I add that to the ever growing list of things I need to do. The business cards aren’t hard. I just have to reorder our stock.I hope it’s a good thing that we’re having to reorder, though we haven’t had many new properties sign with us in the last year.
By the time the meeting is over, my coffee from this morning is long gone and I feel like I need another. I know I shouldn’t, though. I don’t claim to be the healthiest man alive, but I take pride in how I look and maintaining the muscles that are fighting to disappear as I get older.
The first thing I do when I’m back in my office is check my phone. It’s almost three in the afternoon and I have a text from Austin. The boy and his mom collected the koala. Watching the way Austin clung to it last night, crying, broke my heart. I should get him one to keep, add to his collection.
I pulled up a chair behind him and did what I could to give him comfort while he grieved his Daddy and my best friend. I realized in that moment that I never should have let us drift apart. Life got busy for both of us, but that wasn’t an excuse and I see that now.
“I’m sorry Paul,” I whisper to the empty room. “I’ll do better by him and by you. I promise. I miss you, man. We both do.”
After a moment and a deep breath, I compose myself enough to focus back on work. I have two more hours and then I’m heading to my mom’s for dinner with the family. We are celebrating my sister’s birthday and I need to stop by the house to grab her gift. After getting Austin’s text, I kind of forgot to grab a couple of things from the house.
The business cards are ordered and I’ve scheduled a follow up email to go out to Clara for Monday asking for an update. The last hour of the day, I’m on the phone with the repair guys. One of the apartments has a leak. It’s only on the ground floor, thankfully. It means they won’t have to go floor-to-floorlooking for water damage beyond that. They schedule an emergency repair for six PM. It’ll cost an after-hour fee, but the building owner OK'd it through email before I confirmed. I went ahead and scheduled the air filter and furnace checks with the same company for each building too, since they do air and plumbing services.
“You guys are too good to us,” I end the conversation ten minutes to quitting time. “Seriously, I owe you and your whole crew some beers for all the work you do for us.”
“I’m pretty sure none of them would turn that down, but it’s the job Remington. We’re just happy you’re keeping us in business. Have a great weekend and I’ll send you invoices on Monday.”
“Sounds great, thanks.”
I hang up the phone and shoot a text to my sister that I’ll be at Mom’s right on time. She is always getting on me for showing up ten minutes late to every family function. It just happens. She texts back a thumbs up and nothing else. Such the conversationalist, really. I finish my day and head to my car.
My house is about twenty minutes from the office building. I run in quickly, grabbing the gift bag with a candle in my sister's favorite scent and a bag of her favorite candies. She's told me more than once that she keeps a stash in their bathroom cabinet so she doesn't have to share with her kid or husband. I find it hilarious.
Austin texts me during the get together and my sister just happens to be beside me. And a snoop. The message is innocent, but she still raises an eyebrow at me.
Austin
Just got home. I didn’t realize you had leftover spaghetti and I’m totally eating that tonight. Thanks for being amazing.
“Don’t even go there,” I say, knowing the conclusions that she is jumping to in her scheming brain. I don't know how much she remembers of the few times she's met Austin. He and Paul came to a few events where my family was as well. “Yesterday was the anniversary of Paul’s death. I went over to make sure he was okay.”
“Oh shit,” she mumbles. “I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about that. I didn’t even call to check on you. How are you?”
“I’m fine, really. We made dinner and talked, hung out for a while. It was nice.”
“How is he doing?” she says. “You should bring him around. I'm sure Mom would love to see him again. We have Terry's party in a couple of weeks.”
Terry is my nephew. He’ll be seven soon and a is crazy talented kid when it comes to instruments. I swear that kid can pick up anything and know how to play it like a pro in less than a week.
“I’ll see if he’s up for it,” I say. “I don’t think he’s done much socializing since Paul’s death. I was worried about him yesterday.”
“You’ve always been a great friend to both of them, Rem. But consider this a blanket invitation for him to join in whenever. You know Mom won’t care.”
“I know she won’t.” There always seems to be a random person at most of the Higgins' gatherings that someone has invited.
The cake and ice cream is brought out then and thankfully distracts the birthday girl long enough for me to send a text back without her reading over my shoulder.
“Itkindoffeelsweird to say welcome home to you,” I say with a smile as I help Austin get the grocery bags out of his car. He informed me today, after I was already at his house, that he would stop by the store and pick up some fresh cleaning supplies he knew he was low on. He's a sneaky one, because he knows I would have offered to pick them up. It's Friday and I closed up the office early, dropping by the store for a handful of items myself already.
I notice something fluffy in one of the bags and pause to examine it. I look back up at Austin. “Did you buy yourself a stuffie?”
Austin just nods and heads inside the open door with two bags in his hands. I smile at it, knowing that I have a nearly identical one waiting for him inside as well. I grab the bag with the stuffie and the other with a new mop head and trail behind him, making sure his car is locked.
He’s standing by the table, picking at his nails again. I can tell something is on his mind. I set the bags down and gently run one hand up his left arm. “Austin? What’s wrong?”
Austin doesn’t answer and I move one hand to stop his fingers from picking at his skin and the other to lift his chinso his eyes meet mine. I can see he’s fighting back tears. I soften my voice, dipping my head just slightly. “Austin?”
“I didn’t want to give the koala back,” he admits and a single tear falls down to his cheek. I wipe it away and pull him in for a hug. I know he doesn’t like to be squeezed so I keep my arms loose around him, rubbing softly up and down his back. “Of course I gave it back with a smile and the little boy was so happy, but I wanted one too.”
