Risk of Falling

by Syndi Powell

  “We all do what we have to.” Suzy held up the bag of supplies she’d brought with her. “I brought us some surprises to pass the time.”

  Mrs. Stone leaned over to get a look, so Suzy handed it to her. She pulled out puzzle books, a romance novel, a big bottle of body lotion and a fleece tie blanket in hot pinks and purples. Mrs. Stone ran a hand along the fleece. “It’s so soft.”

  Suzy stood and helped her drape the blanket over her legs. “I had someone at the fabric store teach me how to make it myself.”

  “I love it.” She put the books back into the bag and held up the lotion. “But I’m curious why you think I need this.”

  “The toxins in the chemo can dry out your skin, so I thought it might help you.” She took the bottle from Mrs. Stone. “If you’d like, I can put some on your legs and feet while we wait.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Suzy put a hand on Mrs. Stone’s arm. “I’d like to do this for you. It’s something that I did for Mama, and to be honest I kind of miss it.”

  When Mrs. Stone nodded, Suzy pushed the blanket up from one leg then rolled up the leg of her pants. She squirted some lotion into one hand then rubbed both of them together before applying the cream to the older woman’s legs. Mrs. Stone sighed and closed her eyes as she continued to moisturize first one leg then the other.

  Once finished, Suzy pushed the blanket back down over her legs then rolled up a sleeve of Mrs. Stone’s shirt before applying the lotion to her arm. Tears leaked from the woman’s eyes, and Suzy stopped massaging her arm. “What’s wrong?”

  Mrs. Stone opened her eyes. “You are an angel. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “You don’t have to. It’s only lotion.”

  The older woman shook her head. “It’s more than that.” She wiped away the tears that continued to stream down her face. “So much more. Your touch means more.”

  Suzy waited until Mrs. Stone calmed down then applied the lotion to the other arm. “I used to think that I was supposed to be a veterinarian. That I was meant to care for the animals I love so much. But I must admit that doing this for you means a lot more to me than anything I’ve done since I’ve been out on leave.” She looked at the older woman then moved to massage the lotion into her hands. “I’ve missed my patients. Especially you.”

  “You have a gift.”

  “No more than most in my profession.” Once she finished with Mrs. Stone, Suzy used the lotion on her own arms and hands. “I’ve been rethinking everything lately, wondering if I was supposed to be doing something else. But maybe I’m right where I was supposed to be all this time. I’ve blamed Mama for my choices during these years. That she made me become a nurse. And move back to Lake Mildred. But I chose all that. And if it’s brought me here, then they weren’t the wrong decisions.”

  “You were thinking of quitting the seniors’ home?” Mrs. Stone shook her head and grabbed Suzy’s arm. “But you can’t. We need you, dearie. We’ve missed you. I’ve missed you. You can’t leave.”

  Suzy smiled. “Well if that isn’t a reason to stay, then I don’t know what is.” She plucked up the gift bag from the floor where it had fallen. “I also put a deck of cards in there if you’re interested in a game.”

  Mrs. Stone returned her grin. “Game on.”

  * * *

  THE PAPERWORK NEVER STOPPED. Will initialed the section detailing the improvements the homeowner would need to make to bring the electrical system up to code. A shadow fell across his desk, and he looked up to find Rick standing in the door way. “Come on in, but should I be worried?”

  Rick stepped inside and shut the office door. Okay, so it was going to be that kind of a talk. “I wish I had better news.”

  Will’s world tilted, and he took a deep breath. “The council?”

  “They’ve decided to reduce your hours by half for now.” Rick slumped into the chair across from Will. “We’ll review the situation again in six months’ time and make further recommendations then.”

  Oh. Will placed his pen on the desk and sat back in his chair. “In half.”

  “I’m sorry, Will. I fought for you, but I was outvoted.”

  “I know.” He glanced at the paperwork waiting for his review. He was supposed to complete all of this in half the time? Plus make site inspections? “Well, at least I still have a job.” He stood and held his hand out to Rick. “Thanks, man.”

  Rick frowned at him. “For what? Being the messenger of bad news?”

  “For being upfront with me.”

  The two men shook hands, and an awkward silence took over the office. “When do they cut my hours?”

  “Next week.” Rick motioned to the stack of paperwork. “And I better not find out that you brought that home and did it on your own time. They want to cut you, fine. But the town council can figure out a way to handle things when you’re not here.”

  “Sure.” All this free time. He could only handle so much sitting in his mother’s room at the seniors’ home. And the four walls of his townhouse tended to close in on him the more hours he spent there. He needed a new focus.

  Could he quit this job and find something else? He could start over at thirty-four. There were plenty of people who had. Changed their career path and found fulfillment on a different road. People out there needed his skills. This wasn’t the end. Just a new beginning.

  Will claimed his seat again behind the desk. “Hey, this could have been worse.”

  “I’ll keep fighting to get you back to full time. I don’t think they realize everything you did for the community.”

  “I guess they’re about to find out.”

  Rick shifted in the chair and glanced around the office. “And if you decide to move on, I understand. I hope you don’t, but I’d be happy to give you a letter of recommendation should you need one.”

