Sunday 23rd November

Yesterday was one of those clear, dry days. It had been raining for a while and it was the first time the sun had come out. I was sitting at the table eating toast with Isabelle on my knee.

Jess was at the bench making coffee for us.

“What are you going to do today, Isaac?” she asked.

“Wash the outside of the house.”

I’ve been a builder for nearly a year now, I’m on top of it. I’m even starting to get this place a bit tidier.

I’d got home from work Friday night and noticed the south side of the house had got mouldy.

“Who washes houses?” Jess brought my coffee over and sat down beside me.

“You have to, it keeps the paintwork in good condition.” Isabelle grabbed for the coffee cup and I pushed it out of her way. “What about you?”

“I thought of walking around to Mum and Dad’s with Isabelle and spending the day with them. Want to come? Washing the house can wait.”

My relationship with Jess’s dad is still about as good as Jess’s is with my mum. Visiting Jess’s mum and dad on my day off didn’t appeal.

“Nah, I might come around later and pick you up if you want.” Isabelle was trying to snatch my last bit of toast. I gave it to her to gnaw on.

Jess stood up again. She hadn’t had anything to eat or drink. That’s the way life is now, no time to just sit and talk. But we’ve got this parent thing sorted.

And being polite to each other.

That helps.

“Okay. Are you all right with her while I have a shower?” Jess manages to get dressed everyday now too. Although she still doesn’t do housework.

I took Isabelle into the lounge and sat her on her rug with all the toys. She’s real cute. I found my guitar.

For the last month or so I’ve been going over to Hamilton with Luke and Cole on Saturdays to play with Stadium, so I need to keep the music going.

It’s good. If Jess’s Mum can mind Isabelle, Jess comes too.

Not this weekend though. It was the start of the university holidays and the pub owner didn’t want us. No customers I guess. The students had all gone home. I knew Adam and Noah were back in town.

When Jess and Isabelle were dressed and ready to go visit her grandparents, I found the hose and filled a bucket with soapy water. I got a broom and started cleaning.

Jess came out of the house. She bumped the stroller down the back steps, then lifted Isabelle in and did up the straps.

Jess was in jeans and sneakers. She’s slim again. I vaguely thought we should have stayed in bed a little longer. But honestly it feels like any time we’re awake Isabelle is too. Its bloody hard to have sex with a three-month-old baby in the bed.

Jess wandered past me pushing the stroller. “Heard of rain?” she asked and grinned.

“Smart arse.” I considered squirting her, but it turns out she can get bloody cross if you accidently do something like that. She laughed as she went out the gate.

I was just starting on the second side of the house when Laura arrived. It looked like she’s been for a run. Little shorts, singlet top, running shoes, and she’d got a bit of a glow on.

“When did you start running?” I pulled the trigger on the hose and squirted the wall. The water bubbled and foamed then bounced off. Laura stepped back to avoid getting wet.

“Beginning of the year.” She stood there watching me, hands on hips, still puffing a bit.

I wasn’t looking but, fuck did she have a body. It was all right before, but now it’s spectacular.

I grabbed the broom, dipped it in the bucket of soapy water, and scrubbed at the walls I’d just squirted.

“I didn’t know you were due home.” University students seem to get more holidays than working days. It’s all right by me. Laura comes around all the time when she’s home. She’s helped get this place tidied up. And she’s good to talk to.

“Just finished my exams.”

“Jess has gone around to your place.”

“I didn’t see her, she must have gone the other way.” She watched a while longer. “Heard of rain?” she asked.

Two smart arses in one family.

I gave her the broom I was using to scrub, and the bucket of water. “Just for that comment, make yourself useful.”

“Why not?” She scrubbed. I washed. We made good progress.

“How did the year go?” I asked after a while.

“Not bad. I’ve kept up with the work and got good marks.”

“Have you decided on a major?”

“Yeah, I’m probably going to do family law.”

We got to the south side. There was mildew everywhere.

I waved the hose across it and when the wall was dripping, Laura started scrubbing.

“What about building? Is it still a nightmare?”

“No, getting it sussed. Seem to know what I’m doing.” Don’t fuck up too often. It turns out when you’re building or doing joinery, you never do something just once. You do it a thousand times before you’re finished. If you’re screwing and gluing units together, or cutting and nailing in dwangs, or running timber through a thicknesser, you might do it every day for a fortnight before you move on to something else. And if you’ve done something often enough, when you come back to it, there’s a good chance you’ll remember how it’s done.

Luke and the other guys I work with are good too. We’re mates. Don’t get so tired either. Must have toughened up.

“That’s good,” said Laura. “Written any songs?”

“Nah, it’s a bit hard to find things to write about, I don’t think anyone wants to hear about how to put a baby in a car seat.”

“No water skiing?” Laura gave a smirk then carried on scrubbing.

“Don’t get to do a lot of that now, Murphy.” About as often as I get to have sex. Then I vaguely wondered if that’s what she really meant, because it’s been a joke between us for a while.

Then Laura stopped working and leaned on her broom. “Rinse this bit again for me, so I can see where I’m going.”

The wall looked like she’d been trying to write on it, it was all black swirls. I rinsed the bit she’d just scrubbed, and the water splashed. She wasn’t quick enough about stepping back and got soaked.

She held the wet singlet away from her breasts.

“You did that on purpose, Builder Boy.” I still wasn’t looking, but fuck, did she have a body.

“It’s hot, you’ll dry out, Lawyer Girl,” I said.

“Really?” She looked at me, then grabbed the hose. “It’s my turn with the hose, you can’t be trusted.”

I went to pick up the broom she’d dropped on the lawn, and she bloody squirted me. So, I was soaked too.

I picked up the bucket of soapy water, I figured I’d get my own back. I tipped the whole lot over her.

It was filthy, and she’s covered in soap suds and flecks of paint and black stuff.

For a moment I thought she was going to get shitty like Jess would have, but she laughed and handed me the hose.

“Wash me clean, then I’ll go and change into something of Jess’s, I can’t wander around the streets like this.”

I took the hose, and I’m squirting her and she’s squealing and laughing.

Then a car drew up outside the gate and her dad got out.

He wasn’t smiling. He slammed the car door.