I See Red

Chapter Three

Rachel and Axel walked into Denny's and found Rachel's friend and went and sat with her. Axel remembered seeing this woman in the office when he signed the lease for the apartment but never talked to her or even heard her name.

"Axel, this is my good friend Amanda. She has helped me when I got into a bind at the complex. Management is wonderful there and they're really good at helping people who need things for their home, or anything else."

Axel stuck out his hand to shake Amanda's. "It's nice to meet you."

Amanda shook his hand. "Likewise! I remember seeing you the day you signed. You're an easy face to remember. Not many of our residents have long black hair like you do. That's how I remembered you when I saw you two walk in." Amanda smiled at him. Axel never thought about the fact he was an easy face to remember. He thought of himself as always blending in with the crowd. However, thinking about it more in depth, he did kind of stand out with his hair.

Axel was 5'7 with long black hair that he normally kept in a braid or up in a pony tail. The day he signed his lease, however, and today it just wore it down. He was Indigenous, so in the last five years he has really allowed his hair to grow to show that part of his heritage. His eyes were a dark chocolate brown that often turned golden in the right moods, something that always got him compliments growing up.

The waitress came over and they ordered their drinks and Rachel pulled out his list and a pen. "After we look at the menu and decide our food, me and you can go over the list and see what you need help with. Okay?" Axel nodded.

"I can get you a lot today, some things may take a day or two, but we will make sure you have everything you need to feel at home." Amanda touched his hand reassuringly. Axel smiled at her and started to feel more at ease with the entire situation.

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Breakfast took a few hours, but afterwards Axel felt more comfortable. They had sorted the list out and, to his surprise, Amanda was going to be able to get most of the furniture for him after they arrived back at the complex. On the ride back, Rachel was singing the songs on the radio and all Axel could do was sit there and listen to how calming her voice was. Once they parked, they went ahead and went back up to his apartment to wait for Amanda. She had already sent the maintenance team the list of stuff that was needed and that they would all meet at his apartment to move the stuff in. Axel wasn't sure if this was new stuff or used things, but he was just grateful either way to have furniture and other things. When they reached his door, Amanda was already there with a group of guys and all the stuff. Axel quickly unlocked his door, apologizing for the wait, and helped them move the stuff in. Everything was just placed in the living room, except his bed, and they even offered to get rid of the old furniture he wanted for him. Axel was quick to say yes, since the memories of the old furniture were more than he wanted to deal with. He didn't even feel bad about it. The only thing he kept was his small little dresser that he had because he had plans to use it either in his closet or in the laundry room.

After Amanda and the maintenance team left, Rachel stayed behind with Axel to help him get everything set up.

"How are you feeling, Axel? You look a little overwhelmed with everything." He didn't even realize that he had been standing in the living room looking at everything for as long as he was.

"This is more than I could have asked for, and it's all new furniture. It's just different to have stuff of my own now." He thought that when he was getting this that he would have to give it back in the end. He was wrong, the furniture was given to him. He wasn't sure if this was something Rachel and Amanda pulled off, or if this was something that the complex spent thousands of money on doing, but he was so grateful for it. "When I moved in here, Rachel, I was only able to grab what little furniture I could. Furniture that I was allowed to take. I mostly came with my stuff, and I got more than I even thought I had. I was just going to live off paper plates and plastic silverware because I knew it was going to take time to build up everything I lost. I had no idea that I was going to get so much so quickly and be able to furnish my home and decorate it."

Rachel smiled at him and touched his arm. "I don't know your story, and you don't have to tell me it, but I promise you that whatever you went through, things will get better. You have a home, and now you have your own things. I will help you get your apartment put together. Just tell me how you want things done and I will help." Axel looked into her eyes and smiled. He knew at that moment that he had gained a friend during all of this, and that he would have his home put together by the end of the week and could be comfortable. "Want to start by sorting the boxes of stuff they gave you and move them where they need to go so we can move the furniture around? I find that to be the easiest." Axel nodded to Rachel and they went and started sorting through the boxes and separating them.

They worked for hours moving the boxes and unpacking them when Axel realized it was lunch time and had an idea. "Hey, Rachel, how would you feel if I ordered us lunch and had it delivered? My treat, no need to pay."

