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Life Resumed

By: SW_MO_Hermit



Carl was walking down the busy street talking to his wife on his cell phone. He was late and had called to apologize to her. Carl was a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard and Executive Officer of a small Cutter stationed in New York City. He had a meeting that ran longer than he anticipated and was late getting off his ship. Now he was on his way to the World Trade Center to meet his wife and parents. While they had waited on him to finish his meeting Charlotte had taken them to her office to show them where she worked and discuss some investments with them. She worked as an investment advisor and wanted to provide them with some information on what her company believed would be the next hot investment. 

"Honey I'm only about seven blocks away now. Why don't you all meet me in the lobby and we'll take off from there. I have the rest of the week free." Carl heard a whistling roar and looked up. There, just over his head was a huge aircraft flying low. It didn't appear to be in any trouble but it was way too low and heading straight for the North Tower. 

"JEEEZUS," Carl shouted.

"What's the matter Honey," asked Charlotte.

Carl didn't even have time to answer. He watched in horror as the huge aircraft slammed into the building. Fire and debris exploded everywhere. Almost as an afterthought Carl noticed Charlotte was no longer on the line with him. In a panic he slid his phone into his pocket and took off in a dead run heading for the building. He was dodging people who were standing staring in shock. He heard sirens wailing in the distance, getting closer and closer as he ran. He got within a block of the building and encountered police officers. Even after he explained where he was going and why they refused to let him pass.

In desperation Carl called Charlotte's phone, then his parents over and over. He never received an answer. Police began pushing bystanders back farther away from the building fearing a collapse and falling debris. Another roar was heard and all around stood and watched in horror as yet another large airliner approached then flew into the South tower. Another large explosion occurred and yet more debris showered the surrounding area. Now people were running from the conflagration in fear. Carl and many others just stood and stared at the carnage in shock. He felt empty inside and yet, he felt deep surging anger filling his gut. How could this have happened? He knew his life as he had known it was over. Somehow he knew his wife and their unborn child were no more, gone in a fiery explosion along with his parents. Somehow, he had felt the wrench in his psyche when the life was blotted from his wife and parents.

Carl watched as fire trucks and ambulances, police cars and rescue equipment began to clog the streets. He saw many cases of bravery as he watched firefighters and policemen rush into the burning building. When they returned from within they were sometimes guiding, sometimes carrying survivors from the burning sky scraper. Many times Carl attempted to approach and was turned back by officers. Finally he did what he could, he guided some of those who did escape to a safer area and tried to console them albeit with little success.

Within an hour and a half the towers had collapsed and thousands of lives were forever altered, many snuffed out at the whim of a lunatic. Carl and others with friends and family in the towers wandered around in shock, finally ending up at one of the many centers set up to help with grief, rescue, emergency medical treatment and counseling.

Carl did not know what to do. He had his duty but he needed desperately to know about his family, perhaps to help, to find them. He heard the announcement that Al-Qaeda and someone named bin Laden claimed responsibility. Like all Americans he was outraged. 

Carl was torn between his duty to his country and his love for and fear for the safety of his wife and parents. He had answered his phone some time before and knew he was supposed to return to his ship. He had been told it had been ordered to sail as soon as the majority of the crew returned from liberty in answer to the recall. 

Finally, knowing he could do nothing for his family in the center to which he had been directed Carl let his duty guide his actions and made his way back to his ship. Duty was all Carl had left now. Duty and a deep soul destroying sense of loss and anger, of hatred, soul destroying hatred, for the animals who would do something like this. The first plane had impacted the building almost directly on line with his wife's office. She had told him she was there while he was talking to her and he knew in his heart she had not gotten out. 

When Carl crossed from the pier onto his ship he looked like a walking dead man. His once pristine white uniform was soiled and smudged from the dirt and debris in the air. The Officer of the Deck looked shocked at the way his Executive Officer looked. After returning his salute and giving permission to board the LtJG stepped to Carl and asked if he was ok. Carl just ignored him and walked past him and up to his stateroom. Carl left the door open and collapsed onto his bunk. Shortly thereafter the Captain knocked on his door and walked into the room without an invitation. Carl slowly stood and took what could barely be called a position of attention.

The Captain looked at Carl and asked, "Carl what's wrong? The OOD (Officer of the Deck) said you had returned in a filthy uniform. He said you had not even acknowledged him when you brushed past him. Awww Shit! Charlotte?"

Carl stared at his Captain with his haunted eyes and nodded his head. He said, "Yeah, I was talking to her on the phone when the first one hit. It cut off and if it hit where they say, where I thought, it was almost directly on her office. My parents were with her. I saw it. I was only about six blocks away."

"Carl, stay here. We have orders to sortie but we can get the ship out without you."

Carl looked at his Captain and muttered, "Aye, Aye Sir," then collapsed onto his bunk. He sat leaning with his elbows on his knees. He never even heard the speakers as they gave orders for getting underway. He never even heard his friends come into the room or leave once more. He sat all night, never moving except to go to the head. He stared into space and remembered his childhood with his parents, his finding and falling in love with Charlotte, their love and lovemaking, their happiness when she told him she was pregnant with their first child. Now his life was in ashes—ashes and rubble from a ruined building born from the hate of a maniacal barbarian and his cohorts.

The next morning a steward brought him some coffee and breakfast from the wardroom. Carl did not remember eating or drinking his coffee but he must have. Later he noticed his dishes were empty. Shortly after breakfast the Captain once more came into the room.

"Carl," the Captain said. "I know you've had a terrible loss. I understand that but I need, this ship and crew need a fully functioning Executive Officer. If you can't get it together I'll have to relieve you. I know it hurts, hell, I can't imagine how you must be hurting right now but we need you working for us. For all intents and purposes this country is at war now. We have a job to do. We need to get the Bastards that did this to your family and attacked our country. I've had the Doc get you some sleeping pills. I want you to take them and get some rest then if you can't work for me we'll have to do something."

Carl took the pills and collapsed onto his bunk. He didn't know another thing until after ten that evening. He woke rested but hollow inside. He showered, got in uniform and made his way to the bridge.

Over the course of the next three days Carl began to function better but he was never up to his prior efficiency. Finally Carl's tour as Executive Officer was over. Rather than assume a command as was normal Carl was assigned to shore duty for the remainder of his obligation. Rather than try to make the Coast Guard a career as he had planned before Charlotte died, Carl chose to leave active duty. He spent the remainder of his obligation ashore and was mustered out of the Coast Guard several months later a broken, empty man, a shell of his prior self.

Like many U.S. Citizens, hell, like many people the world over Carl harbored a deep visceral hatred for Al Qaeda and those who supported them. He was able to function but that was all. He was a shell of his former self albeit a much more well off man than before. After collecting insurance on his wife and parent's as well as the small stipend paid to those who lost someone in the attack Carl had over two million dollars. He also inherited his parent's estate as he was an only child. That amounted to a share of a small older 40 room hotel and pier on Key West, FL and a 60 foot Catamaran. His parents were retired and lived on the Catamaran. Several years previously they and another couple, Carl's Godparents, had purchased the land and Hotel. Each couple had a suite in the hotel to live in and use of the pier. His Godparents managed the business for years then when they retired they closed it. Now the resort was just used as a residence. Most upkeep was deferred, property maintenance was minimal.

Carl stayed in the New York area until he sold his home. From time to time friends would drop by and try to cheer him up. Some of the neighbor ladies made sure he ate occasionally. After his home sold he went to Key West since he had nowhere else to go. When his Godparents picked him up at the airport they could not believe how Carl looked. They almost didn't recognize him. He was thin, emaciated and pasty looking. He had large dark spots under his eyes and a vacant expression constantly on his face.

Carl's wife and parents were some of the bodies never recovered from the disaster site so Carl had no closure, no one to lay to rest. He had a memorial erected to his parents and wife in the family cemetery plot in Missouri but he could not feel closure because he knew they were not there. He was lost and alone in the world. He withdrew from his friends and just sat in his parent's suite or on the Catamaran. Florida had never been his home. He was born and raised in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. His parents had retired and moved to Florida after he and Charlotte married. They had sold his childhood home so he didn't even have that small amount of comfort to go back to.

Carl sank into deeper and deeper depression. He did not eat well; he lost weight and quit caring for his personal hygiene. In short, Carl was slowly starving himself to death. Dottie Persons and her husband Tolliver did what they could for Carl. They were his God Parents and his parent's best friends as well as co-owners of Carl's home. Dottie particularly watched over Carl. She felt he was the son they never had and spent literally hours sitting with him, forcing him to eat the small amount of food he did consume.

Dottie bullied Carl into accompanying her to town shopping occasionally and forced him to sit in the yard with her watching boats come and go. Occasionally she would get Carl to go into town alone on an errand. Many times while coming or going Carl would see another man about his age sitting outside a small run down house about a quarter of a mile down the road from his hotel. This man looked worse than Carl did if that was possible. His eyes looked haunted, he was gaunt and emaciated. His left arm was withered and shorter than the right one. His right leg was twisted and when he walked he moved slowly with a terrible limp. He was always unshaven, his hair a greasy unkempt mess. His clothes, those that he wore, looked dirty, wrinkled, as if he had slept in them.

One morning Carl was on yet another errand for Dottie when he saw the young man wrestling with a very pretty but pale looking woman. It looked like he was trying to wrestle her to the ground. She was screaming at him and trying to hit him while at the same time it looked like she was trying to get away from the man.

Carl rode his bicycle off the path—most people rode bikes for short errands where he lived—and as far into the unkempt yard as he could. He jumped from the bike and ran to the struggling couple. "Let her go asshole," Carl yelled as he pushed between the struggling couple and separated them. He pushed the man back and, being unsteady on his feet, the young man fell into the yard.

