“Griff! You ready for us to paint these?” Bob called out.
With his attention dragged back to the job, he walked over to inspect the decorative eaves. Perfect… fuckin’ perfect. Clapping Bob on the back, he nodded.
3
Caitlyn blinked awake for the second time that morning and spied the time on the clock sitting on her nightstand. The first time, she’d been rudely awakened from her fitful sleep by the sound of loud clanging just outside her apartment at an ungodly early hour. Sitting up, she winced as she lifted her fingers to her face, feeling the swelling. Glad it was Saturday, she looked forward to a restful weekend. Well, restful if the loud noises won’t occur again! At least my face will look better when I return to school on Monday morning.
Thinking of her earlier interaction with the men outside, she sighed heavily. Why did I bark at them? I never act that way! She was determined to apologize the next time she saw them working. With her vision so blurry, she hadn’t gotten a good look at the man in the back of the truck speaking to her. Of course, he did call me a princess when he thought I couldn’t hear him. Ugh!
Not sure what to do, she fixed a bowl of cereal and cup of tea and sat on her balcony, glad to see the men from this morning had dropped off whatever they were leaving and had left. Now, the sun was shining in the blue sky, and she sucked in the fresh air, loving the view.
She loved her home, and even knowing it wasn’t a forever place, she thought it was perfect. She’d never wanted a bland, typical apartment in a bland, typical apartment complex. What she’d found instead was a huge, old, red-brick, white-trim Victorian house that had been divided into four apartments. She loved living in a slice of history, feeling connected to all the people who’d ever lived in the house since it had been built over a hundred and fifty years ago.
The landlady and another couple lived in the two downstairs apartments. Caitlyn had one of the upstairs apartments, and the one across the hall was recently emptied. She’d hoped to entice her sister to consider the apartment, but Erin had moved in with her fiancé. So, Caitlyn had no idea who might be her neighbor soon.
The windows were tall and plentiful, allowing sunshine to pour into her apartment. The renovations included a wide living room facing the front corner with windows on two walls. The small dining room was just to the right of the door and it was separated from the large kitchen by a wide counter. A door led from the kitchen to a combination pantry and laundry room. A hall led to a guest bedroom and small bathroom, ending with a larger owner’s bedroom and bathroom, including a claw-foot, soaker bathtub. And since her apartment covered half of the upstairs, she had views of both the front and back of the property. Her bedroom included a balcony deck with just enough room for two chairs and a small table, and it overlooked the park across the street.
Caitlyn’s decorating was simple but kept with a green and burgundy theme for the curtains, sofa, and chairs in the living room. She’d created a warm, inviting space for her family and friends to visit but mostly for her to come home from a day of teaching and step back into her personal retreat.
A knock on the door caused a sigh to leave her lungs. Bet I know who that is. Peeking through the security hole, she chuckled. Yep, right on cue. Throwing open the door, she greeted, “Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad.”
Her mother’s lips were pinched tightly together as her gaze roamed over Caitlyn’s face. “Well, I’d certainly like to kick some teenage boy’s ass!” Sharon pushed her way into the apartment before pulling Caitlyn in for a mama-hug that felt just right no matter what age she was. As the youngest child, she’d always relished her mom’s hugs, and that fact was just as prevalent right now. When Sharon finally let her go, she stepped aside and let Colm enter.
“Hey, baby girl,” her dad said softly, as though her ears were injured and not just her eye. He tried but failed to smile, his eyes glittering as they roamed over her face.
She was about to offer them coffee when she saw what her father held in his other hand: a cardboard carrier of three large coffees and a pink bag with Penelope’s Bakery on the outside. Her mother had her father on a short leash when it came to his treats ever since a mild heart attack led to his retirement a couple of years earlier than he had planned. So, coming with bakery treats was a good way for him to have a small indulgence as well—and she never begrudged her father an indulgence.
Squealing, she clapped her hands. “Penelope’s! And coffee! Come on in!”
Sharon narrowed her eyes in a pretend glare as she glanced over her shoulder toward Colm. “Looks like our daughter’s greeting gets more excited when we come bearing gifts.”
Soon, Caitlyn was diving into a chocolate croissant, the flakey goodness going a long way to soothing her memories of yesterday. The hit of caffeine was welcome as well. It didn’t take long to convince her parents that the black eye was the result of a misguided punch and that the miscreant felt terrible about the results. Licking her fingers, she also convinced her mother that all she wanted to do was rest and spend the whole long weekend doing very little. “I really don’t want to go out with a black eye. So, I’ll stay in, work on lesson plans, read some, and watch TV. Maybe Bekki or Erin can come over.” Bekki King was her best friend since birth, and even though both her sister and friend were now engaged, the three still got together when they could.
Her father finished his decaf coffee and whole-grain bagel, only slightly grumbling at the healthy food. “I know Erin will be helping Torin at the pub this weekend. They expect a big crowd with the Tall Ships coming into the harbor.”
“Oh… well, maybe…”
Sharon nodded as she finished her coffee. “Hannah mentioned that Bekki and Killian were going to a resort in the mountains this weekend for a getaway.”
Sighing, Caitlyn buried her disappointment behind the cup she drank deeply from, letting the smooth-flavored coffee ease her disappointment. The King family lived next to the McBrides, and between them, eleven kids had grown up as best friends. Hannah, the King matriarch, was thick as thieves with her mom, and their dads had a special friendship as well. Now, all of Caitlyn’s siblings and all the Kings were paired, having found their significant others. All but me.
She smiled but should have known it wouldn’t fool her parents. Her father remained quiet as was his way, but his knowing smile reached her heart.
Her mother leaned over and took Caitlyn’s hand in hers. “I know it’s hard sometimes, sweetheart.”
“It’s not what you think, Mom. I’m glad everyone has their special someone. Really. But being the third wheel is a bit awkward at times. Anyway, for now, I’m more than content to stay at home for the weekend and get some rest. So, you don’t have to worry about me.”
Her parents sent furtive glances between each other, but before she could ask what was happening, her mother said, “I was talking to Father Martin, and he said that they are always looking for new teachers at St. Vincent’s.”
Shaking her head, she waggled her finger toward her mom. “Don’t start on me. Anyway, if you think that teenage behavior is different at a private school, even if it is Catholic, then think again! Anyway, I love North Central High.”