by Jill Sanders
With the new sounds, Connor had sat up and was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Did you have a good nap?” Crystal asked Connor as she picked him up and planted a kiss on his cheek. Then she buried her nose in his hair as he giggled. “Mmmm, naps always leave such sweet scents behind,” she joked as she walked with him into the kitchen area. “I have some more of those cookies left,” Crystal said to Connor as she glanced back towards Kayla. “We’ll be fine.” She waved her hand as if shooing her away. “Go, take care of your business. Set your mind at ease.” She winked. “We’re going to eat cookies and maybe do some arts and crafts.”
“Okay. If you need me—”
Crystal waved her away again. “Rowan has your number, I’m sure. We’ll be fine. Take your time.” She reached up and tickled Connor, sending a new bout of giggles from him.
There were more giggles from her son as she stood there and looked at the closed swinging door to the kitchen. She’d never left her son with anyone before. Never. In the three years since she’d given birth to him, alone, she’d never trusted anyone enough to watch him.
She thought about Crystal Holley. The woman was nothing but trustworthy. Sure, she was a little… off, as far as modern standards go. She didn’t carry a cell phone, dress like she was in the current century, or have a corporate job like most people Kayla had known, but those were the things that made Crystal who she was. Kind, caring, a woman who would easily give up everything she had to help others. Her hippie living wasn’t just shown in her clothes and appearance, but straight down to her core.
The woman had single-handily raised her daughter, Serenity, who Kayla and most everyone in town had always known as Sarah. Sarah was another one of the smartest, kindest, women Kayla had known in Silver Cove growing up.
So, why was she having such a hard time walking out the front door? It wasn’t because she didn’t trust Crystal with her son, it was that she didn’t trust herself, somehow, to be a person without her son. In the last three years of her life, she’d only had one purpose in life. To keep Connor safe.
Letting her mind clear of the foggy memories, she straightened her shoulders and headed towards the door. Taking one last glance back, she told herself her son would be fine for an hour. Then she reminded herself that she would be fine alone as well.
When she parked at her mother’s place behind a newer sedan, she was a little surprised when she noticed the front door was wide open. There were three large full trash bags sitting on the front porch.
“Mom?” she called out as she stepped in. Every window in the house must have been open since the place had a sharp chill to it. Fresh air was flowing through the rooms.
“We’re back here,” her mother called out from the kitchen area.
Out of all the rooms in her mother’s house, the kitchen had gotten the worse of her mother’s state of mind. There were dirty dishes piled up, making the sink and every inch of countertop unusable. The dishwasher was completely full, and when she’d asked, her mother said it had stopped working last year.
There were boxes of new dishes, three of them, piled up unopened and unused. More new items sat on the kitchen table and chairs. There wasn’t a single space in the kitchen that was usable.
Today, when she walked in, her mother had her sleeves rolled up and was washing dishes by hand. Her brother walked into the room from the back door.
He hadn’t changed at all. His long blond hair was still tied back, away from his face. His blue eyes matched hers so closely she always found it eerie. But that was as far as the similarities went. Her brother’s face was covered in a full day’s growth of sandy blond hair. He was almost as tall as the doorframe he stood in and his shoulders were as wide as the door itself. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and very old worn jeans.
Without saying a word, he dropped the empty box he’d been holding and walked over to wrap his arms around her.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here yesterday,” he said into her hair.
She relaxed a little and nodded. “We’re okay,” she said softly as he dropped his arms.
“What’s going on?” Kayla blinked a few times as she looked around. Her mother’s short hair was tied back with a headband. She had on gray sweatpants and tennis shoes and looked like she was ready to spend a day cleaning.
Her mother glanced over at her and gave a little smile. “We’re cleaning up this mess.” She turned back to her job. “Trying to, at any rate.”
Kayla rushed over to her side and took her mother’s shoulders in her hands. “Mom, you don’t have to…”
Her mother made a sound in the back of her throat. “Nonsense. What kind of pathetic loser can’t even have her own grandchild live with her because of all this… shit.”
Kayla gasped as JT chuckled. She’d never heard her mother cuss before.
“Well, that’s what it is, isn’t it? I mean, besides actual feces, there’s just…” She shrugged her shoulders as she looked around. “Stuff.”
“But…” Kayla glanced around.
“Honey, I’ve known for a while that I have a problem. It’s hard for me, you know, to let things go.” Her mother looked around the extremely packed room. “I know it’s because we lost Lori, then your father left.” Sadness filled her mother’s eyes upon the mention of Kayla’s sister. Kayla had stopped feeling sad years ago and guilt had taken its place. “But I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose my grandson because of my own stupidity.” She took a step back. “Now, if you are here to help, better roll up your sleeves and grab a pair of gloves. I mean to have one room done today, and God helps us, I’ve picked a doozie.”
Her mother glanced over to JT. “JT, finish hauling all that stuff out to the garage.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Her brother smiled and picked up the empty box again.
