A Simple Act of Charity

Author's Note: This is the first story I've chosen to release as a single entity, instead of releasing individual chapters or parts. I think it will flow better that way and I may choose to do more like this in the future. Enjoy!

Austin Frazier pulled up to the small townhouse and put the car in park. Looking up at the dull-brown unit in front of him, he spotted a discarded beer can in the flower bed right by the mailbox. Austin let out a disappointed sigh as he turned the ignition off and climbed out of the driver's seat.

At this point in his life, he'd been hoping to move forward with his life. Yet, staring at the rows of townhouses in their small college-oriented town had him feeling more like he was moving backwards. It wasn't that he disapproved of college—no, he'd been there and done that almost a decade ago. Now, he was thirty, and he'd been recently forced to sell his own five-acre ranch twenty minutes away (and much closer to his job) to take over the extra spot on his cousin JD's lease.

Interestingly enough, that story started back during his own college days. It was the second to last semester when Austin sat down right next to a stunning brunette in his Ancient Roman history class. McKenzie had been friendly and willing to carry her part of the conversation, and soon enough they had their own nightly meetings for studying. After enough time, those study meetings drifted from the local student union back to Austin's dorm, usually spending a good portion of the night undressed and under the covers.

McKenzie had been insatiable. In the beginning, she was a great girlfriend, but she always knew what she wanted—her path in life was already well-defined. She wanted to be married by twenty-five and have two kids by thirty. Always very family-oriented, McKenzie made sure that he knewexactly how she wanted her life to go. At first, he'd been onboard and willing to follow her time frame. At the time, he'd just wanted to make her happy because when McKenzie was happy, so was he.

They were engaged the year after college and married at the early age of twenty-four—a whole year ahead of schedule. Their first year of marriage was bliss. Austin had no idea what happened with other couples who seemed to bicker and argue all the time. Time with McKenzie just seemed easy. They didn't need to work too hard to make their marriage work, and Austin looked forward to a bright future with her.

Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there. McKenzie wanted to have two children by the time she was thirty and that gave them a full six years to get working on their baby-making duties. Yet McKenzie never seemed to become pregnant. It wasn't for a lack of trying. At first, they simply stopped using protection, hoping to get pregnant the old-fashioned way. When that didn't work, McKenzie decided to get a lot more practical. She started tracking her ovulation, and she made sure they always had sex during those special days every month when she was at her most fertile.

It was when they both turned twenty-eight that they had to admit out loud that what they were doing wasn't working. None of the pregnancy tests ever came back positive and frustration in their household was reaching a boiling point. What had been an easygoing marriage up until that point had turned a full one hundred and eighty degrees at the drop of a hat.

The struggles that they faced in trying to get pregnant led them both to doctors to test their fertility. In the worst news he'd ever received, Austin found out that he had weak sperm. In common terms, his little swimmers just weren't strong enough to reach the womb and often died long before they fertilized an egg. McKenzie was fine and perfectly able to get pregnant and the problem laid solely with him.

Austin was devastated. There's no feeling like being told you would never be able to become a father. That you would someday never get to hold a child of your own flesh and blood. The ride back from the doctor was a quiet one as he mostly stared out the window and tried to hold back the tears.

With the diagnosis, he was willing to try just about anything to fix the problem. He tried a few different drug prescriptions, a few supplements, and even changing his diet and lifestyle to remedy the problem. Even with all the changes, they never received a positive pregnancy test. Life for him would never be the same. Nor would it be for his wife.

If he had expected her to sympathize with his position, he soon found out that wouldn't be the case. McKenzie's sex drive dried up almost overnight. It was a complete change from the early years of their marriage when he struggled to keep her off of him. Now, she barely gave him the time of day and refused to have sex, often asking him what the point of it all was.

If that was all it had been, perhaps their marriage could've survived. But with their sex drying up and the prospect of kids never happening, and thus her time frame all but destroyed, McKenzie became even more withdrawn. They started having the nastiest of fights, often going days without speaking a word to each other. McKenzie went from being one of the sweetest women he'd ever met to becoming one of the cruelest. In some of those fights, she'd ridicule him for being infertile or take shots at his manhood for not being able to fulfill the simplest biological imperative.

