“Sure!”
I nod toward the hallway. “Come on.”
“I’ll catch up to you boys in a minute,” my mom says. “Gotta check on the tenderloin. Oh, and Remi, don’t go in the craft room.”
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “So much for easing into it, huh?”
“Oh, quit givin’ your mother a hard time,” she scolds teasingly, the corner of her mouth lifting with the faintest of smiles.
I flash her my most innocent grin. “Love you, mean it!”
Lukas and I meander down the hall that leads to the stairs. The floor creaks, like it always has. This damn hardwood used to get me into so much trouble as a teenager. The walls are filled with years and years of family photos and school pictures. My throat tightens as we approach the banister. Pictures of my dad and his crew, awards he earned over the years, and the flag given to us at his funeral all hang beautifully on the wall.
“Is that your dad?” Lukas asks.
I nod. “It sure is. Captain Charles Buchanan, Station 14.”
“That’s the firehouse you work at, right?”
“Yup.”
“That’s so cool.”
For a moment, we don’t say anything as Lukas takes it all in. I don’t miss the tears welling up in his eyes as he looks at all the photographs. He hasn’t talked about his dad that much with me. I don’t want to push him, but I’m hoping he does soon. I’d love to be a safe place for him to share memories with, or even just someone to sit with and feel however he feels. It’s something I wish I had when I was grieving. Sure, I had my mom and sister, but they were grieving too, and we all handled our feelings differently. I never felt comfortable enough to lean on them the way I should’ve. I don’t want Lukas to feel that way.
“Hey, maybe we can hang some pictures and stuff of your dad at the house. Make a little place for him,” I say, nudging him in the arm with my elbow. “If you want.”
I know he has a ton of his dad’s stuff from helping him move in, and he’s even got a few pictures hung on the wall in his bedroom. But maybe having a place more out in the open will be nice.
His eyes widen as he looks at me. “Really?”
“Absolutely, kid. He’s your dad, and you should honor him in any way that feels right.”
Lukas sniffles. “Thanks, Remi.”
“Come on. I’ll show you my old room.”
I smile as we pass a closed door at the top of the stairs.My mom’s craft room.Who knows what she’s got shoved in there that she wants to show Lukas.
“See that?” I point toward the scuff marks on the wall near the baseboard. Lukas nods. “Eleven-year-old Remi thought it would be a great idea to ride my bike down this hall and fly down the stairs.”
Laughter bubbles from him. “No way! What did your parents do?”
“Oh, they raised hell.” I chuckle. “I sprained my ankle on the landing and could barely walk for a week. Never did that shit again.”
“I would’ve loved to see that.”
Walking into my old bedroom next, I show Lukas the very few awards I won playing sports as a teenager and the photo album I have stuffed full of memories that Hollis and I have together over the years, and even some from when I was in the academy. It’s cool showing him all of this, especially because he seems genuinely excited to look at everything.
My mom steps in the doorway and clears her throat just as I’m putting the photo album back in its place. Her eyes on Lukas,she smiles warmly and says, “Before we eat, there’s somethin’ I want to show you.”
Lukas looks at me, the question written all over his face.
I shrug and breathe out a chuckle. “Don’t ask me. I’ve got no idea.”
“Yeah, because I didn’t trust you to not spill the beans,” she teases as Lukas and I follow her out of the room. She leads us down the hallway, back to her craft room. When she opens the door and steps to the side, letting us walk in first, my heart clenches as I take in the small space.
A room that used to be stuffed full of storage totes and random buckets of fabric and yarn has been fully transformed. A brand-new bed sits in the center of the room, complete with fresh bedding. A nightstand sits beside it, with a small lamp on top. There’s a basket sitting on top of the dresser in the corner with a toothbrush, phone charger, and a couple of pairs of socks still in the packaging set inside. There’s even a hoodie folded at the foot of the bed.
