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Drip, drip, drip.
It wouldn’t be long before that sound would haunt Linda’s nightmares.
In the past week, every time she used the kitchen, the incessant sound emitted by the broken faucet reminded her of the problem. She supposed this was part of the growing pains of living with Bob for the first time. Nevertheless, the faucet needed to be repaired as soon as possible, so that she would not yank her hair out. She strode to the sink, glanced within the basin, and noticed water plopping onto the ceramic bottom. Air shot out of her nose in an annoyed fashion and stared at the wrench snuggled in the cabinet below the sink. She contemplated for the tenth time whether it would be a good idea to fix the faucet herself. However, an image crept into her mind of water dousing her, and she shuddered. Shaking her head, she decided she should get some assistance instead.
“Hey, Bobby, you think you can take care of this sink? It’s driving me nuts, and not the delicious kind squirrels store for winter,” she snorted at her own joke as Bob entered the kitchen, apron draped around his neck. “Oh, there’s my handsome cook. My star. I love how that new apron fits you. How’s it feel?”
“Nice… I guess.” He glanced down to observe how it fit him. “I like it a lot, but…”
Linda exhaled, knowing what was coming. “This seems like an enormous commitment and you’re having second thoughts about opening a restaurant and having a chef be your full-time profession to support us and our future kids?”
Her face warmed as the last part slipped out. It caused her to remember how, when her parents visited them in the apartment for the first time, she mentioned marriage. Now she was mentioning kids already? She sounded so eager and so desperate. She didn’t want to freak her poor boyfriend out. Then again, being a mother had always been her greatest dream, and she and Bob had been dating for what seemed like ages. Perhaps that’s why babies were occupying her mind.
“Forget that last part.” She gave an uneasy laugh to hide her discomfort.
She saw Bob’s expression become pinched, his eyes seeming much farther away than his body was. She bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry if I freaked you out, Bob. I didn’t mean to say kids. Of course, we don’t have to think about little munchkins right now. What we need to focus on is getting your restaurant off the ground. We’re so close! I can’t wait to see it all happen. You’re going to be an incredible chef. People will line up around the block.”
“I-It’s not that, Lin.” Bob heaved a weary sigh, his shoulders tensing. “I just… having kids makes me nervous. Every time I imagine kids running around, all I can imagine is my father, and how we never talked about anything. It got worse after Mom died. He would close himself off, and he left me to deal with my own emotions, and I didn’t think he cared about me at the time. It was hard.”
She placed a hand on her chest, her heart aching for Bob. She leaned forward and saw that his eyes were bloodshot, with deep circles underneath. “Oh, Bobby. You’re afraid of repeating your father’s mistakes?”
His silence was answer enough for her. She continued, raising her voice to better get her message across, “I’m sure I don’t have to be the one to tell you how mistakes are part of being a parent. Even if you make a few, everything will turn out fine. Remember, I’ll be with you every step of the way. You’re never getting rid of me, mister.”
He gave a hesitant, wry grin at her encouraging words. “Thank you for saying that. B-But what if they… well… what if we have kids and they don’t like me?”
The words tumbled out of his mouth at the speed of a thunderclap, and it took Linda a moment to process them. Once she did, she couldn’t hold back the guffaw that was threatening to escape her mouth. Every second she spent keeping it locked in her throat, the more it ached to be set free. At last, she let loose and clutched her sides with the intensity of her laughter. She even had to take a moment to catch her breath.
She was aware of the pessimistic place Bob’s mind would wander once he heard her exuberant laughter, so once she got ahold of herself, she said, “Oh, Bob. Don’t worry, I’m not laughing at you. It’s just… if we had kids, how would they not like you?”
Bob let a deep grunt slip, a deep rumble beginning in his chest and leading to his mouth. “I can think of many reasons they wouldn’t like me.”