The man looked up at Carl and snarled, "You fucking asshole. You feel like showing what a big man you are by picking on a useless cripple too? Well, go on; push me around again if it makes you feel better."

By this time the young woman had rushed past Carl and was kneeling beside the man. She reached out toward him and he turned his wrath on her once again. "Damn you, why don't you just leave me alone? I don't need your sympathy or your help. I'm a damn cripple and nothing you or anyone else can do will change that. At least let me have a few drinks in peace."

The young woman began crying once more and said, "Mark I know you're not able to do what you used to do and I know it's your money you spend on the booze but if you don't cut back and maybe help with some of the expenses we're going to lose our home. We're over a month behind on the rent now and I barely have enough left to buy food for the rest of the month until your next check gets here. You know I've been trying to find another job but it's tough in this economy."

Carl was just standing trying to decide what to do, whether to just go on about his business or wait to be sure Mark didn't try to hit the woman again. Mark saw Carl was still watching and turned his wrath on him once more. He got slowly to his feet and lurched toward Carl. He raised his hand to strike as he snarled, "I thought I told you to get lost asshole. Or are you just going to stand around and gloat because you're all in one piece and I'm a cripple. What, ya want to see more falls so you can laugh it up at the bar when you tell your damn friends about how you pushed the dumb cripple around? Well you tell them the damn Taliban didn't kill me and neither will your jokes."

When he finished talking Mark took a swing at Carl. Carl stepped back when Mark swung and pushed him slightly causing him to fall to the ground. He just lay there shaking with his anger. When he looked up at Carl there was hurt, acceptance and despair visible in his eyes.

The young woman walked up to Carl and touched his arm. She looked him in the eyes and said, "Thank you for your help sir. I think I can handle him now. This was really mostly my fault. I had a conversation with the landlord about the back rent this morning. He threatened to turn us out in the street if it wasn't paid and I'm afraid I took it out on Mark. He was planning on making a career in the Army and then he got hit his third week in Afghanistan. He was so proud; he had just been promoted to Staff Sergeant. Now he believes all he has to look forward to is life as a cripple, someone that people pity."

"At least he got to give the damn rag heads some payback before he got hit. I'd give anything to be able to get some payback for what those rag headed bastards did to my family and our country," Carl said. 

Carl looked down at Mark once more and felt a surge of anger rush through him. Before he could think he said, "Dammit Sergeant, Man UP. You've got your whole life ahead of you and you still have your family. Sure you can't do everything you could do before but you can still work and have a pretty good life. You can have a wife and kids and tell them you at least were able to do something about the Taliban and Al Qaida before you got hurt. Those bastards took everything I had to live for away from me. Now get your shit together and get on with your life."

Mark and Nicole stood and watched in shock as Carl walked away from them, picked up his bike and rode away. They both saw the tears streaming down his face. The rest of the evening Nicole and Mark separately thought about Carl and what he said. 

The next morning Nicole began walking up the beach asking the few people she met and knew if they knew anything about Carl. This was harder to do than it should have been because she neither knew his name nor where he lived. All she had to go on was a memory of seeing him most often coming from the east and carrying items he had purchased back in that direction. She recognized the lady that sometimes accompanied him but had no idea where she lived either. 

Finally, nearly half mile from her small rental home Nicole found someone who thought they knew who she was talking about. The woman Nicole was talking to told her a young man meeting her description came to live near there about five months before. She had heard he lost his family at the World Trade Center. He had been a Coast Guard Officer and had requested separation shortly after the attack. He then moved to the Keys and took up residence in his deceased parent's home. She said his deceased parent's had owned part of the old Hotel about a quarter mile from her house. All he seemed to do every day now was sit, drink and stare into space. As far as she knew the only friends he had were Tolliver and Dottie Persons whom he lived with.

While she was walking back toward her house Nicole saw Carl sitting on the stern of a huge Catamaran tied up to the hotel pier. He stared at her as if he didn't even know her. She did not think about it, she just walked up the brow and onto the boat. When she got to where he was sitting Carl looked up at her with bleary eyes. She saw the bottle beside him and smothered her disgust. It appeared he was trying to crawl into a bottle just like her brother.

Carl looked her over with a frown and a questioning look. He thought she looked familiar but where did he know her from? He barked, "What?" and sat looking at her as she decided whether to talk to him or just leave. Nicole knew she didn't need to become involved with another damaged soul but there was something about Carl that called out to her. Perhaps she could see the man he once was, perhaps it was something else. In any event she chose to stay in spite of his rudeness.

Finally, Nicole said, "I saw you sitting here while I was walking. I wanted to tell you Thank You again for what you did for me yesterday. It wasn't necessary. All Mark was trying to do was keep me from hitting him but you didn't know that. Not many men would have intervened and I appreciate what you did."

"Yeah, OK," Carl muttered. He turned his head from her and stared out across the pier once more, already dismissing her from his mind. Without looking he reached once more for his bottle.

Nicole stood in shock, indeed with a little hurt. She started to leave then she felt a blaze of anger surge through her. If what she had been told was correct this man was or at least had been a Coast Guard Officer. He was educated and had most of his life ahead of him just as Mark did. He was giving up and ruining his health. 

Nicole gave in to her anger and began yelling at Carl. "You asshole," she said. "I've spent all morning asking about you, trying to find out about the man who came to my rescue yesterday. I know about your family and the World Trade Center. What I don't know is what the hell is wrong with you! You have the same problem Mark has. You got hurt, you lost something very precious to you and you blame the world for it. Just look at yourself. Think about what you told Mark yesterday. Are you any different than he is? Get over it and move on with your life. Like you told him you have a lot to live for if you would only try."

Carl felt anger blast through him. How dare she talk to him like that? This woman hadn't lost her spouse, her parents. What did she know about it? He opened his mouth to snarl at her but she continued her diatribe.


Life Resumed



"No, if anything, you're better off than Mark is. At least you weren't injured. You have the rest of your life ahead of you and no injuries to limit what you can do. I heard you were an Officer. You could have got your shit together and maybe done something about what those bastards did. At least you could have continued in your position and helped keep our country safe but you just quit and ran away to cry in your booze. Maybe next time you want to chew someone out you should look in the mirror and do it!"

Nicole turned and stomped down the boat to the brow and onto the pier. Carl sat in shock. Long after she was gone he remembered her words, her anger and even the tears he saw running down her cheeks. He was seething but Carl had always been an honest man. He was deeply moved and embarrassed by the contempt he saw in her eyes. What Nicole had said was true but...Dammit all he had ever wanted was wrenched from him. Charlotte was perfect, his soul mate and they were so happy. With a start he realized something else. Al Qaida had taken her from him but HE had taken the rest of his life from himself. HE had just quit and left the only career he had ever been interested in. He was a quitter. At least Mark had gone down fighting. Carl had just walked away from what was left of his life.

Dottie had been outside sitting around the pool when she saw Nicole go onto the boat. She had seen the young woman off and on for several months and remembered she lived nearby. Dottie smiled to herself. Perhaps Carl had met her and something was developing. Perhaps the young woman would succeed in pulling him from his despair and out of his grief. 

Dottie was shocked and a little worried when she heard Nicole yelling at Carl. Dottie was about halfway to the boat when Nicole stormed off and almost ran down the beach path toward her home. Her face was red and her expression showed her anger. Dottie was worried about how Carl had taken what she heard Nicole say. Much of what Nicole said was what Dottie had been thinking but had been scared to say to Carl. He needed to hear those words but was he ready for them?

Dottie walked to the edge of the unkempt yard and stood watching Carl. He seemed upset, yet there was a different look on his face. He looked thoughtful. Dottie felt hope surge in her chest and turned back to her chair and the book she had been reading. She thought she had recognized the young woman and made a mental note to look her up in the next day or two to see how she had met Carl. Dottie felt a little guilty also because she recalled her brother was a disabled veteran and she had heard they were having trouble paying their rent. Maybe she could kill two or three birds with one stone. She would have to talk to Tolliver this evening to see what he thought about her idea.

Early the next morning Dottie was sitting poolside with her first cup of coffee when she once again saw Nicole walking along the path. She watched as she went onto the Catamaran and listened as she knocked on the door and asked if anyone was there. She knew Carl was sleeping in his apartment but Nicole did not know that. Dottie decided this would be a good opportunity to visit with the woman and rose to meet her at the Catamaran.

Nicole had already left the boat and was coming up the path when Dottie got to the head of it. She smiled and said, "Good morning. I saw you talking to Carl yesterday. Did you come back to see him or is there something I could do for you?"

Nicole blushed faintly and said, "Oh, I hope I didn't upset you. I'm afraid I lost my temper and said some things I shouldn't have said. I was hoping to find him and apologize. He helped me the day before and I stopped to thank him again when I saw him on the boat yesterday. He had been drinking and I'm afraid I said some things I shouldn't have..."

Dottie smiled and said, "I heard what you said and except for the reference to your brother you didn't say anything I hadn't wanted to say to him. He needed to hear what you had to say. I'm not sure he wanted to hear it but he needed to hear it. I'm afraid he's still in his apartment. Would you like to have some coffee with me while we wait for him to get up?"

"Oh, I couldn't. I don't want to impose. I can come back later but I'm afraid I didn't sleep well because of what I said and I wanted to apologize."

"Nonsense! I have plenty of coffee and it's a beautiful morning. Come on, have a cup and enjoy it with me. Besides I want to know how you met Carl."

The two women sat and began talking. Nicole explained how she and Carl met and Dottie told her more about Carl and her fears for him. Nicole finally said, "I really need to be going. Our landlord evicted Mark and me. Today is our last day here and I have to move on. I think we have enough money for gas to get us to Miami. I have a cousin there that has agreed to put us up for a week or so until we decide what we are going to do." She started crying and continued, "I really hate to leave. Living here was our parents dream. We kept their house after they died but lost it because even together we didn't make enough to pay the mortgage after Mark was injured. The man that bought it let us keep living there in the guest house and pay rent but after I lost my job we can't even afford that."

