Eileen watched enough on social media to know that real women used power tools.  She was not one of those women.  She was the kind of woman who took several minutes to figure out which direction the batteries went in for the remote control.

 

She was more or less happily married with five children.  Four sons between the ages fourteen and twenty-one and one daughter, Trixie.  Trixie had been a late in life surprise.  A fortieth birthday present that had shocked both Eileen and her husband when she appeared with no penis. All their other babies had come equipped with penises.

 

The boys were smitten for a while.  This tiny little being, with her sparse curls and pink hairbows, weilded her feminine powers for several years.  

 

Then Trixie and Eileen found themselves out of favor.  They were good for things like making meals, doing laundry, and for being subjected to boyish pranks and fart bombs.

 

"Trixie, I have a proposition for you," Eileen said as the two cleaned up the kitchen after dinner.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Would you like to help me build a she-shed?"

 

"Build one?"  Trixie's eyed her mother warily.  "With tools and stuff?"

 

"I've been watching some videos.  I think we can do it."

 

Trixie scraped the plate over the trash can, but Eileen could tell Trixie was definitely interested.  "Tell me one thing you know about construction."

 

Eileen continued washing the dishes.  "Measure twice, cut once."

 

Trixie giggled.  "I'm in."

 

So it began.  There was two full days of emptying the shed in the back yard.  Then there were the trips to Home Depot.  Buying more tools than they probably needed but tools were returnable.

 

The fun began one week and four days after Eileen and Trixie came up with the idea.

 

They put insulation in between the studs and then nailed the plywood to the top and bottom of the wall.  They painted it a pale aqua and put down peel and stick tile on the floor.

 

The boys and their father rarely checked to see what they were doing to busy themselves in the recesses of the back yard. 

 

They bought a small white book case that had seen better days.  The white paint was dinghy and it was covered in dust.  Eileen was about to grab the leftover paint but Trixie shook her head.

 

"I'll clean it up, but I like it the way it is."  She cleaned it with soap and water then left it in the sun to dry.

 

They pulled things from the attic and closets.  It became a passion to them.  Making this little shed into a place of their own.  

 

Six weeks from the first swing of the hammer, their she-shed was complete.

 

Trixie stood on the patio and waited for her mom to come out.  She plugged the exterior extention cord into the outlet and the lights came on.

 

"We did it," Eileen smiled.  "We didn't need any help ... from anyone."

 

"It's so cool," Trixie said.  She tugged her mom's sleeve and started across the yard towards the tiny abode.  "We can have lunch out here every day in the summer."

 

"Oh, shoot.  I forgot something.  I'll be right back."  Eileen left Trixie standing on the small porch that they had made out of stained pallet boards.

 

She returned with a small tray. "Cookies and milk, so we can toast to our special place.  And, the last piece of decoration.  Trixie, grab that hammer and nail on the bookshelf.  And put a nail right where I've marked the door."

 

Trixie nailed exactly where her mother had marked then stepped aside.

 

"The most important part." Eileen hung the sign on door and stepped back to show her daughter.

 

"This is perfect," Trixie said.  "No boys allowed."

 

"You and I did this.  No help, just our wits and our determination.  This should show you something, Trixie.  You are capable.  You don't need a man or a boyfriend to complete you."

 

"I know that, Mom.  You've always taught me to be independent."

 

"Okay, Miss Trixie, let's enjoy these cookies in the comfort of our little house."

 

Eileen and Trixie sat in their shed talking about life, movies, books and anything that came to mind until late in the evening.  

 

As they closed the door to their she-shed, it was then that Eileen realized the point of building it without help from anyone was more for her.  Trixie had never been afraid of tackling it.  Eileen had.  But, Eileen wasn't afraid anymore.

 

As she snuggled in next to her husband that very night, her thoughts went to the patio.  Maybe she and Trixie could build a fire pit.  S'mores in the fall, now that would be cool.