With Love
Messy Cleaning
After a silent and tiring six hour drive the familiar white house came into view. Amanda sighed with relief as I pulled into the driveway. My mom stepped outside with a smiled on her face.
She had taken the two hour flight here last night. She wanted to be here when we arrived. I tried to convince her to ride with us, but she wouldn't have it. According to her the house was a mess and in desperate need of cleaning before we arrived.
Amanda jumped out as soon as the car was parked. I laughed and followed in suit.
"I missed you guys." Mom said, pulling Amanda into a hug.
"Grandma, you saw us yesterday." She stated with a laugh.
Amanda was released from Angela's grip. I was pulled into a hug shortly after.
"I've set up your rooms. Dylan-"
"The one I was raised in?" I questioned/stated.
"Of course. It’s the same as it was before you left for college. Amanda the guest room is yours for the decorating. This house no longer has a guest room so if any guest come, it's the couch for you Dylan."
"I feel so privileged." I joked.
I walked around to the back of the SUV and began unloading boxes.
It didn't take long to unload the trunk. Three people unloading six boxes and two suitcases. Amanda immediately started writing a list of what she wanted for her room.
Mom was right, my room hadn't been tampered with, except an upgrade for the bed. It went from a twin to a queen. She had come in and dusted every so often but other than that it still looked like it did six years ago.
I unpacked quickly, which didn't take long. Only two of the boxes were mine and one suitcase. The rest of the things were Amanda's, or things to remember her parents.
"When can we decorated my room?" Amanda asked walking in.
She plopped down on the bed and stared at me. I hung up my last shirt and turned to look at her.
"I was thinking this weekend. You done unpacking already?" I questioned.
"Yep."
"Everything is put away...nicely?"
Amanda didn't answer. Instead she stood and left. I laughed quietly leaving my room.
I passed Amanda's on the way downstairs. She was busy hanging up clothing that had just been thrown into the closet. Drawers were open with piles of clothing that needed to be folded.
"Need help?" I asked, watching her work quickly.
She jumped at the sound of my voice. She spun around quickly and fell over in the process. I ran over and helped her stand back up, unwrapping a shirt that had wound its way around her ankle.
"Clumsy me." She muttered sitting down on her bed.
"Just like me, only I don't think articles of clothing have ever taken me out." I joked.
She laughed and smiled, "I would love your help."
I shocked her when I took the drawers completely out of the dresser and dumped them out all over the floor.
"Why'd you do that? You only had to fold them!"
"That's how I clean. I make a bigger mess than before and then clean it all up. It's just something I've always done." I said placing the drawers back in the dresser.
Amanda shook her head at me as I began folding her pajamas back up.
"Have you two finished yet?"
We both jumped at the sound of my mom's voice. She stood in the doorway laughing. Amanda had manage to stay balanced, mainly by holding onto the bed frame. We had just finished making her bed.
"After starting over." Amanda mumbled.
"You wouldn't have approved of her methods." I told mom.
"Throw everything in the drawers and closet to get it over with?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Amanda blushed before excusing herself from the room.
"She wants to go shopping, badly." I explained.
"Then go. I'm sure it'll make her feel better."
"You don't need help with dinner?"
"You know me, or at least you should."
"You like alone time when you cook." I stated remembering what she told us when we were kids.
We would always offer to help, just because it was polite and we knew she would say no. The kitchen was mom's place, she loved it in there. She also loved taking pictures, which is why she worked for the paper for many years with my father. He reported, she took the pictures.
I found Amanda in the living room staring at a black TV screen.
"I thought you wanted to go shopping?" I questioned.
She turned to face me and nodded.
She had taken the two hour flight here last night. She wanted to be here when we arrived. I tried to convince her to ride with us, but she wouldn't have it. According to her the house was a mess and in desperate need of cleaning before we arrived.
Amanda jumped out as soon as the car was parked. I laughed and followed in suit.
"I missed you guys." Mom said, pulling Amanda into a hug.
"Grandma, you saw us yesterday." She stated with a laugh.
Amanda was released from Angela's grip. I was pulled into a hug shortly after.
"I've set up your rooms. Dylan-"
"The one I was raised in?" I questioned/stated.
"Of course. It’s the same as it was before you left for college. Amanda the guest room is yours for the decorating. This house no longer has a guest room so if any guest come, it's the couch for you Dylan."
"I feel so privileged." I joked.
I walked around to the back of the SUV and began unloading boxes.
It didn't take long to unload the trunk. Three people unloading six boxes and two suitcases. Amanda immediately started writing a list of what she wanted for her room.
Mom was right, my room hadn't been tampered with, except an upgrade for the bed. It went from a twin to a queen. She had come in and dusted every so often but other than that it still looked like it did six years ago.
I unpacked quickly, which didn't take long. Only two of the boxes were mine and one suitcase. The rest of the things were Amanda's, or things to remember her parents.
"When can we decorated my room?" Amanda asked walking in.
She plopped down on the bed and stared at me. I hung up my last shirt and turned to look at her.
"I was thinking this weekend. You done unpacking already?" I questioned.
"Yep."
"Everything is put away...nicely?"
Amanda didn't answer. Instead she stood and left. I laughed quietly leaving my room.
I passed Amanda's on the way downstairs. She was busy hanging up clothing that had just been thrown into the closet. Drawers were open with piles of clothing that needed to be folded.
"Need help?" I asked, watching her work quickly.
She jumped at the sound of my voice. She spun around quickly and fell over in the process. I ran over and helped her stand back up, unwrapping a shirt that had wound its way around her ankle.
"Clumsy me." She muttered sitting down on her bed.
"Just like me, only I don't think articles of clothing have ever taken me out." I joked.
She laughed and smiled, "I would love your help."
I shocked her when I took the drawers completely out of the dresser and dumped them out all over the floor.
"Why'd you do that? You only had to fold them!"
"That's how I clean. I make a bigger mess than before and then clean it all up. It's just something I've always done." I said placing the drawers back in the dresser.
Amanda shook her head at me as I began folding her pajamas back up.
"Have you two finished yet?"
We both jumped at the sound of my mom's voice. She stood in the doorway laughing. Amanda had manage to stay balanced, mainly by holding onto the bed frame. We had just finished making her bed.
"After starting over." Amanda mumbled.
"You wouldn't have approved of her methods." I told mom.
"Throw everything in the drawers and closet to get it over with?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Amanda blushed before excusing herself from the room.
"She wants to go shopping, badly." I explained.
"Then go. I'm sure it'll make her feel better."
"You don't need help with dinner?"
"You know me, or at least you should."
"You like alone time when you cook." I stated remembering what she told us when we were kids.
We would always offer to help, just because it was polite and we knew she would say no. The kitchen was mom's place, she loved it in there. She also loved taking pictures, which is why she worked for the paper for many years with my father. He reported, she took the pictures.
I found Amanda in the living room staring at a black TV screen.
"I thought you wanted to go shopping?" I questioned.
She turned to face me and nodded.