“So nice to meet you,” I say, offering an apologetic smile as I shake his hand. “And I’m sorry about the mess. We’ve been rushing to get ready for April’s first day of school and I ran out of time. But I promise you won’t have to clean up any of our stuff. I’ll take care of it as soon as I get back.”
Grant shakes his head. “That’s not going to work. Colin, please take care of whatever needs doing, just like you always do, including anything Heather and April leave around.”
It’s my turn to protest now. “Grant, I appreciate it, but that’s not necessary.”
“It is,” he says in that quiet but firm way of his that makes everything sound so intense and serious. “You have enough on your plate today without adding housework to the list.”
Colin just grins. “Don’t worry about it, young lady. It’ll be nice to have some life in the house for a change. All I’ve done for the past couple of years is dust furniture that never gets used and vacuum floors that never get walked on.”
He seems so genuinely kind and sincere that I actually feel some of the tension in my shoulders start to ease. Maybe Grant was right about accepting help. Maybe it doesn’t always have to feel like accepting defeat.
“Thank you,” I say. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the help.”
“Don’t mention it,” Colin says. Then he adds with a wink, “Now get that little lady off to her first day of school, and don’t worry about a thing here.”
All I can do is nod. For the first time in a long time, I don’t have to carry the weight of managing absolutely everything on my own.
I can focus completely on April this morning without the constant mental checklist of all the chores that will still be waiting for me after I get off work.
The relief is almost overwhelming.
Chapter 8
Grant
I wait on the front porch with Colin as Heather’s car leaves the driveway. Even from here, I can see April’s excited face as she waves goodbye from the passenger seat.
There’s something unexpectedly satisfying about seeing them off, knowing that at least one part of their day has been handled successfully. They’ve had breakfast, they’re on time, and April has everything she needs for her first day at school.
“She seems like a good kid,” Colin says as we head inside the house.
“Yeah, she is.” I stop in the front closet and grab my gear bag, then haul it into the kitchen to pack my lunch. “Her mom has done a hell of a job.”
Colin is already pulling his cleaning supplies from under the sink. He never moves too fast, but he’s always methodical and efficient. I’ll take those qualities over mindless speed any day of the week.
“The mom—Heather, was it?—does seem nice,” he says as he starts moving around the kitchen collecting dishes from the hectic morning.
“She is nice. Really, genuinely nice.”
“Pretty too.”
I shoot him an irritated look that he completely ignores. “What? I’m old, not dead. And you’re not getting any younger either, you know.”
“Colin.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll mind my own business.” He holds up his hands in a mock surrender, but there’s a twinkle in his eye that tells me he’ll probably be circling back to this particular topic at some point. “It’s good to see you helping them out. Especially since it means there will be a little more life in this big, empty house of yours.”
“Thanks,” is all I say for now. I’m not willing to admit—not out loud, anyway—that he’s right. This house, and my life in general, has felt pretty damn empty for a while now. And even though I didn’t consciously invite Heather and April over to fill a space in my life that’s been lacking, I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed their company.
They haven’t even been here for two full days yet, and have only disrupted my routine in the tiniest of ways, but everything I do feels different somehow.
The truth is, I’ve never put anything or anyone above hockey. Even when I was a kid, I only got good grades so I could get out on the ice.
That’s always been the priority, and it’s always dictated every other decision in my life, no matter how big or small.
Hiring Colin to help me take care of this place is the only recent exception I can think of. After his wife and son passed away, I knew my elderly neighbor needed something to occupy his time and his thoughts. I’m sure the extra bit of income helps, too, but mostly I just wanted to be there for him because I know how it feels to lose everything that normally grounds a person in the blink of an eye.
And now I realize I’m doing the same thing with Heather and April. Not because they need the charity, but because I seeHeather working hard, busting her ass as a single mom without any acknowledgment and very little help. It reminds me of the sacrifices my parents made for me, and those sacrifices ended up killing them in the end.
