Zander passes me a plate of eggs, then joins me. “Summer, I need to ask you something,” he says, looking serious. Glancing in his direction, I give a nod.
“Where is all your stuff?”
Shifting on the chair, I push my eggs around on my plate. “What do you mean?”
“Darling, you moved your entire life here and only had one luggage set with you, and one of those suitcases was full of baked goods. That’s a tiny amount of things for anyone.”
Closing my eyes, I should have expected this question. He’s right that I brought very little here, and it’s only natural he’d be curious about it. I noticed his puzzled expression when he came to pick me up for the airport. I could claim it’s because I’m a foster kid. They often have little, but l don’t want to lie to him. I pull in a deep breath, knowing we need to have this conversation, and look over at him. Zander is waiting with a patient look in his eyes. “What I brought here is all I’ve been living with since the accident,” I tell him.
“What happened to your belongings from before? I’m sure you hadmore?”
“Everything is still at the house. I couldn’t, I still can’t return there.” The thought of that house still causes shortness of breath, rapid thoughts, and deep heartache.
“Did no one offer to get your things after the hospital?” He questions, puzzled.
“Jake’s dad did, but I wanted nothing. I was in an awful place and couldn’t handle the reminder of my family.”
“I’m so sorry, Summer,” he says in a solemn voice. “I’m happy to buy you whatever you want when we go out today. Clothes, shoes, makeup, or anything else.”
“Thanks, but I really don’t need anything,” I reply. “I’ve been fine with what I have for over a year now.”
“Are you sure? If you’re worried about money, you don’t need to be.”
“It’s not that. I’ve got my own money. Sue gave me half of each monthly board payment, and I put it in my bank account, and I’ve barely touched that money. I’ve also got the lawsuit settlement money in a separate account, but I avoid touching that as much as possible. It feels wrong,” I shrug.
“What do you mean by wrong?” Zander asks.
“It’s money I have because my family died and I was so badly injured. In my brain, it’s like the money is in exchange for their lives, kind of like blood money. Realistically, I know it’s not, but I’m uncomfortable using it. I’ve only touched it to maintain the house, pay for therapy, and pay for the phone Mal is using for me to talk to Jake.”
Zander nods at me in understanding. “So, you still have the house?”
“Mom left it to me in her will. It was my Nana’s house, so there’s no mortgage. She left it to my Mom when she passed. Jake’s dad arranged for a property management company to take care of the house for me, and our next-door neighbor has a key, too. She was a good friend of my Mom’s and regularly visits to clean and check onthings. Jake’s dad receives any messages from them if there is an issue.”
Zander gets off his chair, opening his arms to offer a hug. I hesitate for a minute, but move closer, accepting. “You’ve handled so much in your young life. You’re so strong, Summer. I’m proud to be your father.”
My eyes fill with water as I blink furiously. “Thanks,” I mumble.
“Okay,” he says, pulling back and clearing his throat. “Keep Sue’s money, and I’ll gladly support you from now on. I’ll purchase whatever you need, although I have a feeling you won’t actually ask me for anything, will you?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.
I shrug in answer.
“Maybe I should deposit some money into your account every month,” he ponders, rubbing his chin. “Yes, I’m going to do it. That way, you can buy whatever you need on your own. Please try to let me know if you need anything, though. It’s unnecessary for it to always come from your accounts, alright?”
Internally groaning, I reply, “I’ll try Zander, but I’m pretty low maintenance.”
“I’ll take it,” he smiles. “Let’s finish breakfast and get going.”
We finish eating and head out to the garage. Zander has a big navy blue truck with four doors and a covered bed sitting in the left bay. I climb the foot rail and hop into the passenger seat. The truck is super clean but doesn’t have that new car smell, so he must take excellent care of it.
A short drive later, Zander stops at a box store in Mt. Pleasant first. “I added a few household items to the list, so I thought we could start here.”
l nod and get out of the truck to follow him inside. It doesn’t seem very busy today, which eases some tension from my shoulders. I should be able to avoid people bumping into me. Zander grabs a cart, and we walk to the home goods section, where he stops in an aisle full of storage solutions. He looks around, thenchooses two hampers. One is lime green with dinosaurs on it, and the other is white. “You need a hamper for your laundry. Pick one, Summer.”
I narrow my eyes at him and point to the white one. He grins and puts it in the cart, then heads down another aisle of kitchen supplies. He points, telling me to grab measuring cups and spoons as he continues to the next aisle. I walk around until I spot similar ones to what Sue had. Turning the corner, I see Zander has a kettle and two stand mixers in the cart. I drop the measuring cups and spoons in the cart and quirk an eyebrow at him. “Pick a mixer, Summer,” he says, smiling again. Gazing down, I spot a mint green professional mixer, complete with attachments, alongside a tiny generic brand mixer with a plastic bowl and paddle. I point to the pro mixer. Zander beams and puts the other one back on the shelf. He thinks he’s being sneaky, but I’m on to him.
Next, he drives the cart through the women’s clothing section, stopping to comment here and there on a piece of clothing, watching for my reactions. I don’t say anything, simply follow.
We walk over to the outdoor section next, and Zander picks out a fire pit for the backyard. We check out, and I help carry the purchases to the truck. Zander pulls the truck up to the curb, and an employee loads the fire pit parts into the truck bed.