Nicole stood and smiled down at Dottie. She said, "Please tell Carl I'm sorry for what I said. I need to go now. Thanks for the coffee."

Dottie stood and reached for Nicole. She laid her hand on Nicole's arm and said, "Wait please. There are too many homeless people in this country and I hate for that to happen to you. Besides, the thought of turning a disabled veteran out in the streets just makes the thought worse to me. I have a proposition for you. This used to be a hotel as you know but when we got older we got tired of operating it. We quit taking guests almost three years ago and now just use it as our home. There are thirty four rooms just going to waste. Why don't you and Mark move into two of them? They are all still furnished and most have a refrigerator and microwave."

"Oh, we couldn't. We can barely buy food with his pension after he sneaks out money for his booze. I know we couldn't pay you enough rent to even live in one room for a month much less two."

Once again the two women sat and had another discussion. This time the discussion was somewhat spirited with Nicole refusing to let Dottie give her and Mark the rooms rent free and Dottie insisting she was going to do that. Finally Dottie had an idea Nicole could live with. Nicole agreed she would work around the motel doing yard work, cleaning both apartments and running errands as payment for their rooms. She finally left, still not seeing Carl, to get Mark and their belongings. 

When Nicole returned to the motel with Mark Dottie met them in the office with a smile. She had her keys with her and led them up the stairs to the rooms. She explained legally Carl owned half and she and her husband Tolliver owned the other half. They had informally agreed to 'split' the building by wings. Carl's wing was the east one, theirs the west. Downstairs the lobby, restaurant and bar were in the center and were 'common ground'. Upstairs were rooms running the length of the front and down both ends of the "U" shaped building. The pool was in the courtyard between the wings of the building. They had kept it and the Hot Tub operating for their personal use. Mark and Nicole were welcome to use them also.

For some reason Nicole liked the room on the east wing near the bay and Mark the one on the west wing overlooking the bay. Both had balconies overlooking the garden and were bright and cheerful. Of course both were very dusty and musty smelling because they had not been used in almost three years but Nicole set to work correcting that problem. She even managed to get Mark to help some cleaning his room.

It was three days before Nicole saw Carl and then the meeting didn't go well. She had cleaned hers and Marks rooms the day they moved in. The next day she cleaned Dottie's and Tolliver's apartment. She was going to do Carl's that day. She waited until nearly eleven a.m. then gave up waiting on him. She knocked on his door until he finally answered. He was sleep tousled and bleary eyed when he opened the door.

Nicole could see clutter everywhere in the room behind him. She sighed to herself and thought 'at least it isn't the pigsty I expected'. Carl looked at her for a moment then snarled, "What do you want? Do you always just come barging in where you're not needed waking people up?"

Nicole felt another surge of anger and clenched her jaws, fighting the harsh words she wanted to speak down. She looked Carl in the eye and said, "I'm here to clean your apartment. Dottie hired me to clean and take care of the place and I intend to do just that. I'm supposed to clean and do the yard work in return for a room for myself and Mark. We were evicted from our house because we could not afford to pay the rent and Dottie let us live here and work for our rent."

Nicole pushed past Carl carrying her cleaning supplies. She sat them down in the kitchen and looked around her trying to decide where to start. Finally she decided to strip the beds and do the bedroom and bathroom first then move into the rest of the house. She turned to Carl and said, "I'm going to start on the Master Suite. If you want to dress do it now."

Carl stood glaring at her. He was so shocked at her actions and statement he was at a loss for further words. Finally he said, "I didn't need any help and Dottie had no right to send you here. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Nicole laughed and looked around once more then said, "Yeah, right. If that's the case why does your apartment look like this? Why do you look like death warmed over and why are you as skinny and weak as you are? I'd say you needed help and I'm here to give it. Besides, I have to do this to pay my rent and I intend to do it whether you want me to or not. If you won't let me do it now I'll just come back when you're gone and do it then."

"Shit. Fuck," said Carl. He grabbed his bottle and walked angrily out the door. He lay in a hammock tied to trees near the pool, took a long pull on his scotch and lay back. Before long he drifted off to sleep once more. Nicole turned and began her task. Except for a fast lunch she worked until nearly six p.m. before fatigue forced her to stop. She was still not satisfied with the condition of the apartment but decided to finish it the next day.

It was well after dark before Carl came wandering back from wherever he had spent the day. He was not completely drunk but like most days he was well over the legal Blood Alcohol limit had he been driving. When he entered his apartment he stopped and stared. He could not believe how much better it looked. He felt yet another surge of sorrow and disgust at himself for letting it go as he had. Now he had made a really pretty nice woman wallow in his mess to make it better. Oh, well, he'd think about that more later. He stumbled into his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed. He fell to sleep almost immediately.

The next morning Nicole once more woke Carl about mid morning. She once again just walked past him and resumed cleaning where she had left off the night before. This time all Carl did was sigh in exasperation. He watched her for a moment then made a pot of coffee. When it finished he filled a large insulated cup and took it and a box of nearly hard donuts out to his hammock.

After lunch Carl was still sitting in the shade. Nicole came down from her room and began working in the courtyard. She was weeding, pruning and digging out dead vegetation. Carl watched as sweat ran down her face and her clothes became waterlogged. She was trying to dig out and uproot a small palm tree that had died. It would wiggle but not come out of its hole. She wrapped her hands around the tree once more and pulled. Carl could see the strain and effort she was exerting. All at once her hands slipped. Nicole let out a little squeak and rocked backward. She fell on her ass and then rolled to her back, her legs shooting up into the air. She had a shocked expression on her face, and then almost immediately it was followed by a look of chagrin and anger.

When Carl saw Nicole fall and the look on her face he couldn't help it. He broke out in a deep laugh. Nicole turned and glared at him. He was walking toward her and before she could say anything he held his hand out to help her up. He said, "Come on. Let me help you with that before you fall again and land on something without all that padding and really hurt yourself."

Nicole was shocked. Her face turned red and her mouth dropped open then the humor of the situation hit her and she laughed too. The two young people worked together for nearly a half hour before they got the tree out and the hole filled in. Both were muddy and sweaty when they finished. 

Carl took her hand and led her over to the shower swimmers were supposed to use before entering the pool. He unceremoniously pushed her under the showerhead and turned on the water. He bent and rubbed down her feet and legs as the cool water sluiced over them. Nicole squealed at first when the cool water hit her but she acclimated and began rubbing the worst of the dirt off her upper body.

After Nicole was cleaner Carl stood and cleaned himself also. He smiled at Nicole once more and took a long run and dove into the pool. He swam a lap then turned on his back and just floated in the water in the deep end. Nicole watched as he seemed to go to sleep. Finally she walked into the pool also and relaxed draped over a pool noodle. The water was heavenly, just the right temperature to cool and relax.

Nicole floated a while then with reluctance she walked from the pool and climbed the stairs to her room and a hot shower. She decided she was done for the day. Carl was still floating the last time she looked out the window at the pool. He had been there for over an hour and it was dusk.

The next morning Nicole cleaned Dottie's apartment. She finished about eleven a.m. and went back to the courtyard to resume her labors there. Shortly after she started Carl came out with his coffee and a breakfast sandwich. He sat in his hammock and watched her as she labored away. After he finished his breakfast Carl stood and moved toward Nicole. Without saying anything he picked up the dead vegetation and pruned limbs and carried them to the refuse pile for her. They worked in silence until almost 1p.m. when Nicole stood, wiped her face and said, "Thank you Carl. I appreciate the help. I'm breaking for lunch now. See you later."

Carl's expression could, perhaps, have been called a smile even if it did look more like a grimace. He didn't say anything, just walked to the shower, cleaned off and once again dove into the pool. Nicole watched him dive in and glanced up at Mark's room. She was going to clean it in the afternoon. She was surprised to see him still sitting watching the courtyard. She had seen him there several times while she was working and expected to see him collapsed in his chair half drunk once more but he looked almost sober.

Over the course of the next two weeks Nicole worked her way around the grounds. She first did all she could to make the courtyard neat then worked toward the front of the building cleaning and pruning the rest of the flower beds too. Many days Carl would help her and once even Mark helped for a short time. Carl still drank more than she would like but at least he was only drinking in the evenings after they quit work. He would sit in the courtyard and look around with a pleased expression while he sipped from his bottle. She hadn't seen him drunk now for several days.

Finally she had done all she could do for the grounds and she began cleaning the office, lobby, restaurant and bar areas. To her surprise one day both Mark and Carl showed up and began helping her move the heavier furniture. They carried the heavy items to the dumpster, fetched her clean water and generally made themselves useful. At lunch Carl disappeared for a short time and returned with a bag of sandwiches from the local deli. He placed them on a table and walked into the bar. He opened one of the coolers and pulled a six pack from it.

The three young people sat and began eating and enjoying their beer. Nicole was almost afraid to say anything but finally she spoke. "Thank you both but...Why are you doing this. It's MY job."

Carl and Mark looked at each other and they both began to talk. Mark said, "Sis I can't let you pay for all my room with your work and besides, you needed the help. I'm sorry I've been such a shit."

Nicole was already tearing up when she heard Carl speaking. He said, "It's my home too and my building partly. You and Dottie and Tolliver have been doing all the work. You were right. I need to Man Up and do my share too. Besides, like Mark said, you needed the help. You would have never gotten that tree out by yourself." He laughed and continued, "Besides, you put on a good show when you fall on your ass."

