The rest of the decorating supplies had been delivered, and my mom was helping me unpack the boxes.
“I’m glad you like them,” I said. “To me, it just seemed like a classic beach feel.”
“Oh, absolutely. It’s like you’ve kept the feeling that Mr. Reynolds had set up so well, yet you’re also making it a bit younger to reflect who you are.”
“That’s what I was going for,” I said.
I stood up and stretched, careful not to put any weight on my injured foot.
The week had gone by quickly, and as much as I appreciated Josh’s, Rylan’s, and my mom’s help, I couldn’t wait to get back to doing everything I normally did. It had been so frustrating to just sit around and watch.
I insisted on doing whatever I could while sitting down, which meant I stirred all the new cans of paint, washed all the brushes and rollers, and painted all the baseboards along the floor.
My mom finished unpacking all the boxes and organized everything into stacks according to what they were. I laughed as I looked around at the piles of blankets, pillows, and curtains that filled the dining room.
“Hey,” I said, gesturing towards the boxes in the corner of the room. “If you bring me a knife, I can break down those boxes so we can take them to the recycling center.”
“That’s a good idea,” Josh said, walking into the room. “According to your invoices, you have another twenty boxes or so coming tomorrow, so you should get these out of the way today!”
“Twenty boxes?” my mom asked.
I nodded. “Yes, Twenty boxes. Those will be all of the towels and throw rugs.”
“Well then, let’s get these out of here!” she said.
“Get what out of here?” Rylan said. He had been outside finishing the basketball court and still had cement on his face.
“Get you out of here until you clean up,” Josh said, laughing. “And then Brenna’s going to get the boxes out of here.”
“Miss Brenna’s going to get the boxes out?” Rylan said, raising an eyebrow.
I laughed and stuck my tongue out at him. Rylan always called me Miss Brenna, and I loved it. He had fun teasing me, too, but was still always very respectful.
“Do you need help?” Rylan asked. “I can come and help you once I wash my face.”
“No, this is something I can actually do,” I said. “You and your dad can finish doing the work outside. And then I can ride with my mom to the recycling center because they unload everything there, right?”
I looked at Josh, hoping he would confirm what I had just said.
“Yes, you just have to take the truck in and they will take it from there.”
“Okay, great! This is my first time out of the house since I got hurt! Maybe we can get some coffee while we’re out. And then when I get back, I can help iron the curtains.”
Josh laughed, but I knew he wasn’t going to argue with me.
I knew that I had annoyed him at times with my independence and stubbornness, but he was also very good about letting me do as much as I could.
“What about the sheets and blankets and everything?” my mom asked. “Do I need to start washing those?”
I shook my head.
“No, there is a laundry service that I will be using. It’s the same company that Mr. Reynolds used. They are so happy that I am keeping the business going, and they have given me an amazing deal to help take care of all of my linens.”
“Yes!” Josh agreed. “They are giving you a fantastic deal. I have been working with that company for a long time, and I have never seen them give anyone the rate they are giving you.”
I smiled as I began flattening out the boxes to take to recycling. My mom, Josh, and Rylan loaded everything into the truck, and then they all patiently waited for me to hop outside.
I stood next to the side of the truck, trying to figure out how I was going to get myself inside since I could only use one leg. After watching me fail three times, Josh came up next to me. I could see he was trying not to smile.
