Love is in the Air

Claire became a whirling dervish of activity, putting dishes away and cleaning the place as fast as she could. It wasn't dirty or a mess, but she wanted everything perfect before a stranger set foot in her house.

Ezra just finished brushing his teeth when the doorbell rang.

His mom called out, "I'll get it!" and Ezra only smiled. Until he saw his therapist.

She was perhaps 25 or so, and a very attractive woman with short dark hair and a great smile.

Ezra was inching her way toward her when she said, "You must be Mr. Hancock."

"I am. And you must be..."

"I'm Virginia Collins. I'm a physical therapist under contract with the Air Force, and yes, I am a civilian."

She was in green scrubs, but still looked very nice.

Claire excused herself and Virginia said, "So, are you ready to get started?"

An hour later, Ezra was on the verge of tears as she stretched and worked the scar tissue on his leg yet again.

"You don't look like Doctor Mengele," he grunted, referring to the Nazi doctor who conducted the most gruesome experiments on live human beings during WWII.

Virginia laughed then told him, "What's the saying? No pain, no gain?"

Ezra winced as she pushed him beyond his limits then said, "Yes. But it's pain not...torture!"

She laughed again then apologized while explaining why it had to be like that.

"No, I get it," Ezra told her. "The therapists in Germany weren't any nicer than you are...Josef."

Using Megele's first name made her laugh again.

"You're funny."

She smiled then said, "And very handsome, if I may say," just as she pushed the knee joint one last time.

"Jesus, woman!" he cried out. "You said that because you knew you were about to torture me again."

Virginia laughed then said, "No, I said it because it's true. But that's it for today except to clean up the tissue we just damaged then bandage you up. But have no fear, I'll be back on Monday to...torture you again."

The pain of trimming, cleaning, and bandaging the burn was bad, but nothing like having the scar tissue ripped apart. The tears she caused from stretching the scar tissue were small but still extremely painful.

Before she left, Virginia told him his back was coming along nicely while the leg was going to need to most work.

"Your back just needs time. Your leg, however, is going to have to be...tortured...many more times. I hope you know it isn't personal."

"Then why does it feel that way?" he asked her before she told him and his mom goodbye.

Once she left, Claire said, "She's very pretty."

Ezra didn't take the bait so his mom said, "Oh, don't forget we have company coming over tomorrow evening."

"I haven't forgotten," he told her. "But did you forget someone else said he'd stop back by in a couple of days?"

He saw the look on his mom's face before she said, "Oh, right. Now that you mention it, I do remember Charlie saying that."

"Ah, so you do remember his name. And when he asks you out, you'll say 'yes', right?" Ezra said with a smile.

Her eyes turned into narrow slits as though she was really upset before saying, "I'll tell you what. When you have a date lined up with someone, I'll agree to go on one, too."

"Okay. Deal," Ezra said. "Virginia was flirting with me today, so that shouldn't be too difficult."

"Well, she is very nice looking," his mom admitted.

"Yeah, she's...okay," he told her politely.

The way he said it told his mom there was a 'but' coming, but he never shared it with her if there was.

Nothing more was said until that evening when Claire caught Dawn in the driveway and asked her what she'd like for dinner.

"I'm so glad you asked. I have to run to the grocery store in the morning and can pick up a few things."

"Nonsense! You'll do nothing of the sort. You're our guests."

"Can I least bring a bottle of wine?" Dawn asked.

"Sure, that would be very nice. But we should decide on a main course before you go so you'll know to bring red or white."

They came to an agreement, and Claire asked her what time they normally ate.

"The girls get hungry around six so we pretty much eat then every day," Dawn told her.

"Okay, we'll have it ready by six, but you can come over earlier so we talk, if you'd like."

"I'd like that, Claire," she said with a smile. "But will we be bothering Ezra?"

"Oh, heavens no. He loves children, so I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have you over anytime."

"Well, okay then. We'll see you around...five maybe?" Dawn asked.

"Five it is. See you then!"

The girls were with her as always, and they said 'goodbye' at the same time, and Claire couldn't stop smiling.

"If only she were a little younger," Claire thought to herself as the 'girls' went inside. "Ezra would have a ready-made family."

She watched them close the door, and went to head back inside, when a pickup truck she recognized pulled into her driveway.

When Charlie called out, "Good morning!" while he was pulling up, her heart fluttered.

