“Forgive me for overstepping and feel free to say no, but that man there near the van, with the black mustache?”
I seek out the man whose mustache looks like it was drawn on by a streak of black oil. “Mmhmm?”
“His name is Michael. He’s an interior decorator and he’s here to fix… this.” He glances around the hall and then pointedly toward the living room.
My heart drops to my stomach as I stare at him in shock. “What?”
“After I saw what happened and listening to the comments you made to Nick about ensuring he stayed out of the living room, I realized I knew someone who could help.”
My eyes drift back outside. Now it’s been pointed out, all their overalls and buckets suddenly make sense. I watch people mill around, stamping their feet against the cold and having friendly discussions. “Elijah, I can’t afford?—”
“I know,” he cuts in gently. “It’s a gift. Michael is a friend and he’s doing this for me, but this contract will be with you, so there’s no obligation to me. I know things are tough and Nick is your primary concern, and I know how guilty you would feel if something happened to him because of the dust on the floorboards, and I want to help, so…” He sucks in air through his teeth and smiles at me, slightly lopsided like the grin of a puppy. “Let me help?”
It’s too much. I can’t accept this, but Elijah paints it in such a way that I can’t refuse. He’s right. Nick’s no longer allowed inthe living room since Mom pulled up the carpet, and I do worry about the dust or him eating wallpaper I’ve missed.
“I don’t know what to say.” My voice grows hoarse as I glance between him and the group. “They’re going to decorate?”
“Mmhmm. First they’ll clean up and make everything safe, and then it’s up to you what they do after that.”
“Elijah… this is incredibly generous.”
“You’ve been incredibly generous,” he replies softly. “From hearing me out, to dinner ,and this?” His smile widens. “It’s the least I can do.”
“Is this because of last night?” It feels crude to ask, but the moment I think about it, the worry doesn’t fade.
“Not at all,” Elijah assures me, and he closes the space between us. “I can help. So let me.”
In any other situation, I’d reject something like this, but it’s a huge help, especially when it comes to making part of this house livable again.
“Okay. I… thank you, Elijah. This is amazing.”
He reaches for my shoulder and lightly squeezes. “I’m glad.”
“Do you want to stay for dinner? We’re doing tacos.”
“I’d love to, but…” He pats his trouser pocket. “I’ve been ignoring my phone since the ice yesterday, so I should probably…”
“Oh, yes. Of course. But you should come back when you can.”
“I’d love to.” He leans in, and my heart lurches as I expect and yearn for a sweet kiss like last night. Instead, he presses a sweet, polite kiss to my cheek and leaves.
Michael and his team get to work immediately. By the time I have Nick and Sam showered and their homework completed, the walls have been fully stripped and sanded, the floorboards have been sanded and repaired, then covered in a sheet to protect them while they work on the walls. Already, the air feels cleaner and the room looks brighter.
Through it all, Dad’s urn stands pride of place on the mantel.
“Calliope!” The sudden screech of my mom’s voice has me jumping out of my skin and nearly dropping the tray of tea and coffee I’ve been distributing to the workers.
“Mom! Don’t scream like that, you scared me!” I say as I meet her in the hallway.
“Are you kidding me? Who are all these strange people in my house? What is going on!”
“They’re decorators, Mom. They’re fixing what you did.”
She shrugs off her coat and hangs it up on the wall hook, then regards me with a cold look. “You told me we couldn’t afford this. Told me it could never happen.”
“We can’t.” My hands ache from the weight of the tray.
“And yet here they are.”
