The roof, p.17
The Roof, page 17
Jack put a finger on Sarah’s lips and smiles. “Sarah, you do not have to justify it for me; it’s been over two years since we dated. I am just happy you found someone who makes you happy, and I don’t care who that is. I will still write you and will say it’s from your gay pen pal Phil so he doesn’t get mad.”
Both laugh until Sarah asks, “Jack, you seem different. Not in a bad way, but you look as if a huge burden has been lifted from your shoulders. You seem happier and more fulfilled. What happened?”
“I will not lie. For months after we broke up I was miserable and moped around a lot. But one morning I woke up and decided I did not want to be sad anymore. I did not want to depend on anybody for my external happiness anymore. Because if I had let someone get in my head again, I would fall into old habits and that was not the life I wanted to live. Instead of living for work and women, I decided to quit my job and start working out. That morning I got to work and finished things I needed to do. I met Ken Winters, so that was cool.”
“Wait, hold on a sec, you met Ken Winters?”
“Yea, he’s surprisingly down to earth. A great conversationalist and I think he bought your first piece. He called it breathtaking. I really did not know that you could do it, but even when we’re apart, you can still prove me wrong. Anyway, to continue with my story, the next morning I just ran and I ran. I stopped to catch my breath once I reached the capital. I turned around and looked out at the city. Seeing the whole picture instead of just part of it. For the first time since I moved here, I saw its true beauty. I saw all the care and consideration of the thousands of people that built this city and the people who work each day to make this city their home. Every day I felt hope. Hope was something I did not experience since before my father left. I thought I had hope for you, but I realized it was a temporary fix. I realized I had to find happiness for myself and by myself, that all the money and women in the world could not make me happy. That was something I’d need to discover on my own while depending on several true teammates. I soon got my dream job, the same job I was terrified of taking when I was younger because young Jack needed the world to cure him. I found a reason to be happy that is internal. I am working my dream job helping others to find their way, and I have you to thank for it, because if it were not for you, I would not know where to look.”
“Wow, he really called it breathtaking. That is a three-syllable compliment from my favorite author!”
“Yes, he did, and I believe him. Also, ouch, I came to this huge realization and all you get out of it is the compliment of your art.”
“You tend to rant a lot, and you know I can’t resist a compliment about something I’ve accomplished.”
“Fair enough. I will tell you I missed us.”
“Me too.”
Sarah smiles as the two embrace. They go back to dancing as Jack hears what song is playing.
“Sarah.”
Sarah looks at Jack curiously as he gladly announces softly to Sarah.
“This is our song.”
Sarah listens to the melancholic melody and smiles as she remembers their first date when they declared this to be their song. They look each other, swaying in silence as they just listen to their song until it ends.
The rest of the night goes by quickly as the two spend the night catching each other up on their lives. They laugh and talk as if they’ve never separated. When the night was reaching its end, they part ways, knowing this would not be the last time they see each other.
Jack kept his promise to Sarah and starts writing to her back on their schedule until six months pass, and he receives a letter from Sarah unlike the rest.
35
Should I Tell Him?
May 04
Dear Jack,
I love hearing about the passion you have in your job. That is clearly visible by the way you write about it. And to answer your question, I am so excited to be graduating at the end of the month. As for what I am going to do with my degree? I already have job offers from several art galleries, quite a few here in California, and one from Salt Lake City! And I am happy to be doing something that I will absolutely love. This week has been as eventful as any last week could be, you know, cramming for finals and preparing for graduation. You know, school stuff. I am not sure if I should tell you this, but I know in my heart that I should tell you. Jeremy and I broke up last week. It was weird because he was the first guy to break up with me. Normally I do the breaking up. Do not worry about me. I am okay with it. I feel quite relieved and hope that does not make me a bad person. Does it? I already know what you are going to say, so you do not need to say it. You would say something like it was because you never loved him. Although you would use bigger words or poetic language. Jack, I must tell you I love getting your letters twice a month. They are the highlight of my day when I get them because they remind me of home. A little of me believes why I did not mind when Jeremy broke up with me was because of your letters. Sorry if that makes it sound like it was your fault because it was not. Anyway, I miss you, and I wonder sometimes if you think of me as much as I think of you.
Love always,
Sarah
For two weeks, Jack fell silent, not responding to Sarah. It’s like he became a ghost. Sarah grew anxious waiting in his radio silence until one stormy night while looking out the window, she hears a tap. She investigates the cause of the noise and sees Jack out front throwing pebbles at her window. She rushes down the stairs bursting through the front door and yelling out, “Jack!”
36
Drenched in rain
Jack stands in front of Sarah’s apartment in the pouring rain holding the letter that has been transformed to mush by the water. Sarah stands, looking at the drenched man. “Jack, why are you here?”
Jack presents the sopping wet letter in his hands as he explains.
“I have read this letter over and over for two weeks interpreting its meaning, until I could not take it anymore. The one conclusion I thought of after reading it over and over was the fact that I had to see you.”