"Oh. Um...Charlie. What a...surprise!" she said, having no idea he would ever drop by that early. She was also wishing she'd done her hair and makeup. She hadn't and she felt...hideous...even though she was nothing close to it.

"I know it's early, but I'm up at 0400 hours every morning, which is Army Ranger-speak for 4am," he told her. "Is it okay to check in on our hero Marine this early?"

"Well, I look a sight, but I...I suppose that's okay," she said as he got out and kept smiling at her.

"You look just fine to me," he said in his cheerful, upbeat tone of voice. "Downright pretty, even."

Claire made a loud 'pffft' noise and said, "And I thought you were an honest man."

"I am," he told her as she led him inside. "I always tell the truth. Scouts honor!"

"Uh-huh," Claire said as though she didn't believe him even though his kind words had caused another flutter.

Ezra forced himself out of bed early that morning to get ready for the 8am therapy appointment on Monday, and was in the kitchen when Charlie came in.

"Semper Fi, Devil Dog!" he called out.

"Charlie!" Ezra said as he went to stand up.

"Sit down, Marine," the older man said as he held out a hand.

"Have a seat," Ezra told him as they shook hands.

"Would you like some coffee, Charlie?" Claire asked.

"I've only had three cups so, yes, please," he told her. "And just black."

"Yeah, why drink coffee if you're just gonna ruin it, right?" Ezra said, as he raised his cup of the strong, black liquid.

"That's a fact," Charlie replied.

Claire set a mug down for him then excused herself. She wasn't going to tell either of the men why, but she wanted to go brush her hair and put something on other than her housecoat. The fact that he'd shown up unannounced that early would have normally irked her, but Claire's only thought was to make herself more presentable.

He and Ezra 'talked shop' while she was away. Charlie told him how he'd joined the Army 'way back' in 1979 and done four years as a Ranger.

"Never saw a shot fired in anger, but I did jump out of a lot of perfectly good airplanes and helicopters," the older man told him.

"Hooah!" Ezra said, using the Army term.

"And oorah to you, Jarhead!" Charlie replied, using the Marine Corps word that meant the same thing.

Ezra didn't say a word when he saw the change in his mom. He only smiled and winked, and she gave him a quick, playful-but-dirty look in return.

The three of them sat and talked for a good while before Ezra feigned a yawn.

"I'm still not used to the time change. I think I'll go lay down for a while if you don't mind."

He winked at his mom who didn't say a word. Charlie offered to leave but Ezra asked him to stay.

"My mom would love the company, Charlie," he said, winking at her again so only she could see it. "Right, Mom?"

"Well, it...it might be nice to talk a little longer. If Charlie doesn't need to go, of course."

"I'd love to stay!" he told her with that smile of his.

It was nearly 11am when Ezra heard him leave. He went back out to the living room and asked how it went.

"It was...very nice," his mom said with a smile.

"And?" he asked.

"And...I have a date," she told him.

When Ezra's face lit up, Claire reacted like a teenager in love.

"I am so excited, honey! He just came right out and asked me, you know? In that...charming, direct way of his."

"Charming. Yes, that's one word for it," he said with a smile.

"And I believe you now owe me a date with someone," she reminded him.

"Um...no, you said you'd agree to one if I had one lined up first. You're in line ahead of me now, so I'm under no obligation, right?"

Too happy to quibble, Claire spent the next few minutes talking about her visit with Charlie then asked what Ezra wanted for lunch. He'd no sooner finished eating the sandwich she made for him, than she reminded him yet again about dinner.

"They'll be here around five or so and we'll eat at six," she told her son.

"Great. I can't wait to play with the munchkins who aren't munchkins," he replied.

"You know, I could see you with a little girl one day," his mom hinted as she stood up.

"Mom?" he said in that 'back off' tone but not in a mean way.

"I was just...commenting. That's all," she said with a toss of her head before going to take a shower.

Dawn got ready herself after returning from the store, and when it got close to five, she reminded her daughters to take it easy with Mr. Ezra.

"No jumping on him or pulling or anything else, okay?"

"Why? Is he sick?" Zoe asked.

Her mom reminded them again what had happened to him without going into the gruesome details, and that seemed to satisfy the twins.

Dawn knocked a couple of minutes after five, and Claire went to meet them.

"Oh, my! Don't you all look nice!" she said.

All three of them were wearing matching dresses with the same matching cardigan sweaters.

