New Neighbors

Bram straightened himself out and walked to the door like a proper gentleman. The knock came again, and he opened it. I didn't dare to look at the visitor, especially after I heard a man's voice. He sounded cheery, then asked if he could come in. Bram glanced back at me.

My adrenal glands were working on overdrive, again. I heard a woman's voice now. Bram took a deep breath, overcame his ego, slathered on the charm, and welcomed them in.

The woman entered first. She flashed me a nice warm smile. Her eyes were almond-shaped, caramel colored, and bright. I instantly felt better in her presence.

I liked how she had coral-colored lipstick, combined with a commanding presence. She was both feminine and masculine. There was sweat pouring down her cheeks, but she didn't seem to mind. I realized this was one of our new neighbors I'd seen earlier.

She came over, leaned into me, and said, "I'm Melinda Ramirez, but you can call me Sledge." She threw her hand out to me. When I shook it, she had a strong grip. I wished I could be just like her.

"Hi Sledge," I smiled weakly. She winked at me. I wanted her to stay here and never leave. Sledge wouldn't take any of Bram's sh*t.

Sledge was still with me when her husband came in. He was much taller than Sledge, which made them a cuter couple, in my opinion. He had very short jet-black hair, dark eyes, and a skin shade of medium brown. Not only was he taller than Sledge, but Bram too.

"Hola. I'm Ricardo but you can call me Richie," he said. Unlike Sledge, who had a southern accent, it sounded like Richie had come from a Spanish speaking family. I smiled and waved at him, glancing at Bram to make sure I wasn't doing it for too long. "Well, who is this?" Richie asked, pointing to me.

I didn't dare speak but Bram took over and said, "This is my wife, Alexandra. Welcome to our home. Please excuse the mess. Alexandra hasn't tided up as well lately." Sledge spun around and faced Bram.

"I must have misheard you. I thought you said that this house wasn't taken care of." Sledge waited for an answer. Bram was about to open his mouth in retort but decided better of it after glancing at Richie then back to Sledge. "Staff Sargent Darling?" Sledge questioned. I couldn't believe how awesome this was.

"No, you're right. I misspoke." Bram dropped his head then continued, "This place is beautiful, and I owe it all to my wife." He pointed to me and gave me a nice smile. I pretended it was genuine.

"Agreed. So, I'll see you tomorrow at 0600, right?" Sledge asked.

"I usually start at 0530, ma'am."

"Well, tomorrow we start at 0600. I'm your new Lieutenant and I think it's best that people get a real breakfast in them with time for it to settle before they run drills in 90-degree heat."

"Yes, sir." Bram said. My husband desperately attempted to hide his feelings of emasculation and insecurity.

The couple left and Bram closed the door. I could tell his mind was somewhere else. I watched him as he stared at the floor and then he said, "I'll be home later."

Once I knew he was gone, I raced upstairs to the bathroom and locked myself in. I pulled the note out and after smoothing the creases, I read the message.

"Dear Alexandra,

I'm sorry--"

My attention was interrupted when I heard him whip open the door and come back inside. Within seconds he flew up the stairs and began banging on the bathroom door.

"Alex! I know you have it. Give me that stickie!"

I couldn't read it now if I tried. My hands were shaking too much, and my vision was beginning to dim from anxiety. I opened the door and handed it to him.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered. He stuffed it in his pocket and left as quickly as he had come. I must have been captured on one of his cameras. How could I be so careless?

Later, when Bram came home, he went straight into one of our computer rooms, upstairs past the loft. I needed to know what was going on with him. In the past I'd seen him communicating in a chat room. Maybe I could create an account and pretend I was someone else.

That night as I laid beside him in the bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the note. It made me feel so many things. I wondered why he was so mean to me if he wanted to apologize. What was he sorry about?

The next morning, Bram was home longer than usual. I was still in bed when I heard him shuffling about. The coffee was on, and he was leaning over the counter reading something. It was from a manila file that he must have brought home from the lab.

His left wrist was curled against his face as he was moving his right fingers along the paper. I watched him reread the same line three times. Somehow, he knew I was watching. He lifted his head and then turned around to peer up at me.

