gave in to the depression. I imagined it was similar to this. It was probably exactly like this. I fought back tears as I reached in my purse and dialed Elijah’s number. “It’s not an imposition. I’d feel much better if you let me do this. I worry about you. I care about you,” I insisted.

Elijah answered, his voice cheerful and excited. I knew he assumed I was calling to let him know I was on my way, but that wasn’t the case. I was going to be awhile, and even though I knew he had his hands full over there, I needed him here to help.

“Hey. I’m over at Milton’s, and the air isn’t working. Any way you could come over and take a look?” I asked.

“Of course,” he replied without hesitation. I loved that about Elijah. He had a heart of gold. Most people didn’t know that, because he didn’t want them too. But, I knew. My brother had told me many stories about how Elijah helped him, and others.  Of course, he still warned me that Elijah was a scoundrel, a womanizer, a man-whore, but that was for my own protection. Not that it wasn’t true. I was certain it had been at one time. Now, I didn’t think so.

I gave Elijah the address and hung up. Milton stood in his same spot, tears welling up in his eyes. “I’m embarrassed,” he admitted, his old voice tired and shaky.

“Don’t be. There is nothing wrong with accepting help. Elijah is a Navy vet too, so it’s part of your pact, isn’t it, to bond together for life, never allowing one to suffer?” I questioned with a smile.

His wrinkled face spread into a smile, and he nodded his head. “You’re right. I’ve needed help for some time. It’s just hard…” his voice traveled off.

“I understand. Let me help you by cleaning this place up so you can get around easier, and it won’t be so overwhelming to maintain,” I insisted.

I could tell he didn’t want to allow me to clean his mess, but he nodded in agreeance. “Good. You sit down and relax, and if I need your help, I’ll yell,” I patted him on the back as I guided him back to his chair.

I started in the kitchen, the largest source of the flies and the smell. I texted Elijah while Milton was out of the room to stop and grab fly paper, bug spray, and air freshener on his way. He quickly texted back an okay, and a winking smiley face.

Under the sink, I found garbage bags, so I started filling them with rotted contents from the fridge and outdated food items from the pantry. It didn’t take long to fill up three large bags, which I carried to the cans out front before Milton could see. I found cleaner and sprayed everything down with the bleach solution, scrubbing until my fingers were raw, and everything was spotless.

Elijah’s car pulled up as I carried out a bag of trash from the bathroom. I’d sprayed everything and was letting it soak for a minute before returning to scrub. “Thank you so much,” I gushed as he got out of his car. I took the bag of items I’d asked for from him and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheeks. “I’m dirty,” I warned as my reason for no hug.

He chuckled as he reached into the back and grabbed his toolbox. “You look adorable, even filthy.”

I was certain that wasn’t true. My hair was damp with sweat and was falling down from my tight bun into a loose mess against my neck, and any signs of the makeup I’d put on were long gone.

Milton remembered Elijah when I introduced him, saying he was sorry about his dad. Elijah smiled, brushing off the compassion. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with people showing sympathy for his dad’s death.

Elijah followed Milton to the air conditioning unit, and I could hear them talking as I continued my clean up.

I stripped his bed, throwing the sheets in the washer, and began wiping cobwebs from the ceiling as Elijah tore apart air conditioner. I wanted to ask him what it needed, if he could fix it, but Milton was stuck to his side and seemed happy to have the company of a fellow SEAL, so I left them be while I cleaned.

After about an hour, cool air started flowing through the vents, offering a sweet relief to my sweat-soaked body. I stretched the sheets over Milton’s mattress, all freshly washed and dried, and felt the urge to fall onto it in exhaustion, but shook it off as I heard the guys coming back inside.

“Wow,” Elijah gasped, “You’ve been busy.” He had no idea just how busy. I was working hard to get everything done before Milton came back into the house.

Milton’s eyes filled with tears as he looked around his home. It was clean, smelled good, and no more clutter blocked his path from room to room. “I didn’t want you to work so hard for me,” he sniffled, wiping his eyes with his trembling hand.

I wanted to reach out and hug him, but I knew I had to smell like a garbage pail from the dirt and sweat clinging to my skin.

“You deserve the help, and now you can do more for yourself without struggling so hard,” I smiled.

