A Love That's So Demanding

My arms were sore and aching as I packed the heavy laundry basket, full of Donna's close up the drive way, to the cement steps that led up the brownish-red door behind the clear glass. I sighed as I held on to the black railing of the steps, and sat the basket on the top one. I opened the glass door first and slowly pushed the real, wooden door open, afterward. I grabbed the laundry basket back up in my hands and carried it inside the dark house.

I set the laundry basket down in the center of the floor and shut both of the doors and locked them behind me. The darkness in the house sent a chill down my back and I grabbed the heavy basket back up in my hands. I was going to call out to Donna, to tell her that I was here for the day, but the darkness told me she was still asleep, so I just walked down the hallway to her bedroom and let myself in.

Passing the pictures of her two sons, Gerard and Mikey always made me smile. I never got to meet them, because I had only been here a year, and they were in a band and they were off touring. I got the job a week after they left. Donna had been a little sick lately, and was unable to do some of the work around her house, so her sons were helping to pay the bills, and my fee. But, I was starting to love Donna like a mother of sorts.

Setting the basket down, for hopefully the last time today, I turned to look at the bed. Surely enough, there was a big bundle of quilts covering Donna up in the bed. I smiled and turned back to the basket and began putting her clothes in the drawers, but some of her shirts and dresses I hung up in the closet. Donna wore a lot of black, I guess that's where Gerard and Mikey got it from. I had never met them, like I said, but I heard their first three albums, they were so dark, but oddly inspirational, but I figured from the lyrics that the five men probably had a few problems.

After getting the clothes all up, I took the now empty and light basket down to the laundry room, where I sat it down by the washer. I opened the top of it, to find it empty. The dryer also empty. Today was going to be an easy day. I went and made coffee, knowing the smell would wake Donna up quickly. I poured me a cup and put eggs on the stove and toast in the oven, and hummed to myself when the phone answering machine went off.

'Hi, mom, it's your baby, Mikey. I hope you've got my room ready by tomorrow, that's when I'm scheduled to be home. Thanks again for letting me come so out of the blue, I've just been having a rough time and I don't wanna go home, but I don't wanna stay here. I need a break from everything. Thanks again, mom, love your baby. Mikey.

I bit my lip as the machine beeped and then said, 'Message ended.' Was I supposed to clean up one of the guest rooms? Was that one of my responsibilities? I don't remember her ever telling me about one of her sons coming to visit. I kind of smiled though, I was finally getting to meet one.



Later, that day, I went up the stairs to see Donna cleaning up the guest room. I smiled, knowing she was getting it all ready for Micheal's arrival. “Donna? Do you need me to help with anything in here?” I felt like the smile on my face was to noticeable, but Donna just looked up at me for a second.

She looked back down at the bed, stroking the sheets down to make sure they were all smooth and crisp, “Ah, honey, no. I need to make sure his room is exactly the way he likes it. He's been having a tough time with his emotions, but unlike Gerard, he's not one to like therapy or drugs to fix him up. He doesn't believe in all of that.”

I looked down, “Well, I'm sure him coming back home will help him loads. I can't wait to meet him, I've only ever seen him pictures, and well on the television.” I chuckled and looked down, feeling a small blush rise to my cheeks, one that I hoped she didn't see.

She smiled and looked up, “I know coming back to Jersey will help him. Jersey is home, it always has been, it always will be. All he needs is his family and sometime to lay low, without the paparazzi. I'm sure that's all that has gotten to his head.”

I nodded and looked around the room quietly, I could tell this was his childhood room. Some of his old action figures and comics still sat on the shelves. “Well, I'll go downstairs and start working on dinner, I can't wait to meet him, Ma.” I smiled and patted the door frame as I walked out and downstairs.

Oddly, I really found Mikey attractive, I had a thing for bass players and I could already feel the butterflies in my gut.