“It’s where I’ll be staying for the time being, but I don’t seem to have a key in the stuff the lawyer gave me. I thought you might have a spare key, so I don’t need to find a locksmith,” she explains.
“I thought you lived in the city,” I say curtly. What the hell is she doing staying at Benny’s house?
“I do, but the orchard just became my priority. I’ll be working remotely until I decide to head back,” she says. “So, do you have a key?”
My head starts to spin as I realize Benny is gone and this woman is taking over even faster than I thought she would.
SEVEN
Bells
“This was my key, but I guess I don’t really need one anymore,” Tilly says, handing me a lanyard with a pride flag and a key on the end.
“Thanks.” I smile.
She still hasn’t given me an ounce of a smile or even a look my way since the funeral. But I’ll eventually win her over. Once I decided to stay in Aunt Blake’s house, I knew winning Tilly over would be part of the long game. My parents and family think I headed back to the city; meanwhile, I’ll be here for the time being. I can do the renovations and fix what needs to be fixed while also keeping my job in the city. I’m not lying about working remotely, but now I can get two things done at once. I put out feelers to sublet my place, and I’ll head down at some point this week to grab more clothes. But I have a feeling the things in my closet won’t help me fit in here anyway.
“I’m sure the fridge is rancid because we sort of forgot to clean it after…”
“No worries, I’ll make sure I get to that today then,” I reassure her.
“It’s a pretty big house for one person,” Tilly muses.
“Didn’t Benny live here alone?”
Tilly makes a face and then nods. I guess we’re back to nonverbal communication. I thought we were finally making some progress.
“I guess if you need anything you can ask. I have to get started on the morning feedings and rounds on the orchard,” Tilly says.
“Thanks, I appreciate your help.” I smile.
Tilly nods and heads out the front door, closing it behind her. I knew my aunt was sick, but I don’t have much more to go on besides that. I didn’t bother asking my mother what illness she had because there’s a good chance she doesn’t know. So seeing the medical equipment set up in the living room is a little surprising. I guess she was insistent on spending her last days here. I can’t blame her—it’s not like I’d want to be sent to some home if I could avoid it.
I tie up my hair and look for some garbage bags. I manage to find some black ones and start getting rid of all the things I know I won’t need. It’s not like the place is dirty, but there are some opened supplies or things we can’t donate.
I’m more sentimental than my family, so I know they aren’t holding out for any family photos or anything. But at some point, they may ask about her house, and I’d like to clear it out before they do. I can at least salvage all the important things they’d probably overlook. I find some empty boxes in the closet and pack up all the unused medical equipment. I make a checklist in my phone of things I need to do, including calling the local hospital to see if they can pick this stuff up.
My aunt’s taste in furniture and decorations surprisingly isn’t bad. I was expecting mix-and-match old-lady thrifted stuff, but in reality, it’s all very cozy and fall-themed. Her favorite color must have been orange because it’s a common theme here.
My phone rings as I’m finishing packing up one half of the living room.
“Hello?”
“Why do you sound out of breath? Were you having sex?” my best friend El asks from the other end.
“What? No. I was lifting heavy boxes.” I laugh.
“Oh, well, I was bored at work, and I missed you.”
“Shouldn’t you be working on a case?” She’s an incredibly sought-after lawyer in the city, so it’s not like she has a boring career.
“Are you my boss? No, but seriously, when are you coming home?”
“I actually… umm… I’ll be staying here for the time being.” I wince. I didn’t want to tell her over the phone, but it all happened so fast.
“What?! That’s how I find out my bestie is abandoning me?” She gasps.
“I need to figure out why my aunt left me this place and fix it up. My family wants to suck it dry, but I think it could really be something special,” I admit.
