Long Island's morning always comes very early.
The backmost guest room on the second floor was originally used to store sundries.
After Soldier Boy washed the dirty bucket full of paint smell last night, Lynn threw him a thick quilt that smelled like sunshine and pointed to this room.
Soldier Boy opened his eyes suddenly.
He was dressed roughly and his eyes were confused.
He was stunned for a full minute before he realized where he was now.
There was no biting cold water, no Russian guys in white coats holding needles, and no disgusting smell of stagnant water in the sewers.
He opened the quilt and sat up. The old and loose flannel pajamas were very comfortable on him.
He took a deep breath, and the sweet smell of pancakes and maple syrup wafted through the corridor.
My stomach growled loudly.
He casually grabbed his messy hair, opened the door and walked out.
The living room on the first floor had already become lively.
There was a morning cartoon playing on the TV, and Reggie and Tommy were pushing each other over who took up more space on the sofa.
Kevin was sitting on the carpet holding his knees, and Annie was helping him comb his curly hair.
Soldier Boy Walking down the stairs, the thick wooden stairs made a slight creaking sound.
If it had been before, when United States icon went downstairs, there would have been thunderous applause, and everyone would have stood up and paid attention.
But now, the little guys in the living room didn't even raise their eyelids, and completely regarded him as a breathing piece of furniture.
Big Golden Retriever Buddy was lying by the fireplace chewing a big bone. Hearing the noise, he raised his eyelids and glanced at him.
"Yo, free labor is up."
Buddy used his two front paws to protect his bones and muttered vaguely, "There are two pans in the kitchen sink that were not washed last night. You'd better be discerning and don't expect others to serve you."
Soldier Boy, for the first time ever, did not exchange trash talk with this dog.
He just rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen.
On the island in the kitchen, Lynn is putting the last fried pancake on a plate.
John is sitting on a high stool, holding a bottle of maple syrup in his hand, and is carefully drawing a smiley face on the pancakes on his plate.
Hearing the footsteps, John raised his head, and Azure glanced at Soldier Boy.
There was no hostility or intimacy, just the way he looked at passers-by.
John turned his head and continued to focus on his syrupy smile.
Lynn pointed to a large mug next to the sink, and then pointed to a plate of pancakes next to it.
"Pour the coffee yourself and wipe the table clean after eating. The snow has melted today. Backyard The row of fences is a bit loose. The toolbox is in the utility room. Go and reinforce it."
The tone of this command was so natural that it made people laugh.
This guy really knows how to summon people...
Soldier Boy mentally complained, walked to the sink, poured himself a large cup of black coffee, then pulled out a chair with the plate of pancakes and sat down.
He took a bite of the pancake, and the sweetness of maple syrup and the aroma of butter spread in his mouth.
He turned to look at John who was eating heavily next to him, and then looked at Lynn who was washing and wiping his hands by the sink.
This feeling is so strange.
No one cares whether he is Superheroes, and no one cares how majestic he was back then.
In this home, his value is not even as good as the hammer in the utility room.
After all, the hammer can still break nails. If he doesn't repair the fence, he probably won't be able to eat this plate of pancakes tomorrow.
But this is where he feels most at ease.
You don't have to put on airs, you don't have to be constantly on guard against other people's schemes, you just need to do some physical work, and you can get a hot meal and a warm bed in exchange.
After breakfast, Soldier Boy consciously cleared the dishes.
He even began to learn how to use the seemingly complicated dishwasher. Although he almost poured Dishwashing Liquid into the sewer while operating it, he still stumbled and tidied up the kitchen amid Buddy's ruthless ridicule.
The sunshine in the morning was very good. Although the temperature was still very low, it felt warm on my body.
Soldier Boy took off his coat, only wore a gray long-sleeved T-shirt, and came to Backyard carrying a heavy red toolbox.
This row of wooden fences is a bit old, and some of the wooden bars were really loose due to the heavy snow last night.
He knelt down, took out a hammer and a box of long nails from the tool box, and began to hammer.
For a man who could once tear apart an armored vehicle with his bare hands, building a wooden fence was easier than drinking water.
But he worked very seriously, hammering every nail firmly to ensure that the wooden strips would not shake any more.
After working for about an hour, he had repaired more than half of the fence.
Just when he was about to stand up and stretch his sore lower back, there was a soft sound of footsteps behind him.
The rustling sound of stepping on the snow is very steady.
He looked back.
John is standing not far away holding a white ceramic mug.
The cup was still steaming out, and you could vaguely smell the rich aroma of hot cocoa.
Two competition-level white men, one big and one small, just looked at each other in the snow.
Soldier Boy subconsciously tightened the hammer in his hand.
He thought that this little brat was here to warn him again, and he even began to think quickly in his mind. If John suddenly made a move, he should squat down with his head in his hands or quickly beg for mercy.
John didn't speak, just walked up to him and handed the mug forward.
"Lynn said it's cold outside and repairing the fence is hard work. Let me give this to you."
John's voice is still a bland tone without too many ups and downs, but to Soldier Boy's ears, it is even more mind-numbing than when Times Square was cheered by the crowd.
He stared blankly at the cup handed to him, rubbed his rough hands hard on his trouser legs twice, and then carefully took it.
The wall of the cup was very warm, the sweet smell of hot cocoa penetrated right into the nose, and there were even two soft candies floating in the cup that were about to melt.
"Thank you." He choked out two words dryly.
John nodded and did not leave immediately. Instead, he turned to look at the fence he had repaired.
"The nails were hammered very neatly." John gave a very objective evaluation.
With such a simple sentence, Soldier Boy almost lost control of his expression on his weathered old face.
He felt his eyes burning up, quickly lowered his head and took a big sip of hot cocoa.
The hot liquid flows down the throat and into the stomach, making the body warm and comfortable.
John ignored him, turned around and walked slowly towards the house through the snow.
Soldier Boy held the cup and looked at the little figure from behind.
Silent for a long time.