Turning the last corner I remark, "well there it is, not much but at least we can get out and stretch. Or if bathroom is needed, here's your chance." The van lights break passing the three large trees on the front of the property. The small shack with a round whirling roof vent does look shabby especially with the old 87' Short-box pick-up rusting away beside it. Standing behind the truck a small red tin silo, its shape similar to a stubby beer bottle. On the west side of the drive a long red pole barn.

Catching her attention most of all is the monster willow tree growing beside the shack. "Wow is that a willow there? I love those."

The tree though not tall has a thick main branch that looks like a heavy wind could bring it down crushing that shack. "Yeah it's a good size tree alright. Glad you like it, cause its' size, so close to the house would scare the hell out of some."

Stopping the van, decide to leave the headlights on until we get settled. "Alright ladies here we are." Ignition off, I hop out to start opening doors.

Grabbing the purse Arlene slowly gets out taking in the surroundings. "Wow is it dark out here."

"Yeah, I get that." Opening the sliding door for Sheena, "there you go." I point out the house, "Follow me."

Into the front mudroom I turn on the outside light while finding the door key. "Sheena will come in when she's ready."

"Oh, okay," she wasn't worried.

Inside I quickly flip on the front room light, allowing Arlene to see what's she's getting into. Stepping in and out of the way, point out the space. "As you can see no couch but a selection of comfortable chairs. The old van seat there is my usual spot, you can probably tell. Behind me here, our kitchen." Walking her a short distance back. "To our right my - or should I say your bed for the night. The bathroom is straight back and this room in the back corner here will be your room." Turning on the exposed ceiling bulb to reveal the collection of crap I have stored in there. "As you can see this will take a minute or so to clean out. But there is a dresser, chair and small table you are more than welcome to put to use."

She has a look at the organized disaster. "Oh yeah, and no door eh?" Needing the bath checks it out. "At least the bathroom has one, which if you don't mind."

"Oh sure take your time I'll grab your stuff." Heading outside I kill the van lights and bring in her meager possessions.

In the washroom Arlene assesses the situation. The shack really is a shack and can't believe I've been living here. The bathroom fixtures surprise her too, being clean, in a bachelor's shack. The washroom seems bigger than the other rooms despite the lower ceiling and water heater in the corner. Sitting down wonders the same everyone else does; why is there vapor barrier, covering only half the ceiling? Then notices the dead bugs that are slowly building in it. Oddly she doesn't feel the urge to run.

Getting up to wash her hands does feel watched, wonders if she's already being peeped on. The window blinds are closed and can hear footsteps just coming back into the house setting a garbage bag down. "Hey Rob?"

"Yeah. You need something?" I look towards the closed bathroom door wondering if she is having second thoughts. It would figure just about done with only two bags left to bring in.

She hates to ask if I was peeping; a yes may be preferable to a lying no or someone else watching her. "You weren't trying to catch a peek at me were you?"

"What?" That I wasn't expecting. Perhaps something else has revealed it self. Hopefully it was just a bug or field, mouse. "No. I promise I wouldn't do such a thing. Nor will I - unless you ask."

The odd way I answered the question makes her content but still curious. "Can the neighbors see the bathroom window?" Drying her hands listens for a reply.

"Ah?" Knowing where the window faces inform her. "Not any neighbors beside us. A couple behind - but their houses are like two, three kilometers away - they'd need a telescope. I don't know if this helps any but could be a mouse in the house."

That wouldn't bother her so much, so shrugs it off for now and exits the bathroom. "Hey what's with the plastic in the bathroom and the dead bugs in it?"

"Oh that was there before me. I think it's so the paneling on the ceiling doesn't get wet when taking a hot shower. Had a migrant worker staying on the property one year who wanted to change it for me. I told him to forget about it."

Thinking about the buildings on the property she exits the bathroom. "You had migrant workers living here too? Or in the barn?"

"Ah no. Two, seasons this French guy worked the area. First with his Spanish wife, in a rickety old trailer home. It used to be parked on the other side of the willow tree. That trailer was so old when the farmer towed it away the louvered glass making up the windows fell out. Left a trail of broken glass to the final resting spot. The next year the French guy came down with his son in their own little RV." I point back to the van, "anyway just got two more bags to grab."