Linda placed a hand on her hip. “If they don’t like you, then they’ll have to answer to me. They’ll love you, Bob. Do you know why I think that? You’re here worrying about them and what they’ll think of you. That’s the sign of a wonderful parent in the making. I can’t say for sure what it’ll be like having kids, but I know in my heart they will adore their father with every fiber of their being.”
Linda threaded her fingers through Bob’s as if she were sewing an intricate sweater or quilt. She noticed her boyfriend’s face dusted in a darker shade of cherry red. “Thanks, Lin. You—well—I feel better now.”
She allowed her lips to brush against his in a gentle gesture of affection. “I’m glad, because we have other issues to deal with. I swear this broken sink will be the death of me. You’ll have to cremate me so young!”
Bob’s eyes narrowed, and his mouth twisted into a playful smirk. “You want to be cremated?”
“Yes, but not important right now. Please tell me you can fix it.”
He glanced at the water droplets easing out of the faucet and rubbed a fatigued hand down his face. “I would, but if I tried, it would end in the sink being in worse shape than before. I hate to say it, considering we have such little money, but we might need to call someone, a professional.”
Linda bounced on the balls of her feet. “Ooh, we get to meet someone new? Maybe we can even get them to try a burger, and they’ll spread the word, then the next thing you know, we’ll have a line around the block for when the restaurant opens! I can’t wait. I’ll make a call right now.”
Bob shook his head with an amused grin dancing across his lips. “I don’t think we should get ahead of ourselves. They could be boring.”
Linda responded with a dismissive hand wave as she went to secure the best handy person for the job.
✧ ✧ ✧
The man who greeted them at the door looked as if he could’ve been a lifeguard in a previous life. His hair was blond and thinning, with minute, but still noticeable, freckles dusting across his nose and cheeks. His skin was quite tanned as if he’d lied in the sweltering sun on the beach, which is where Linda had gotten the lifeguard idea from. He had a pudgy yet still stocky frame that reached around a head taller than Linda. His eyes were a startling forest green, and he blinked at her before clearing his throat.
His voice had some gravel, but wasn’t unpleasant to listen to, “I heard you were having some trouble with your sink. They can be quite pesky.”
She laughed, the sound carrying the same airy quality as chimes on a windy day. “It’s been driving me bananas for a while now. We’ll have you look at it, and I’m praying you’ll be able to fix it. I don’t know what I’ll do if you can’t. Maybe move out.”
She let out a snort. “Just kidding. I could never leave Bobby alone here.”
In his approach to the apartment where Bob and Linda lived, the man tilted his head as he followed her up the winding staircase. “Who’s Bobby? Just out of curiosity.”
“Oh, you’ll love him. He’s my fabulous boyfriend. He doesn’t do very well around strangers, though, so he might seem a bit… strange, at first. But trust me, he’s a great guy. He’ll warm up to you soon enough, I bet.” Because of Bob’s poor attitude towards strangers, Linda felt it was necessary to explain this beforehand. This was out of fear of Teddy misconstruing Bob’s behavior to rudeness when that wasn’t the case.
A few times, she jiggled the key into the lock, determined to break open the ancient apartment door. Once she succeeded at the task, at last, she pumped a satisfied fist into the air. She then offered her fist to the man without thinking, as if they hadn’t just met a couple of minutes earlier and had been longtime friends.
The gesture caused his shoulders to tense, and he scrutinized her knuckle as if she was about to reel back and punch him. After a moment of hesitation, though, he accepted her fist bump. He glanced at his shoes, and Linda speculated if she was imagining this, but a small grin bloomed across his face. “No one’s ever done that before.”
Linda blinked at this news. “Not even as a “Thank you” for a job well done?”
His shoulders sagged in a shrug. “Most people don’t even bother asking me what my name is. They just want their problem fixed as soon as possible.”
An ache permeated throughout Linda’s chest at this man’s fate. Cursed to help others, but have no one care about you? Not even enough to ask what your name is? Her heart would not let her rest until she corrected this injustice. “Well, I’d love to know what the name of our Plumbing Party is called.”
