A fluttery warmth settled in my stomach. No one except Frankie had ever said that to me.
“Thanks. And I’m amazed at how much you know about money and all that stuff. I got an idea that maybe can help both of us.”
“What?”
“Maybe the two of us could clean out your grandmother’s house, paint it, and fix up what’s needed. Then you could put it up for sale.” I let my suggestion sink in for a moment. “Or do you think it’s a stupid idea? I’m not even sure if your mother would want me in that house.”
“You wouldn’t mind spending your free time doing that?”
I took his hand and played with his fingers. “If it means showing your family I’m serious, nope. Remember I worked construction—painting, laying carpet, tile work, putting up Sheetrock—so I know what to do. And I get to be with you. I see it as a win-win.”
Frankie nuzzled closer, his warm lips grazing my neck. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“Do you think they’ll go for it?”
“Oh, they will. Come on. Let’s go back inside.”
Curious as to how Frankie planned on spinning it, I let him pull me up, and together we walked back inside. I didn’t have to wait long. His parents were both in the kitchen, putting away the last of the leftovers and loading the dishwasher.
“Listen,” Frankie said, drawing their attention to him. “I got an idea. Why not let me ’n Aaron fix up Nana Josephina’s house and then sell it?”
I held my breath. By framing the idea as his, I knew Frankie anticipated it would be harder for them to turn it down. If it came from me, Jeannie would reject it outright. And I did feel sympathy for Jeannie. Frankie told me how close she and her mother were. I might not’ve grown up with family, but with how badly I missed my little sisters, I understood her loss.
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Jeannie said with resignation. “I know we can’t afford to keep the house, especially with the heating costs in the winter. So yeah. You can fix it up. Have Austin help you.”
Walking back tothe train that night, I couldn’t help bitch to Frankie. “She’s fine with it as long as Austin is there. No matter what I’m gonna do, it won’t be good enough. She don’t care if I’m there or not, even though I’m the one who’ll be doing all the grunt work.”
Frankie didn’t say anything until we sat on the bench to wait for the train. Then he nudged my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “Remember what my dad said: Prove her wrong. Prove them all wrong. For us.”
“Yeah. I will.” I smiled into his eyes. “For us.”
