She doesn’t have any shoes on.
“Tristan Maddox? I am so sorry I wasn’t available to meet you last night. If I’d known you were going to be early, I’d have changed my plans. Roe said she took good care of you though.” She holds out a slim hand with fingers that are adorned with a number of rings, giving mine a quick shake before reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She reaches back into the car, pulling out a black padfolio thick with papers. “I have your rental agreement here. It is set for six months as you requested. We can reevaluate at that time to make sure you’re happy with the location and want to extend the terms.”
Nora spreads the papers on the hood of her car, handing me a pen so I can finalize the agreement. Her eyes scan the yard, landing on Stella who is sitting on the front steps with Phant, watching a movie on her tablet.
“Roe said I should let you know that the place is pet-friendly.” She grins. “I hear there might be a puppy in your future.”
“Only if I completely lose my mind.”
“I think it would be hard to keep telling that sweet face no.” Nora takes both copies of the fully executed agreement back. One she tucks back into the padfolio and the other she slips into a manila envelope before handing it over to me along with the set of keys. “That’s everything; you’re good to go. Do you need any help getting moved in?” My eyes sweep over her dress, one eyebrow arching in question. Nora laughs softly. “Oh, not me. I heard you met the grumpy Gallahanger brother this morning. There are three more who are much nicer, and I’m pretty sure they’d be willing to help out.”
“They don’t know me.”
Nora shrugs. “They know me. A couple of quick calls and I can have them over here. They work for beer.”
“Oh, I, um, huh.” I’m not sure what to do with the offer. The movers are getting paid by the hour so having help getting everything unloaded off the truck and into the townhouse faster would help considerably, but I’m not sure I like the idea of asking people I don’t know for help.
“Tell you what”—Nora slides back into the car—“I’ll give the boys a call to see if they’re free while I head home to shower and change. I’ll head back here after that, and we’ll get the two of you all settled in before dinner.” The car purrs to life. “I work for wine, or margaritas, whichever you prefer. If we play our cards right, the boys will do most the work, and we can crack open the bottle of wine sooner rather than later. See you soon.”
She’s gone before I can say anything else. Blowing out a breath, I turn to face Stella. She’s moved to the side of the yard between our place and Owens’ and is watching every move that Huck makes. He’s stretched out in front of a white doghouse that is shaped like an igloo, and his head is perched neatly on his crossed paws. He appears to be studying Stella every bit as much as she’s studying him.
“Stella Bella, you ready to head inside? See your new room?”
A heavy sigh, as only a true drama-filled three-year-old girl can produce, is followed by her softly spoken “okay.” She waves pitifully at Huck and then follows me up the stairs and into the townhouse.
The small foyer is painted the same soft gray as Monroe’s, minus the furniture from a Pottery Barn photo shoot. There are stairs to the left that lead up to three bedrooms and a short hallway to the right that leads past a powder room and then empties into the living room on one side and the kitchen and dining area on the other. Coming from a small, rundown, one-room apartment, this is like winning the housing lottery. I’m not ashamed to admit that tears threaten as I watch Stella skip down the hallway.
It doesn’t matter what reason pushed me to make the decision to leave DC, what matters is that I did, and I’m going to be able to give Stella more, of everything.
It takes me a few minutes to get Stella situated in the living room with the freshly charged iPad and Paw Patrol episodes playing in a continuous loop. A quick glance at my phone shows that I still have thirty minutes before the movers are set to arrive, hopefully on time, which gives me enough time to carry in the couple of small boxes and the suitcases I’d packed into the car.
I’d taken what little money I’d had tucked away and used it as a down payment on some new furniture to go with our new place. Nothing nearly as nice as what graces Monroe’s place, but definitely a step up from the beat-up futon that the two of us had shared before. It made me a little uneasy not to have that nest egg tucked away for a rainy day, but if I was careful with our monthly expenses, with the income from my new job, I’d be able to tuck a little away each month and build it back up in no time.
Most of what I brought in the car is for Stella, so I carry it straight up to the bedroom in the back. Until the bedroom set I purchased arrives there isn’t much I can do in the room, so I merely stack the boxes in the corner before heading over to the master bedroom.
Standing in the doorway of the room, I can see the doorway to the bathroom, and the one to the small walk-in closet, and I feel those stupid-ass tears threaten again.
I shake them off as the doorbell rings, hurrying down the stairs before Stella gets the idea to open the door. That had never been much of a worry before. The studio apartment hadn’t allowed for separation between us, outside of the bathroom, and she tended to follow me in there anyway, so I’d never had to worry about her opening the door without me.
I hit the bottom step, happy to see that Stella is still watching Chase and Marshall as they work together to save the Mayor’s chicken. I’m a little surprised Stella hasn’t asked for a pet chicken to go with the puppy. That will probably come next. I honestly think my little girl is campaigning to have her own real-life version of Paw Patrol.
I swing open the door, expecting the movers, and pull up short when Monroe is standing in front of me. She looks every bit as put together as she did in her kitchen this morning. Her sunny smile is firmly in place as she gives a little wave as I push open the glass door.
“Hi there! Nora said she was calling in the troops to help move you in.”
There is no way this woman is going to offer to help me unload a moving truck of boxes and furniture. She’s wearing wedges for God’s sake. “Yes, she mentioned something about that.”
“I thought perhaps I could help keep Stella entertained because I got to be honest, moving isn’t my thing. I can help you decorate once you have everything inside, but until then I can get to know Stella a little better. And maybe introduce her to Huck. He’s awesome with kids. He’s a retired military dog, so he’s beautifully trained. “
She must see the dubious look on my face, because she hurries to add, “If it helps any, I teach second grade at the Broward Elementary School, so I have some experience with children.”
Before I can answer, the moving truck pulls up along the curb, followed by two pickup trucks and the snazzy, little red convertible Nora had been in earlier. The pretty redhead bounces right out of her car, dressed in a pair of cut-off jean shorts, a pale blue tank top, flip-flops, with her hair pulled back in a braid that hangs halfway down her back. The earrings are gone, but the oversized sunglasses remain. She stops and talks with the movers briefly, hands moving as she starts to give out directions on what needs to happen.