Body of Immorality (11 page)

It had been hard. They’d made sacrifices, but it had been worth it. They’d had their trials as couples will, arguments, frustrations. But the pain and sweat had granted rewards…

They’d made the move, the perfect change, and purchased their first home. Colorado’s western landscape had the perfect, healing touch. Eric mentioned stringing a hammock up between the maples in the backyard. He had ideas for the kitchen. Annie liked seeing how optimistic he was about the house.

It was going to be a good life, the Victorian told her.

Make it three,
Annie thought, and touched her belly.

How could it
not
treat them well?

The change came three months ago from Phoenix to Longmont. The Flatirons’ red rocks loomed to the west now instead of the southwestern deserts and cacti. The Rocky Mountains made an impressive, jagged stretch of white-capped peaks along the horizon. Since the move, Annie savored Colorado’s sunsets. It was true God must be a Bronco fan, otherwise John Elway wouldn’t have had the storied career he did. God’s artistry spread through every splashing, bursting orange/blue array, fingers of light across the sky. Arizona had procured its own southwestern beauty, too, unmatched anywhere she’d been, but there was something special about the Colorado air. It tugged her, pulled her in. Apparently, it had done the same with Eric. Maybe the air was the reason she felt as good as she did now, another personality—beside the house and the sun—sending out its optimism. Something about the number three, Annie thought, and smiled again for the millionth time.

Eric’s business was on the rise. E&D Contractors (and the seed in Annie’s belly) were starting to grow. Things had a way of being completely, unalterably perfect, she thought. She almost felt bad for feeling so good.

As she looked at the house—planting another petunia (pink this time) along the sidewalk—Annie stood, put her hands on her hips, and surveyed her work. She shook her head, unable to believe they could afford this: the house, the lawn, even the flowers. She couldn’t believe they lived here, that Eric’s business was doing as well as it was. It hadn’t sunk in yet, despite how long they’d been here. Not that the Victorian was a castle or that Colorado was Heaven…

Or
was
it, she thought?

“Yes it is,” Annie said. “To me, the house
is
a castle. To me, it sits on the clouds.”

The possibilities were everywhere, things she could do with the yard, the basement, the empty room across the hall—what would soon be the nursery. Maybe they could turn the extra room into a study, an office for Eric. Wallpaper here, fresh paint in the dining room, bookshelves, more counter space in the kitchen. The possibilities
were
endless, and as Annie thought about the possibilities, she grew mentally tired thinking of all the hard work it would take. What was that about relaxation and leisure?

But it’s ours, this time. We’re not asking permission to renovate a house we’re renting anymore, so it can look good for whoever moves in after us. We’re not working on someone else’s kitchen or storm drains. This is
ours.
Everything we decide from here on out is permanent. Well, at least until we change our minds.

When Eric wasn’t inspecting various job sights in the surrounding towns of Louisville, Broomfield, and Boulder, he was mapping out ideas for their own kitchen, the nursery, and the patio. Having a man around with his skills was convenient. His passion—ever since they’d met at the racetrack in Phoenix—was tearing down, rebuilding, and renovating houses. After two hours (buying her a hot dog and a Coke), Eric confided his dream to her of running his own business. Contracting wasn’t the most elaborate thing in the world, he’d said, but it was
his
dream, and that was all that mattered. He wanted to be the best contractor, the most
reliable
, and the most efficient people could find. Annie respected Eric’s ideas. She believed he
would
be the best contractor, the most reliable,
and
the most efficient people could find.

“See,” he’d told her that day. Cars raced by on the track. The sun was blistering, blinding. Eric rested his forearms on the fence. “If you buy coffee and doughnuts for the crew, take them out to lunch once and a while, you’ll not only save them money, they’ll see you as pretty dang nice, and they won’t want to let you down. Make it enjoyable for them; they make it easier for you. At least I hope. It’s all about getting the best performance out of your workers, snooks. There
is
a method to my madness. I’m basically trying to deceive them.”

Annie laughed and shook her head. Going to the racetrack with their parents (a coincidence they both thought scary, considering they were in their late twenties at the time, and neither lived at home), they’d said goodbye (much to the chagrin of both sets of parents), and disappeared for the day. “No, don’t worry,” Annie told her parents. “I’ll take a cab home.” Her mother and father looked at one another, raising their eyebrows.

