“So, after lunch, we’ll run by Costco again and buy what we’re going to need then take it to the farmhouse. We also need to get something to put the nonperishable foods in as well. I’ll call and rent a small trailer that I can hitch to the truck because we’ll need to get that over to the house rather quickly.”
“I’m going to call Mindy and see if she’s available to help.”
“Ask her if Brock minds coming along too. We’ll get the animals and take them to the farmhouse and for the time being, I’ll grab some air mattresses for all of us. Abuela and Nonna can share the room you were using for the time being.”
“I can hear Nonna already,” Jolie replies. “She’ll be saying ‘ay yi yi’ while waving her spatulas around. You know, we’ll have to get all of those things new as well because they’re porous.”
“Like I said, good thing I’ve got money tucked away in the bank and am the trustee for the kids’ inheritances.”
“We’re not touching that, it’s for their education!” she exclaims. “I have money too, Dex, and am willing to use it. There’s no mortgage on the farmhouse, just the utilities and general upkeep. I have a house fund that Grampy set up years ago that’s been growing interest. I’ll rework the chicken coop so we can be as self-sustainable as possible.”
“And I’ll keep an eye on the garden. No sense in letting all that hard work go to waste,” I reply. “But I’ll put one in at the farmhouse as well.”
“There’s a root cellar in the basement with shelves so there’ll be plenty of room for the jars from when Abuela and Nonna canned,” she says as we pull into the diner parking lot.
“Non, non, non!” Nonna shrieks. “I cannot leave my stuff.”
“Nonna, it’s not safe to take with us,” Jolie patiently repeats.
We’ve already taken all the pets to the farmhouse, as well as the clean clothes, set up the air mattresses, and Jolie insisted onchanging the bedding on the one bed in the house. Thankfully, the rest of the furniture for the house will be delivered tomorrow, but right now, Nonna is being stubborn and doesn’t want to leave a lot of the kitchen goods. I understand why she doesn’t want to, but at the same time, I want my whole family safe from any further harm.
“Josephine, suficiente!” Abuela shouts. “If Dex and Jolie say this is best, then this is what we will do. Just think, we have his card and can order what we need for our new kitchen.”
“It has two stoves?” Nonna questions, a sly look on her face.
Sighing, I tell her, “The second one is coming tomorrow and will be hooked up by the following day. Now, I want a list of what you have to have from your rooms. Brock and I will come back with boxes, pack it up, then bring it to y’all. This will be a good thing, Nonna. Abuela’s asthma probably won’t be as aggravated as it’s been, plus maybe she won’t come down with bronchitis and pneumonia every year.”
“Sì, sì,” Nonna grumbles. “Do not forget my snow globe collection, Dex. Your nonno bought them for me.”
“I won’t, Nonna, I promise,” I reply. “Abuela, what about you?”
“We won’t be able to take our yarn or fabric, will we?’ Abuela questions. At my shaking head, her shoulders droop. “Just my sewing machine and my hooks, then.”
“It’s going to be okay, Abuela,” Jolie whispers. “I promise, y’all will love the farmhouse, and all of the things we can’t take? It’s replaceable. Even if there’s something that is sentimental that we can’t, once the remediation company comes through, they may have a way to clean it so we can bring it there, okay?”
“It’s alright, mija. We will adjust. I will run to pick up the bambinos,” she says.
I bite back a grin since she used the Italian word for kids instead of the Spanish one. Guess that’s another way they’ve influenced one another after so many years together.
“Then let’s get to work,” I say, clapping my hands. “We have a lot to do today and in the coming days, and it’s going to be all hands on deck.”
Chapter Twelve
Jolie
It takes us a week to get the farmhouse back to order once all the furniture arrives. The kids, of course, helped me repaint their rooms since I hadn’t gotten to those yet, and now, the house that was so quiet when I was living here before marrying Dex is full of laughter and chaos. The remediation company that Dex hired is out at their parents’ house now, and I know he’s eagerly awaiting their estimate. I hate to tell him, but based on what Albert’s already heard, the house will need to be taken down to the studs most likely because the mold has been that invasive. Thankfully, Mold Be Gone has a crew there salvaging as much as they can, and several of the workers are meticulously and carefully bringing out mementos and personal items that they think are close to our heart and we’ll want to have saved and cleaning them. We already advised them to destroy the beds but clean the frames wherever possible so they can be readied for charity. In fact, any furniture that doesn’t have any sentimental value whatsoever that is salvageable is being donated since we bought new for the farmhouse.
Abuela and Nonna are godsends. They got the kitchen completely done, and have been steadily washing and drying clothes, since MBG pulled those out and washed them in the yard with their solution. I don’t claim to understand their processes at all, but they came highly recommended from not only Albert but Dale, who has used them on smaller jobs.
Every afternoon, before they knock off for the day, Dex goes over and sorts through what they’ve sorted and pulled out, then he makes the decision whether or not to bring it home, toss it, or put it in the box labeled ‘donate’. Thankfully, all the important paperwork for the kids was in a huge fireproof safe. Once the exterior was clean, it was moved into the room I’m using for the cat room. Thad helped me put up the new Dutch door, which also has a ‘cat’ door installed at the bottom. We also put the two freezers, as well as the second refrigerator, in that room. However, Arya, with help from me, is responsible for taking care of the self-cleaning litter boxes.
Today, though, we’re heading to the courthouse because Ms. Davis was true to her word and got our guardianship hearing fast tracked. Good thing, too, because Dex leaves tomorrow on a contract. They’ve told him the job shouldn’t require him to be away longer than two weeks, but as he told me, it usually gets extended depending on what he finds during his initial inspection. Still, I feel comfortable knowing that should anything happen while he’s gone, I’ll legally be able to handle it on behalf of the kids.
“So, I see here that the petitioners, one Dex Armstrong and his wife, Jolie Armstrong, wish to assume guardianship of the three minor children, Arya, Anniston, and Thad Armstrong. Do I have that correct?” Judge Thornton asks, peering over his readers at us.
Our attorney replies, “Yes, Your Honor. We’d also like to advise the court that there’s been an address change for the whole family.”
“What’s the reason for the change?” Judge Thornton questions, taking the paperwork from the bailiff that our attorney provided.
