Risk of Falling

by Syndi Powell

  “You like things ordered, don’t you? All neat and tidy and in their place.” Page nodded and smiled. “Ex-military, right?”

  “Marines.” Will turned to Suzy. “Who is this again?”

  “My therapist. So I guess you were right. I am certifiable.”

  Will shook his head. “I never called you that.”

  “Might as well have. I’ve seen how you look at me.” She shot him a grin.

  Page whistled. “Wow. How long have you two been attracted to each other?”

  Suzy laughed while Will frowned. “You can tell that?”

  “It’s pretty obvious there seems to be something going on between you too.”

  “You could be wrong.”

  Suzy blushed and took off with her notebook for the kitchen. Is that what he thought? Hadn’t he admitted that they should explore whatever was happening between them after the house was cleaned out? Suzy couldn’t figure it out, and honestly she was too tired to. Fine. If that was how he wanted to play it.

  She got started on her plan in the kitchen. She wrote down a list of appliances to be removed. Donated to the goodwill center, if they’d take them. Listed the boxes of china to be taken out. The trash to be disposed of. Maybe Pres could do that with Rick.

  Page appeared and scanned the kitchen. “Avoiding the question?”

  “No. Avoiding you. Because you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Suzy made more notes. “You heard him. There’s nothing happening with Will and me.”

  “Right.”

  Will called out to her. “It seems like you’ve got things taken care of here, so I’m going. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He sounded a little upset. More than when he’d arrived. Suzy frowned and followed him out the front door, right to his car. “Why are you leaving? Is it because of what I said to Page? You said that nothing was happening first.”

  Will nodded and got into his truck. Turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine. “My mistake.”

  Suzy watched him back out of her driveway and speed away. She turned and walked back towards the house, only to find Page standing on the porch observing them. “Right. Nothing going on.”

  “There isn’t.” But she didn’t quite seem to mean the words.

  CHAPTER NINE

  THE SOUND OF rain on the roof woke Suzy up on the morning of the clean out. She stretched in the bed and lay there for a moment. Looking around her bedroom, she thought if only she could get the rest of the house to look like this room, she’d be set. Happier. Content.

  After a quick shower and dressing in a sweatshirt and jeans, she drove to the Sweetheart and picked up the fresh doughnuts and sweet rolls that she’d ordered. She gave Mrs. Sweet an extra tip then practically sang as she drove back to the house. A little rain wasn’t going to bring her down. Not today.

  When she returned to the house, she saw that Presley had arrived along with Page and Henry. She hugged her friend then turned to her therapist. “You’re early.”

  Henry put his arms around Suzy’s shoulders. “Because I drove us here. Now show me what we’re working with.”

  Suzy led them inside and tried to ignore the look of disbelief on Henry’s face as they surveyed the living room. The leaning tower of boxes in one corner of the living room was enough to scare anyone off. But he didn’t say anything. Instead he glanced at his sister then took the load of pastries from Suzy. “Let’s find a place for these.”

  A few minutes before ten, Rick arrived alone. “Lizzie’s swamped with wedding details, but she said she’ll give you a hand with anything else you need.”

  “She didn’t happen to hand you a clipboard with a list of things to do, did she?”

  Rick chuckled and shook his head. “My Lizzie and her clipboard. It’s like she needs it to remember to breathe.”

  There was a knock at the door, and Will arrived with his sister and nephews. With so many gathered in a tiny, cramped space, Suzy felt her heart starting to pound. Page put a hand on her arm. “Just breathe slowly.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You look like you’re going to pass out.”

  Suzy denied it but then almost jumped when Will walked up behind her. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine.” She glanced at both of them. “I’m fine. Can we get this started?”

  Page nodded and raised her voice. “I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to help Suzy today. A few ground rules before we start. We’re doing this to help Suzy keep her house, so she gets the final say on what goes and what stays. If you’re not sure, ask before you toss it. And we’ll keep this a judgment free zone for the day. Any questions?”

  Suzy looked around her and gave a watery smile. “Thank you, everybody. Mama was all I had for a really long time, so this means a lot to me to have you here.”

  Everyone split into teams of two. Tori volunteered to help Suzy out in Mama’s bedroom. She glanced at Will’s sister. “Are you sure you want to do that? It’s one of the biggest messes here.”

  Tori linked her arm through Suzy’s. “I love a challenge. Lead the way.”

  They walked down the hall, and Suzy took a deep breath before opening the door to the bedroom. Tori put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll do this together.”

  Suzy nodded and opened the door. Waited for Tori to mention the books and papers that covered the floor so that you couldn’t see the carpeting. Instead, she pointed to a box that held some books. “Do you want me to finish packing those?”

  No. She’d do it later. Then Suzy remembered why they were there. “Actually, I thought maybe we could work on Mama’s closet. Get the hard stuff done first.”

  Tori nodded and cleared a spot on the bed. “Why don’t we make a pile of keepers and another for donations?”