“Plumbing Party?”
“I thought it would be a cute nickname for a Handy Person like you. Once you fix our problem, it’ll feel like a party. Or at least, Bob and I will feel like celebrating.”
Linda could’ve sworn she saw another bashful grin sweep across the man’s face. “The Plumbing Party’s name is Teddy. I’m still glad you called me when you did. This could get intense.”
Linda raised her eyebrows, a hand flying to her cheek. “Intense? Are you sure?”
He snorted. “No, not intense. But a broken, leaky faucet can have so many causes, it’ll take me a while to figure out what’s wrong.”
To their fortune, it didn’t take long for Teddy to figure out what the issue was. Upon inspection, it was clear from the interior that something had gnawed on the pipes, causing a dent and a few breaches. To their additional fortune, Teddy disclosed the fix would be straightforward. The familiar sounds of Bob's culinary expertise enveloped Linda, creating a sense of comfort and intimacy. She noticed the sounds were coming from the kitchen, and her stomach gave a rumble of anticipation. As Bob wielded his pan, he crafted a mouthwatering dish in anticipation of the Plumbing Party’s completion of the pipe fix.
Then, the most wonderful sound reached Linda’s ears, “Oh my gosh! It worked! Everything’s fixed now!”
The jubilation in Teddy’s voice could’ve fooled anyone into believing that this was the first pipe he’d ever fixed. Linda hoped that wasn’t the case, but shared in his passion all the same. With a joyful bounce in her step, she propelled herself on the heels of her feet, her arms swinging in sync, and her grip on his shoulders never loosening.
“You did it?” Her breath caught in her throat, almost not wanting to believe it was true until she got confirmation that it was, indeed, fixed.
“Yes! It’s fixed!” He slid out from under the sink and threw his arms in the air, his mouth turning into the largest grin she’d ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Their arms intertwined, and they jumped up and down with joy, coinciding with Bob's confident stride into the room.
“Am I interrupting something?” He asked. He had a joking tone in his voice, and he had a smirk plastered on his face.
“Oh, Bobby, look, Teddy fixed the sink! I won’t be going insane because of that noise anymore! I can walk in here without that dripping noise haunting every depth of my soul.” She shuddered at the thought. “Anyway, this calls for a celebration for our Plumbing Party! All right!”
As Linda pumped an enthusiastic arm in the air, Bob shook his head, trying and failing to hide a snigger leaving his mouth. But if any occasion called for one of her celebrations, it was this one without a doubt.
✧ ✧ ✧
Bob deposited the plate of food in front of the so-called “Plumbing Party”, which is what Linda insisted they call Teddy. He didn’t know why, but it made her merry, so he went along with it.
Teddy licked his lips in anticipation of the meal. “Wow, that smells delicious, Bobby.”
He didn’t know how we felt about Teddy calling him Bobby too, because that was a nickname reserved for Linda to call him. But he supposed because the man corrected their sink, he would allow it.
Teddy savored the smell of the burger for a few more minutes before taking a bite. It was one of his new “Burger of the Day” creations for when his restaurant would open. He called it the “Say Kim-Cheese” burger. It had melted gruyere cheese along with some fresh fermented cabbage (kimchi) from Korea. He also paired it with some spiced bison meat for the patty.
As Teddy’s mouth tasted the burger for the first time and began chewing, he could see actual tears form at the edges of the man’s eyes. “ Mmmm…”
Bob reached out an arm, his lips pursing, “Oh my god, are you all right? Is it bad?”
The man shook his head as more tears formed, causing him to almost be full-on crying. He took a moment to compose himself, wiping his eyes with a napkin Bob provided. “It wasn’t bad, it was good. It was… I don’t have words. That might’ve been the greatest thing I’ve tasted in my life. Ever. Nothing even comes close now.”
