He stood behind her. She didn’t look up at him.
“I think you had the right idea,” he said.
She still didn’t turn.
“You can set aside what you want me to take,” he said. “And I’ll go through it and leave what I don’t want—or take it to the Goodwill.”
Cherry huffed. “So I’m supposed to pack up your things?”
“Or I can do it? I can pack what I want, and then you can go through the boxes? I just meant—you were right, we don’t have to do this together.”
Cherry wasn’t sure why she found that so infuriating. Tom was right—shewas right. One of their neighbors was out walking his dog. He waved. They both waved back.
“Cherry?” Tom said.
“Yeah,” she said. “Okay. You can come by when I’m at the office.”
“And you’ll look over the boxes before I take them?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have to check your work. I trust you.”
“Ha,” Tom said, sounding genuinely amused. He took his keys out of his pocket.
“Are you leaving now?” she asked.
“Yeah. Fresh start Monday morning. Do you want me to text you before I come?”
“No. You know my hours—I still work from home most Fridays. I’m sure Stevie will be glad to see more of you.”
“Yeah...” Tom walked down the steps. His dad’s car was parked on the street.
Cherry watched him drive away.
The next day, when Cherry got home from work, the rest of the books from the main floor had been sorted. Tom had labeled the boxes with his name and stuck a yellow Post-it note that saidCherryon the shelves with the remaining books.
Cherry glanced at what he’d set aside for himself. He’d left most of their art books but taken all the comics collections. That seemed right.
The DVDs were sorted, too. Tom had unpacked some of her favorite Disney movies and put them back on the shelf.Sleeping Beauty.The Princess and the Frog. Again with the Post-it notes:Tom. Cherry.
She ended up taking a few more movies from the boxes. She’d write him a note, asking if she could keep them. (She’d been too hasty the day before.)
Tom had taken all the video game equipment and stuck notes on some of the hanging artwork, asking if he could take it. It was all stuff she’d assumed he’d take anyway.
Cherry went and got her own Post-it pad in a different color. Blue. She replied to Tom’s notes, and left notes on new things, urging him to take them.
The next day, all of the mutually approvedTomboxes were sitting in a corner of the dining room. There were several framed pieces of art leaning neatly against the boxes—posters,Thursdayprints, Tom’s first book cover. (Cherry had chosen all of these frames and cut the mats. She enjoyed doing it.)
There were big empty spaces on the walls now, with nails sticking out. She’d have to patch and repaint. She really was going to have to start over.
Tom had left notes replying to Cherry’s notes. And he’d left new notes, with questions.
It was all very courteous. Very civilized. (Tom was always very courteous and very civilized.)
He’d left a note saying that he’d walked the dog.
Chapter 18
Cherry’s sister was at the door. Stevie was going ballistic.