  Sounded good to her. She opened the closet door and held up her hands to catch the stack of T-shirts that wouldn’t stay on their shelf. She brought them over to the bed. “I guess we can donate all these.”

  For the first half hour, she found it easier to donate things than to keep them. Feeling good about it, Suzy reached farther into the closet and pulled out the garment bag that held Mama’s wedding dress. She unzipped the bag and pulled out the yellowed lace dress. “I can’t believe how damaged this is after this all these years.”

  Tori reached out and fingered the antique lace. “Maybe she hoped to pass it down to you when you got married.”

  “Maybe.” Suzy marveled at all the tiny buttons on the back of the dress. “She should have taken better care of it then. It’s ruined.” She turned and showed Tori where moths had eaten at the lace edging on the sleeves and bodice. “I couldn’t wear it like this. What was she thinking?”

  Suzy willed the hot tears to leave her alone. They weren’t welcome. Not today. She threw the wedding gown on the bed. “Just get rid of it.”

  Tori nodded and left to get a trash bag. Alone, Suzy turned back to the closet and pulled out the red sweatshirt with puppies. The collar was stained like Page had pointed out. It was way too big, but she couldn’t let it go. She put it in the keeper pile and by the time Tori had returned, had emptied most of the closet into the donation pile.

  Tori gave a low whistle. “Wow, you were busy. How long was I gone?”

  Suzy nodded and continued to pull out more clothes including a bright blue cashmere sweater that Mama had worn in her skinnier days. She put it on the donation pile, and Tori picked it up. “I love this color, don’t you?”

  She considered it for a moment and gave a shrug. “I prefer yellow actually.”

  Tori held it up to her chest and measured it against her body. “Would you mind if I kept this? I love it.”

  Suzy frowned. “It’s been sitting in Mama’s closet for who knows how long.”

 
“The classics never go out of style.” Tori looked over at Suzy. “I mean, only if it’s okay with you.”

  “Of course.”

  Tori stepped carefully around the clutter and hugged her. “It’s almost like we’re sisters sharing clothes.” She held the sweater up to her chest. “My sisters were seven and nine years older than me, so we never got to do that.”

  Suzy almost envied her siblings. For too many years, it had only been her and Mama. No one to share the burden with. “I was an only child.”

  “That must have been so lonely for you.”

  It had been, but things were different now. Suzy gave her a smile. “But I have friends that are like family. And I think you’re one of those.”

  The two hugged each other. Then they got back to work.

  * * *

  AN HOUR IN, and it didn’t seem as if he and the twins had made much of an impact in the living room. The path to the front door looked wider, but that was as far as they had gotten. Of course, Will had had to break up two fights between Brady and Conner already and threaten them with bodily harm if they didn’t put the doughnuts down and get to work. They were young and strong enough to lift the heavy boxes and move them outside under the porch for Suzy to go through later.

  Will was determined to clear the room to the corner and remove the wall of boxes and stuff that covered the window. As the twins returned, he put more boxes in their arms and helped them haul them out. He could almost see the outer wall and the ceiling above.

  Rick stopped in the living room and motioned Will over. “Can you give me a hand moving the fridge?”

  “Sure if you’ll help me clear out this corner.”

  The two of them walked into the kitchen where Suzy’s therapist and brother tackled the counters and all the stuff covering them. He gave a short nod then wedged himself between the wall and the fridge. “We’ve got a bigger path now if you want to take it out the front.”

  “Good idea. Smits said he’ll pick the appliances up later this afternoon.”

  With effort, they pushed the refrigerator a few feet from the wall then leaned it forward to get the dolly underneath it. On a count of three, they hoisted it and wheeled it through the living room and outside to the curb. Will stretched his arms above his head. “Remember our deal.”

  Rick grumbled but patted him on the back. “Let’s clear that corner.”

  With his friend’s help, the pile of boxes moved outside rather quickly. Two more, and Will would have an empty wall.

  With the last one in Rick’s arms, he looked around and gave a nod. What was that on the ceiling? He frowned. Was that a crack? And was it just him, or did it look like it was spreading?

  Rick asked, “How about a hand with the stove?”

  Will pointed towards the ceiling. “Look up there and tell me what you see.”

  Rick looked up and shrugged. “It’s a crack in the ceiling.”

  “It’s more than that.” Will found a chair in the dining room and pulled it into the corner of the living room to examine the crack closer. It looked another inch longer in such a short time. A heavy feeling settled in his gut. This was not good. Not at all.

  He got down from the chair and walked outside to examine the wall from there. Will couldn’t believe it. Almost. The stack of boxes had been giving support to the wall, but with them removed, there was now a problem with the structure of the house. If the cracks in the foundation were any indication, the northern wall could collapse if something wasn’t done.

  Problem was, it was expensive. And would surely take more time than Suzy had left.

  He glanced through the window and saw Suzy’s friends. They were all here to help her. To support her. They’d hate him for what he had to do.

  So would she.

  He groaned and covered his eyes. This was his job. It wasn’t personal. With the safety of everyone in the house at stake, he had to act. Had to do something.

