It’s finally Saturday, and I’m helping with the morning rush at the coffee shop before I head to a photoshoot a few towns over. Penny’s parents are here along with Penny and her other employee Edna. Edna is a fifty-year-old mother of four who was a stay-at-home mom and wanted to start working again. She can multitask like no one's business and is our resident mama bear.
“So, what are your plans for the rest of the weekend?” Penny asks as we wipe down tables from the morning rush.
“Two couples reached out to me on The Local Classifieds website. I’m meeting one of them in San Clemente after I’m done here and the other tomorrow.”
She groans in frustration. “You know I hate that you advertise on there. Some seriously shady people respond to those listings.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear,” I protest. “Plus, Kyle will be with me. Since he needs the cash, I hired him to help me carry around equipment.”
“Ugh. Why are we helping this kid again?” She rolls her eyes.
I chuckle. “Because we’re good people. It can’t be easy being considered the man of the house at such a young age, only to have your mom get diagnosed with a degenerative disease that will probably only get worse from here on out. But he’s been a good employee, so it’s a win-win for everyone,” I add.
“I hate that you’re right. I’ve never gotten so many compliments on how clean our bathroom is or how clear the windows are. It’s not like the place was dirty before,” she scoffs.
I laugh at her rant because it’s clear the kid is rubbing off on her and it’s only been a few days. He’s making it easy for us to forget about what he did.
“Why don’t you take a few sandwiches for you two and his mom and sister. They won’t get eaten anyways,” she says, not making eye contact while vigorously scrubbing an invisible spot on a tabletop.
I grin at her side profile. “Yeah, okay. That would be great. Thanks.”
I make it home an hour later and run upstairs to get Kyle. Maggie opens the door with a wide smile. “Hey, Jordan. Kyle should be out in just a minute.”
“Perfect. Is your mom here?” I wonder, looking over her shoulder.
Her smile fades slightly but she nods. “Yeah. She’s just resting.”
I give her a small smile in return and change the subject, knowing that today probably isn’t a good day for Mary.
“Here.” I hold out the doggy bag with a sandwich for her and her mom. “These are for you guys. From the shop.”
Her face lights up, and she takes the bag while simultaneously flinging herself at me for a hug. “Thank you,” she says, her voice slightly choked. At twelve years old, she’s the same height as me but a willowy little thing. She’s strong though and squeezes me tight. My eyes sting with unshed tears because I know that this hug isn’t just a thank you, it’s appreciation and gratitude for a simple meal when you know your fridge and cupboards are empty.
Luckily, Kyle takes that moment to interrupt, and I give Maggie a tight squeeze back before letting go of her.
“I’m ready when you are.” He ruffles her hair. “You’re going to be okay without me, right?” he asks her, worry evident in his voice.
She waves him off. “I’ll be fine.”
“We shouldn’t be too long,” I tell her, “maybe an hour and a half at most.”
“Text me or call me if you need anything,” Kyle says to her.
Her face grows serious. Far too serious for a twelve-year-old. “I will. I promise.”
He nods his head, and we say our goodbyes, heading down the stairs.
Once we’re on the road I ask, “Is your mom okay?”
He takes a deep breath. “Yeah. Today’s just a bad day,” he says and looks out the window.
Avoidance. Something I know all too well.
I drop the subject and toss him my phone which bounces off his leg and onto the floorboard.
“Shit, sorry,” I say, “I need you to open my phone and check my messages with the client. Her name is Candy.”
He grabs the phone off the floor. “You need to put your code in for me to do that.”