Austin tried to attribute it to frustration on her part. He knew how badly she wanted kids, and she was taking her frustration out on him. He thought that if she could just get enough of it out now, eventually they'd be able to move on. Perhaps they'd be able to adopt and still be able to raise children even if they weren't biologically their own.

However, it was six months ago almost to the day when she dropped the biggest bombshell on him to date. McKenzie had met someone else—a man that she had met at work. In her own words, Kent was her soulmate. And she wanted a divorce. In the space of two minutes, Austin's entire life came crashing down.

He didn't try to fight her. All of the fight in him had already left. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't hate McKenzie for wanting to move on. She wanted something that he just couldn't give her, and there was no reason to hang onto something that was so broken. It only took them six months to finalize the divorce, no doubt frustrating the lawyers who would've wanted to drag it out for a larger payday. McKenzie got the ranch and the furniture while Austin just got back most of his own possessions and clothing. He was only too happy to give away the ranch. At this point, it only contained too many bad memories.

He had to move back home for several months but time spent living with his parents got old rather quickly. For that reason, when he heard his cousin JD needed someone to take over the other portion of his lease, he leapt at the chance for independent living once more. What was more, he actually liked his cousin, despite what the rest of the family had to say about him.

You see, JD was one of those perennial college students. Even though he was already twenty-five, he was still a year shy of completing his degree. It wasn't that JD wasn't intelligent—he just lived his life at his own pace, which happened to be much slower than everyone else's.

"Hey, Austin, welcome to the pad!" said a clearly delighted JD as he opened the door.

"Hey, JD. Thanks for letting me take over the other spot here," said Austin while setting his bags on the floor. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"Oh, it's going to be killer, you have no idea! And feel free to make yourself at home. I got the Xbox hooked up to the plasma screen in the den and plenty of booze in the kitchen. Mi casa es su casa, brother," said JD.

Austin smiled politely, trying not to laugh at the clear reminder of his college days. Not that he didn't enjoy a night of Xbox or the occasional beer, it's just that he'd largely outgrown that part of his life. Still, Austin appreciated his cousin where a lot of his family did not. JD had a good heart and he was a straight-shooter. Most of the time. When he wasn't inebriated.

"Anyway, this is going to be your room. The walls are thin, so if you got a girl over, just remember to keep it down. A sock on the door helps to let me know too," said JD before grabbing a bowl of pretzels and heading for the couch.

Austin's room was spartan to say the least, but it was exactly what he needed at this point in his life. Not having many possessions, he didn't have a requirement for a lot of space, and the twin bed, dresser, closet, and desk were completely adequate for the situation. It didn't take him long to unpack, and soon enough, Austin joined his cousin on the couch to watch a little television. Thankfully, the common area didn't look too bad, and the couch was comfortable without having any major stains or tears. He just might be able to make this work.

"Dude, you wouldn't happen to have any rubbers on you, would you? I'm seeing this rocker chick tonight," said JD while grabbing another handful of pretzels.

Austin had to stifle a laugh but managed to shake his head. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had sex so it wasn't really like he needed a condom anyway. This living arrangement was sure to be interesting.

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Thankfully, living with JD wasn't half as bad as Austin thought it might've been. While it was true that his cousin did seem to party and stay up all night like most college kids, he was a remarkably respectful roommate, and kept the house clean for the most part. All in all, after the first month, Austin wasn't itching to leave and generally enjoyed the extra time spent bonding with his cousin, even if the guy was usually still sleeping when he left for work at seven-thirty in the morning.

One thing he noticed after leaving the house so early for work was that their development didn't cater exclusively to college students. Despite being situated in a college town and being not far from campus, Austin noticed the same people who seemed to work the usual nine-to-five as he did come from the community. It was after he had arrived home one evening and went out to get his mail that he met one of those other families.

