“Your part?” he teased. “You’re practically holding this town together. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“Thanks,” I said, averting my gaze and feeling a familiar warmth spreading across my cheeks. Compliments always caught me off guard, leaving me uneasy in my own skin.
I was saved from any further small talk by the shrill tone of my phone. Fumbling to extract it from my pocket, I saw Jack’s name flashing on the screen. Some weeks, I swore that young man would singlehandedly keep me in business. He was brilliant but hopeless when it came to the simplest home repairs.
“Hey, Jack, what’s up?”
“Teddy! Thank god, you picked up. We’ve got a disaster here!” Jack’s voice came through, frantic and breathless. I wasn’t surprised; everything seemed to be a disaster in his mind.
“What’s happened?” My heart pounded in my chest, concern mounting when I heard his wife, Emma, shriek in the background. Most of the time, his “catastrophes” were relatively minor but I wondered if this was the time he nearly burned the house down.
“There’s a burst pipe under the sink! I don’t know what to do, it’s flooding the bathroom, and I think it’s spreading to the hallway.” Panic was evident in his voice.
“Okay, Jack, stay calm. Do you have a wrench?” I asked quickly, turning towards their house. Grabbing the truck could wait a bit longer since I was only a couple blocks away from their place.
“I think so...” I heard the clank of metal on metal as he rummaged through the disorganized mess he called a toolbox. I secretly figured it was something he owned despite never using it because he thought it was something he was supposed to have as the man of the house, as his father would put it. That man was such a piece of work it was a wonder Jack turned out as decent as he had.
“Great. I want you to turn off the water valve under the sink. That will stop the flooding until I get there. Have Emma gather as many towels as she can to soak up the water.” My voice was steady, hoping to impart some calm.
“All right, Teddy. Hurry, please,” he pleaded before ending the call.
“I’m on my way, Jack,” I muttered to myself, quickening my pace.
With a renewed sense of urgency, I set off, ready to fix yet another problem. I only hoped I wasn’t too late to prevent a minor disaster from turning into a major one.
“Hey, Teddy!” another voice called as I continued down the street. It was Billy from the local youth center, Harmony House. “Just wanted to say thanks for fixing the railing last week. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Anytime, Billy.” As much as I wanted to stop and chat so he’d know I wasn’t ignoring him, I really needed to get to Jack and Emma’s place.
“Don’t be a stranger, Teddy,” he shouted after me as I rushed past, my tool bag swinging at my side.
“I’ll try,” I murmured to myself, my heart weighed down with the knowledge that the distance between us was completely my fault. The problem with spending your entire life in a small town was it felt as if everyone had a front-row seat to the highest highs and the lowest lows of my relationship. I’d drifted from most people who’d been there over the years, not wanting to answer their questions.
And after the initial sting of the divorce eased, I simply found it easier being on my own. Being newly single, I had plenty of time to spend out in my workshop to the point I’d even started selling some of my small woodworking pieces at local craft fairs.
As I neared a quaint little house at the north end of the park, the unmistakable sound of laughter drifted out. Despite the less-than-ideal situation, Jack and Emma seemed to be handling it with good humor.
“Teddy! Thank god you’re here,” the wife, Emma, exclaimed as she opened the door. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her clothes were sopping from the plumbing catastrophe.
“Hey, Emma,” I greeted her, stepping inside and immediately getting to work assessing the damage. From the looks of things, they’d had an eventful morning. There was a pile of wet towels kicked off to the side of the cabinet and a bucket under the pipe in question.
Kneeling down to examine the broken pipe under the sink, I couldn’t help but notice Emma and her husband, Jack, interacting—their shared laughter, the gentle touch of his hand on her waist, and their affectionate glances. It all appeared so natural, so effortless. I hoped for their sake they never lost the shine of young love.
“Emma, why don’t you change while Teddy handles this? You’re soaked,” Jack suggested, concern evident in his voice.
“Good idea,” she agreed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before vanishing down the hallway.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice, Teddy,” Jack said, leaning against the doorframe, watching me work.
“Of course,” I replied, my thoughts still lingering on their warmth and intimacy. “It’s what I do.”
“Still,” he continued, “I’m surprised you didn’t charge us extra for needing you first thing this morning. A lot of places charge more for same-day service. You’re a lifesaver, Teddy.”
“Appreciate that,” I mumbled, making sure everything was secure before standing up and dusting off my hands. Luckily for them, it looked like the fitting had simply come loose somehow. “All fixed. You should be good to go.”
I contemplated showing Jack how to fix this on his own if it happened again. He was a competent guy, and really, they hadn’t needed my help except he had zero home-maintenance know-how.
“Thank you so much,” Emma gushed upon her return, now dressed in dry clothes.
