“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
She waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t be. Nonna Penny was ninety-seven years old. She went in her sleep. Couldn’t ask for a better ending.”
Indeed. I hope that’s how I go out.
“My dad and I were worried a few months ago because it seemed like her mind was starting to go. We went to visit her, and she kept having these conversations with herself. It was odd. We even scheduled an appointment with the doctor, but she passed before we could get her in.”
“Huh. That is strange.”
“She left me her house in Mapletown. Have you been up there? The town square has a boulder and gazebo surrounded by a couple shops and dense forest. The town itself is fucking tiny, and the house is…” Lindsay pauses, “a big place, more like a mansion, really, but everything inside is hideous and partially broken.” She puts her elbows on the table and drops her head in her hands. “I have no idea what I’m going to do with it.”
“What do you mean? Sell it. A big house in the middle of the mountains in northern New Hampshire? Even in rough condition, I’m sure there’s a leaf peeper or vacation rental host who’d see its potential and pay way too much for it.”
“Yeah, but I’d have to get her stuff out of there and have repairs done before a realtor can start showing it, and how am I supposed to manage that when I work close to sixty hours a weekin Boston? That’d be a two- maybe three-hour commute each way.”
“There’s no way you could work remotely? Even for a short time?”
She shakes her head. “They’d let me if I wanted to, but I have so many clients in the city that I’d still have to see, so it wouldn’t make sense. Plus, Jackson’s in school, and it’s not like I can rely on Billy to help out.”
The server comes and takes our order: two chocolate milkshakes, two waters, a Reuben for me, a buffalo chicken sandwich for her, and another large order of fries for us to split. Even twenty years later, our order is the same.
“Where are you living now?” she asks. “The same place you shared with Rita?”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “Um, yeah, but not for much longer.” The last thing I want to do is dump my financial woes on Lindsay. Yet, the words come out anyway. “I’m getting evicted.”
Lindsay gasps. “The fuck? Why? You were a neat freak even in college. What possible reason could someone have to throw you out?”
“It’s my fault. I haven’t been able to make rent the last few months. The landlord, Mr. Colson, has been kind enough to let it slide until now.”
Ugh, now I’m defending the man.
“What a fuc–” Lindsay says, then stops. A few seconds pass, then several more. Her mouth goes from an O shape to a wide, triumphant grin. “Oh my god. I’ve got it, Nat. Are you ready? I’m not sure you’re ready. Do you want to go to the bathroom first? Because you are absolutely going to piss yourself when I tell you what I’m thinking.”
She’s not nearly as crafty as she thinks she is. I wait for her to reveal her epiphany––knowing exactly what she’s about tosuggest––but she continues to stare at me, as if she wants me to guess. “I’m ready,” I say, playing along. “What is it?”
“Okay. I have a house I don’t know what to do with, and you’re in need of a place to live.”
It’s not a terrible idea. I am desperate for a place to live. There are some snags in this plan, though. “How much would you charge me to stay there? When would I need to be out by?”
“Pfft, you don’t have to pay anything. I’m not going to charge you to stay in an old-ass house with an abundance of dusty knick-knacks and broken appliances. I’m sure there are a million more desirable places for you to go, but if you’re in a pinch, take it. You can stay as long as you want. It’ll make me feel better knowing the place isn’t just sitting there, slowly rotting.”
My throat suddenly feels dry. Excitement courses through me at the prospect of not being homeless. I take a gulp of the milkshake the server just dropped off as I try to steady my thumping heart. “So, you’d be my landlord? Are you sure that’s a good idea?” It feels like a terrible idea.
She reaches across the table and grabs my hand. “I’m your friend, and you’d be house-sitting until I have the mental capacity to decide what I want to do with it.”
I can’t hide my smile any longer.
Lindsay notices and mirrors my glee. “You in?”
Nodding, I reply, “Yeah, okay. I’m in.”
Chapter 2
Winston
It’s the last day of August when the Irritating One with the long legs returns, and this time, she isn’t alone. My jaw tics as I watch the two women chatter excitedly as they enter my home, tracking dirt and god knows what else over Penelope’s rug. She would have a fit if she were still alive to see this.
I hate looking at the fringed corners of that rug, with its heinous gray and brown paisley design. Always have. Now that she’s gone, though, I feel the rug needs a defender. Her family has already gone through her personal belongings, only taking a select few framed photos and pieces of jewelry before deeming the rest of her things too old or ugly to keep. Hearing them insult her most cherished items twisted my gut. I’m grateful she wasn’t around to hear it for herself.
