DOORMAN BUILDING

I was struggling to carry several grocery bags up the front walk. Standing at the bottom of the porch steps, still holding all the bags and trying to get my house keys out of my pocket, when the front door opened.

“Do you need help?” My son Alex asked.

“I’ve got it.” I said as I struggled up the front step and into the house. “I’m afraid if let go of any of them they’re all going to go.”

Getting into the kitchen I lifted my arms and placed all the bags on the counter top. “Whew!” I took a deep breath. “They were heavy!”

Alex had closed the front door and came into the kitchen. “Why didn’t you call me to come get some of them or at least make two trips?”

I shook my head and frowned. “What would be the challenge in that?”

“Challenge?” Alex began unloading the bags.

“Seeing if I can get an entire grocery carts worth of food into the house at once.” I rubbed my arms where the bags had hung from. “A couple of bruises are going to be popping up in the morning. I can just feel it.”

Alex was putting the frozen food away. “Well, I’m glad I saw you coming and I could get the door at least.”

I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I love coming home to a doorman building.”

Alex laughed as he went back to the grocery bags and began unloading more. “I wouldn’t call it a doorman building.”

“I would!” I put the bread away in the cabinet. “Your Aunt Lizzy couldn’t wait to live in a doorman building when she was in the city!” I tossed him a box of crackers for him to put away. “There was always someone there to open the door for you. Someone to accept packages when you weren’t home. Always standing guard making you feel safe.” I looked over at Alex. “With you working from home I get all those benefits!”

Alex looked over and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess.”

“Not only do you open the door for me when I get home, I also don’t have to worry that a package is going to be left out in the rain.” I reached in another bag and took out the lettuce, celery, and carrots. opened the refrigerator, and put them in the vegetable drawer. “When I come home the package is sitting on the chair near the door so I can see it as soon as I walk in.”

Alex nodded his head. “That’s true.”

“I also don’t have to worry about intruders because you’re almost always here!” I leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “It’s like having my own personal Queen’s guard!”

Alex laughed as he folded an empty bag. “Okay, let’s not get carried away!”

“Okay, maybe not the Queen’s guard but definitely a doorman building!” I was folding my own empty bag when I looked up and saw Alex looking at me with his eyebrows raised. “What?” I asked.

“Didn’t you say Aunt Lizzy used to tip her doormen?”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “Yes, she did. But that was at Christmas. My doorman gets tipped every night with dinner!”

“That sounds fair.” Alex laughed then scooped up the bags and grabbed my car keys. “I’ll put the bags back in your car.”

I went and opened the front door for him giving him another kiss on the cheek as he passed me. “Looks like someone’s working towards an extra helping of pasta tonight.”