“Have you lived here long?” I asked.
Merilee shrugged slightly in response to my question. “Hmm, long enough. Seems like forever.”
“Mr. Crawford told me you’re a nurse,” I said. “And that you care for a woman who lives here.”
Merilee shook her head with a grin. “That’s our Chase—he’s quite the talker. Give him an audience and he’ll jaw all day.” She strode toward my apartment,calling over her shoulder, “But, yes, I look after Ms. Netty. She’s a handful sometimes.”
I unlocked the door and was a bit startled when Merilee walked right in like we hadn’t just met and headed straight for the kitchen.
“Mama, can I go play in my room?” Henry begged, clearly bored.
I nodded, distracted by the woman currently putting away my groceries. “Um, yeah, sure, baby. Go ahead.”
When he scampered off, I made my way to the other room. “Thank you, Ms. Vaughn, but you don’t have to do that. I can manage.”
Merilee closed the refrigerator door and smiled. “First, it’s Merilee. Second, I’m sure you can.”
The warmth of Merilee’s kindness seemed to fill the room, and the uneasiness that had hung over me like a storm cloud lifted. For the first time since we’d arrived, everything felt a little…lighter. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
“That’s what neighbors are for, right?” Merilee asked. “Help each other now and then? Now, I’m gonna get my run in before Ms. Netty wakes up. You need anything, I’m just downstairs.”
After Merilee left, I went looking for Henry. As I stepped into the hallway, I heard him chatting away and rubbed my arms to smooth the goosebumps rising on my skin.
“But she seems nice,” Henry said as I neared his door. “I like her… You shouldn’t say that. Mama says no one should say ‘hate’.”
I leaned against the wall, listening, curious to hear what was going on in Henry’s imagination.
“I won’t,” Henry whispered. “I’ll be careful.”
At this, I shoved off the wall and strode into the bedroom. “Careful about what?” I asked, grinning so Henry wouldn’t think he was in trouble.
He still started, guilt flickering across his face. “David says that I need to be careful around Ms. Merilee. He doesn’t like her.”
I sat on the bed and pulled Henry to me. “Well, that’s just silly. You saw how nice she was to us and how friendly.”
Henry nodded. “Yes, ma’am. But I want to still be careful.”
“You, know, Ms. Merilee is a nurse. Is David maybe just afraid she’ll give him a shot? Or a transfusion?” I asked, knowing well Henry’s nervousness about this very thing every time he had a doctor’s appointment. Unfortunately, thanks to his chronic anemia, both shots and transfusions were common occurrences. “Maybe he just doesn’t like needles.”
Henry pressed his lips together as if considering the possibility but then slowly shook his head. “No, that’s not it. He won’t tell me anything else. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
I gave him a quick hug. “Well, that’s okay. He doesn’t have to until he’s ready. Now, let’s go grab some of that pizza and meet the rest of our neighbors.”
When we entered the game room, Chase was already there, handing out slices of pizza to several people I hadn’t met yet. A tall, slender woman with stark-white hair pulled up into a ponytail immediately came forward, hand outstretched. Her complexion was fair and flawless, and her blue eyes sparkled with vivacity. She was dressed in jeans and a simple white button-down but if I had to guess, that “simple” outfit cost more than my entire wardrobe.
“Come on in, darlin’,” she said, her voice soft and filled with warmth. “You must be Zellie.”
I shook her hand, a bit taken aback by her effusive welcome. “Yes, ma’am. Hi.”
The woman took my hand in both of hers and gently patted it. “So good to have you here. We miss having young folks around. I’m June.”
My brows briefly knit together.Young folks? Chase and Merilee couldn’t have been that much older than me.
Before I could think more on it, June gestured toward a handsome, fit man with steel grey hair and chiseled features who was reclined casually in an easy chair, highball already in hand. “That’s my husband Earl.”
In chinos and a golf shirt, Earl looked like he belonged at the country club, not the game room of a historic apartment building. He got to his feet and raised his glass in greeting. “How do, honey. You come on in and make yourself at home.”
I glanced between them, astonished at how youthful the couple seemed. If not for their hair, I would’ve put them thirty years younger.