Sarah moves into Jack’s arms. It felt right having Sarah in his arms. He stands watching as the rain distorts her hair. He looks into her eyes, watching her face glisten under the streetlight. They were drenched.
“Wow, you’re soaked. Come up the stairs. I’ll get you out of those clothes. Come to my bedroom.”
Jack smiles and raises one eyebrow, as Sarah defensively states, “That is not what I meant, pervert. You came all this way. I don’t want you to catch a cold. I have clothes you can wear.”
Jack nods as they both head up the stairs to her bedroom, while Sarah goes to get Jack a towel to dry himself off. As he is waiting he notices a painting on the wall. It is a more complete version of a painting she had in her old apartment. The tree on the painting is the same, but she has added a plethora of other things. The painting now has a lot of blue and green with a giant oak tree front and center. The tree is in full bloom with the silhouettes of a man and a woman holding hands. The woman has a crimson red heart sitting on her chest. The male silhouette has a lime green brain on his head. Over the couple is an archway of music notes and different colored swirls and flowers. On one branch of the tree stands a single pure white apple shining above the couple. The whole painting is done well with each brush stroke methodically placed. Jack sits there admiring the painting, thinking of what it could mean, and why he never truly realized Sarah’s potential as an artist.
Sarah came to Jack with a pink towel and a T-shirt. “I hope you do not mind that the towel is pink and I brought my ex’s shirt. You can wear it while I dry your shirt and jacket.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Here you go.”
Jack takes his jacket and his shirt off, handing them to Sarah. She gapes at Jack’s chiseled new body. His shoulders are broad, squared by a perfectly full and sculpted chest with six-pack abs that tapered off into a V. He has got an Adonis-like body with every muscle on his upper torso prominent and sculpted, leaving Sarah speechless for a second.
“Um, excuse me, mister, when were you going to tell me you have muscles?”
Jack trades his wet clothes for the towel and shirt as he dries himself off.
“First, I’ve always had muscles. It’s how I move and stuff. Second, a couple of years ago I started working out and cleaned up my diet. I gave up drinking and women so I needed other vices.”
“Sure, you come here looking like a superhero and tell me it’s no big deal. Whatever, I’ll start your laundry.”
Sarah takes one more look at Jack and walks down stairs as Jack pulls an envelope out of his back pocket and puts it on the desk as he puts on the shirt Sarah gave him. It’s two sizes too big for him and the front has a kitten wearing headphones with a tie-dye background. It is not his regular style but he thought it was better than nothing. He spread his arms out, flapping all the extra fabric around like a child wearing his dad’s shirt. Sarah comes back to Jack playing with his oversized shirt and laughs at him. She sits in silence for a while until she clears her throat.
“Having fun?”
“This guy was huge. You said he was a bigger version of Tim, not that he was three of Tim put together.”
“I do not judge the men I date by their stature.”
“Sure, good to know,” Jack says as he points to the painting. “I see you finished the painting?”
“Yeah, I had an artist block, but when we stopped dating I had a burst of inspiration. I call it hearts and minds.”
“Wow, it is beautiful. You’re good, kid.”
“Oh, golly, mister, you think I could make it to the big leagues someday?”
“Well, if you keep doing masterpieces like this, you can reach the stars!” Jack says in an old-time announcer’s voice as both laugh and catch each other’s eyes.
Sarah finally asks, “Jack, why are you here?”
Jack grabs Sarah by the hips and brushes her hair out of her face as he kisses her. “Because I can’t write that in a letter.”
“Not with that attitude you can’t. But why?”
“The real reason was because I have something I wanted to give you in person.”
“Oh yeah, what is that?”
Jack grabs the envelope off the desk, showing Sarah as he expounds. “Sarah, in this envelope there are two plane tickets for after you graduate. I want you to come back to Salt Lake. One ticket is from here to Salt Lake and the other is from Salt Lake to here. In my heart of hearts, I hope you don’t use the second ticket, but it is up to you.”
“Jack, I don’t…”
“Shh, don’t answer right now. Take some time to think about it. In the meantime, how long do my clothes have to dry?”
“Well, they were wet. I’d give them an hour.”
“So, I’ve only got an hour. That’s too bad.”
Jack walks away while Sarah grabs his arm.
“But my roommate does not come home for the next few hours, you can stay till then!”
“Oh, you don’t say. What will we do with the remaining time?”
Sarah takes off her shirt, revealing a purple laced bra he wants to see on the floor immediately. Her body’s perfect and smooth and it is just like seeing it for the first time. She strokes the sheets, beckoning for him to join her. He reaches out feeling for the grooves in her hips. “Cuddle?” she whispers, answering the joke her body made him forget he just made.
Jack smiles as he takes off his shirt and starts kissing Sarah passionately.
