Part 2: The Man Who Fixed Things That Weren't Broken

Dinner revealed the full, considerably longer list Theo had been quietly maintaining in his head the shop's uneven front step, a loose shelf bracket in the cooler, and, most alarmingly, an electrical outlet he'd apparently rewired "just to be safe" without mentioning it at all.

"You rewired my outlet without telling me," Odalys said, half amused, half genuinely concerned. "That feels like it crosses several boundaries at once."

"It was a fire hazard," Theo said, wincing. "I know how that sounds. I promise I'm not usually this compulsive about other people's property. There's just something about your shop specifically that I couldn't leave alone."

"The shop, or the owner?" Odalys asked, smiling.

"Increasingly, both," Theo admitted. "Though I'll cop to the owner being the primary motivation these past several weeks."

"I appreciate the honesty," Odalys said. "Though going forward, please just tell me before rewiring anything electrical. I'd like some warning before discovering my shop has been quietly, thoroughly renovated by a man I'm dating."

"Deal," Theo said. "Full disclosure on all future repairs, solicited or otherwise."

Their relationship developed steadily over the following months, Theo's compulsive need to fix things gradually channeling into more appropriate, mutually agreed-upon projects properly renovating her shop's cramped storage room, building custom shelving for her expanding inventory, always asking first now rather than simply appearing with tools and good intentions.

"I have to ask," Odalys said one evening, watching him carefully sand a new display counter he'd built for her, "where does this come from? The compulsive fixing, I mean."

Theo considered the question seriously. "My father was a contractor too. Taught me everything I know. He always said noticing what's broken and refusing to ignore it was basically a moral obligation, not just a professional skill. I think somewhere along the way, that lesson expanded considerably beyond just structural repairs."

"Into emotional repairs too?" Odalys asked gently.

"Probably," Theo admitted. "I've always had trouble watching people, or things, stay broken when I know I could help. Even when it's not strictly my place to intervene."

"I don't mind it, generally," Odalys said. "Though I appreciate you asking first now, rather than surprising me with rewired outlets."

"Growth," Theo said, grinning. "Slow, occasionally overstepping growth, but growth nonetheless."

to be continued... 🔧💫