Ezra stood up to say hello, and when he saw Dawn, the smile on his face faded again as she walked over to him giving him a better, up-close look at her.

"Hi, Ezra," she said with a smile.

"Hi, and...wow. You look...amazing," he told her sincerely.

"Oh, thank you! That's so sweet of you to say," she told him.

Her girls were now right beside her, and Ezra did his best to bend down and say hello to them, too.

"Oh, my goodness! You two are as pretty as your mom! I like your dresses very much."

"Thank you!" they said together.

Then to their mother's horror, Chloe said, "Our mommy thinks you're very pant sum!"

Dawn gasped and said, "Chloe Elizabeth! Where are your manners?"

"But you did say it," Zoe informed her.

"I...I only said he was a rather...nice-looking young man. That's all," she told her daughter.

"Uh-uh. You said he was pant sum. I heard you!"

"Me, too!" Chloe said to her mother's chagrin.

"Well, he is handsome," Claire chimed in.

"I'm so sorry, Ezra," Dawn said. "I was just trying to let the girls know I enjoyed meeting you, and...I don't know. I may have mentioned you were a rather attractive guy or something like that."

She was much too flustered for there to be no deeper meaning, and Ezra remembered why he'd thought she was so beautiful when he met her for the first time. It was because...she really was. And this evening, she looked even prettier in the short-but-tasteful dress she was wearing. Ezra didn't know her age, but several quick glances led him to think maybe 30 or possibly even 32...ish.

All he knew was her soft, silky hair looked as pretty as her beautiful face which was made even more attractive by an amazing, very-white smile surrounded by two soft, full lips painted the same color as her dress.

"I'll uh...I'll go give your mom a hand in the kitchen, if you don't mind," she said, trying to recover her composure.

"No, not at all. That way, I can get to know these..."

He paused for effect, then said the word knowing it would bring a reaction.

"Munchkins!!"

"We're not munchkins!" Chloe told him as loudly as Ezra called them that name.

"Oh, I think you are," Ezra said very seriously.

"Uh-uh. We are not!" Zoe informed him. "We're...big!"

"Oh, yeah? Well why don't you come over here and sit with me and show me just how big you are, okay?"

He had his iPad out and a couple of fun children's games to play with them lined up. Zoe sat on his left and Chloe on his right, and they took turns playing and laughing.

"I love them hearing them laugh," Dawn said.

"Ezra has always been so good with children. I keep dropping hints about grand children, but I guess he'll be ready when he's ready. At 27, I guess there's no real rush."

Dawn spoke very quietly as she said, "Well, I did tell the girls he's very handsome, so I'm sure he won't have any trouble finding someone whenever he is ready to settle down."

"Ha! That's what I just told him," Claire said in her normal voice.

"Told me what?" Ezra called out.

"Oh, nothing, honey. Just girl talk. That's all," she said as she and Dawn laughed.

"Then why are my ears burning?" he asked with a smile.

The two women laughed again but didn't answer him.

"So he's not seeing anyone?" Dawn asked just as quietly.

Claire's answer was also just as quiet.

"No, he's been in Afghanistan for over six months, but he's never really been serious with anyone before that. He is, however, quite the matchmaker where I'm concerned. Or at least...pushy."

Claire was dying to share her good news with someone, especially another woman, and Dawn told her how happy she was for her.

"He seems like a very nice man," she said sincerely. "And I love that touch of gray around his temples. It's very distinguished."

It was a lot more than a touch of gray, but Claire didn't care one bit. She was just very excited about finally going on an actual date with someone she thought was not only nice but very nice looking.

"I told Ezra he has to find someone to go out with now, too," Claire told Dawn, omitting the rest of the story.

"Oh, well, I saw a very pretty girl leaving yesterday just as I was pulling in," Dawn said very casually.

"Right. That was his new therapist. Yes, she is a pretty girl," Claire said, her voice rising again.

"Mom? I can still hear you," Ezra called out again.

"Sorry! Just...chatting," she told him.

Dawn felt a bit silly for having briefly thought about the possibility of her and Ezra maybe going out sometime for many reasons. And now that she knew he was only 27, and that this very attractive, much-younger woman was going to be 'hanging around' on a regular basis, she let go of the thought, because at 41, it was beyond silly. It was downright embarrassing. And yet he was so handsome, and he clearly loved playing with her girls, that it was hard to completely let go of it.

Dawn sighed loudly then said to Claire, "Okay, how can I help?"