When he saw me, we locked our eyes but then turned his attention back to what he was reading. Once more he scanned the document and then tucked it away. He gathered his belongings for the day, smoothing out his fatigues, and pushing the manila folder into his bag.

When he peeked up at me again, I wondered if he could see how I felt. His jacket was buttoned up and his last name was just above his right pocket. The sandy-colored fatigues brought out his tanned skin. He looked lovely.

If only he could be that way on the inside.

I thought he'd want me at lunch later than noon because of the 0600 start to the day but I was wrong. He texted me and told me to get down to the cafeteria at the usual time. I had to wonder if this was some kind of ambush for me and Mark.

When I walked inside, my stomach dropped. I could see Bram speaking with Mark, leaning in close. Then, to my surprise the two saluted one another and Mark left with what appeared to be the same file Bram had had earlier.

I stood in line and glanced at Bram, but he wouldn't look at me. Without his direction, I wasn't sure what to do. I got enough food for two just like the day before. When I came to the table, he seemed somber, which wasn't completely unusual, but not teasing me in front of people was strange.

Placing the tray in front of him, I sat next to him feeling uneasy. He had his fingers linked, elbows on the table, holding his chin in them. When he saw the food, he snapped out of it and began to eat.

I couldn't help but worry about him. This time, I stayed with him voluntarily while he ate. What was going was different about today? Sometimes the wondering nearly drove me mad.

The file obviously had information that was important. I pondered why they wouldn't digitize it, since carrying something around in paper form seemed negligent. Still, Bram was intelligent, and I trusted that he knew what he was doing. Perhaps there was unexpected data he'd read in that document.

When he accidentally brushed against me, I noticed how wet his skin was. There was a light sheen of sweat covering him making the muscles in his forearms and biceps more noticeable. As my eyes scanned upward, I could see that his shirt must be hiding rolling torrents of sweat. The material was off his skin enough to have only collected a few flung droplets his activity had jostled.

Maybe he was sick? Or was this personal because of me or Sledge? No, this seemed more serious than something as simple as ego bruising or the flu. I sat a little closer to him.

I wished I could magically convince him to tell me everything. I always wanted him to allow me to take care of him. The one gift I had to give in life was my ability to nurture but he made sure I'd never get to use it. Each time I felt myself warming up to him, he pushed me away.

I had been there to help Dad when things had gotten rough after Mom's passing. It was at that time that I considered pursuing degrees to be nurse or a counselor. Again, I watched my brooding husband. When he noticed me observing him, he rolled his eyes.

"What are you staring at?" he asked. Why did he have to be so mean? My heart's hope was shattering but at least I knew where I stood. I averted my eyes and carried his tray back for him.

Once I got up and left, I was in tears yet again. As soon as I was out in the blazing sun I began to sprint to the middle of the base, near the PX. I ran until I thought I was going to die. I welcomed physical pain over emotional.

I was doubled over panting and sweating when I heard a familiar voice. It was Richie.

"Hola! Que pasa? Alex, you don't look so well," he said, tilting his head to the side. He was wearing an Army hat and head to toe camouflage. I stared up at him as he studied me with sympathy. Gradually, I rose until I was fully standing.

"It's hot and I was jogging."

"In this heat in the middle of the day? Have you lived in the south before? You can't do that, amiga."

"No, I have ... for a few years. Lived here, I mean." I continued panting. Richie put his hands on his hips.

"C'mon, follow me into this air-conditioned store and take a breather."

I considered not going for fear of Bram's recourse, but the appeal of being with someone nice and the cool central air convinced me.

Richie and I shopped for a little while. He picked up some household items and bought me a fruit drink. I downed it as soon as we left the store. In a kind and caring way, he told me to get home and take care of myself. I promised him I would, and we said our goodbyes.

I was carrying the bottle with me but once I was back home, I hid it in a shrub along the side of our house making a note to get rid of it later. Bram would find it in the trash or if I put it in the garage. He had eyes like a hawk not to mention the various cameras around the home and after this morning, I was feeling paranoid.

Once I was inside, I was taken aback to see Bram sitting on the couch. Had he seen me with Richie? What new thing was I in trouble for? My heart sank.