Gravity (Greenford #2) - Romeo Alexander Page 0,45
do, something that could be done in a reasonable amount of time, and the man could fly through a task and onto the next.
“Looking pretty tired there, old man,” Sam teased as he walked from the kitchen, holding out a beer for Caleb.
“Don’t call me old when you’re only a few years younger than me,” Caleb grumbled, taking the offered beer with thanks.
“It’s those few years that make all the difference. Give me a few years and I too will be exhausted by a little bit of unpacking and complain to the younger generation that they’re just simply working too hard for me,” Sam said, collapsing on the couch beside Caleb.
“I was not complaining. I commented that you were flying around at high speed and there was no way in hell I would ever be able to keep up,” Caleb clarified.
“Ah, my deepest apologies. You were complimenting me and complaining at the same time. So sorry, I’ll get it right next time.”
“What is it about housework that gets you extra sassy ?”
“Eh, it’s the feeling of accomplishment. You should see me when I finish grading finals or when I close out a hard case. I get asked if I’m on drugs a lot and advised that I should switch to decaf.”
Caleb lolled his head to look at the other man and smirk. “I’m fairly sure I’ve told you that second thing a few times.”
“Yeah, but I totally deserved it too. I mean, sometimes I drink too much coffee and it feels like I’m going to vibrate through the nearest surface.”
“And you get a little...cranky.”
Sam laughed. “Impatient and cranky. Not a good combination.”
They lapsed into silence after getting rid of their chuckles, sipping on their beers. Caleb took the time to look around the living room, impressed by how much progress they’d made. If he had to guess, they were almost three-quarters of the way done, which was a far cry from where he’d started.
More shelves had been put up, screwed into the walls and adorned with a few of his favorite things. It was mostly pictures of him and his family growing up, a couple of his time over in Germany and Japan. Another shelf sat against the back wall contained the few books he bought because, unlike Samuel, he preferred to keep very few books and had little problem getting rid of those he didn’t want anymore.
The bedroom was finally clear of boxes, as was the hallway leading from the living room to the bedroom and bathroom. All of his clothes had been pulled out and sorted through, with a few large bags sitting in the back of Caleb’s car for donating. Rugs had been laid out in the kitchen, hallway, and at the foot of his bed. They’d managed to dig out the armoire from behind the boxes and fill it with clothes and several pairs of shoes.
It was nice, having a second pair of hands helping him, as well as eyes. Not to mention, Sam didn’t have the attachment to everything in the boxes like Caleb did. One of the biggest hurdles of unpacking for Caleb had been the process of deciding what should be kept and what should be thrown away.
“Thank you,” Caleb murmured, breaking the silence finally.
Sam looked over at him, smiling softly. “You say that every time, and every time I tell you that, of course, I’m going to help you. And that I’m going to keep helping until you’ve got through everything.”
“I don’t just mean the unpacking,” Caleb told him. “Though it’s been nice having someone else to help. And it’s definitely been nice having someone to challenge me when I try to hold onto something that I definitely don’t need.”
Sam chuckled. “I understand. I mean, not only is it hard to let go of things, it’s got to be even harder when it’s things you’re more or less being forced to let go of. Then it just kicks in the stubborn mode.”
Caleb had to grin at that. “True. Which is why it’s nice to have you around to remind me that I don’t need five different vases, and I could probably do with only a few rugs and that no, there’s no point in holding onto blinds I won’t be using anytime soon with the windows I have.”
“I’ve had to do it a time or two with myself,” Sam said.
“Really? I would have never guessed. Your place isn’t very cluttered.”
“I got into the habit after I moved back from Portland. Every now