Bob couldn’t help a feeling of pride beginning to swell in his chest at the compliment. He wasn’t used to taking compliments because of a habit he couldn’t quite shake where he kept believing compliments to be fake or unrealistic. However, there was a certain cadence to Teddy’s tone which indicated that his words were nothing but genuine.
“Oh. Thank you, Teddy. I have been cooking for a long time now. I used to work at my dad’s restaurant. Once everything’s in order, I’m going to open my own here.”
Teddy slid his chair back and fixed Bob with a stare that would’ve made him uncomfortable if Teddy hadn’t showered him with praise a second ago. “When are you opening? I need to know.”
Bob didn’t think he’d ever had anyone have such an ardent response to his cooking besides Linda. He wasn’t used to having such an earnest response to his culinary creations. He scanned the ceiling, hoping his embarrassing grin wasn’t visible. Linda detected it though, as there weren’t a lot of things related to him that could slip under her radar.
“I think it’s still going to be a while,” Bob said, grasping the now barren plate to put in the sink. “There are a lot of things you have to figure out when you’re trying to open a restaurant.”
The weight of all the unresolved matters made his temple throb as if echoing his stress. The rent alone was enough to cause a groan to slip between his lips. They found a man who offered them space, but it was onerous to afford both supplies and rent. Both he and Linda had found part-time jobs to scrape up enough money for it. However, the small voice in the back of his head, like a haunting refrain, was creeping back, insisting that this was a dreadful idea.
“Oh God. Was this—” He began asking, when Linda held her hand up, as if threatening to put it over her mouth.
“Oh no, mister, we’re not doing this again. Your restaurant is going to be fabulous if Teddy’s reaction is anything to go by. Just wait and see, you’ll get millions of customers like him!”
“Please, Bobby, open this restaurant! I don’t think I can live without another burger you made! I can’t go back to any others.” His eyes appeared to be glistening again.
“You enjoyed it that much?”
The profoundness of Teddy's gaze took Bob aback, and it felt as if he were looking into Bob’s soul.
“Enjoy? Enjoy?” Teddy opened and closed his mouth in disbelief. “I enjoy petting random dogs on the street. I enjoy getting some ice cream from a truck once in a while. I enjoy hot chocolate on a snowy day. This… this was art in food form. The most remarkable thing I’ve ever let my taste buds experience. If you don’t open this restaurant, you will deprive the world of this magic! Do you want to deprive the world?”
“Wow, I never said I wanted to give up. But now I for sure won’t.” It was taking some getting used to having someone be as zealous and intense about him pursuing his dream besides Linda. “Once we open, you can be our first customer.”
Teddy leaned forward, and before Bob knew what was happening, he was being wrapped into a massive bear hug. “You mean it? I could have the honor of being your first customer?”
“Teddy, you’re kind of choking me. But yes, I mean it.”
He then peeked over at his girlfriend to see the corner of Linda’s eyes scrunching as she beamed. But she planted a hand over her mouth as if she were feeling nauseous.
“Are you all right, Lin? Is something wrong?”
She shrugged and removed her hand. “Ah, I’m fine. I think it was something I ate earlier. I don’t think I should’ve had that second burrito, and now I’m paying the price.”
She snorted, and Bob relaxed, deciding she was all right after all.
“You think you can name a burger after me?” Teddy asked, changing the subject and grinning.
After that request, the novelty of having someone else be passionate about the restaurant wore off a bit. It still felt wonderful, though. Knowing there was someone out there cheering him on as much as his girlfriend. Believing in him as much as his girlfriend. Teddy could be a bit much, but he seemed like someone they should keep around. Something told him doing so would be worth it.
“Hey, Teddy, you want to stay for dinner? I’ll make you another burger,” Bob said, waiting for the enthusiastic response.
And sure enough, Teddy pulled him into another tight bear hug.
It would take some getting used to, but Teddy seemed as if he’d be an excellent first customer.