Like I’m the problem.
Doesn’t happen often, but itishappening more frequently.
Here.
Not on my other jobs.
Just here.
And this place needing more repairs means less time for my paid work off-property.
Not that summers are ever a good time for a heavy workload. The summer camp that kicked Lav out for pretending to be a meowing nudist was half days, not full days. I picked that option on purpose to balance making enough to support us with having more time with her.
She’s only six once.
And not for much longer.
“Called a couple plumbers I know,” I tell Mabel. “Two can get you quotes tomorrow or the next day.”
She reaches for the glass of red wine and takes a glug before looking at me again. “Tomorrow or the next day,” she repeats. “Holy fuck, your eye looks bad.”
I ignore the comment about my eye. It hurts like a bitch too, but I don’t have the luxury of time to whine about it, nor would it help. “I can keep calling around. See if we can get someone in sooner.”
The deadeyed stare ofyou know the Notorious P-I-P has alienated half the plumbers in the valley and the rest of them know her reputationis the only response she gives me.
I spread my hands as a cool breeze hits my wet clothes and hair. “I told them you have someone staying in the mother-in-law quarters and that it’s critical, but they’re on other emergency jobs. And…”
“And?”
“Kitchen probably needs new flooring too. Don’t think this is the first time there was a leak.”
“Okay.”
Okay.
Okay isnotokay.
“I know things are tight here, so I’ll do what I can to make it as easy on you as possible.” It’s the elephant in the room that we don’t talk about.
She pretends everything’s fine, but I see the signs. Waiting a little longer to get things fixed. Patch jobs instead of longer-lasting repairs.
It’s not how she did things when I first got here.
“I’ve got it,” she says.
“We don’t have a lot, but if you need help?—”
“I’ve got it, Heath.”
“I’ll cover the flooring.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
I rub my eyes, temporarily forgetting about the stupid black eye, and I huff out a breath at my own stupidity as the pain radiates behind my eyeball. And then I huff out another breath at one more thing I don’t want to do. “Can we trade? I can’t—finding a new setup for Lav isn’t going well. All of the summer camps are full. Daycares too. I can probably arrange a playdate schedule for her, but it’ll take time, so if you can?—”
Mabel sticks out her hand. “Deal. We’ll watch Lav this summer, and you can fix the kitchen floor in the mother-in-law house.”
I eyeball her hand, then her face. “I’m getting the better end of this deal.”
