Nassir sighed. “Okay. Okay.” He slapped Will companionably on the arm. “Go home. Get some rest. And…”
“And?”
Nassir looked like he wasn’t sure he should continue the thought. Then he said, “If you need to talk to someone, I can recommend several counselors who are experienced with working with healthcare professionals. All you have to do is say the word, and I’ll grab you a couple business cards.”
Will worked up a smile. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
He didn’t realize so much of what he was feeling was on display for all to see. As he made his way to his car, he told himself he was going to have to suck it up. He didn’t need every person he knew offering him therapy recommendations or shoulders to cry on.
When he pulled up to the house and saw Emmy standing outside fiddling with a window box, he realized he already had the only shoulder he needed.
*
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Emmy crooned. “She might be weird, but she sure can pull through when it counts.”
Will glanced over at the wind chime that clanked a bit discordantly where it dangled from Emmy’s hand. “Did you have to take it out in the car?”
“Yes!”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to hang it up right away. I saw the perfect place today. There’s already an eye hook stuck in the overhang.”
Will smiled to himself at her enthusiasm over hanging a wind chime. How could she not see that this could be the calling she’d been searching for? He hoped that working on his yard was slowly opening that door for her.
“I just need a step stool,” Emmy said, studying the eye hook.
“I’ve got one in the laundry room,” Will said. “Or I could hang it for you.”
“Oh. Yeah. You should hang it. It’s your grandfather’s tools and your house.” She looked seriously put out as she held the chime out to him, inciting another series of clanks from the suspended tools.
Will didn’t take the chime from her. “Emmy.”
“What?”
“Do you want to be the one to hang the wind chime?”
“No.” She was looking somewhere off to the side of his head, refusing to make eye contact.
“Emmy.”
“You’re going to think I’m stupid and obsessive.”
“Try me.”
She let out a breath and looked down at the chime where it dangled from her left hand. Absently, she gave it a little swing to make the tools collide and sing in their own unique way.
“It’s like… the finishing touch,” she said quietly, her tone bordering on apologetic. “I guess I want to be the one to put the cherry on top, so to speak. But you’re right that it doesn’t make sense to go get a step stool when you’re standing right here,” she rushed on. “I can watch you hang it. That’ll be fine.”
Will was pretty sure she had no idea how endearing it was that she offered to make this sacrifice for him. Far from finding it stupid, he thought it was incredibly sweet that she was so dedicated to the project.
“I have an idea,” he told her. “A compromise. Go stand under the hook.”
“Okay…” She side-eyed him for a second, then turned to do as he asked.
Will stepped up behind her. “Get ready.”
“Ready for wha—Eep!”