"Well, never mind. Thank you both." Nicole was quiet during the rest of the meal. She was thinking about the past couple of weeks. She realized not only had Carl been helping more and drinking less but that Mark also was drinking less. He still mostly sat and stared into space but he was not drunk as much or as badly. He had also taken to keeping his apartment cleaner than he had in the past. She felt her spirit soar as she contemplated the improvements the two men had made in their lives.

It took four more days to get the public area of the building cleaned to Nicole's satisfaction. It sparkled now. On two of the days Mark or Carl or both of them showed up sometime during the day to help. On the final day both of the men were helping her carry and arrange the furniture once more. They finished mid afternoon. Nicole was smiling, her face glowing while she stood in the door to the restaurant, hands on her hips and looked around with pride. She could almost see guests filling the tables, laughing and enjoying their meals and drinks. She sighed and turned from the completed rooms thinking she would clean the unused rooms next even though Dottie told her she didn't have to.

Over the course of the next week Nicole began using the kitchen to prepare meals for her and Mark. They only used their rooms' refrigerators for cool drinks and the microwaves to heat snacks. Shortly after she had moved in she had realized the bar cooler and one of the restaurant freezers and refrigerators were kept in use for Tolliver, Dottie and Carl's overflow food and drink. They still used the business discount to purchase much of their food and drink in large quantities.

One evening Nicole invited Tolliver, Dottie and Carl to dine with her and Mark. She went all out on the meal preparing Scallops New Brunswick, rice pilaf and asparagus with Béarnaise sauce. They also had a nice garden salad and hot homemade French bread to go with it.

All were eating and enjoying the meal when Nicole sat back and looked around the table. She bit her lip, took a deep breath and said, "Dottie I know you decided not to run the hotel any longer because you wanted to retire but I wonder if you had given any thought to turning it into apartments? We could get ten or fifteen two bedroom apartments upstairs similar to the two you guys are living in down here. I would be willing to do the work and help rent them and"

Nicole glanced at Mark, licked her lips and continued, "And Mark could help around the office and maybe even with some of the maintenance...we could even offer cleaning service and even simple meals in the restaurant and maybe even reopen the bar. I would work all I could and I have some friends that might be willing to operate the dining and drinking establishment. We could open those to the public and make a go of it I'm sure."




Life Resumed



The other four people at the table looked shocked at Nicole's statement. Dottie looked at Tolliver then over at Carl and Mark. She started to shake her head no and Nicole spoke again. She said, "Please. Don't say anything now. Just think about it. I know we can make it work and I would really like to have a job to make some money of my own. I could help in the bar or restaurant and do my other work other times. I'm sure we could rent the apartments for at least $1000.00 a month and maybe even more. If we rented them for shorter times we could charge more per day and maybe get a few tourists..."

Everyone looked at each other. Nicole picked up her fork and began eating once more. Finally the others also began eating and finished their meal. Not much else was said. Everyone thanked Nicole for the wonderful meal then went back to their rooms or wherever they had to be. Nicole was a little hurt that no more was said about her idea and even more hurt that no one offered to help clean up.

She was carrying the bus pan filled with dirty dishes to the kitchen when she heard a noise. She turned her head but could not see anyone. Still sniffling she began cleaning the dishes and putting them into the dishwasher. She stiffened when she once again heard a noise. Her heart began to flutter in fear. Recently there had been news of muggings that had occurred close by and she let her fears run rampant.

Nicole stepped back from the kitchen counter and looked around once more. She slowly walked toward the darkened bar where the noises seemed to originate. Slowly she stepped through the door and saw a shadow moving in the darkened bar where they had just eaten. The shadow turned and moved toward her. She was frozen by fear. She wanted to yell but was only able to make a quiet, very faint query. She asked, "Who's there? What do you..." Nicole stopped talking and stood rooted in place when the figure turned and moved rapidly toward her. 

Nicole's fear mounted and she could not move or scream out when the figure loomed before her. Her eyes were filled with the tall thin figure before her. She could not see well in the dark but it seemed as if there was something in its hands. Nicole put her hands in front of her and made a pushing motion as she finally managed to take a step backwards. She dropped the towel she had been carrying, screamed and tried to run away. Her feet became tangled in the dropped towel and she tripped over it. 

Nicole screamed once more and saw the figure drop whatever it had been carrying and reach out to her. Just before she fell backward the figure grabbed her and pulled her toward it. Nicole began pulling against the figure trying to get her hands free to hit when she heard a familiar voice say, "Whoa there girl. What's the matter with you? Do you make a habit of falling at the feet of every man that is near you or what?"

Nicole felt some of the fear leech from her body as she recognized Carl's voice then she became angry. She felt the heat of her anger flush her face and she began screaming at him as she tried once more to hit him. "You ASSHOLE," she shouted. "You scared me to death. Why didn't you answer me? What the hell are you doing in there in the dark anyway?"

Carl held her arms to keep her from hitting him as she struggled. All at once he began laughing. This only inflamed Nicole's anger further and she struggled harder. Finally she broke out in tears and stopped struggling. "Damn you, this isn't funny. Why don't you just leave me alone?"

Carl laughed a moment longer and gently pulled the still crying Nicole closer. When she stifled her tears he looked down at her and gently pushed her away. He said, "I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry I laughed at you too but while I was holding you to keep you from hitting me I realized I was doing just what I smacked Mark for doing when I first met you. I wondered if he would have tried to stop me from keeping you from hitting me like I did him. I'm starting to think you make a habit of attacking people."

Nicole looked up at Carl in shock then she couldn't help herself. She felt a little smile push through her anger. In a way that only made her angrier but she had to admit the similarities between the two incidents was humorous. She said, "NO, I DON'T make a habit of attacking people. I only attack those who deserve it for scaring me or...or those who deserve it. You never did tell me what you were doing rummaging around in the dark either."

Carl looked guilty then said, "Well, I was almost back to my apartment when I realized we had all left you to clean up the mess. I know Tolliver and Dottie were going to visit some friends and I didn't think Mark would help so I came back. I saw you had bussed the table so I was putting the chairs back where they belonged then I was going to come help you." Carl backed up and looked around then bent down and picked up some broken glass. He continued, "I had made you a drink and was bringing it to you when you attacked me. Now I have to clean up the mess you made in here."

Nicole looked down at the floor and saw a large puddle of liquid and what was left of two broken glasses. She felt her face heat and then said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was upset when you all left and feeling sorry for myself. I heard you in the other room and remembered hearing about a mugging the other day. I'm afraid I let my imagination run away with me. I was sure you were all gone and I was scared. When you came at me from the dark I panicked and froze for a moment. When I tried to get away and almost fell you grabbed me and I panicked even more. I'm sorry Carl but you really should have said something when I asked who was there."

Carl looked guilty then he said, "I'm sorry too Nikki. I heard you say something but I didn't understand what you said. I was coming in to the kitchen anyway so decided to just wait until I was closer before I asked you to repeat yourself."

"Oh." She said. "I suppose I should finish up here then."

Nicole turned and walked back into the kitchen. Carl followed her and went into the storage room for the cleaning gear. He went back into the bar and she heard him sweeping up the broken glass. She had finished loading the dishwasher and turned to the deep sink and the remainder of the dirty pots and pans. 

Carl put the cleaning gear away and went once more into the bar. She heard him clinking glasses again and watched as he walked back into the kitchen toward her. He was carrying two more glasses filled with liquid. He walked up beside her and handed her glass to her. After she took it they clinked glasses took a sip and sat them down. Carl began drying the clean pots and putting them up while Nicole finished washing up. By the time the kitchen was clean once more both drinks were empty.

Carl smiled and stepped forward. He picked up the glasses and returned to the bar where he once more mixed drinks. This time when he returned he had a whole pitcher of his excellent margaritas. Carl started through the door toward Nicole and she moved toward him. When she started toward him he grinned and said, "Whoa there girl. You just stay away from me. I don't want to clean up another mess. Why don't you just open the back door and we'll have another drink out by the pool before we call it a night?"

Nicole smiled and turned to the door. After he had walked carefully past her she turned and followed Carl to the poolside table he normally used outside his room. He carefully placed the drinks on the table and watched as she sank into a chair. Neither spoke, both were looking out over the courtyard and listening to the waves beat upon the beach. The only light was from a half dozen security lights partially obscured with vegetation and from the moon. 

Nicole turned her head toward Carl and watched him stare into the distance. He said in a broken voice, "Charlotte would have liked what you did here. We always dreamed about having a house with a nice pool and courtyard in south Florida. I was going to try and be stationed here after my last tour was over. We were doing OK but we...She never had much beauty in her life. She grew up on a small farm in Missouri and I met her in college. She had a scholarship but had to work almost full time to pay for her other needs. Her parents couldn't help her much. My parents both worked in town and we lived on a small farm too but compared to her we were rich beyond imagining. We fell in love almost at first sight and shared a dream of living like this. I had always loved the thought of the sea and so went into the Coast Guard. My first two postings were in the northeast but I was in line to be posted here in the Keys on my next change in station. Charlotte's favorite dream was that we could be stationed on a pleasant coast like this so she could enjoy the sun, sea and sand."

"We were expecting our first child and now...now all I have are the memories and dreams and they're fading." Nicole could see the unshed tears in Carl's eyes. He took a deep breath and continued, "Now I remember her and miss her but sometimes I can't even remember how she felt. Your meal tonight reminded me of her. She loved to cook and was an excellent chef. One of her favorite dishes was very similar to the one you served. All I have left now is a hole in my heart and memories of our dreams and some of the times we had together. Sometimes I wonder what we would have done in our lives. How would our children have turned out? I used to scream at God for letting the plane hit before I was in the building with them. At least we would be together now."

