Boxes lined the hallway. The setting sun shone on the cobwebs in the corners that had managed to hide from the broom. Silence settled in as the dog scurried away to the empty kitchen.
Amy brushed her hands on her jeans as she stood up from packing the last of her books into an egg crate. She looked around, proud of her accomplishment. Her dad would be here any minute with the rental truck. She was on her way to find the dog in the vacant house when something stopped her. The beige shag rug stood rolled up in the dining room next to the oak chest. Amy walked over to it and scraped the rough underside with her palm. It sent shivers down her body. She let the strands of fiber slip between her fingers, and grabbed a fistful. She closed her eyes and swore she could hear his voice.
“Amy, baby! Come look at this one!”
“Brandon, really? It’s so old-fashioned looking.”
“It’s exquisite. Let’s get it!”
“How about we walk around and get our other stuff before making such an expensive decision?”
Amy knew they would be leaving the store with the gigantic carpet at that moment. How could she shut down her fiancé’s request when such a simple thing like a rug prompted that wide toothy grin she so loved?
As soon as they got it home, Brandon unrolled the fluffy mass and sprawled out on it.
“Now this- this is perfection,” he let out a relaxed sigh and pretended to snore.
Amy giggled and jumped on him. They playfully wrestled, cuddled, and ended up falling asleep for the night there on the floor.
From then on, when they were home, they did most everything on the shag rug. Ate, played games, read, napped. Baby Jane took her first steps there. The beige rug became a part of the family, affectionately known as “Benji.”
When Brandon went off to Iraq, Amy had cut off an end piece of Benji and thrown it in with his clothes, a surprise to be found when he unpacked. His next letter expressed his extreme love and gratitude. There was nothing that could symbolize “home” more accurately than Benji.
The sound of the moving truck horn startled Amy back to her empty apartment, still holding onto the carpet. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks and went out to meet her dad.
Amy brushed her hands on her jeans as she stood up from packing the last of her books into an egg crate. She looked around, proud of her accomplishment. Her dad would be here any minute with the rental truck. She was on her way to find the dog in the vacant house when something stopped her. The beige shag rug stood rolled up in the dining room next to the oak chest. Amy walked over to it and scraped the rough underside with her palm. It sent shivers down her body. She let the strands of fiber slip between her fingers, and grabbed a fistful. She closed her eyes and swore she could hear his voice.
“Amy, baby! Come look at this one!”
“Brandon, really? It’s so old-fashioned looking.”
“It’s exquisite. Let’s get it!”
“How about we walk around and get our other stuff before making such an expensive decision?”
Amy knew they would be leaving the store with the gigantic carpet at that moment. How could she shut down her fiancé’s request when such a simple thing like a rug prompted that wide toothy grin she so loved?
As soon as they got it home, Brandon unrolled the fluffy mass and sprawled out on it.
“Now this- this is perfection,” he let out a relaxed sigh and pretended to snore.
Amy giggled and jumped on him. They playfully wrestled, cuddled, and ended up falling asleep for the night there on the floor.
From then on, when they were home, they did most everything on the shag rug. Ate, played games, read, napped. Baby Jane took her first steps there. The beige rug became a part of the family, affectionately known as “Benji.”
When Brandon went off to Iraq, Amy had cut off an end piece of Benji and thrown it in with his clothes, a surprise to be found when he unpacked. His next letter expressed his extreme love and gratitude. There was nothing that could symbolize “home” more accurately than Benji.
The sound of the moving truck horn startled Amy back to her empty apartment, still holding onto the carpet. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks and went out to meet her dad.
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