37
Back to the Beginning
A few months later
Sarah sits on a plane leaving San Francisco. Jack got her a window seat and she spends the flight looking for the familiar landscape of Salt Lake. She gets lost in her thoughts thinking about the night she and Jack had a couple of months ago. Jack was silent until she told him she would visit Salt Lake. His only response was to say that he was looking forward to it. She wonders what it is he wants her to see in Salt Lake. Once she lands, she runs toward the entrance and sees Tim with his wife, shocked to see Jack is nowhere to be found. She frowns and tries to hide her disappointment, as she sheepishly queries, “Hey Tim, how are you?”
Tim, with a big grin on his face, riles Sarah to get a smile out of her. “Is that any way to talk to your true love who is now leagues above you? It’s okay, I forgive you. I’m off the market, which I can see clearly makes you miserable, but I’m doing awesome!”
Sarah smirks as she knows what is happening. “Oh, I see you still have delusions of the fact that you have ever had a shot with me.”
“That dress makes you look fat, or did you just put on some depression weight for not having me!”
“Don’t make me puke. Besides the fat I can lose, you can never lose that ugly of yours!”
Both stare at each other like they were squaring off in a boxing match, and Stephanie is about to step in until both burst into laughter. And once the storm settles, Sarah finally asks, “Hey, where is Jack?”
Tim looks at Stephanie, who gives an approving nod.
“Jack is not here, but he’s got the day planned out already. He wants to make it special for you. So while he prepares your big day, you will spend the afternoon with us at our place where you will get changed, drop your stuff off, et cetera. Then at five, Jack will pick you up and that is all I can tell you about tonight.”
“Do any of you still live in the same apartment?”
“Oh, I can answer that. Six months ago that place got shut down. They finished demolishing it a few months ago. Jack now lives in a one bedroom downtown and we moved to a little house in the west valley, so some things have changed.” Tim glances at his watch and grabs Sarah’s bag. “Okay we should get going so we have time for you to shower, stinky.”
Sarah gives Tim an annoyed look as he and his wife leave and just as they turn their back, she smells her shoulder and follows.
Tim is driving and Stephanie is holding his hand as the two smile looking at the road ahead. They sit in silence for the first half of the trip, only listening to the radio softly playing in the background. It is very uncharacteristic of Tim to be silent for over five minutes so she attempts to break the silence. “So, anything new with you two?”
Tim glances at Stephanie, who nods. “I still work at my job. As you know, I took Jack’s spot when he left and Steph is busy taking care of a small child growing inside of her as we speak.”
“Wait, Stephanie, you’re pregnant? Congratulations!”
Steph looks in shock as she gasps in a sarcastic tone. “Wait a second, I’m pregnant? Nobody told me that. Babe, why did you not tell me I’m pregnant? Who’s the other girl?”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I forgot to tell you I slept with you and one day out of nowhere, boom, there’s a baby!”
Both laugh, pleased with themselves as Sarah crosses her arms. “All right, you two don’t need to be jerks about it! You know what? Silence is better!”
Sarah pouts in the back as the two laugh and drive until they park in front of a small one-story yellow house and Tim announces, “Okay, we are here. I’ll get your bag.”
The day goes by quickly as she sits there contemplating their entire relationship. She remembers flowers just because it was Monday and when Jack would whisper nonsense in her ear calling them sweet nothings, or when he would grab her hand leading them to a place he was excited to show her. She also remembers the last time he traveled to San Francisco in the pouring rain. This makes her even more excited for five o’clock to arrive.
38
Who asked you?
Three months earlier
Tim meets Jack at a torn-down building and they stand by a truck as Tim talks. “You know of all the places you would ask me to meet for life advice, I never thought it would be in front of our old apartment complex.”
“They are going to finish demolishing this building tomorrow so I thought I’d grab some things.”
“Jack, you are a strange man, but while I have you here, I got to let you know Stephanie is pregnant!”
“That is great news, man. I’m happy for you!”
Both men embrace and Tim starts a story.
“You know, when I married Stephanie, I thought to myself I never thought she could get more beautiful, but now that she’s pregnant, she’s even more beautiful. The future mother of my child! She became even more gorgeous to me. You know when I was single, I thought to myself that life did not get better than this, but I was wrong. It gets better every time I look at Stephanie.”
“Tim, that is a wonderful sentiment, but I did not actually call you over for life advice. I need a hand with something.”
Jack goes to the back of the truck and lifts a tarp, revealing several pieces of concrete from the building.
“We may also need some more guys and some power tools.”
Present day
Jack starts out his day the same way he normally would by waking up and running to the gym. After eating a healthy breakfast he runs out of his apartment where he sees a group of men and he smiles.
“Ready, boys?”
The men nod as Jack hops in the truck and they drive to a park where they put together slabs of concrete that have been shaped like a giant puzzle. After hours of placing the slabs in the appropriate arrangement, Jack looks at his creation with pride, when his phone rings.
“Hey, Tim—she did great. Okay, keep her busy until four. She can start getting ready then as long as she’s ready by five o'clock sharp. I’ll have the limo pick her up then. Tim, thank you. Goodbye.”