Elijah’s eyes locked onto mine. It was obvious by his smile that he was pleased with how I’d helped the old Navy vet, but there was something in his eyes that was stronger, more heartfelt.

“I’m going to go to the store and pick up some things for the house,” I smiled at Elijah and then patted Milton on the shoulder. “Is there anything that you’d like to have around to eat?”

“Let me give you some money,” he offered, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

“Next time, sure. This time I’m paying because I threw a lot away while cleaning. You can give me a list on Mondays after this week, and I’ll give you the receipts when I drop it off,” I insisted.

“Thank you so much. You don’t know what this means, just to have someone care, let alone all this help,” he beamed, a light in his eye I hadn’t seen before.

“That’s what friends are for,” I smiled, and then walked out with Elijah to his car.

“Thank you so much,” I gushed over the sweet man before me. I knew he’d taken precious time away from his own project, time he put in so he could get back home sooner.

“No, thank you. It felt good to help, and it was a treat seeing you in your true form,” he grinned.

“What does that mean?” I laughed, figuring he was talking about my messy hair and makeupless face.

“What you do best, caring for people. It was nice to see in person,” he stated, stunning me with his kindness.

“I really wish I wasn’t so dirty right now. I’d kiss you,” I threatened.

His hand pulled around my waist, jerking me into him, sweat and all. His mouth covered mine, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth until I gave in to the kiss. Damn, he is perfect. Why does he have to be leaving?

“Come by the house when you’re done?” he asked, still holding me so close I knew my smell was oozing all over him. I cringed as I pulled back.

“I need a shower,” I complained.

“Yes, you do,” he laughed. “But, the pool is finally at eighty-four degrees, so come over, join me when I take my first dip, and then we’ll shower at the hotel,” he smirked.

“The hotel?” I questioned. He’d never invited me to his hotel.

“Yes. I’m buying you a thick steak from the hotel restaurant tonight, relaxing you in the Jacuzzi, and then, well, then, we’ll see what happens,” he grinned.

My body tingled from his invitation. It sounded perfect, just like him. “It’s a date,” I smiled.

“I like the sound of that,” he growled, kissing my sweaty neck as I squealed.

I watched Elijah pull off and head back to his house. I waved to Milton who was on the front porch, assuring him I’d be back in an hour.

I cleaned myself up with baby wipes I kept in my car and applied deodorant, some perfume, and a little lipstick before heading into the little market.

It didn’t take long for me to make my way down all the aisles, and for my cart to be filled with supplies for Milton, including plenty of water, snacks, and juice.

I planned on cooking for him at least a couple times a week after our trip to Xander’s. I wanted to do anything I could to ensure his fate didn’t cross paths with my fathers. I didn’t save my dad, but I would save Milton.

“Oh my, what did you buy?” Milton exclaimed as I carried the first load of bags into the house. I smiled and headed out for the next load to carry inside.

He watched me as I slid water bottles, small juice boxes, and cans of Ensure into his fridge. “I want you to take care of yourself, Milton,” I cautioned, placing the rest of the cold items on the shelves. “These go in the microwave for five minutes, then let them cool for at least two minutes before opening the box,” I instructed as I slid the healthiest microwave dinners I could find into his freezer.

The house already smelled a lot better, and the majority of the flies followed me out as I carried the smelly trash from the kitchen and bath, but there was still a slight smell.

I filled his napkin holder on the table and then hung up a couple more fly papers to rid him of the pesky, dirty little creatures. “I wasn’t sure what you needed, what you liked to eat, so I got a little of everything,” I joked, pulling cookies, chips, fruit, and veggies from the bag.

It was obvious that he hadn’t had anyone do anything for him in a long time. “I want you to Skype your kids tonight and take the time to plan your trip,” I encouraged. He nodded, his eyes filling back with tears of happiness and overwhelming thanks.

“I hate that you’ve wasted your entire Saturday on me,” he sighed.

“Wasted? No. You’re stuck with me old man,” I teased, pulling him in for a tight hug.

I felt good as I left knowing that Milton would be in good spirits while I was gone, and at least have everything he needed to care for himself. I wished someone done that for my dad. I wished I had.