I wonder how much he said about what he walked into. I think about asking how he is to see if I can get a clue about where we stand, but . . . “How’s the townhouse?” Roxie bawking like a chicken rings in my ears.
“Really good. It’s nice having my own place. Some friends came over, and we had a little housewarming party. I’m slowly decorating and figuring out what I like.” She laughs. “I’ve been hitting up all the thrift stores. I place something somewhere and then move it the next day to see if I like it better. It’s so lame, but I’m having fun. Were you able to finish your classes?”
I blow out a breath. “Yeah, by the skin of my teeth, I passed my finals. Now, I have to decide what to take next semester or let my grant drop and sit out until I have more time.”
I was certain I failed my statistics exam and teared up when I saw that beautiful C as my final grade. Luckily, my GPA didn’t suffer too badly.
“Maybe you should take something fun.” She grabs a handful of blocks and stacks them in front of Frankie. “I took a ballet class and made a complete fool of myself, but I had a blast.”
“I never took dance. I have no grace.” I weigh my head from side to side. “I’m thinking about changing my major.”
“Really? You don’t want to be a lawyer anymore?” She sounds shocked.
Ollie’s jet zooms past our faces in a fly-by.
“I’ve just seen what it takes, and I have these two boogers. I don’t want to miss this.” I watch Frankie stack the blocks carefully.
Plus, I may have a custody battleahead.
“What would you switch it to? I always wanted to be a nurse. I knew the minute I found out my mom was sick. I love working in the labor department. It’s kind of the best of both worlds.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m looking through the course schedule. Maybe something with finance. I seem to be good at it.”
“Well, the women’s clinic is looking for a bookkeeper if you’re ever interested. The board is fantastic, and the pay isn’t bad either for being a non-profit.”
I tuck that away to think about another day. There are too many uncertainties to consider making any major life decisions, such as switching jobs.
She checks her watch. “I have to get going. My shift starts soon.”
I hold out my hands for Frankie, but she stays put. “I have to get these monkeys in the bath and then bed.”
“No m-more monkeys j-j-jumping on the bed,” Ollie sings, and Frankie bounces, ready to play the bedtime game.
Krissy laughs as Frankie’s little diaper butt hits her legs, but she doesn’t move to get up. The room quiets, and I wait.
“He’s being a jerk,” she says, pulling Frankie’s fine hair into a tiny ponytail.
I frown, wondering if the doctor is displeased with something else now that she’s moved out of Slade’s. I might punch him. “Who?”
“Slade.” My gut reaction eases. “He’s just. . .scared, you know?” she says quietly, like it might be a secret.
He’s not the only one.
“When our mom died, he shut down and closed everyone out. He went into protection mode. He focused on making sure I was ok and had everything I needed.”
She glances at me. “He couldn’t fix it. Bring her back or make it all right. So, he did everything else he could to make it better.”
His whispered words float around me.Everything will be ok.
She laughs a little. “He tried so hard before she died to show her that we’d be ok. He even . . .” She doesn’t finish her statement, and I wish she would.
This paints a clearer picture of the man who seems to want to help everyone else but doesn’t tend to himself. He’s a growly lion trying to protect his pride.
“I think. . .I hurt his feelings,” I admit. “I didn’t mean to, but sometimes we make stupid decisions to guard ourselves.” And that’s exactly what I did. I pushed him and his comfort away, too afraid of what he might think.
“Well, he does that every day.” She laughs. “He’s pretty forgiving, though. I mean, I push him to the max all the time just to see how long I can get him to pop his head out of the trash can.”
“Oscar lives in a trash can,” Ollie says, flopping on top of Grover. “But Grover is silly.” The fluff ball licks his face.