  Leave a job that he loved? He couldn’t, but he did have bills to pay. “To be honest, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I probably need to let this sink in some more.”

  “Seriously. If you need anything.”

  Will stood, and they shook hands again. Rick sighed then opened the office door. “And if you want to play hooky the rest of the day, I wouldn’t blame you.”

  Now that’s something he hadn’t done in a long time. And once Rick had suggested the idea, the better it sounded. He turned back to his desk. That paperwork could wait until tomorrow. He grabbed his coat and keys then locked the door behind him. He walked down the stairs to the parking lot and his truck, unlocked the door and got in. Sat staring out the windshield and tried to come up with a plan. What would his dad say if he were here?

  No. He wasn’t going to play that self-defeating game again. He considered his options, a different future. He could almost hear his dad’s voice. “Loser. Can’t even hold on to his job.”

  Will shook his head. He loved it here, and if they only wanted him part time than that’s what he’d give them. At least for now.

  With careful planning, he wouldn’t hurt for money. He’d be fine. Get a second job, or third if he had to.

  Or create an opportunity that had been just waiting for him. Someone still needed to head up the volunteers. To take on community projects that no one else wanted to do.

  And the council would see that they needed him more. Some day.

  He started the engine and turned up the radio, but didn’t know where to go. Home? Nah, too quiet. See Ma? Later. He could think of only one place he’d like to see.

  Within a few minutes, he pulled into the driveway at Suzy’s house. Sam’s truck was parked by the curb. Will walked up to the porch and knocked on the open door. The whine of a sander stopped, and Sam appeared from the hallway. “I’m not ready for inspection.”

  Will waved off his worries. “Not why I’m here.” He glanced up at the ceiling wh
ere the crack had once been. He could almost reach it. “It looks great, man. You can’t even tell where it was.”

  Sam nodded. “This hasn’t taken as long as I expected. I should be done by the end of the week. Tuesday at the latest.”

  “I can’t wait for Suzy to see this.”

  “She still doesn’t know?”

  Will shook his head. “Haven’t found the right way to tell her. And I’m not sure she’s going to be as happy as I’d hoped. I thought that I could fix it for her, but what if I’ve taken away the chance for her to fix it herself?”

  “Could be there’s no right way except to just say it.” Sam motioned to the bedrooms. “Want to see what I’ve done down here?”

  He gave Will the tour, and he could see how things would be once everything was repaired and painted. It would be better than new. He could see Suzy living here again. He only hoped he hadn’t fixed himself out of the picture.

  * * *

  THE TINY COTTAGE was cute, but just that: tiny. It was little more than a glorified one room with a small bathroom. Still, it fit her equally tiny budget. Suzy looked at Pres then at her real estate agent, Dawn. “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, it’s small but there’s potential.” Dawn pointed at the open floor plan. “You’re single without kids, so living here would keep things simple.”

  They’d have to be simple because there was no room for complicated. Suzy strolled to the kitchen area. It was a two foot square section of counter and a single sink. A refrigerator with a cupboard above. She looked around some more. “There’s no stove?”

  Dawn blanched. “But think of the great location. You’re only steps from the beach.” She led them outside where they could see a glimpse of the lake down a path of trees. “Picture yourself on this great deck, drinking margaritas and watching sunsets.”

  Pres glanced at Suzy. “She’s getting me with the margaritas.”

  Suzy sighed. It would be nice to be able to wake up and go running on the beach. Or walking the shore at night with the moon shining down.

  She turned and glanced back at the cottage. She could put a recliner near the big front window and let the kittens sleep there. A sofa bed or futon would give her comfort. Still, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t see myself here. I think I need some place that has...”

  “A bedroom?” Pres finished the sentence for her. “This doesn’t scream Suzy.”

  “Then that answers that question.” Dawn held up a sheet of paper. “There’s another listing down the road. A little farther from the beach, but it might have the space you need.”

  She directed them back to the driveway where the agent’s car waited. Suzy leaned against the car before getting in and tapped Pres on the shoulder. “What do you think? Am I making the right decision looking at houses?” She held up the spec sheet for the cottage. “And I can’t even afford this.”

  Pres opened her arms as if to say the world was Suzy’s oyster. “If it doesn’t feel like you, then don’t force it. It might be nice to come out here on the weekends and hang with you at the beach, but where would I sleep?”

  “I can’t stay with you forever either.”

  Pres reached out and touched her hand. “You can if you want. I really wouldn’t mind.”

  But she couldn’t. Wouldn’t. She needed to find her own place, her own way. She might be lost but she couldn’t depend on anyone else to find her. She had to do it herself.

  Until then, it wouldn’t hurt to look at other possibilities. Suzy opened the car door. “Let’s go take a look at the one down the road.”

  * * *

  THE HOUSE SEARCH resulted in a big zero, so they headed to the grocery store for supplies. Suzy perused the fresh produce section trying to find a pumpkin that would be perfect to carve for Halloween which was only a week away. Hard to believe that after that, it would soon be Thanksgiving then Christmas and a new year. Where did the time go?

