“Well?” I ask when we’re close enough.
“She’s doing great. It’s placenta previa. She’s bleeding but she and the baby will be all right. More bed rest and a C-section in just under six weeks. I talked to her doctor. She’ll be fine, I promise. It’s honestly such a relief. How’s the house and cats?”
“Good. Mom and Dad are staying at your place now. Mom’s cleaning. Dad’s probably washing all your vehicles and servicing them. The pets are amazing. Kids are busy living their best life,” I say, trying to stay positive. I hate Liz being in the hospital.
“And how are you?”
“Good. Romeo is settled in nicely. He’s ruling the roost. He loves the window seat. He sits there and chirps at the birds. If I leave, he runs to the door when I come home. He’s so happy.” I laugh and hand him the bag of clothes and toiletries. “Here.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“I know what it’s like to be with Liz when she’s not wearing deodorant.” I wrinkle my nose.
“Yeah, I don’t know how such a small and adorable creature can smell like that.”
“Skunks. So cute and so stinky. Makes no sense. It’s what I used to call her to bug her. Skunk.” I lean against the bench outside and grin. “How long are they going to keep her?”
“Two more days and she’s allowed to go home.” He winces. “But no stairs. No lifting her legs. No exertion.”
“She might need to come stay with me after all,” I offer.
“Yeah, maybe.” He doesn’t sound fond of that option. “At least you have a doctor next door. That would be a bonus.”
“Yeah, we haven’t met yet. He left some wine basket in the hallway for me, thanking me for the TV. Has good taste in wine.” I lift my eyebrows. “Who knows, maybe he’s my soul mate.”
James and I both laugh. He’s probably laughing because he doesn’t think I have a soul mate. Whereas I’m questioning whether I have a soul at all. There has to be a reason I’m this unlucky. And I did drug someone with ketamine.
“That poor guy. He needs a break.” He shakes his head. “Saddest story I’ve ever heard.”
“What, the doctor?”
“Yeah, caught his wife cheating with his best friend. She left him for the guy, and they got married and now have a bunch of kids,” James says it and pauses. “Similar to your story but in his case, he had just found out he was sterile and couldn’t have kids. Now he’s around forty, single, and lives alone. I think he actually wanted a family too. Nicest guy.”
“How do you know so much about him?” I cock an eyebrow, mocking him as he always does Liz and I for our gossipy ways.
“Sold his house a few years after his wife left him and helped him buy the apartment. He’s the reason I bought the apartment across the hall. I was showing him that one and decided it was a good investment.”
“Until your leech of a sister-in-law needed to move in.” I wink.
“She’s the worst.” He offers a wide-eyed expression. “Speaking of terrible sister-in-laws, what’s the plan for the day?”
“Well, on the way here, I figured out it’s Saturday. So I’m pretty excited it’s my day off.” I laugh. “This working from home is for the birds. I liked it for about a week. Working in my pajamas and drinking my home-brew coffee every day. Now I hate it. I miss my coworkers and the shitty office coffee and the whole office environment. But then I see the news out of Italy and New York, and I’m pretty happy to be working from home in a province with almost no cases.”
“No kidding. It’s hard to complain when we’ve skated through this plague thus far.” James lifts his mask he took off when he got outside. “This thing is suffocating me, but I watch the hospital staff wearing triple masks and realize I have nothing to complain about.”
“I know,” I agree.
“I should get back though. Thanks for coming.”
“If you want me to do a shift and stay with her, let me know. I could come tomorrow,” I put it out there but I know him.
“That’s okay. Thanks though.” He gives me a kind smile. “You should work on that meet-cute with Sam. Get started on your life with your soul mate.”
“Sam?” The name hits home. “Sam?” I repeat.
“Yeah, the doctor across the hall.” He waves. “See ya in a couple of days.”
“Okay.” I wave and walk backward, wondering if it could be the same person. I decide it’s impossible. Sam moved to Ontario last I heard. The memories of that summer have stuck with me for fifteen, almost sixteen years. I’ve often pondered if I should have done things differently, and if I had, what would my life look like now.
I push down the sadness his name always brings and walk back to Helen.
When I get home, I stop in the foyer to check the mail. Shawnee is on her way over so I hang around the foyer for a moment to wait for her.
A knock on the glass doors draws my attention. I turn, seeing Anthony waving at me. I wave back and walk to him, leaving my mask on though he isn’t wearing one.
“Hey,” I say, smiling but aware he can’t see it.
“I was jogging past and wanted to see how you are.” He is the sweetest guy ever.
“I’m good. Thank you so much for yesterday. I’m sorry that happened.”
“You and Rod broke up?” he asks.
“Yeah, he has been having an affair with his best friend’s wife for fifteen years. Technically, she was with him longer than me.” I scoff.
“What a piece of shit.” He gasps. “I’m sorry, Lil. That’s bullshit.”
“That is exactly the word for it. Scandalous bullshit,” I agree and catch a glimpse of Shawnee approaching with bags of snacks. We’re marathoning the second season of Sense8.
“Hey, girl,” Shawnee says as she approaches.
“Hey. Anthony, this is my best friend, Shawnee. Shawnee, this is Anthony. We work together.”
“And he saved you yesterday. Of course.” Shawnee pulls down her mask and smiles wide. It’s her flirty smile. She’s risking COVID to show it to him.
He offers something quite similar back. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I just made sure Rod got on his way. He gets crazy when he drinks. Usually it’s fun crazy.” He waves it off.
“So you work with Lil?” Shawnee keeps the conversation going, and I start to feel like a third wheel.
“I do. I’m one of the newer property managers. I love it. It’s such a diverse job. I am taking my realtor course as well.” He nods at me. “Her brother-in-law, James, has been mentoring me. Well, he was before the plague hit,” he jokes, flashing another smile.
Shawnee meets his smile and adds a little eyelash batting.
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” I say, completely uncomfortable witnessing this but if I leave, I’ll be cockblocking. As a wingwoman it’s my responsibility to stand here and keep the conversation going.
“James is the best,” Shawnee says.
“He really is. So cool and amazing at real estate but humble. Even though I think he might be one of the most successful in the city.”