Reflection by Jayme L Townsend

up and starts laughing
    “Is he a surprise?” he says laughing too hard
    “Yes from my best friend”
    “Good idea what with you being out here by yourself, they are good company”
    I set Dillan down on the floor and watch with a smile as he totters off to explore, I stand and look at how much we have done
    “Geoff do you have anyone that could come and help?”
    “Yes, how many men do you want?”
    “I think I would like it done ASAP so I could move in?”
    “I will ring now, will two do?”
    “Perfect”
    I walk away to find Dillan and laugh as he shoots pass me and up the stairs. I decide I need to order a skip and clear some of the rooms, there is no personal stuff in here as it’s been rented out for about fifteen years to an old couple. I then ring the estate agent to see if the buyer wanted my furniture, I almost jump for joy when he said they hadn’t. I quickly call the removal people and ask them to bring everything here, I make the appointment for the following Monday, I find that I have wandered outside and sat on the bench, I look around the garden, its huge, I have never gardened before so I am going to look forward to that challenge and I feel quite excited about getting chickens. I look at my phone and check to see if Adam has replied to my text, nothing, I feel my excitement dull…fuck what was I thinking sending him away. I leave my thoughts as I hear a car coming, it’s another van, I watch as it stops and two men in overalls get out
    “Hi, Olivia?” the taller one asks
    “Hello, yes that’s me”
    “I’m Oliver and this is Tom, come to help with the decorating”
    I freeze when I hear the name Tom, I honestly hadn’t thought about that for a good two weeks but now I get a flash back, I quickly nod my head and point to the door and walk off down the garden. In my head I can picture me on the bed unable to move naked and Tom stood over me, I know it could have been so much worse if Adam hadn’t come to rescue me and then how did I treat him, I left without a word. Jesus I’m such a stupid cow. I wipe my tears away and look down to see Dillan sat at my feet looking at me with soppy brown eyes. I smile as I reach down and stroke his head
    “Come Dill, there’s work to be done”
    I take a deep breath and walk back to the cottage. I walk into bedlam, the men have taken over stripping the wallpaper, only the are much better at it than me, I wander on through to the kitchen and watch Geoff painting, he is whistling away some tune I don’t know, he seems so happy
    “Geoff are you married, do you have kids?” I ask
    “Been married for twenty years, got two kids, a boy he’s fourteen and a girl she’s eleven”
    “Are you happy?”
    “I am, very” he says smiling
    “How did you know she was the one?” I watch as he thinks for a minute
    “Well I suppose I just couldn’t imagine my life without Sarah in it”
    “That’s nice” I walk to the kettle and go about making everyone a drink, I take mine outside and sit on an old tree stump, I take my phone out and check it, nothing, I ring Charlie to thank her for sending me Dill, I tell her he’s gorgeous but a bit of a handful and to find out if she has seen Adam, she says she hasn’t. I invite her down for the weekend two weeks from now, I end the call and jump up remembering Dillan and where the hell is he, I almost run back to the house and into the lounge, they are still stripping wallpaper and there is Dillan sat ripping up every piece that they pull off the wall and putting it into little piles next to him, I laugh and start tidying up after him. Its half past five by the time the men leave, I gather my things and remember I have to take Dillan home to mums and they will be back, I attach his lead and walk out to Red. As we drive back through the village and park outside, I look at Dillan and tell him to be on his best behaviour. We jump out of Red and walk to the door, I am really nervous I’m not even sure if my parents