  She picked up one pumpkin, but didn’t like how light it felt. She wanted one that had plenty of seeds to roast and snack on. Another was squished in on one side, making it look lopsided. She tried a third but deemed it too small. Pres groaned behind her. “It’s just a pumpkin.”

  “It’s going to decorate your front porch, so it has to be perfect.”

  “I’m not asking for perfection.” She leaned on the cart. “Um, Suze, I have to tell you something and I don’t want to freak you out.”

  Suzy put the pumpkin back on the pile and picked up another. It felt right. She gazed at it from different angles. Looked round and except for a dent near the stem, it was near perfection. She looked up at Pres. “So tell me.”

  “It’s about the kittens.”

  Suzy placed the pumpkin in the cart and pushed it towards the fruit section. She’d been craving bananas lately, and she’d eaten the last one that morning. She chose a bunch and put them in a plastic bag. “What about the kittens? Are they okay?” She glanced up at her friend. “They looked great the last time I stopped in.”

  Pres seemed anxious, yet nodded. “Someone adopted them.”

  Oh. Suzy held onto the cart to steady herself. Despite being homeless and not knowing where she was going, she really had hoped to take them with her one day. “Did they at least go to a good family?”

  “I think so.”

  “You think so? Didn’t you check their application? Call their references?” Suzy tried to stop the panic from getting its claws into her. She took a deep breath. “I know you do a good job of finding the right homes, but are you sure this was the right one for them?”

  Pres nodded again. “I was waiting for you to adopt them once you were ready for them, but I think they’re going to be happy in their new home.”

  She hoped so. With all her heart, Suzy wanted them to find a family who loved them as much as she did. Another loss. “That’s all I wanted for them.”

  Pres smiled at her. “Once you decide where you’re going to settle down, you can have the pick of my animals. I promise.”

  Suzy nodded, but she didn’t feel it. She’d wanted those three cuddly kittens.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  WILL SIGNED THE check and kept staring at it. He’d thought that fixing the house for Suzy would solve all their problems, but the closer it got to completion, the more he doubted it. She hadn’t asked him to fix this, but he’d stepped in and done it like he always did. Tori and Ma had warned him, but he insisted he knew what was best. With reluctance, he handed the check to Sam. “I appreciate your speed on this project. It will mean the world to Suzy.”

  Sam nodded as he folded the check and placed it into his back pocket. “Thanks for this. It’s one more step to expanding my business. Finding my dream.”

  “Mine too.” Will shook Sam’s hand. “If I hear of anyone needing a contractor, I’ll recommend you.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  After Sam left the house, Will used his phone and dialed Suzy’s cell. It went straight to voicemail, so he waited for the beep. Tried for a casual tone. “Hi Suzy, Will here. It’s important that I speak to you as soon as I can in regards to your house. There’s been a...development.” He hung up before he could say too much.

  The ball was in her court now.

  He went from room to room, imagining all the little things that made a house a home. Towels. Pillows. Dishes. But then if he bought all that he’d be fixing things again, and he imagined that Suzy would be much better at making those decisions. She had a warmth and style about her that he didn’t know how to reach within himself.

  He was tired of his sterile townhouse. He wanted something with character and love.

  He wanted Suzy decorating this home with just her presence. And bringing that into his life too.

  * * *

  THERE’S BEEN A DEVELOPMENT? Suzy pl
ayed Will’s voicemail for the fourth time. Okay, so she had to make a decision. Needed to figure out what she was going to do.

  The thing was she knew what she wanted to do. Had known it all along. Losing Mama’s house only showed her how much she wanted to keep it.

  A few days ago, she’d contacted the bank manager. She had a little equity in the house, and he had confidence that she would qualify for a home improvement loan or mortgage refinancing. She’d hear something in a few days. It gave her options. Hope.

  She dialed Will’s number, and he answered it on the first ring. “Hey, thanks for calling me back. You busy?”

  She glanced around at the stack of magazines that surrounded her. “Nothing that can’t wait. What do you want?”

  He cleared his throat. “I want to see you.”

  She didn’t really want to see him though. “If you’re asking what I want to do about the house, I’ve made my decision. But there’s some things I need to take care of first.”

  “I know. But I was hoping we could get together and discuss some possibilities.”

  Possibilities? The only one that mattered to her was doing what she needed to do to get it back. To make it livable. And pretty.

  And her own home.

  “You want to meet right now?” It wasn’t as if she had anything more important to do.

  “Actually, there are some items that I need to take care of before we get together. How’s tomorrow morning?”

  She still wasn’t working, although Rita had called to tell her she was on the schedule for next week. Suzy told her that she’d love to come back. She missed her patients. And Page felt like it was time. “I’m free.”

  “Good. Me too.”

  She frowned. That didn’t sound right. Not for Will. He was the nine to five kind of guy. “But it’s a Wednesday. Don’t you have to work?”

  “Long story.” He paused on the other end. Then his voice dropped to a whisper. “I miss you, Suze. Why don’t we meet at the house?”

  He wanted to go back to the house. But why? “Fine. Ten o’clock.”