"Oh okay, what should I do with my stuff for now?" Approaching the bags she tries to recall what's in them.

"Well unless you want to tackle that back room. For now it's fine where it is. Turn on the TV if you'd like. Phone's over there if you need to call someone." Showing her the kitchen cupboards. "A few cool beverages in the fridge, maybe some left over pizza. Glasses, mugs and such over here. This cupboard I store, food and the wine if you need any of that."

"I'll be okay maybe get some things out I'll want."

"Alright, Take any space you can in the bathroom."

Returning from the rounds Sheena shadows me making sure no one is going anywhere else, without her.

Inside Arlene inspects the sad little space that makes up the bedroom. A single bed to the right, a long low dresser on the left with a makeshift clothes rack and storage shelf over. In between and just enough floor space to get changed or as it also looks the dog sleeps.

Coming back in I almost startle her. "Not much of a bed eh?"

Turning sharply she comments. "I'd say. Of course if you had a king-size bed that'd be the only thing in that little room. Tell me that's not your childhood bed."

"No actually the frame is from one of my cousins. The mattress I bought a couple years before I moved out here. Nice foam one you may like it."

On the ride she toyed with the idea of sharing the bed. Mainly in hopes of some sort of simple human comfort, with a single would be spooning for sure. She looks around the confined space. "So where are you going to sleep?"

Pointing to a space between the TV and chairs. "Move the TV back a bit and I do have my old childhood mattress to throw down. And a sleeping bag, I want my pillow though. You'll have to get your own."

Feeling similarly she says teasingly, "well I don't need your old pillow. I got my comfy one." Having taken all the bedding including a favored blanket, "I have to have my own comforter too. For comfort you know."

Agreeing with a nod take my mine with the pillow. "I actually changed those sheets this month too, so you're lucky."

Slept in worse she still feels bad about taking my small bed suggesting, "you know I can take the floor for the night. I mean instead of moving things around."

It does sound simpler but worry if there is mice, she may wake up screaming on the floor from being crawled across by mouse or Sheena. "Ah be better this way. That way Sheena won't jump up on you in the night."

"Oh do you let her in the bed?"

"In the mornings when I first roll over she'll jump up and lay there until I'm ready to get up. She actually doesn't sleep on the bed - maybe too warm for her."

Sounding reasonable digs out her blanket and pillow. "Yeah and if you got mice I guess they may run over me if sleeping on the floor."

"Yeah maybe." Chuckling while thinking back to one quiet night out here. "I got to tell you about this one time. Sheena was laying on the floor. Close to where she is now. I'm watching TV in my seat over there and see a mouse run out. I call out mouse, Sheena doesn't even move. I go to chase the mouse with a box to try and catch it. She still doesn't move. That mouse sees me moving though, and darts for cover - under Sheena - and she still doesn't move."

"Really?" She looks at Sheena panting at us. "I thought you said she was a great hunter. Mice aren't good enough?"

Recalling some moments I lightly laugh, "I thought maybe because I always show her the ones I catch in a trap, she sees them as my thing not hers' - so wasn't interested."

"Oh man, what a dog you have there." Back to straightening up the bed asks, "what can we do now?"

"After eleven, but out here can only offer some TV or a movie. Listen to the radio, talk and play cards for a while. If you just want to crash I can understand."

The idea of playing cards sounded appealing she's too many thoughts to sleep and needs to get comfortable with the surroundings. "What kind of card games do you play? I haven't played anything in a while."

Hearing she's up for staying up turn on the radio and start the search for a deck of cards. "Well, I know basic poker, blackjack. I made my own crib board and have played euchre but forget some of the rules to both."

"You made your own crib board?"

"Yup, sure did. Its' around here, somewhere. I made it in the shape of a skunk."

"What? A skunk? Why a skunk?"

"In crib if you loose badly you say you got skunked. So I made the double skunk line where ass meets tail."

