Fix Me, Fix You

"Finish up that piece and let's call it a day," Coop announced as he stood from his workbench. "It's gettin' late."

Jesse nodded as his hands delicately moved across the plank at his desk, sanding the sides smoothly. On occasion, he would blow the wooden dust away and run his bare fingers over the piece to judge the smoothness. He was focused and intent on getting the plank as smooth as possible.

"You're doing good work, son," Coop complimented while he watched Jesse work intensely.

Jesse glanced up at him. "Thanks."

"I'm glad you convinced me to take a chance on you," he insisted.

"Well I'm glad you took a chance on me," Jesse replied.

With a subtle nod, Coop began cleaning up his workstation. Jesse followed suit, sweeping up the floor and putting all of the tools back where they belonged, thankful that his workday seemed to fly by instead of drag on. He was never bored or antsy or restless. He was always focused and busy, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

"Ah, jeez, come wash up in the house before you go," Coop insisted, noticing the dirt and oil on Jesse's hands. "Get all that crap off your hands."

He nodded and followed Coop out the open garage door to their house. The sun was beginning to set, casting a beautiful pink and purple glow onto the lake next to them. Inside the house, Linda was standing over the stove cooking dinner, which smelled incredible. Steam rose from the pot in front of her as she sprinkled different spices into it. Lia and Lucy sat across from each other at the table coloring.

"Lin, you got that soap that gets the oil off your hands?" Coop asked as he walked into the house.

"I need to get it from the medicine cabinet," she answered as she turned around and noticed her husband wasn't alone. "Oh hi Jesse, how are you, sweetie?"

"I'm alright; how are you?"

"Doing great, hon. Need to clean up?" She wondered.

"Yes ma'am," he answered.

"Let me go get that soap then," she insisted as she turned a knob on the stove then went into the other room.

"Jesse, these are my granddaughters, Lucy and Lia," Coop introduced as he sat at the table next to them.

"Yeah, I met these pretty ladies a few mornings ago when I was walking to the shop," Jesse explained as he leaned back against the sink. "Hi girls."

Lucy, in her usual manner, stared at him. But Lia smiled as her cheeks blushed. "Hey Jesse."

"What are you two working on?" Jesse asked.

Jolie walked into the hallway near the kitchen with a basket of laundry to wash. She stopped to drop off the basket at the washing machine, which was a few feet away from the kitchen. She could see Coop siting at the table with the girls while they colored. Jesse was out of her sight, but she recognized the sound of his deep voice and knew he was in the room with them too.

"I'm doing my art homework," Lia answered. "Lucy is coloring, but she pretends like it's her art homework too."

"Can I see what you're drawing?" He asked.

Lia nodded and dropped her crayon then held up her drawing, leaning across the table so Jesse could see. It was a drawing of two houses and a bunch of stick people. Though his back was to her, Jolie could see him as he leaned forward to get a good look at Lia's paper.

"Wow, you are quite the artist," Jesse complimented with a smile. "Who are all those people?"

Jolie leaned against the doorframe, watching the adorable scene unfold in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest, unable to hide her smile.

"It's my family portrait. That's me, and that's Lucy, and that's Grandma Lin, and Grandpa Coop, and that's Aunt Jo," Lia pointed as she explained who everyone in her drawing was. "And that's my mom and dad in the sky. They're in heaven."

Jesse's smile faltered as he looked into the little girl's eyes. His smile went from enthusiastic to compassionate but he tried not to show his anguish. Jolie and Coop made eye contact, giving each other a knowing glance of heartbreak.

"It's a great drawing, Lia," Jesse praised. "I love it."

"Thank you," Lia replied politely.

Jesse glanced down at Lucy, who was slowly pushing her paper toward him. Jolie smiled at the interaction that her younger niece was initiating.

"Wow, Lucy," Jesse commended excitedly as he looked at her paper. "That is beautiful. I love your drawing too!"

Though she made it clear she wanted him to see her drawing, she didn't reply or react to his words.

"Can you tell him 'thank you,' Luce?" Jolie asked as she finally spoke up.

Catching him off guard, Jesse glanced behind him to see the beautiful blonde leaning against the doorframe. Her green eyes pierced his gray blue ones as he smiled at her.

Lucy looked at her aunt but remained silent.

"It's okay," Jesse said as he turned back to Lucy. "Sometimes I don't like to talk either."