During dinner, the subject of ex-husbands came up, but because the girls were there, Dawn was hesitant to say much. Claire was also very careful about what she said, but it was clear there'd been infidelity and a lot of pain in all of their lives.

One thing Dawn did say was telling.

"It's not like I'm looking for a prince or anything. Just a decent guy who'll put the girls and me first. I'm not needy or clingy, and I have more love to give than most people could imagine. All I ask in return as a little loyalty, you know?"

"I know exactly what you mean," Claire said, holding back on 'letting it rip'.

Dawn glanced over at Ezra who told her, "You deserve a lot more than just a man's loyalty, Dawn."

The girls weren't really paying attention, but he spoke quietly when he said, "I know beauty has no bearing on infidelity, but for the life of me, I can't understand how any man could do that to a woman as beautiful as you are."

That feeling of being flustered hit her again—hard.

All she could do was politely say, "Thank you, Ezra. That's very kind of you."

"It's also very true, and the same goes for my mom."

Claire knew Dawn was the much-better-looking woman, but she had to agree with her son. Dawn didn't deserve any of what had happened to her any more then she'd deserved what her ex-husband had done to her.

"How are...they coping?" Ezra asked with a simple nod toward one of her girls.

"Okay, I guess. It's just so sad that he seems completely self-absorbed. Well, completely absorbed—with this new woman of his—is the better way to put it. They never see him anymore and he rarely even calls. When he does, it ends in a lot of tears, and that makes me..."

She whispered, "Hate him."

Claire offered her sympathy and wanted to say, "Amen," but didn't want to because of Ezra.

To her surprise, he said it.

"Amen to that. I don't hate my dad, but I'm mad as hell at him. It's bad enough he did it, but it's the way he did it that really eats at me."

He looked at his mother and said, "Sorry, Mom. Maybe we should move onto something else."

"Yes. Why don't we do that!" she said cheerfully. "Like maybe...you finding someone."

He tilted his head, gave her the eye, and his mom backed off.

"Are you looking, Ezra?" Dawn asked politely as she took a sip of wine.

"Well, until very recently, I didn't think so," he said as he looked right at her.

"Oh. Did something change?" she asked assuming it could well be this pretty, young therapist of his.

"Maybe. I'm not really sure yet. But I have found myself thinking about it the last day or two, and for the first time in my life, it's not a scary thought."

Dawn laughed politely, but didn't press the issue, now feeling sure it had to the fact that he'd met someone he found potentially interesting.

"At any rate, that wasn't the change in conversation I had in mind," he said as he stared at his mom.

"Okay. Fine. I just thought maybe...oh, never mind," she said. "But there is something I'm concerned about."

"What might that be?" Ezra asked.

"I have to go back to work Monday morning, and I hate the thought of Ezra being here alone," she said while looking at Dawn.

"I won't be alone, Mom. Virginia will be stopping by every day for therapy, remember?"

"Okay, and what about the other seven hours I'm not here?"

"I think I can manage," he told her trying not to get upset at her (s)mothering.

"Speaking of work, I've got to find a new sitter for the girls. Mine isn't going to be able to watch them after Tuesday. I've got someone lined up, but she charges a hundred a month more than I was paying, and it's already putting a huge strain on us," Dawn told them.

"Then let me watch them," Ezra said cheerfully.

"What? You can't do that!" his mom said immediately. "You broke your back for heaven's sake. And you can barely walk."

"Mom. I'm recovering—not an invalid," he said, mustering all the patience he could.

"No, that would be way too much to ask of you, Ezra. It's very kind of you to offer, but these two are a full-time job."

"We wanna stay with Mr. Ezra!" Zoe said, finally understanding something the grownups were saying.

"Listen, I know I can find things to keep me busy here alone, but having the girls would give me a purpose. They could play together for the hour I'm being tortured...sorry, having therapy...and it would be a big help to you financially, as well," he said looking first at Dawn and then at his mother.

"Seriously," he said. "I know how to call 911 if there's an emergency, and as small as they are, even with my back like it is, I could pick one of them up, and carry her if I had to. And honestly, I think it would be great for me to have them here instead of sitting around by myself all day."

He looked right at Dawn and told her, "I'd really like to do this."

She looked at him then at Claire, who said, "I have to say I'd feel better knowing there was someone here with him, and I know my son. He'd never volunteer unless he knew he could handle it—especially not where children are concerned."