Nicole rose from her chair and wrapped her arms around Carl. She pulled him tightly against her body and stood slowly, gently rocking from side to side as he cried and his tears wet her blouse. She gently crooned to him as she rocked. She stopped and just held him against her breasts and said, "Carl none of us know why things happen the way they do but we all have to make do with what is. Mark has asked why and screamed his hate at the universe but there is no answer. If you believe in God you have to believe He has a reason for this. If you believe Fate rules you have to believe Fate will balance out in the end. If you believe in Karma you wait for the good Karma to come. In any event, you and Mark are here now and have a chance for many good years ahead of you. It's up to you to make them good once more, to make your life the best it could be in spite of the hurts that have been handed to you. You know the old saying IS true. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

Nicole paused for a moment and looked off into the distance. She continued, "I asked many of the same questions you are asking when Mark's and my parents died. I was a wreck for months and was still wallowing in self pity when Mark was injured. Having him to worry over and care for forced me to pull back from the brink of despair. It gave me a purpose in life again but I'm afraid I lost my boyfriend before I came to my senses. He couldn't put up with my mood swings and attitude. He gave up on me and moved on. I'm NOT giving up on Mark and you! Both of you have to change the course of your lives but at least you have a life. You need to focus on it and choose the path you go down."

"You can choose to wallow in self pity and drink yourselves to death or you can choose to return to useful occupations and go on with life. I have asked Mark what he thinks our parents would want for him. You have to ask yourself what your parents and wife would want for you. Would they want you to act like you have been or do you think they would want you to go on with your life and follow dreams you have. Maybe your dreams have changed and maybe they are similar or the same to the ones you had before but I KNOW they would want you to be happy and have a good life. I want to help you and Mark with that if you will let me but if you won't I still want that for you."

Carl looked up at Nicole and tried to smile. He said, "I know and I tell myself Charlotte would want me happy but I miss her so much. Now, even after almost three years I still catch myself thinking I need to tell her something. Sometimes at night when I wake up I still reach for her. I just don't know if I can do it."

"I know you can do it. You can do it if you try really hard and really want to do it badly enough. You both can."

Carl stood and pushed Nicole away slightly with his body movement. She started to turn away and return to the kitchen with the empty glasses when he reached for her hand. Carl said, "Charlotte and I used to walk evenings. It helped us think and it relaxed us after our workdays." He looked at Nicole and continued, "Would you walk with me for a while please?"

They walked almost a mile down the beach and went into a famous night spot—The Hogs Breath Saloon—where Carl found a table and ordered them another drink. Nicole was scared he would once again get drunk but she didn't know what to do about it. She knew from prior experience that trying to keep him or Mark from drinking was a lost cause. Finally she just sat and sipped her drink while she watched Carl.

Carl on the other hand, sat and watched the people and Nicole. Occasionally he would make a comment to her. He especially watched the young people flirting, touching, laughing and dancing. He turned to Nicole and said, "We used to like to go out and have a couple of drinks and people watch. Sometimes we would sit almost all night watching people and talking. We would dance sometimes so we could hold each other in public but we saved the rest for the privacy of our home usually. Look at that couple over there. See how in love they look? That could have been us. They never take their eyes off each other and always seem to know where the other one is. They're lovers and soul mates. I used to have that and I miss it so much."

Carl picked up his glass and slammed the remainder of his drink down. He looked around and Nicole was afraid he was hunting the waitress to order another round. He turned to face her and reached for her hand. He said, "I've seen enough here tonight. It's getting late and we have a walk ahead of us. Are you ready to go or do you want another drink?"

Nicole felt her heart gladden when he didn't order. She smiled at Carl and said, "I'm good. We really should get back. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow."

They made the entire trip back to the hotel in silence. They stopped by the stairs that led to the second floor and Nicole's apartment. The foot of the stairway was at the end of the building beside Carl's apartment. They both looked at each other then Carl said, "Thanks Nikki. I really enjoyed the meal and the company tonight. Good night."

Carl turned and walked into his room. Nicole stood and watched him until the door closed. She felt a sense of loss when he walked out of her sight. Finally she walked slowly up the stairs and into her lonesome room.

The next morning Nicole took the front stairs down into the lobby and went into the kitchen that way. She rapidly busied herself making breakfast for herself and Mark. Since she did that she didn't see Tolliver, Dottie and Carl sitting beside the pool drinking their coffee and visiting. They were discussing Nicole's idea of turning the building into apartments and reopening the restaurant and bar. Tolliver was against the idea. He didn't want the people around to interrupt his solitude. He also worried about the liability issue and he was afraid Nicole would leave and they would have to manage the building themselves once more or never get their investment back.

Carl and Dottie were in favor of the remodeling idea albeit mildly so. Dottie felt Nicole deserved a break and she wanted to give it to her. Carl felt like Nicole was a hard worker and would take her job seriously. He also felt Mark needed the responsibility and he liked the idea of helping a disabled veteran. At one point Carl leaned back in his chair and said, "I would rather not do it but if push comes to shove and Nicole and Mark leave we can always hire a management company to operate the apartments. We really DON'T have to do it ourselves. I think we should give them the chance to do this. Besides, it would be some extra income for us too. I know we all have enough income now but heck, there's no such thing as too much money is there?"

Finally they decided to make the changes and reopen if Nicole and Mark would sign a contract to operate the establishment for at least five years. They would offer them 50% of the profit with the other 50% split between Carl and the Persons. Carl agreed, reluctantly, to be the Managing Partner. He balked at Tolliver and Dottie's insistence that he take 35% as his fee for being Managing Partner. He finally agreed to that split when he was told it was that or the deal would not go through. They decided to resurrect the old Limited Liability Corporation they had used to operate the hotel in order protect themselves from ruin in case of a lawsuit also.

The three friends had just finished their discussion when Nicole came out the door from the bar onto the patio. She smiled when she saw the three owners sitting together and walked toward them. They all greeted each other, visited for a short time, and went on about their daily business. 

Later that afternoon Nicole was returning from her apartment to the job she had been doing. Once again she took the upper walkway to the front stairs. As she was going down the walk she noticed almost every door in the upstairs was open. She frowned and wondered what was going on. When she passed one of the rooms she found Carl walking around with a clipboard and tape measure. He was making notes and inspecting the room carefully.

"Carl what are you doing," she asked.

"Oh, just inspecting the rooms for now. They really aren't in too bad a shape are they? They sure look cleaner than I thought they would."

Nicole blushed and turned her glance away from him. Carl caught the look and understood. He walked up to her and said, "You cleaned them didn't you? I know that wasn't part of your deal with Dottie. She told me you were only supposed to clean our rooms, the office and grounds. You just can't stop can you?"

"Well, I wanted to do my part. We were homeless and she, well all of you, gave us a home, a place to stay. I didn't want to take advantage of you and they needed cleaning so I cleaned them. OK?"

Carl shook his head and said, "I don't know about you sometimes." He then turned back to what he was doing. He finished that room and walked out. Nicole followed him and watched as he closed and locked the door then moved to the next room. Once again he gave it a close inspection. Before he finished Nicole said, "Well, I have to get back to work. I'll see ya later."

Almost two hours later Nicole looked out the window and saw Carl sitting beside the pool at 'his' table, the one near his apartment. He had papers strewn over the table and was writing. He had a cooler beside his chair too. From time to time he would make a phone call, talk a while, and then return to his writing. Sometimes he made notes while he was on the phone.

Finally Nicole could not stand her curiosity any longer and walked to Carl's table. She sat in one of the chairs and asked, "Carl what are you doing? I've never seen you do anything but drink out here." Nicole blushed and put her hand over her mouth before she said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you I just meant, well, this is the first time I've seen you working on something here instead of uh...well you look so intense right now and I wondered what was going on is all."

Carl leaned back in his chair and looked at Nicole. He said, "Nikki I'm just working on a project right now; massaging some ideas I have. Can you just wait and come back about six or so? I should be finished then and we can talk. OK?"




Life Resumed



Nicole smiled and nodded her head. She got up and returned to her work. She made sandwiches for her and Mark to eat. They sat in the bar and she watched as Carl continued to work. Nicole got up, made Carl a sandwich and took it and a drink out to him also. He smiled up at her when she placed the light lunch before him but continued working.

Just before six p.m. Nicole saw Dottie walk up to the table and sit with Carl. Tolliver came toward the bar and stuck his head into the door. He said, "If you're finished eating could you two come out and visit with us for a while please?"

Nicole was frightened. She hoped she hadn't done something wrong and made them angry. What if they wanted them to move out? OH GOD. They were angry about her suggestion maybe.

When she and Mark came out Carl stood and pointed at the remaining two chairs clustered around the table. "Have a seat please."

Carl waited until Mark and Nicole had taken their seats then he began to talk. "Nicole we've thought about your suggestion for the building. Tolliver wants nothing to do with it but Dottie and I are sort of interested in your suggestion. We've decided to give it a try IF you and Mark can agree with our requirements. Tolliver and Dottie are retired and don't want to be involved in the operation at all. I will be the General Manager of the property but you Nicole and you Mark have to do the majority of the work. You two will be the go to people for any problems. You will be the Office Manager Mark and be responsible for renting the units and the grounds. You will manage the Food Service and Bar Nicole as well as insure the public areas of the building are clean and well maintained. We expect you to help each other when needed. I will oversee it all and negotiate any contracts we need. I will not be on call to fix a leaky faucet or give out a lost key. That will be your responsibility Mark."

Carl looked over the assembled people and continued, "If you will agree to these terms we will have contracts drawn up for each of you. You will each receive 25% of the business total profits for your work. I will receive 35% and Tolliver and Dottie 15%. We will discuss our options on the restaurant and bar. We are pretty sure we don't want to operate them ourselves. We might be better off leasing the space to outside operators. In any event, the profit split would be as I said earlier. We want you to think about this tomorrow and let us know tomorrow night if you want to go ahead. Do you have any questions?"