"If you buy lunch, then I get to take you on a shopping trip for some of the stuff on the list that was in the 'to buy' category." She smiled at him.

He rolled his eyes with a smile. "I feel like either way I will lose this bet, so I guess we have a deal. But, no spending more than $100 on the stuff!" She walked over to him and gently punched his arm. Axel felt like he had known her for a lifetime at this rate, their friendship was quickly blooming and he was enjoying every moment of it. They searched for lunch on his phone before he placed the order. He grabbed the bar stools from the laundry room and pulled them up to the kitchen island and they sat there talking about things while waiting for the food. Even when the food came, they ate and continued to talk. He learned about her life and the things that she was interested in and loved doing. She was simple, much like him, and enjoyed the little things in life. She enjoyed making people happy and being a helping hand, which made sense to why she was so kind to him and gave him the gift basket. However, there was one small detail she hadn't mentioned and Axel was curious to know. He waited for the opportunity to ask.

"For someone as kind and helpful as you are, I'm sure you have someone at home that appreciates that." He glanced at her and the smile on her face slightly faded. Axel felt like he had just ruined the entire day with that sentence. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that question."

"No, no, you're fine Axel. I wish that was the case. I divorced my husband four years ago after twenty years of marriage. He was abusive and didn't appreciate the things I did. So I let him have the house and everything in it. Amanda and I knew each other before I moved in here. She helped me get a place and when I moved in I had nothing but a single bag of clothes. She helped me furnish my apartment to start out with, and that's how I knew she could help you as well."

Axel glanced back down at his food. He wasn't sure what to say. He spent ten years in a relationship, from the time he was twenty-one to thirty-one, but she had spent twenty years in a marriage, and who knows how much longer with this man, and she was such a happy person. "I appreciate that, Rachel. I really do. I am sorry you had to go through with all of that though. Twenty years is a long time to have it come to an end. I thought just a ten-year relationship ending was rough."

"We got together when I was in ninth grade, we were high school sweethearts. Married right out of high school, we started a life together. I thought he was the man of my dreams. We never had kids, fur babies mostly. I couldn't have children and I think that bothered him a lot. I didn't know how many times he had affairs until the divorce happened and he has four kids with four different women. Makes sense why he never had money to help contribute."

Axel thought about her words when he realized that she had to be older than him. The time didn't add up to when she married him, how long they were together, to now. "You might hate me for this question because it's so rude to ask, but how old are you? I assumed you were my age but I'm going to be thirty-two next year, and I got with my ex when I was twenty one. So I figured you had to be no more than thirty-five."

Rachel laughed and smiled at him. "Do I look that young to you? Or are you just being sweet?"

"No, I'm serious!" Axel was shocked by her response.

"If I tell you how old I am, you're probably going to run away from me. You are much younger than I am."

"There's no way." Axel began to study her. "So if you're not thirty-five, then what, late thirties, early forties?"

"Promise me you won't tell me to get out?" Rachel looked concerned, almost afraid that Axel was going to completely shut her out.

"Why would I tell you to get out?" Axel was also confused by this. Was the age gap that big of a difference that she was afraid he was going to completely freak out?

"I will be forty-three next year." Rachel looked down at her food, almost as if she was afraid to see his reaction. His face, however, went from confused to un-impressed. She glanced up at him and gave him a weird look. "What is that face?"

"Much younger? I thought you were going to tell me you were in your fifties and I was going to have to ask you for some identification. You don't even look forty-three. How would I freak out? Why would I freak out?"

Rachel shrugged. "There's eleven years between us. Some people don't like having older people around."

Axel smacked his face with his hands. "Age gaps are ridiculous. That thought is silly. You're enjoyable to be around. Don't think anything different." Rachel smiled at him and finished her food, as so did he. They continued their conversation, laughing and joking around. Axel couldn't remember the last time he enjoyed lunch with someone. He ate alone most of the time or he was sitting with his ex and all she wanted to do was be on her phone, or watch TV, or something other than just sit in silence and talk to him. This exact moment with Rachel was what he missed having.