The girl glanced back up at him, and he smiled at her sweetly, wanting her to know that it was truly okay that she didn't thank him or even speak. Jolie could've sworn a very faint smile almost graced her niece's lips. It made her want to marry Jesse right then and there. She adored the way he treated Lucy. He spoke to her and interacted with her, but he didn't try to get her to talk like everyone else did. Hell, he even reassured her that it was okay that she didn't want to talk.

"I finally found the son of a gun!" Linda announced as she hurried back into the kitchen with the oil soap, completely unaware of the sweet interaction she missed. "It's usually in the medicine cabinet, but someone put it in the cabinet under the sink!"

She eyed Coop in an accusatory manner as she handed the bottle to Jesse.

"Thank you," he said as he turned to the sink and began washing his hands.

~

Early the next morning, about an hour before the sun was due to rise, Jolie stealthily stepped out onto her porch, hiding a cigarette and lighter in her hand. Just as she went to light the stick, someone down by the lake caught her attention.

She narrowed her eyes at the shadow, watching it intensely. Judging by the buzzed hair and movements, she could tell it was Jesse.

She watched him often, especially while he was working. She would sit on her porch and watch him through the open garage door to the shop. She could admit to herself that it was a creepy thing to do, but she admired how much concentration he had on the piece he was making. And she never worried about him looking up and catching her staring, because he was always so focused on his work.

Down by the lake, Jesse took a long drag of his cigarette, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. He found himself getting to work earlier and earlier every day, just to have a few moments in the quiet and darkness by the lake. It was a very peaceful start to his day; he was so thankful for that.

He was thankful for so much since he had moved to Louisiana. So many great things had happened, and so many great people had surrounded him. He loved it there, but he wondered how long he would stay. He felt like eventually he would have to move on, continue to Miami or end up elsewhere; Louisiana didn't really feel permanent yet.

"Mind if I join you?"

Jesse whipped his head around to see Jolie standing over him, wearing a thin long sleeved t-shirt and soft shorts. She was so beautiful in the morning, even with sleepy eyes and no makeup. In fact, he thought she was even more beautiful like that. She seemed more pure and more real than ever before.

"Not at all," he said, as she had done when he joined her for a cigarette the first time. "I'm feeling a bit like Lucy this morning though."

"That's okay," she replied with a soft smile, understanding and heeding his warning of not wanting to talk.

She sat down close to him, feeling his arm against hers, feeling the warmth from his body. The aroma from his alluring cologne relaxed her; he smelled incredible. She lit her cigarette, watching as he smoked his. She loved how intense his stare got when he was deep in thought. His grey blue eyes had seen so much; she could tell. He was so vague and mysterious and deep, yet kind and compassionate and friendly; she was so intrigued by him.

Jesse's eyes scanned Jolie's lower half next to him, admiring her long, smooth legs and cute toes. Her toenails were painted a soft blue – he had such a love/hate relationship with that color. He glanced up at her, watching as she tucked her blonde hair behind her ears. He loved the way she did that. He even loved the way her ear poked through her hair when she did it.

They didn't speak a word to each other the rest of their morning together, but they were comfortable just enjoying each other's company. In a world where they both felt so alone, they were starting to realize they had each other. And it was nice.

Jesse sighed deeply, returning back to his thoughts about remaining in Louisiana. Feeling the way he felt with Jolie's presence next to him, there was no doubt in his mind – he was staying. Forever.

Later that morning, Jesse was outside the shop, unloading some large pieces of wood from the bed of Coop's truck when he heard Jolie's front door open.

He glanced up to see Lia bopping down the front of the stairs with her pink backpack hung on her back. As usual, it flopped up and down as she bounced along. Jolie followed close behind her, carrying Lucy who was laying her head on her aunt's shoulder, still half asleep.

"Hey Jesse!" Lia called when she noticed him by the shop. She waved at him cutely as she continued walking to the car.

Lucy's head popped up from her aunt's shoulder, glancing over to see Jesse. Jolie looked over at him, smiling her stunning smile when they made eye contact.

Jesse smiled as he waved back at the girls, feeling overwhelmed with his adoration for them. "Have a good day at school!"

"Okay!" Lia called as she climbed into her aunt's 4-Runner.

He watched as Jolie loaded the girls into the car, loving her natural maternal instincts. Before she climbed into the driver's seat, she turned around and lifted her hand to him, giving him a soft wave.

He was so proud to know someone like her.