It's worth mentioning at that point that the townhouse they lived in was split with another family unit on the right side. Austin and JD occupied the left side of the space, and as far as Austin could tell, there seemed to be an older man and a younger woman living in the other unit. It was rare that he saw them outside the house or leaving to go somewhere.

Yet on that night that Austin was retrieving the mail, he was walking back up to the house when he heard someone call out for him.

"Hey, neighbor!"

Austin looked around for the source of the noise, and it wasn't until they said it again that he locked eyes on the man from the unit next to them, waving from his front porch. Austin smiled and walked up to the man and gave him his own friendly greeting.

"Hey there, how's it going?"

The man smiled and offered his hand, which Austin took. "Not too bad. I've seen you come and go a few times but didn't realize you took the spot in the other unit here. I just figured I'd introduce myself."

Austin smiled as well. "Oh, yeah, no problem. I've seen you a few times as well."

"I have to say though, you look a little old for a college student," said the man with a cheeky smile. Austin found himself chuckling along with him. The man was older, at least old enough to be his father. His hair had at one point been dark, but age had streaked it a heavy silver color. He had kind, brown eyes and an affable smile.

"Yeah, not a college student actually," said Austin. "Just at a rough point in my life and trying to bounce back."

The man nodded. "I can understand that. Life has its way of throwing curveballs at you." He tapped his leg and that's when Austin noticed the crutches. He followed his gaze down and settled on the man's leg, which was wrapped in a heavy cast.

"That looks painful," said Austin while gesturing to his leg. "When did you break it?"

"Oh, about three months ago. But it's not a normal break. It's bone cancer."

Austin grimaced. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. That must be tough."

"Don't even worry about it," said the man with a grin. "My daughter takes great care of me. She's a nurse, you know? That's how I know I get the best care."

"She lives here, right?" asked Austin. "I've seen another girl before but only a few times."

"If you're talking about the twenty-something redhead, then that's my Jenna," said the man with a laugh. "She's my angel. I just wish she didn't have to work so much. Nursing is tough already without having to come home to take care of your father."

"Well, I'm sure she'd rather take care of you than just about anyone else," said Austin, almost at a loss for words. The man's openness had been a bit of a shock, and Austin wasn't sure just why he was being so forthcoming with someone he'd just met. Someone whose name he didn't even know.

Although in that respect, the man seemed to read his mind. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? My name is Robert by the way. Robert Gibson."

"Austin Frazier. Good to meet you, sir!"

"And you, Austin, and you. So you're probably wondering why I stopped you to chat, right?" asked Robert with a kindly smile.

Austin chuckled. "The thought did cross my mind. Although I figured you were just being friendly."

"Well, I was. You look like a nice young man, and when I realized you were my neighbor, I figured I'd give this a shot." Robert opened his mouth and then shut it, trying to figure out the next words to say.

On the inside, Austin almost winced.Oh god, what kind of weird shit is he going to ask me? He's going to ask me to join his church cult, isn't he? Damnit, I have to move now. The thoughts swirled inside Austin's head as he waited for the man to open up again.

When he finally did, Austin was thoroughly surprised at the request.

"You know, until the cancer, I did a lot of the work outside the house like raking leaves, landscaping, mowing the grass, and shoveling snow. The whole nine yards! Well, with this cancer, I'm going to be down and out for quite a while," said Robert honestly. "I was hoping you might be able to help me out. Not for free, mind you. I'm willing to pay you. Just with fall right around the corner, and soon winter, I'm really going to need the extra help."

Austin breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, of course. That's no problem, and I'd be glad to help you with that!"

Robert chuckled. "See? I knew I asked the right guy. I really appreciate it. I'm sure the leaves will be falling off the trees soon, and this yard will just get littered with them."

"I don't have any problems with doing that for you, and honestly, save your money," said Austin while holding up his hands. "I'm sure battling cancer can't be cheap. And honestly, I'll be doing our own yard anyway so it won't make one difference if I stop to do yours too."

