the threshold into his living room.
“She’s four. But, for the record, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Nicole laughed.
She barely had time to notice the interior of the house as Garrett swiftly carried her the short distance down the hall and into the bathroom. He set her down on top of the counter before going over to the tub and turning on the taps to fill the bath.
Nicole dropped the mail next to the sink, then slipped off the counter and hopped over to him.
“You should stay off that foot.”
She sat down on the edge of the tub and peered inside. Leaning over, she reached down to retrieve the naked Barbie that had been lying on the bottom alongside a few other toys.
“Sam’s?”
“Um, no. That’s mine. But if you’re nice I might be willing to share.” He took the doll and tossed it into the basket by the tub along with the other toys. “Soak your foot. I’ll clean it when I get back and see about getting those shards of glass out. It won’t take me but a minute to run across the street and pick up Sam. Think you can manage?”
“No problem.”
“Great.” He headed for the door.
“Garrett?”
He turned back to face her. “Yeah?”
“Do you, um, maybe have something else I could wear?”
Garrett frowned. “My mom talked me into finally getting rid of most of Amanda’s things a couple months ago.” He looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet. “I’ll find something. You get cleaned up.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble. I’d understand if you don’t want me wearing her things. Those memories, they’re important. Maybe you have a t-shirt?”
He looked up at her, his clear blue eyes connecting directly with hers. “Yes.”
“Yes, you have a t-shirt?”
“Yes, memories are important.”
“Right.”
“But they’re not…”
“What?”
He shook his head. “I have a shirt that you can wear,” he told her. Then quietly, without so much as a glance back in her direction, he closed the door.
While waiting for the tub to fill, Nicole took a moment to look around the bathroom. The tub, sink, and commode were plain white porcelain. The floor was covered in white tile. The same tile lined the shower and went two-thirds of the way up the walls, which were painted in a red and white stripe. Matching red towels hung neatly on the towel racks. In addition to the basket of bath-toys on the floor next to the bath, an Elmo toothbrush sat on the sink.
Nicole picked up a container of bath salts, unscrewed the lid, and inhaled. The soothing scents of rosemary and lavender were instantly relaxing. She poured in a generous amount, pulled her slip off, then carefully climbed into the bath hissing as her injured foot entered the water.
With some awkwardness, she eased all the way into the bath. She leaned back, allowing her shoulders to sink below the level of the water, and breathed deeply. After a few minutes the pain begin to diminish. Soon she found herself alone with her thoughts.
The past six months had been unbearably hard for her. She’d lost so much. First her mother had passed away and she’d sold off her childhood home to pay the inevitable hospital bills. Then her father died and now his home was probably no more than a pile of ash and rubble.
At least there was still Ann, her sister. They’d always been close, but now all they had was each other.
“Enough wallowing!” she quietly scolded herself before submerging her head in the hot water. She stayed under as long as she could, then she sat back up and reached for the shampoo. Nicole read the caption on the bottle, “No more tears” it promised.
She poured a generous amount into the palm of her hand, worked the lather into her hair, then slid once more under the water.
“Sam, wait a sec, darlin’!” Garrett called out from somewhere just as Nicole broke the surface of the water.
“I got to go potty!” a little voice shouted back. The bathroom door flew open, banging loudly as it struck
“She’s four. But, for the record, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Nicole laughed.
She barely had time to notice the interior of the house as Garrett swiftly carried her the short distance down the hall and into the bathroom. He set her down on top of the counter before going over to the tub and turning on the taps to fill the bath.
Nicole dropped the mail next to the sink, then slipped off the counter and hopped over to him.
“You should stay off that foot.”
She sat down on the edge of the tub and peered inside. Leaning over, she reached down to retrieve the naked Barbie that had been lying on the bottom alongside a few other toys.
“Sam’s?”
“Um, no. That’s mine. But if you’re nice I might be willing to share.” He took the doll and tossed it into the basket by the tub along with the other toys. “Soak your foot. I’ll clean it when I get back and see about getting those shards of glass out. It won’t take me but a minute to run across the street and pick up Sam. Think you can manage?”
“No problem.”
“Great.” He headed for the door.
“Garrett?”
He turned back to face her. “Yeah?”
“Do you, um, maybe have something else I could wear?”
Garrett frowned. “My mom talked me into finally getting rid of most of Amanda’s things a couple months ago.” He looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet. “I’ll find something. You get cleaned up.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble. I’d understand if you don’t want me wearing her things. Those memories, they’re important. Maybe you have a t-shirt?”
He looked up at her, his clear blue eyes connecting directly with hers. “Yes.”
“Yes, you have a t-shirt?”
“Yes, memories are important.”
“Right.”
“But they’re not…”
“What?”
He shook his head. “I have a shirt that you can wear,” he told her. Then quietly, without so much as a glance back in her direction, he closed the door.
While waiting for the tub to fill, Nicole took a moment to look around the bathroom. The tub, sink, and commode were plain white porcelain. The floor was covered in white tile. The same tile lined the shower and went two-thirds of the way up the walls, which were painted in a red and white stripe. Matching red towels hung neatly on the towel racks. In addition to the basket of bath-toys on the floor next to the bath, an Elmo toothbrush sat on the sink.
Nicole picked up a container of bath salts, unscrewed the lid, and inhaled. The soothing scents of rosemary and lavender were instantly relaxing. She poured in a generous amount, pulled her slip off, then carefully climbed into the bath hissing as her injured foot entered the water.
With some awkwardness, she eased all the way into the bath. She leaned back, allowing her shoulders to sink below the level of the water, and breathed deeply. After a few minutes the pain begin to diminish. Soon she found herself alone with her thoughts.
The past six months had been unbearably hard for her. She’d lost so much. First her mother had passed away and she’d sold off her childhood home to pay the inevitable hospital bills. Then her father died and now his home was probably no more than a pile of ash and rubble.
At least there was still Ann, her sister. They’d always been close, but now all they had was each other.
“Enough wallowing!” she quietly scolded herself before submerging her head in the hot water. She stayed under as long as she could, then she sat back up and reached for the shampoo. Nicole read the caption on the bottle, “No more tears” it promised.
She poured a generous amount into the palm of her hand, worked the lather into her hair, then slid once more under the water.
“Sam, wait a sec, darlin’!” Garrett called out from somewhere just as Nicole broke the surface of the water.
“I got to go potty!” a little voice shouted back. The bathroom door flew open, banging loudly as it struck
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