My thoughts are interrupted when two of Mom’s aides come in to get her changed and ready for bed. I’m surprised—pleasantly so—when I realize that I’m okay not doing it myselftonight. It dawns on me: I trust them. I trust them to care for the most important person in my world.
I stand. “Thanks, you two,” I tell the aides. Then I turn my attention back to my mom, and I bend down and kiss her on the cheek.
“Bye, Mom. I love you, and I’ll see you soon.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Delaney
Harrison has been out of the office for almost two days. He’s supposed to come back this afternoon. Henry and I stand side-by-side, looking at the clear table before us.
“I can’t believe you got all of that organized,” Henry says. “Harrison has been piling files there for at least a year or two, and you got it all sorted in two days.”
I chuckle because his voice is hushed, almost reverent, and he doesn’t take his eyes off the empty table while he speaks.
“It was a hot mess. Quite honestly, I don’t know how he found anything when he needed it. He doesn’t know this yet, but I plan on making him let me organize his email—and that nightmare of a desktop on his computer.”
“Yes! You’ve seen it then?” Henry laughs.
“Oh, I’ve seen it all right, and I’m pretty sure if there were an award for having the most open, uncategorized files randomly saved to a desktop, your brother would win. He actually has so many that there’s no room—they’re overlapping on the screen a little bit.”
His face falls, and the air around us changes.
“Yeah, it’s kind of weird. He doesn’t miss a beat with anything. I mean, really, he’s absolutely brilliant. Don’t tell him I said that, though. He always keeps his head organized. But ever since…” He stops, closes his eyes for a few seconds, then opens them and continues. “But for a long time now, he’s lived with a lot of disarray in his life.”
Henry’s smile is gone, and there’s a hint of a frown. I suspect there’s a story there, but it’s not mine to dig into, even if I’m dying to understand Harrison a little better.
“Well, we’ll see what he does when he gets here today. He may well flip a gasket and fire me.”
A smirk breaks out across Henry’s face again.
“I can promise you he’ll not dothat.”
I shrug. “Only time will tell, I guess.” I glance at my watch. “You care if I go to lunch now?”
“Nope, of course not.” I nod, turn, and am nearly to the door when he says, “Thanks for this, Delaney.” I look over my shoulder at him. “Harrison has a hard time accepting help and showing his more personable side, but I promise you, it’s in there.”
I know it’s there. I met that man back on that night when we were them: Al and Betty. I smile at him, then walk to my desk, grab my bag, and head to the restroom.
It struck me the other day that I could take advantage of the beautiful trails on the property. I can walk during my lunch hour to fit in exercise without interfering with my visits with Mom. I made sure it was okay with Henry, and he assured me it was. He said many employees take advantage of the paths. So, I started taking forty-minute walks.
Forty minutes gives me just enough time to change my clothes, walk, freshen up afterward, and be back at my desk within the hour.
After I put on my walking shoes, tights, and a hoodie, I return to my desk. I grab my cheese sandwich and eat it along with a generic granola bar. They’re not my favorite flavor, and they’re a little skimpy, but they’re cheaper than the name-brand ones and help fill me up. I wash it all down with water and head outside.
Once there, I inhale the summer air. The smell of honeysuckle fills my nose, and I look around to see if I can locate the source, but don’t find it. I love that scent. It reminds me of how our yard smelled. If it wasn’t honeysuckle, it was lilacs or lavender, making our yard so aromatic.
“Delaney!” a feminine voice calls.
I glance behind me to see Ellie and Leah, the company accountant, several yards back. They jog a little to catch up.
“Can we walk with you?” Ellie asks.
“Sure, of course.” I can’t help but wonder why they want to, though.
All the staff I’ve met at work since starting here at Aron Family Builders and Restoration have been quite friendly. While I’d love to have friends, it’s hard for me to make them. I’m socially awkward on a good day. I think it’s because I’ve spent so much time in isolation with Mom the last few years. The few friendships I had didn’t survive it, and I’m not sure I remember how to have friends anymore.
“You actually motivated us to get walking again,” Ellie says with a smile. “Leah and I used to walk every day at lunch, and then we got a little bit lazy.”