"Well, I'm not going to turn that down," said Robert. "But if you ever feel like you aren't being compensated or that it's not worth your time, just let me know. I'd be glad to pay you."

"That's no problem at all," said Austin. Before he could say anything further, they were both distracted by the sound of a small car pulling into the driveway. It quickly parked and the headlights were turned off.

"Ah, there's my daughter. Stay here, and I'll introduce you to Jenna," said Robert with a fatherly smile of pride.

Austin watched as the door to the car swung open, and he prepared to be polite to Robert's daughter. He really had no idea what to expect as he could only count on two fingers the number of times he'd seen her, and both times were more of a short glance rather than a long look.

But when Jenna stepped out of that car, his jaw almost hit the floor. It was almost like time slowed down, and he could begin to hear an 80s power ballad start to play in his head. For one, she was absolutely gorgeous, even still dressed in her faded blue scrubs. Her red hair was loose, falling down just past her shoulders and as wavy as can be. The shade of red was on the lighter side, and from the right angle, it looked to be tinged with gold for a regal effect.

Her face was soft and feminine with a short jawline and a small, rounded chin. Her mouth was small, tiny, and perfectly capped off with a pair of light-pink lips. She had short, arched eyebrows the same color as her hair, and her blue eyes were what caught him straight in the heart. Their intensity once focused on him made his breathing increase beyond his control.

In a few words, Jenna was incredibly beautiful, and Austin found himself thanking his fortunes for being introduced to such a lovely woman. Even in scrubs and tennis shoes, he could tell she had a pleasing figure underneath. As soon as she saw him standing there with her father, a small but weary smile appeared on her face as she approached them.

"There you are, sweetheart," said Robert. "Did you have a good shift?"

"It wasn't too bad. How are you, Dad?" asked Jenna before turning to him. "And who's this?"

"This is our new neighbor. Austin, meet my daughter, Jenna. Jenna, this is Austin," said Robert.

"A pleasure," said Austin as he reached out his hand. She took it within her own and squeezed gently. Even her hand was soft, warm, and delicate. He didn't want to let go. There was a small twinkle in her eye during their meeting, and Austin had to wonder if she could tell the effect she was having on him.

The effect was so prominent that Austin found himself wondering what to say next. The way Jenna's eyes seemed to draw him in had him stammering to think of something to say. There was a moment of awkward silence before she started to speak.

"Well, I really should get inside," she said with a shy smile. "I got puked on earlier, and I really want to get out of these scrubs." Jenna's hands grabbed her top, indicated the small patch of off-coloring from someone's earlier unloading.

"No problem," answered Austin quickly. "It was nice to meet you."

Jenna leaned down and kissed her father's temple. Her eyes then rose back to his as she started to walk away. "You too, Austin."

As she started to walk away, Austin had to do everything in his power not to check her out.Don't check her out right in front of her father, he repeated to himself internally. He hazarded a quick glance before Robert turned his attention back his way.

Luckily, he seemed not to notice. "I should probably get back inside too. It's getting a little cool out here," said Robert with a kind smile. "It was great to meet you, Austin! Stop by anytime you like, and I really appreciate you helping me as well."

Austin grinned and shook the man's hand. "It's no problem whatsoever. Good meeting you as well."

For the next month, Austin's friendship with Robert took on a surprising dimension. Many nights on his way home from work, Robert could be found on the front porch getting some evening air. Almost every time, Austin would stop to chat with the elderly father about many particular topics, and after a while, those topics became rather deep.

Soon they were just like good friends, and Austin got to know the man rather well during that time. He found out all about Robert's bone cancer and how he'd broken his leg (the cancer wore away the bone in his leg and it broke one morning just getting into a car) to his treatment options and the story of his life. Robert's wife passed away years ago from cancer as well, and it was just him and Jenna now.

After enough time, Austin was able to confide in the man about his own personal life as well, telling him all about his marriage and the divorce that followed. He would tell him about his living situation with JP and regale him with stories of living with his college-oriented cousin, enough to make both men chuckle at the young man and his antics.