After four hours and three phone calls to Holley Hall to check up on her son, her mother’s kitchen was almost half finished. It had taken them almost two of those hours to finish cleaning every dish. The other two hours were spent clearing out every cupboard, sanitizing them, then reorganizing the space so that the clean dishes could be put away. As they went through the dishes, her mother decided, without Kayla’s prompting, that she had too many and actually boxed up some to give away or sell.
JT hauled everything their mother decided to give away or sell out to the garage until they could see how much stuff they had.
Her mother had decided that the unopened dishes weren’t as nice as her current set and just had JT put them out in the garage. By the time Kayla left her mother’s house, it was afternoon and she was dirty and exhausted. She’d left her mother and brother still working as they mopped and scrubbed the kitchen floor.
She had to admit, it had been nice to have his help. He promised her he’d swing by the big house and meet her son tomorrow morning.
When she parked her car in front of Holley Hall, she glanced at the clock and sighed when she realized it was four in the afternoon.
It was then that she realized that she hadn’t even talked to her mother about her and Connor’s living arrangements. After seeing the dedication in her mother’s eyes, she didn’t feel there was a need anymore.
The moment her mother’s house was up to Kayla’s standards, she and Connor would move back in.
As she walked in the front door at Holley Hall, she realized she needed to reconsider the type of job she got. If she was going to spend every day helping her mother clean her house, she would have to look for a job she could work in the evenings.
“How is my boy?” Kayla asked. He’d rushed over to her with excited cheers of “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.” She took her son up in her arms and kissed him.
He smelled like chocolate cookies and Play-Doh. The mixture of the scents was intoxicating.
“He was a perfect gem.” Crystal smiled from her spot at the stove. “He even has a surprise for you.” She nodded to the table.
“What’s this?” She carried her son to the table and sat down, ke
eping him in her lap.
“For you.” Connor took the coloring page up and handed it to her.
She’d never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Her son didn’t always stay in the lines, but he knew how to mix colors so that every picture he did was bright and cheery.
“Thank you.” She gave her son a hug. “Did you have fun with Aunt Crystal today?”
Connor nodded ferociously. “Can I do it again tomorrow?”
“Sweetie, I have to—”
“Yes, of course.” Crystal smiled. “If that’s okay with your mother?”
“Crystal, I couldn’t…” She shook her head.
“Of course, you can,” Crystal added in. “You’d be helping me out. I know I’ve been driving Serenity and Ben crazy with my meddling before the baby arrives.” She let out a large sigh as she leaned back on the counter. “I just can’t wait for my first grandchild.” She smiled. “Besides, from the looks of you, it appears you got a lot accomplished at your mother’s place today.”
She glanced down and groaned, then set Connor down in the kitchen chair, where he went back to work on coloring a new picture.
“I need a shower.”
“Go, take one. By the time you come down, we’ll have dinner ready.”
She headed up the stairs. After a very long, very relaxing shower, she tied her hair up at the top of her head in a bun and pulled on a pair of her yoga pants and a large sweatshirt. For some reason, she added a dash of makeup before heading down the stairs. She didn’t feel comfortable enough around the woman yet to go fully exposed. When she heard the voices in the kitchen, she was thankful she had taken the time.
Rowan sat next to Connor at the table, helping him color. When Kayla walked in, he glanced up and smiled. The darkness under her eyes was less obvious. She looked refreshed and relaxed. Which is what everyone who ever stayed at his aunt’s place always looked like after a day or two.
Crystal had magical powers to make people feel welcomed and relaxed. Some just took longer than others.
“Feel better?” Crystal asked, setting a bowl of steamed broccoli on the table.
“Much.” Kayla smiled and moved across the room towards him.
She was wearing tight black yoga pants that hugged her hips. He couldn’t take his eyes away from the motion as she walked.
She was slender, tall, and very fit. Why hadn’t he noticed that about her before?
“Crystal was telling me you got some work done at your mother’s place,” he blurted out, breaking out of his thoughts.
She nodded and sat down next to him. “Not a lot, but the kitchen should be cleared by tomorrow. JT was there, helping out.”
“That’s good. No arguments from your mother?” he asked, looking into her blue eyes. She’d put a little makeup on, which accented the color of her eyes. His eyes moved to her lips, which were covered with a gloss. He watched them as she talked.
She shook her head. “No, they had already started by the time I arrived.”
“How wonderful,” Crystal said, setting a bowl of steaming potatoes down.
“Can I help?” Kayla asked, starting to get up.
“No.” Crystal waved her off. “You’ve done enough work for the day.”
“With helping your mother out, you won’t have much time to look for a job,” he added.
“No,” she said and he watched those lips turn downward. “I was just thinking about that. I’m not sure how much longer it will take with my mother. At the rate we’re going, one to two days for each room, it will be two weeks before I have enough time to look for a job.”
“What about taking an evening shift at my store?” Crystal asked, setting a platter of grilled chicken down on the table.
“I…” Kayla shook her head.
“It would help me out. I had to let go of Carina when I found her pocketing some of my profits.”
“Oh, I don’t…” He could see Kayla thinking about it, then she nodded slightly. “It would help having some income, at least during the next few weeks.”