“Ice cream would be a great way to wash down that hot dog,” Eric had told her on that blistering day. “Besides, you smell like onions. I don’t want onions to be the memory of our first kiss.”

Annie raised her eyebrows, stunned by Eric’s approach. He’d captivated her as well, though. Playfully, she smacked his arm. They were married six months later.

Yes, someone will need a room of their own,
Annie thought, planting another petunia. She grabbed a white one this time from the cardboard tray on the sidewalk.

Eric’s peers mentioned Colorado as a great place to make a new start. The surrounding towns around Boulder were growing. Heeding the advice, Eric had a natural ability to lead. And yes, he
was
a reliable contractor. The residents and shop owners in Louisville, Broomfield, Lafayette, and Longmont helped turn E&D into a prodigious operation. He placed reasonable bids; his crew was self-motivated. At the time, the phone at the Durgess apartment rang on and on. Before Eric and Annie realized it, they were forced to expand outside of home. Eric had even provided Annie with a stipend for answering calls. “The prettiest and most patient secretary a guy could ask for,” he once told her. He’d leased an office in downtown Longmont, and E&D began its climb.

Now, E&D was bigger than ever.

New house, new baby,
Annie thought.
New life.

They were lucky, and for a split-second, she closed her eyes, soaking it all in.

It was good to get away from the scorching heat of Arizona. Now, they would have snow for Christmas, their own newly decorated home. Annie was anxious for the holidays. Strands of colorful lights in all that Colorado snow! How perfect!

Something about healing,
she thought.

Colorado
was
perfect, distancing them from the nightmares which had plagued Eric in Arizona. His visits with Dr. Livesey had grown more frequent during those colder months. The move to Colorado had (thankfully) banished the horror. Eric had time to focus on better things now, more his old self; the hypnosis (something Eric had scoffed over for a week before relenting) had actually worked. He’d never believed in ancient or new age remedies, but Livesey had changed all that.

Annie couldn’t look at Eric when the noises haunted him. The sounds, she learned, came with a torrent of pain. She’d thought his troubles were nothing more than migraines. She’d seen him moving his head to the sounds once.

“What’s it like?” she’d asked.

They were living in a small apartment in Phoenix, celebrating their first anniversary.

Annie put her hand on his knee. Eric looked at her with tears in his brown eyes.

“Huh?” he asked. “I can’t hear you, sweetheart. It’s like a marching band in here.”

Annie heard about Dr. Livesey’s methods and called him the next day.

Dr. Livesey
had
performed a miracle, no doubt about it. According to Eric, he hadn’t heard the sounds at all since the hypnosis.

Annie prayed—because of Dr. Livesey—the haunting in Eric’s brain was over. Their life was headed in a new direction. They didn’t have time for it. It was in the healing, pristine skies of Colorado.

Just stay perfect,
she thought.

Looking at the house and its beaming white facade—the freshly cut grass—a fantasy transported Annie into thoughts of grace. The contrast was so pleasing, she almost wept. She was glad Eric wasn’t there to witness it. Motherhood was making her emotionally unstable.

Another nursery. That’s what we’ll do with the empty room across from the nursery we already have.
That’s
how we’ll fill the space.

Feeling a jester, Annie wondered what Eric would think.

She knew exactly what he’d say:

“Let’s just make it through this baby first, hon.”

Annie took a deep breath of the Colorado air. Revivifying warmth spread through her chest.

Contentment?

“No,” she said, aloud. “Paradise. Just simple, perfect paradise.”

Beasley issued a single yelp from the lawn. Annie laughed. Whether or not Beasley approved, she couldn’t tell. The dog was barking at everything these days.

*

Eric Durgess experienced a similar euphoria driving home from work that April afternoon, welcoming the beginning of their new life. He’d been hesitant of the cold winters of Colorado, however, not used to them since living in Phoenix. Despite his skepticism, he was glad they’d made the move. The business
was
accelerating. He felt he was engineering a racetrack, and he was making a prodigious name for himself. The marketing was paying off and word was getting around. Eric was not only a good contractor; he
was
one of the best.