  He walked into the house and down the hallway to where Suzy and his sister were organizing her mother’s bedroom. “Hey, Tor. Can I have a moment alone with Suzy?”

  She waggled her eyebrows at him. “Don’t be getting too frisky. We still have the dresser to sort through.”

  He didn’t crack a smile, and hers faded. The teasing left her eyes, and he could see that she wanted to ask him what was wrong. “This won’t take long.”

  He waited until Tori left then turned to Suzy. She looked fragile. As if a puff of air would knock her down. He couldn’t do this to her.

  But he had to.

  “We have a problem.”

  * * *

  SUZY FOLLOWED WILL down the hallway to the living room and gasped when she saw the progress Will had made. “I forgot the carpet was blue in here.”

  “Forget the carpet. Look at the ceiling.”

  Right. The ceiling. The whole reason he was stopping their work and bringing her out here. “It’s a crack. That’s always been there.”

  Will leaned down and brushed his hand on the carpet. “But it’s spreading.” He showed her the chalky white dust on his hands. “This is a safety concern.”

  “What? You think the roof is going to collapse?” She smiled but felt it disappear when he didn’t smile back. In fact, he looked more serious. “It really could?”

  He looked so serious. “Due to the compromised structure of the house, I have to remove all of you from the premises until an engineer can assess the damage.”

  A hot feeling started in her belly and spread up her chest. “You’re getting all technical on me. That’s not good.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not.”

  “So what does that mean?”

  She feared the words even before he said them. “It means that for now, you can’t live here.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  SUZY STARED AT HIM, her eyebrows tightly knitted together. Not live here anymore? Was this a joke? The whole reason that everyone had helped her was so she could keep the house. And if she didn’t live here, where was she supposed to go?

  She glanced around the room, listened to her friends’ muted conversations nearby. They were here helping her, but to what end? So she could lose the house anyway? “I don’t understand. You said if we got this place cleaned up, I could stay. You promised.”

  He watched her with a hooded expression. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or joking or just being himself. He gave an exaggerated sigh. “I was not aware of the structural damage.”

  “Then you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.” This had to be a nightmare. Someone pinch her so she could wake up and realize that it was still morning and she was alone in bed. “So where do I go? What do I do?”

  Page walked into the living room and put her hand on her back. “Breathe, Suzy.”

  She whirled on her counselor. “Don’t touch me.”

  Page looked at Will who pointed to the ceiling. “There’s been structural damage to the home which compromises the safety of the house. I need everyone to leave the premises until I can have an engineer assess the situation.”

  Page nodded. “I’ll let everyone know. Thanks, Will.”

  “You’re thanking him for kicking me out of my house?” Was everyone going crazy? None of this was made any sense. “I’m homeless.” She covered her face with her hands and jerked away from Will when he tried to pat her back. “Don’t.”

  “I need you to pack a bag for the next week or two, but then you have to leave.”

  “You need me to...” She walked to her new bedroom and opened the closet. She yanked out several pairs of scrubs and tossed them on her bed. She knew there were several luggage sets in the garage that she’d planned to donate, never knowing she’d need to use one herself.

  She ignored Pres in the hallway who turned and followed her o
utside. “Suze, you okay?”

  “Perfect.” She gave a smile as if to prove it. “I need a suitcase.”

  Her friend wouldn’t let it go. “Why don’t you come and stay with me until Will finds out what’s going on?”

  Tempting. “I don’t think so.”

  Presley blinked at her as if she didn’t understand her response. “Why not? Where are you going to go instead?”

  Suzy dragged one of the better looking pieces out of the pile of donations. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do. I need to think.”

  Pres stopped her mid-stride and put her hand on her shoulder. “So think at my place. It’s not big, but I have that extra bedroom.”

  “Which you’re remodeling, right?”

  “I can move some things around. Get the bed put back.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She rolled the suitcase into the house. Again ignored the sympathetic looks on everyone’s faces and concentrated instead on getting packed. She returned to her room and placed the suitcase on the bed. Unzipped it and stared for a moment. This was supposed to be a good day. She was supposed to be living in a better space. Instead, she had nowhere to go.

  A knock on the bedroom door, and Tori entered. “Need a hand?”

  Suzy started to fold the scrubs and place them in the suitcase. “No. I’m almost finished in here.”

  Tori sat on the bed next to the suitcase. “Will’s worried about you.”

  Worried about her? Yeah, right. More like worried about his job. But she nodded in what she hoped seemed like understanding. But she didn’t understand him. She didn’t understand anything. “I know.”

  Tori got up and walked to the dresser where she retrieved the book that Suzy had fallen asleep reading the night before. She put it in the suitcase. “Do you know where you’re going to go?”

  Suzy shook her head and left the room to get some things from the bathroom. She reappeared with her toothbrush and toiletries, and tossed them on top of her scrubs. She pulled out socks and underwear from the dresser. Threw those on top of everything and zipped up the suitcase.