Nicole looked at the three owners then over at Mark. There were tears in the corner of her eyes. Mark shook his head no and Nicole started to discuss the operation. Carl said, "No, no discussion tonight unless you have a question right now. Think about it and your jobs. List any questions you have about the business and we'll talk more tomorrow evening. Now, how about a pitcher of Margaritas?"

Nicole smiled as Carl walked toward the bar. She got up and said, "I'll help." She followed him into the bar. When he stopped after walking behind the counter she wrapped her arms around him and before he could respond she gave him a quick kiss then said, "Thank you Carl. I appreciate the offer. I'm sure we will make a good profit and I'll make sure this chance you have given us won't cause any of you trouble." 

Carl started to talk and Nicole continued, "Shhh. I know I'm supposed to think about the deal and I will. I just wanted to thank you for even considering it. Now, mix those drinks. I really want one right now."

The first pitcher of Margaritas disappeared rapidly. Tolliver and Dottie left the young people sitting with a second pitcher. They were beginning to visit and occasionally laugh. After the second pitcher Mark disappeared to go to the restroom. He never returned. The rest of the evening Carl and Nicole drank a third pitcher between them and visited. Carl went into his room to take a leak at one time and came back in his swim suit. Before he returned to the table he dove into the pool to cool off. He kept pestering Nicole until she agreed to sit with her legs in the water to talk with him. Finally he got out of the pool and they returned to the table and the rest of the margaritas.

It was almost midnight when they gave up and went into their respective apartments for the night. Carl had trouble going to sleep that evening. For some reason the project had captured his attention. He felt himself getting excited about the remodel project. He lay there thinking about the work and how he was going to do it. He was surprised at himself but he was excited about having something to do! Finally exhaustion claimed him and he drifted off to sleep.

Nicole, too, had trouble sleeping. She was excited about the project and couldn't wait to begin. The next morning after cleaning up from breakfast she called the friends she thought might want to operate the bar and restaurant. She hoped she wasn't stepping on Carl's toes but wanted to see if they were interested and what they would be willing to pay to rent the premises. Both of the friends she contacted were interested and promised to come look over the building then submit a bid for the space if Carl wanted one.

That evening everyone met once again and discussed the project. It was agreed to go forward with the understanding Tolliver wanted nothing to do with it and that if the guests became a bother the business would place a privacy fence around a portion of the courtyard to secure his privacy.

Carl spent the remainder of the evening working on plans for the renovation. The next day he spent obtaining bids for building materials, new appliances and decorating items. Carl was a marine engineer and decided to personally do as much of the work as he could considering building codes and his abilities.

The next day he spent once again measuring the rooms and beginning to draw up plans for the apartments. He was lucky that all the rooms were the same so one set of plans could be used for every new apartment. Occasionally he would reverse the order of rooms for variety but other than being mirror images they would be identical.

A week after agreeing to renovate Carl began the project. He began on the room next to Nicole's early on a Monday morning. He tore out all the fixtures, carpets and decoration then moved to the next. It took him almost a month to strip the rooms then he began his renovations. His first apartment completed was in the front center. When he finished he asked Mark and Nicole to move into it. It was to be the Manager's apartment and he had installed upgraded items in it for them. 

By this time both Mark and Nicole had began helping him when their other duties were completed. What that meant was they worked with him about 7 hours a day. Finally, after five months, all the new apartments were completed and the outside of the building had received new paint and some new landscaping. They were ready to advertise and begin renting apartments. There were four rooms on the bottom floor Carl left the same size making them into efficiency or Studio apartments. They were on the front corners of the building and would rent for about half what the larger apartments would rent for. 

All of the apartments were between 800 and 1000 square feet except the Studio's. Some of the larger apartments had two bathrooms, some only had one but all had two bedrooms. With the fit and finish installed they found comparable apartments would rent for $1600 to $2200 monthly. Since they were in an older building farther from town they decided to set the rental at $1600 per month and give a $100 discount if the rent was paid before the due dates.

The first day the advertisement ran in the paper they had ten requests to view the apartments. Counting the two apartments they had rented in advance to the operators of the bar and restaurant this would fill over two thirds of the building if everyone rented. Nicole was excited and Carl was surprised by the response.

Carl decided to take the next week off and relax. He serviced his boat and took off on a short cruise. Nicole stood in the courtyard and watched as his boat disappeared from sight. She felt strangely unsettled as if she had lost part of herself. Finally she sighed and returned to work. The bar and restaurant were opening the following Friday and she needed to help her friends get ready. She also had to take care of her normal cleaning duties.

Carl chugged slowly down the coast enjoying the solitude of the sea and the sun on his face. He pulled into quiet coves, he fished and ate and drank lightly. He still missed his wife deeply but now she was more of a pleasant memory. He had gotten over the deep abiding pain of loss he had harbored for so long. From time to time he found his thoughts on Nicole and the new business they had started.

Carl had motored all the way to Miami before he decided to turn around and return to Key West. By the time he returned home he had been gone ten days and was well rested.

The morning after Carl got back he had a meeting with Nicole and Mark. He also met with the operator of the bar and restaurant for a short time. They had decided to lease the food and drink operation for a flat monthly fee of $750 per business plus 10% of the gross. The business operators were responsible for utilities and equipment upkeep and maintenance. The $1500 due from both operations every month would cover all the insurance and other fees the hotel had. The 10% of the gross would be the profit margin. If the businesses became popular the partnership stood to make a very large profit on the operation. Carl had promised if business warranted he would either expand seating into the lesser used part of the lobby or one or more of the Studio apartments. He also promised he would remodel and redecorate the seating area if necessary.

After they had discussed the food and drink operations the operators left the meeting and Nicole and Mark remained. Carl was surprised to learn all but three of the apartments had been rented. They had another person who desperately wanted to rent the one remaining two bedroom unit but she could not afford to pay the full asking price.

Nicole looked at Mark and Carl guiltily and said, "I know we agreed on the rental prices and we have never discussed reducing rent on the apartments. I know we can fill the building without discounting rent but I want to do that for this applicant. In my opinion this is a special case and we should cut the rent." Carl's first thought was to deny her request without any further information but there was something in her and Mark's eyes that made him hold his tongue.

Carl leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He looked at the two siblings and said, "Why would we want to do that? We haven't been open two weeks yet and are almost full. We can fill the apartments without discounting. We still have two Studio apartments empty. Why doesn't she just rent one of them? They rent for half what the two bedroom units go for."

Nicole took a deep breath and said, "I know we can rent all the units at full price but this is a special case like I said before. You gave me and Mark a break and we feel like this renter deserves one also." She looked over at Mark and saw the tightness in his face. She placed her hand on his, turned to Carl and continued, "We may have been out of line but we have tended to try and rent our units to ex-service men and women. That is what we have with Alice but she is special in another way. Her vehicle was hit with an IED and she was injured much like Mark. She lost part of her foot and her legs took a lot of shrapnel. She can get around OK but needs a pool to exercise in. She has a disability payment from the Army but has no job. She is looking for work but is having trouble finding something she can do with her limitations. I want to rent the unit to her for $800 per month cash and let her work off the remainder helping here. We haven't made any offer to her yet but I really think this should be done. She needs a little help and I could use some help around here also."

Carl sat and thought for a moment. Finally he said, "I'm not sure about this. Why don't you let me talk to her? Hiring help is part of my duties as General Manager as is rent reduction."

The next morning at 0900 Carl was still outside his room at his table when a very pretty young woman limped up to him. Mark was slightly behind and to her left hovering almost protectively over her. He introduced her to Carl and at Carl's glance made his exit back to the office. Twice he turned to look at the young woman letting his gaze linger. His expression was almost puppy like.

Carl stood, shook her hand and invited her to sit. He was amazed at her appearance first off and at her self confidence and poise afterward. He felt his stomach clench and his face tightened. Alice gave him a surprised look, one of almost fear.

Carl obviously forced himself to relax and began the conversation. He asked Alice about herself, how she was injured and what her duties had been in the Army. He found she had been a Lieutenant in the Medical service Corps with a specialty of Medical Logistics. She had been injured while taking supplies from a supply point to an aid station. She had only been in the Army 8 years, a little over five of which had been served as enlisted. She had finished college in night school and been selected for OCS. Carl was impressed with her.

He said, "I'm sure by now you've been told I'm not anxious to reduce the rent for you Ms. Harris. I know I can rent the remainder of the units without having to do that. Why are you so anxious to live here? I know there are other units in town that are empty and that rent for the price you are able to pay. We also still have two Studio apartments that we could rent you. If you can afford half the rent on the two bedroom unit you could afford the full rental on a Studio."

Alice sat and looked Carl in the eye then said, "Yes there are other places in town I can afford on my pension. I live in one of them right now. It is a roach trap and the location is not as good as you have here. They have no pool and I need the swimming for exercise. I know I could swim in the ocean or public pools but I really need a pool without a large crowd and the waves sometimes cause me problems in the ocean. I also like the hot tub you have here because the hot water helps my legs. I really want and need the two bedroom unit because I am trying to start a business of my own." Carl's head jerked up and he started to comment on that.

Alice saw his reaction and rushed to cut him off. She raised her hand and said, "Wait, it's nothing that will bring more people into the apartment. I perhaps misspoke when I said I was starting a business but that is the way the IRS looks at it. I am trying to become a writer and I am also trying to supplement my income by doing research and writing research papers for sale to college students. I also do some graphic work for small businesses so I need room for my printers, computer and monitors. I also need the room for my bookcases. I have several reference books and textbooks. In short I need the spare room for an office."

Alice laughed and continued once more. "I know selling research papers isn't really ethical but you would be amazed at how many students do purchase completed papers. There are many companies and individuals out there that sell those items. I can get up to several hundred dollars for a paper depending on its complexity and length. Right now I only sell three or four papers a month and most of them are pretty short but I do have hopes. I have had several short stories published but again it doesn't pay very well. I really need the extra room for file cabinets, books and workspace."