His dreams had come true in ways he’d never imagined. Instead of working the long hours like before, he drove to each job sight, nodding with approval, making suggestions here and there, listening to what the owners’ expectations were. All the while, trying to bring the white Victorian together.

Watching Annie, made him equally happy. He saw how excited she was; he would be home more often instead of working the interminable hours, trying to get the job done.

From the small outfit Eric began in Arizona, E&D was making prodigious strides, a decidedly huge step from the problems he’d faced. If things went well, they might be able to enjoy their time in Colorado for years to come.

But that’s over now,
Eric thought.
The noises are gone.

For the first time, he felt the truth in that statement. The haunting
was
over. Gone. Finished. Thank God.

At heart, though, he was skeptical toward their new beginning. “Yeah, it’s going great, but…” “Yeah, we’re making more money, but…”

It drove Annie crazy. Eric couldn’t let it go, however, enjoying the ride that things
were
different.

Simply, he wanted everything to stay perfect. After all, they had a booming business now, a beautiful house, and the expectations of parenthood. How could he
not
worry? If he was confident about anything, it wasn’t being a skilled worker, but wanting to be the best husband and father he could be. Father, he knew nothing about, but Annie made him feel successful as worker and husband.

He couldn’t help but smile as he drove the Chevy.

Boy or girl, he didn’t care. He knew the trials would come, the frustrations. Not all things went smoothly. Blemishes were real.

You’ll think about it again after that little boy or girl is a teenager. You always think about the teenage years.

He’d worry about that when the time came.

As it was, he steered the Chevy into the driveway of their new home, the white Victorian guardian looming over a manicured lawn. Annie, face glowing with the onset of motherhood, sat on the porch-swing drinking lemonade. Beasley raised his head and let out a single bark at his arrival. Eric chuckled.

Not a bad way to begin the evening,
he thought.

*

Eric turned on his side and took a deep breath of Annie’s hair, a lingering aroma of blueberries. Annie breathed deep, locked in the confines of—what he hoped—were untroubled dreams.

How far under is she?

In the dark, after an eventful day, dishes washed (the two of them yawning enough to go to bed), Eric lay smiling in the dark, not thinking about their monetary problems or the bills they had to pay. Into their life—their new life—he thought about how happy he was. With the weather turning warm, they had more opportunities to work in the yard, Annie’s specialty.

Eric didn’t think about his troubles then, or past horrors, a rare thing because he had a natural inclination to worry. He did not think about noises or bad dreams. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath of Annie’s hair.

Blueberries,
he thought.

He loved what Annie was doing to the house. He noticed something different everyday when he came home. They worked together over the weekend: laying tile in the bathroom, staining bookshelves for the living room, rolling out new carpet for the nursery. There was still an empty, unfinished room down the hall. They hadn’t decided what to do with it yet. Annie had joked with when he came home about turning it into
another
nursery. His heart skipped a beat when she’d told him. “What about the office?” he’d asked. Annie smiled, pattered her belly, and told him she was only joking.

Worry about it later,
Eric thought.
Sleep peacefully, dream deep. Remember who’s sharing all this with you.

Annie had supported him through every sacrifice. Where would he be now if not for that fateful day at the track? He didn’t want to think about it.

What a lucky man you are,
he thought.

“Annie,” he whispered. “You made my dreams come true.”

He put his arm around her.

“Love you, baby,” he said.

Annie did not move, did not stir.

“Far away?” he said. “Hope you don’t mind if I join you.”

Eric pulled Annie close, her head on his chest, and was asleep in seconds.

*

The weeks moved rapidly by. Eric was itching to tear into the kitchen. He had an idea for building an island with a deep fryer and an indoor grill. The yard was bright with flowers now, the lawn thick and lush. He’d have to invest in a riding mower. The house—with more order each day—was coming together. They were enjoying the magic of their new life, new house, new town. Things were looking up. Eric and Annie remained optimistic and hopeful. The bids Eric put in for renovations were being accepted. Yes, talk was Eric was one of the best and most reliable contractors in this part of Colorado. They accepted their new life, this new change with happy hearts, and a hopeful beginning.