Recalling the terms she comes over to see if I have it to show. "Oh right, it's been so long I can't remember how to play it."

"Here it is." Showing the attempt at craft-work. It indeed looks like a skunk, a flat one. The three rows of hard to see holes are within painted white stripes. Red spots mark every fifth hole. The deck of pint sized cards nearby I take before putting the board down.

"That's something Rob. We'll have to re-learn how to play." She notices there's nothing like a kitchen table to play on. "Where are we playing?"

"Coffee table I think."

Casing the place she sees beyond the eclectic furniture, the wall hangings are all framed with mainly nice looking wildlife pictures. Around the small but open space a few plastic dragons catch her eye. Having expected to see the walls pasted with pin-up girls and things with wheels is relieved. The only machine pictures are truly art. One is horizontally thin with the front ends of old rusting cars. Another large one of a warplane she has to inquire about, being the central of all, why is it favored out of the others. Its background a yellowy & cloudy sunrise overlooking a coast line. "What's with the plane?"

"Huh?" Looking to the picture. "Oh that, mainly family name."

"You have a pilot or something in your family and this is their plane?" Sitting in the rocking sofa chair watches how the new roommate moves around.

"No nothing like that. It's a Lancaster bomber. If I see Lancaster on something I try to find out about it. In the end thought the bomber was cool, being a destructive force alone. But like me and my brother there are only two left flying in the world."

"What do you mean you and your brother?"

"My dad was an only child, he had us two and unless one of us ends up having children looks like we are the last of our family name." Motioning to her I inquire. "I'm getting myself a juice would you like something?"

"Water would be fine." Not having children has been a touchy subject of late with Arlene. Seeing so many with children and not being able too, while already being down, was added weight to life's emotional baggage. Realizing there's someone else with no children to talk with is curious to my stance. "Do you wish you had kids?"

Pouring up a fresh glass of water realized I just mentioned having no kids with someone who can't and hope further upset hasn't been caused. The decision wasn't clear to me, the idea seems nice but mental state never thought it as a good idea. Not to mention lack of drive to connect with people makes it hard. "Ah I don't think I'll ever have any of my own. I would be happy if it happened but not worried if doesn't." Bringing her the glass, "here you go. What about you? If you don't want to talk about it I'd understand."

"Me and having kids?" The subject she struggles with but speaks from the heart. "At first I didn't think I'd care. Later I knew it was a better thing, the way I was carrying on. Something happened, woke up crying realizing I couldn't have any of my own. Now I just live with the fact. And before you ask, yes I would consider adoption. I just know I'm not in the right place to do that right now." Fighting back emotional frustration points to the immediate surroundings, "I mean, look where I got myself now." Not wanting to offend the host, "sorry Rob you're place isn't as horrible as I first pictured. But you don't plan on living here forever, right?"

"No. And don't worry about insulting the place. Even the owner, Mario, my cheap Italian slumlord said he wouldn't even bring a woman here. Ah you'll get to meet him in a couple weeks. By the way if bringing up the babies is an issue, I am sorry and will try to be careful about it."

Thinking of stupid ass stuff said by exs, she doesn't think I'll be as ignorant as them. "No, don't worry. But I certainly don't want to get into long discussions about it."

"Understood." Setting my drink down and taking a seat ask, "so what would you like to play?"

Something simple without too much thinking or talking would be good. "Do you know how to play war?"

"Of course. Simple enough no thinking needed for this later hour," and begin shuffling the deck.

Being careful of conversation we kept anymore real-questions to ourselves. One in particular came up throughout the next hour simultaneously to both. If we both didn't have love for Tammy we probably wouldn't be playing cards.

After a few laughs and losing badly to her we decided to turn in. While Arlene finished up in the bathroom first, I made my floor bed.

In the unfamiliar bed Arlene gets as comfortable as possible deep in her thoughts. I turn out the last of the lights in the shack.

Getting cozy on the floor Sheena decides to join, content with the two females for company I let out. "Good night ladies."

The sentiment welcome and including the dog Arlene smiles responding. "Good night Rob."