"I have talked to Mark and Nicole, unh your managers, and I am sure I can help with some of their duties. I walk slowly and I am stiff so I would work slowly on my feet but I am willing to do that. In fact it will help with my rehabilitation. I can also help with the paperwork. I understand you were a Coastie Officer so you know about the paperwork." 

Alice stopped talking and blushed. She continued, "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I meant I understand you had been a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard."

Carl laughed and said, "That's ok Charlotte. I've heard the term before." His face looked shocked and then it tightened into a grimace. He had been fighting with himself ever since he first saw Alice. It was uncanny how much she resembled his deceased wife. He was appalled at his slip however. His emotions overwhelmed him and he stood and then rapidly walked away from the table and around the end of the building. Alice was shocked and worried. She was sure she had upset Carl and now had no chance of working a deal for the room. She stood and walked dejectedly back into the building and through the lobby.

Nicole looked out of the office and saw Alice leaving looking very dejected. She rushed out and caught her before she drove off in her old beat up ranger pickup. "Alice what's the matter," she asked.

"I don't know. I was explaining why I wanted to live here and what I thought I could do to help you and Mark when I fucked up and pissed him off. He just got up and walked off with a horrible look on his face."

"Oh, my God! What did you do?"

"I really don't know. I was telling him I had heard he was a Coastie then I apologized for that. He looked at me for a moment and said 'That's ok Charlotte. I've heard the term before.' Then he looked shocked, his face screwed up and he almost ran around the end of the building. I waited a minute but he never came back so I left."

"Charlotte? He called you Charlotte?"

Alice nodded her head yes and Nicole said, "Oh, shit. Come with me." She grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her along behind her as fast as Alice could walk. They found Carl sitting in his little landscaped grotto at the end of his apartment. He was drinking from his bottle of scotch and tears were running down his face.

Nicole stood watching him for a moment then made her decision. She pulled Alice around to the door to Carl's apartment and used her master key to open the room. She walked to his bookcase and reached out for a picture. She turned it to Alice and showed it to her. Alice gasped at the similarity the picture had to her.

Alice reached out and held the picture for a better look. She tilted her head up to Nicole and asked, "Who is this?"

Nicole took the picture and returned it to the bookcase. She said, "I can't believe I didn't notice that before. That was Charlotte. She was his wife and died in the World Trade Center. They were expecting their first child. Carl's parents were there too. They never recovered the bodies. Shit, shit, shit."

Nicole once again took Alice's hand and pulled her from the room. They walked up to Carl and Nicole said, "Carl, I'm sorry. I didn't see the resemblance and Alice didn't know." She walked up to Carl and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to her once more.

Alice walked in front of Carl and pulled a chair up in front of him. She sat facing him and said, "Carl, Mr. Pennington, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say but I am sorry. I'll go. Thank you for at least talking to me."

Nicole turned on Alice and violently hissed, "NO! You stay! We need to settle this. Carl can't just run and hide every time something like this comes up." She bit her lip then reached her decision. She reached out and took the bottle, capped it and turned to the house. 

Carl watched her in silence then turned to look at Alice. He watched Alice for a moment and said quietly, "It was such a shock. I was bothered by the way you look, as if I should know you but I hadn't made the connection. I thought I was over the worst of my grief and had Charlotte safely laid to rest. The way the sun hit you and what you said...I didn't even think about anything, I just called you Charlotte because she was always teasing me about being a Coastie. Then when I realized what I had said I just lost it. I'm sorry. Alice I need to think and get myself back together. Can you please just go and come back tomorrow? I just can't do this any longer today. I promise you'll get your chance to make your case but please, just let me be alone now."




Life Resumed



Alice smiled and stood. She reached out and put her hand on Carl's shoulder. She gently squeezed and said, "Of course. I really am sorry Mr. Pennington. I'll be back the same time tomorrow if that's ok?" Carl nodded yes and she walked away without any further conversation.

When Alice once more walked through the lobby Nicole and Mark met her. She explained her agreement to return the next morning then said, "One of you really need to go be with him right now. He doesn't need to be alone."

Nicole returned to be with Carl. He was lying in his hammock looking out over the shore. She didn't say anything, just sat in a chair and kept him company. Just before noon Nicole rose and entered the restaurant. She had them make sandwiches for her and Carl then took the meal out to him. They ate in silence then he looked at her and said, "Thank you. It was just such a shock. I felt the pull to her when Mark first introduced us. I felt a pull toward her but never saw the resemblance. Then with the sun behind her and when she called me a Coastie...Charlotte used to tease me about being a Coastie. She knew I wasn't a slacker but she said a Coastie was a beach and boat crazy person who just coasted through life...I'm afraid I almost lost it when I realized I had called her Charlotte."

The next morning Carl came through the office with his coffee. He looked drawn and pale and seemed exhausted. Nicole suspected he had not slept much. She could smell alcohol on his breath but he didn't appear drunk. She was upset he had returned to the bottle but didn't say anything. He said, "When Alice gets here send her back to my table please. I'll be there."

Carl was making notes on a piece of paper between bouts of watching the waves break on the shore when Alice found him. He rose to greet her then invited her to sit with him in the shade once more. He said, "I'm sorry I put you through that yesterday. I'll try to do better today. Now, tell me again why you think you deserve the break on the rent and how you think you can help to work off the balance."

They talked. Alice presented her ideas and asked questions about the operation. Carl thought about her statements and then made more notes. He picked up the paper he had been writing on and said, "I've decided I'm willing to give you a chance. We'll try out some of your ideas and see if you can make enough difference in our operation to warrant the rent relief. I've decided to use you as my assistant. You will be responsible for the day to day operations, ordering supplies paying bills and so forth. You can fill in for Mark and Nicole so they can have time off. I will cut your rent to $750.00 per month if you put in at least 100 hours per month quality work for us. If you exceed that and your effort warrants we can talk about a greater reduction at the end of three months. Of course if your contribution isn't worth the reduction at the end of three months we may raise the cash rent you have to pay too."

Alice smiled and held her hand out. "Deal," she said.

Carl reached into a folder he had on the table and pulled a legal document from it. He filled in several blanks, made some written notes in the remarks section, signed it and handed it to Alice. "Here is the rental agreement and a listing of your duties as we discussed. I also put in we would reevaluate things in three months and adjust duties, pay and rental as agreed. I suggest you look it over and if you agree you can sign it. You can move in the day you sign if you wish."

Alice took the paper and sat back in her chair. She spent the next few minutes reading then signed the document. She handed the paper back to Carl and said, "It looked fine to me. I would like a copy however for my records. I'll start moving today."

Over the next weeks Alice proved to be a very good choice both as a tenant and as a part time employee. Mark tried as hard as he could but he just did not have the education to keep up with all the paperwork required for the apartments—especially the bookkeeping part of his job. Alice moved in and almost overnight reorganized the office and caught up the paperwork and got the books in order. She took Mark under her wing and showed him how to do simple bookkeeping and how to control the office. He had, after all, been a very young but very promising Sergeant and now he came into his own as her "sergeant".

Alice also gave some assistance to Nicole but found Nicole needed very little help. She already had a two year college degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and had been working on her Bachelors. Light guidance only was required there.

During this time Carl and Alice spent several hours a week together setting up files, discussing policy and procedures and learning how to work with each other. Carl also introduced her as his assistant to the few suppliers they had so they would know she spoke for him when necessary. Carl found himself liking her and valuing her input on business as well as personal issues.

From time to time, especially mornings before work and evenings after work Carl and Alice could be found sitting in his grotto together. Many times they would be laughing and visiting like long lost friends. From time to time they would swim together and wrestle in the pool. As Carl and Alice's friendship grew he became happier and more outgoing.

Mark on the other hand became more and more surly once more as he watched Alice and Carl interact. After Nicole became aware of the time Carl and Alice spent together she became unhappy and developed a short temper. She felt an empty hollowness in her stomach as she watched Carl draw closer to Alice. One afternoon Nicole saw Alice rush up to Carl and throw her arms around him. She turned from the scene and felt the tears run out of her eyes and down her cheeks.

Nicole was not close enough to hear as Alice said, "Oh, Carl I finally hit the big time! I just got a contract to design new menus for one of the restaurants in town. I'll make $1000.00 to design it and print them off. I will get $100.00 per month to reprint and make changes if needed!"

Carl reached out and wrapped Alice in a hug. She hugged him back and he gave her a smile before gently disengaging from her embrace. They then retired to the chairs and he sat listening to her prattle on about her business and how happy she was. They had several drinks and were still together after night fell. Neither noticed how Mark and Nicole were watching them.

The next day both Carl and Alice were surprised by Mark's and Nicole's withdrawn attitude and short tempers. Neither Mark nor Nicole was as cheerful as they normally were and neither of them stopped to visit with Carl and Alice like they would normally do. Their attitudes were more abrupt and they spoke sharper to Carl and Alice when forced to converse with them. This change in attitude continued for the rest of the week and weekend. Monday evening Carl and Alice were talking as usual when he decided to bring up the subject of the Carpenters. He said, "I have been noticing a change in Mark and Nicole recently. Is something bothering them?"

"I don't know Carl. I've noticed they aren't as happy or friendly as they have been in the past. They almost act as if they are upset with me and I just don't understand it. The only thing I can think of that has changed is my job doing the menu. I just can't believe they are upset over that. I suppose I'll have to call them on it if it continues but I was really hoping it would just work itself out and go away."

"No, let me handle it. I know if we were still in the Military you could make an argument that it was your job. Hell, you can make that argument now too I suppose but I think I want to handle this one myself as much as I hate to."

