Page 96 of Love Always

It’s a small one-story building with a car port on the side and wood stacked by the side door. A long front porch spans the entire front and the place is freshly painted with green shutters to match the main house.

I open the door and she steps inside. The place is empty except for some braided rugs and a few items in the kitchen, a small round table, and four chairs. I know they were Andy’s parents’ dining set.

“This is for you,” I say.

Chapter Twenty-One

Laurel

“I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.” And I am. We’re back inside the Pratchetts’ den, looking out across the backyard at the cottage.

“I hope you let us do this for you,” says Audrey, and pats my leg.

“You cared for our grandson for five years without any help from us. It’s the least we can do,” says Andy. Everything with them seems so easy, so matter-of-fact. Like this is all no big deal.

I feel lightheaded and sit very still to Mateus on the sofa, holding his hand.

“I’m retiring this summer,” says Audrey, “taking early retirement, and I can be right here to help you. I know you rely on your sisters for daycare and now you’ll have one more person.” She smiles.

I think back to all the times everyone had to juggle schedules for me. They do it out of love but as he gets older and I continue with school, it is going to be more complicated.

“If I stay here, with Cory, I have to pay you rent,” I say holding up a hand.

Andy shakes his head. “No. The idea is that this will allow you to save money for your own place later on. You can pay utilities, but there’s only electric—we’re on a well and the septic tank and the internet reaches out here.”

“We would really like you to move in. This was supposed to be for Kenny when he got out of the service—we were going to set it up as a guest house for him. When he died, Andy boarded it up.”

“It’s so beautiful. Two bedrooms and a bathtub. A kitchen. It has everything.”

“We would respect your privacy and wouldn’t barge in on you,” says Audrey.

They are both pleading with me to stay, and I want to, but none of the reasons they think I won’t say yes are correct.

My forehead feels clammy. “I appreciate this so much, you really have no idea. It’s just that I’m not—” I don’t know how to end the sentence. And then I realize it isn’t true. All the things I’ve told my high school self are just not true. I am a kind person, I am a good person. I have value.

Looking at the two of them I can see a flash of Kenny, of Cory, of me, of Mateus and I realize it is love reflecting back. We’re all intertwined.

΅

Devon, who I thought might be hurt at my departure, seems thrilled I’m moving out. In fact, so thrilled I’m a little hurt.

“This’ll be great,” she says. “The Pratchetts, I mean you, will be five minutes from work and is that old trail still there?”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure. I haven’t walked it yet. Too busy packing.”

“And they’ve got that big barn full of furniture they’re just going to let you borrow stuff from?”

“I’m going to take my bed, that’s new-ish.” I look around the apartment. “And my tumblers. Most of this stuff is yours. Oh, and the throw with the horse on it.”

Devon shakes her head, reaches for the back of the sofa, grabs it and tosses it to me. “So corny. Well, the trail’s a ten-minute walk. We need to figure that out.”

I laugh.

“Cory’s acclimating?”

“We keep going over more and more staying longer and longer. Tonight’s the big night.”

Devon holds out a new seashell night light. “For his bedroom,” she says, her eyes bright.