“Good, this way I don’t have to start looking for Carina’s replacement.” Crystal sat down. “Olivia can show you the ropes tomorrow afternoon. The shift is from five until close. Think you can handle it after helping your mother all day?”
“Yes. I’m tired today but mostly from lack of sleep since I spent most of the night checking up on Connor.” She leaned closer and hugged her son as Crystal and Rowan started dishing up the food.
“CJ’s head bump is gone. I think we can mark that off the worry list,” he said, gaining her attention.
“Yes, I noticed that this morning.” She smiled. “No dizziness or upset stomach last night. He slept like a three-year-old.”
“I’m sure you’ll sleep like one too, tonight,” Rowan added as he dished up. “How’re the hands?” He glanced down at her hands and noticed she’d replaced the bandages with smaller Band-Aids.
“They’re fine. I’m sure I’ll sleep better now that I know he’s okay.” She dished a plate for Connor and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
The simple motherly act reminded him to call his own folks later that night and check up on them. They’d moved to southern Florida a few years back and at least once a week they would video conference with him. Usually when they were sitting at the clubhouse pool or out on the water on their new fishing boat.
He’d made one trip down to see them last Christmas. Palm trees and swim shorts just wasn’t his idea of Christmas. His parents, on the other hand, seemed to love it.
“Earth to Rowan.” His aunt snapped her fingers and got his attention as she chuckled. “That must have been some deep thought you had.”
He smiled. “Thinking about my folks. It’s about time I called them again.”
“I just talked to Genie and Charles this morning. They asked after you and mentioned you hadn’t called them in six days.” She smiled over at him as she finished eating.
“I’ll call them when I get home.” He mentally added it to his list.
“It must have been so nice, having your family so close.”
He glanced over at Kayla. “It had its moments. Usually, they were few and far between.”
Crystal stood up and took her plate with her, then nudged him. “Don’t be like that. I don’t remember you complaining… much.” She chuckled as she cleared the table.
Kayla jumped up. “Let me at least do these dishes. After all, you watched Connor and cooked.”
His aunt smiled. “Fair enough, but I’m taking your son into the living room and playing blocks while you two clean up.” Her eyes moved to him and he noticed a hint of mischief behind them. She plucked Connor from his chair and cleaned him up, then the pair disappeared down the hallway.
“That was smooth,” he said under his breath.
“What?” Kayla stopped picking up the dirty dishes and looked at him.
“Nothing.” He was going to try to change the subject, but the look in her eyes told him that she wasn’t going to let it go.
“My aunt. I think she has it out for us.”
“In what way?” She piled the last plate in her hands.
“In a dating way.” He reached for the larger dishes.
The dishes in her arms shook and almost toppled over as the realization hit her.
Quickly, he reached out and covered her hands with his to steady her.
“Hey, it’s just who my aunt is. She’s always trying to get people together.” He kept his hands over hers until he felt her steady. “She thinks that everyone in life should have as much sex as she gets,” he joked.
She moved back and he let go of her. “I…” She shook her head, her eyes going to the door where her son was currently giggling in the other room. “I just can’t… right now, my life is a mess.”
His eyebrows shot up and a smile played on his lips. “I didn’t ask anything of you.”
Her eyes moved back to him and he watched as they ran over him slowly. “No, I know, it’s
just… Maybe you can have a talk with her… about… things.”
He chuckled. “Sure. I’ll try. But Crystal is pretty much a once-it’s-set-in-her-mind type of woman.”
She laughed and he liked the sound. “I can see that.”
They stood side by side washing dishes and talking about their days.
She listened to him talk about every detail of his workday as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Then she talked about cleaning her mother’s place, and how she’d worked side by side with her mother and brother and still didn’t feel like she knew either of them.
“Mom has never really been the talkative type. Neither of them are, actually. JT left the house when I was so young. I never really felt like I got to know him. It was Lori who filled the house with noise.” She sighed.
“Do you miss her?” he asked.
“Sometimes. I miss the idea of having a sister more than I miss my actual sister. Someone to share clothes with, to do my hair and makeup with, to go shopping with, or someone to sit and laugh with over a glass of wine. Lori was never those things with me. It would have been nice to have someone there to help me go through what I did when she died and when my parents’ divorced.”
“Do you talk to your dad?” He put the last clean dish away.
“No.” She leaned against the counter and dried her hands. “I haven’t seen or talked to him since the day of Lori’s funeral.”
“I’m sorry.” He meant so much more with those words than just the standard apology. In his heart, he was apologizing for Lori’s death. Especially since he still partially blamed himself.
“Thank you.” She sighed. “But now I have Connor.” Her eyes moved to the doorway and she smiled. “Even my mother seems to realize how wonderful life is with him. About the only thing she said to me today was that she didn’t want to do anything that would cause her to lose him.”
He tossed down the hand towel he’d been drying dishes with and moved closer to her, putting his hands on her shoulders gently. “You’re lucky to have them both.”
She nodded. “Yes, I’m lucky now.”
“What about Connor’s father?” he asked, taking a step back.