Later that evening Carl decided enough was enough. He had seen Nicole glaring at him and Alice while they discussed her and Mark. When he had looked at her she set her jaw and walked rapidly into the bar. Alice had been swimming. When she got out of the pool he motioned her over to him. He said, "Alice when you go upstairs to change would you please ask Nicole to come visit with me. I've had all of her attitude I can take right now. I'm going to have that talk with her tonight."

When Alice told Nicole Carl wanted to see her she just looked at her and said, "Fine." She turned and walked out of the bar without another comment. Carl watched as Nicole came storming up to his table with her jaw set.

Before Nicole said anything Carl said, "Nicole please sit down. I think we need to have a talk." After she took a seat he continued. "I've noticed you and Mark have been upset lately and it's affecting your work. We need to have a talk and see if we can get things straightened out before things get really bad. You've been short with me, Alice and many of our renters. We just can't have that Nicole. Is something bothering you?"

Nicole looked at him in anger and said, "Is this it then? You've finally decided to get rid of us? You think you don't need me any longer because you've got someone to take my place? Well, she may look like Charlotte but she's not. She may be better educated than I am but she doesn't care about this business and you like I do either. Can I at least stay until I find somewhere else to live?"

Carl was shocked and hurt. He watched as the tears trickled down Nicole's cheeks. Her face was flushed in anger. Her fists were clenched and she was almost shaking from her anger. Nicole stood and started to turn and leave. Carl jumped to his feet and rushed to her. He grabbed her by the arm, He pulled her back and stood looking at her as her face crumpled and she was wracked with sobs. Without thinking he pulled her to his chest and wrapped her in his arms. He just held her as she cried. Her sobs were letting up when he pushed Nicole gently back so he could look into her eyes once more. He stepped away from her toward his hammock and pulled her with him. He sat in his hammock. They almost fell on the ground as he lay back and pulled her to him.

"Shhhh," he said. "I don't know where that all came from. In fact, I'm not even sure I understand what you're talking about Nikki. I have no intention of getting rid of you or Mark. You are both pulling your weight here and I am quite satisfied with your work. I don't understand what you're saying about me and Alice either. I know she looks somewhat like Charlotte but what does that have to do with anything? Hell Honey, this is as much your business as it is mine even if I do own it. It was your idea and it's your and Mark's work mostly that keeps it going. Alice can't and doesn't want to take that away from you. Whatever gave you the idea she could or would replace you or, for that matter, that I would want her to?"

Carl felt Nicole snuggle closer to him. She said, "I've, well Mark and I have watched you with her. You start every morning with her and end every day with her. You have lunch together most days. You laugh together and touch each other so much. We see you watching her and then Thursday last week you stood right here and kissed her. What else could we think?"

Carl pulled Nicole tighter against him and said, "Nikki the kiss was...Oh, hell I don't know for sure what it was. Didn't she tell you she had gotten her first big job as a graphic designer? That was the day she got it and she was excited. She came to me and told me. I hugged her in congratulations and she jumped up and kissed me. As for being together daily, hell yes we are. She is my assistant. We plan the day every morning. We lunch together if we need to discuss something mid day and in the evenings we cover business if there is any then we just relax. Hell, neither of us, for that matter none of the four of us are party animals. We all relax here around the pool at the end of the day. You and Mark have been with Alice and me many mornings and evenings."

Carl sighed and continued, "I know she's not Charlotte. I admit I still am bothered somewhat by her resemblance and I know I watch her sometimes but I can't help it. Crap I watch you sometimes too. I'm a man and when I see a beautiful woman I tend to stare at her especially if I am horny. That doesn't mean I intend to try and replace Charlotte with her. NO ONE can do that. Maybe if I am very lucky I can find someone else to love someday but there will always be room in my heart for Charlotte. You...uh they will just have to get used to that."

Nicole lay with Carl on the hammock. Her hand gently caressed his chest. She snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep. Alice stood in her window and watched the conversation and Nicole's change as she relaxed into Carl's embrace. Finally Alice smiled and returned to her office and her work. It looked like Carl had perhaps found out what the problem with Nicole was.

The next morning at their meeting Alice couldn't help herself. When she walked up to Carl she grinned and said, "I saw someone sleeping together out here last night. I take it all is well with Nikki now?"

Carl sighed and said, "Ok, cut the crap. I think her problem was a little insecurity and a lot of jealousy. She thought we were going to kick her and Mark out so you could take over. She was upset at the time we were spending together and over the kiss you gave me the other night. She said she thought you and I were a couple and didn't need her and Mark to help us any longer. I just don't understand what got into her but I think we have it worked out."

Alice sat in shock then said, "You're joking right? Please tell me you really know what's going on? I watched you and her from my balcony last night and finally put the pieces together. Please tell me you figured it out last night when I did?"

"What do you mean? I already told you what the problem was."

Alice laughed and said, "You dense Bastard. You have no idea what the real problem is do you? Carl that woman is head over heels in love with you and she thought I was moving in on you. I'm surprised I didn't think about that before you had your little talk but after watching you last night and after what you just told me it's as plain as the nose on your face. I've known she worships the ground you walk on for weeks but I just thought it was because you took them in when they lost their house. Hell, I'm almost as dumb as you are I guess. Unless I miss my guess you have pretty strong feelings for her too."

Carl sat in shock for a minute. He replayed the past weeks and conversations in his mind. He was almost staggered with his new understanding of the problem. Then he wondered what Mark's problem with him might be. Was he upset because he thought Carl was treating Nikki wrong? No, that answer didn't feel right.

Carl leaned back in his chair and grinned at Alice. When he did that he saw Mark standing on his balcony glaring at them. All at once Carl saw the whole picture. He got a small grin on his face. He said, "I'm dense? What about you my dear? You mean to tell me you don't notice how Mark drools over you? Hell, he's always around wherever you are and he always knows where you are. Hell, look over there on his balcony. He's staring at us right now. He's got it bad for you too. Do you really not know that or are you still following the old Officer and Enlisted non fraternization policy? It's OK to fraternize here you know Lieutenant."

"You ASSHOLE! I know we're not on active duty any longer and his former rank never entered my mind. I just..."

Alice began crying and then continued, "Hell, what would he or any man want with an ugly shot up woman like me? No one would be able to get past the way my legs look to fuck me."

Carl's face turned red and he leaned forward. He began yelling at Alice. "You fucking little idiot! Jesus! Don't you ever look in the mirror? You're fucking gorgeous. Hell, every man that lives here watches you while you walk around the premises and especially while you are swimming. Sure you have a few scars on your legs and part of a foot missing but so what? All the important pieces are there and more importantly, you have a beautiful personality. All you would have to do is crook your finger and there would be a riot over who got to take you out. Even as gimpy as he is Mark would beat them all to your door too. Sure your legs are a little stiff and you don't move as well as you used to but let me tell you, you're all woman. Haven't you seen me and the other men watching you?"

"Well yeah but...well I know it's because I look like your wife a little. And that's OK with me. I at least get to pretend you're looking at me because you like what you see. I always figured the other men were just looking at an ugly cripple waiting on me to fall or something."

About that time Mark came stomping into the middle of the conversation. He roared up into Carl's face in his peculiar gate and said, "What did you do to Alice? First you mess with Nikki and now you're messing with Alice. I ought to smash your smarmy face for you." 

Mark pulled back his fist only to stop instantly when he felt Alice grab it and heard her bark, "Mark, that's ENOUGH! He didn't do anything to me. I was just explaining to him why no man would want to be seen with me much less go to bed with anyone as ugly and crippled as I am. It hurt to have to admit that but I did and"

Mark turned toward Alice so rapidly he pulled both of them off balance from her holding onto his arm. His face showed shock, disbelief even. He said, "you're joking right? My GOD, what the hell are you talking about? Jesus! Any man would give his left nut to be with you. You're perfect. GOD, I'd give my left leg if I thought someone like you could ever be with me. I know how worthless I am now but I still have dreams. I know I'll always be alone because of those damn ragheads but at least" 

SMACK! Mark's head twisted with the force of the blow. He stopped his diatribe and rubbed his hand against his already inflamed cheek. He stared at Alice in shock as she got in his face and began yelling at him. He could actually feel the spittle misting his face as she said, "You dumb shit! I know what you and all the other men think. I've done everything but throw myself at you since I moved in and you just ignore me. Don't you ever try to play that card buster. I know you don't want to have anything to do with me because of my legs. Hell, why would such a wonderful man like you want to saddle himself with someone who looked like I do?"

Alice was crying harder now and Mark just stood and looked at her. Carl smiled and walked up behind Mark. He gently pushed Mark toward Alice and whispered, "Wake up big guy."

Mark turned to look at Carl and felt him nudge him once more. He saw Carl nod his head toward Alice once again and the light bulb went off. Mark moved to Alice and wrapped her in his arms. He said, "Alice, Honey, I think we're both idiots. I've dreamed about you since I first saw you too but I was so sure no one would ever want a used up old soldier like I was all I did was dream."

Alice looked at Mark and smiled. She wrapped her arm around his waist and began walking toward the stairs to the upper level. Carl watched them with a smile on his face. They slowly climbed the stairs arm in arm, walked down the balcony and into Alice's apartment. Carl watched them turn to kiss as the door closed. He smiled and returned to his hammock and his pitcher of Margarita's.

The next morning Carl was sitting at his table alone going over the books for the past month. Nicole had been yelling for Mark for five minutes or so now. She had came from the kitchen and gone to their apartment. She came out rapidly and looked wildly around. 

When she saw Carl watching her Nicole ran down the balcony, down the stairs and up to him. Carl I can't find Mark. He never came home last night. His bed's not been slept in. Have you seen him?"

"NO, I haven't seen him since last night late. He was enjoying the night air I think. I thought he went upstairs to bed. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually. Here, have a seat and a cup of coffee."