Page 38 of The Fall Fix Up

Brenda smiled, though the motion looked forced. “Hey, Janae.” Her voice was soft as it always was. “Nothing, dear. I just meant to give you this before you left today. It completely slipped my mind.”

Janae reached out when Brenda handed over a large cardboard box. She frowned as she looked over it until she saw the label on the side.

“It’s from the fire department?”

Brenda nodded before pointing at the second one at her feet. “I brought Aiden’s as well since they dropped it off to me. I think it’s so great that he found a room here. I know Josephina felt terrible about letting him give away the room she offered, but I told her, the man Aiden is, he wasn’t going to rest easy knowing a mama and her kid were out on the street with no shelter.”

Janae nodded as she looked down at the box. “That’s true from what I know of him.”

“Isn’t it just?” Brenda replied. “I was telling Josephina just the other day that I feel better about the future knowing there are men like him around. Hell, if I were thirty years younger and not still married to the ball and chain that is my husband, I might just give it a whirl.”

“Oh, um . . . same.” Janae blinked quickly before grabbing Aiden’s box and straightening. “I’ll make sure he gets this.”

“Thank you, dear. Tell him I said hello.”

Janae nodded, mind still full of static as she watched Brenda walk back down the porch stairs and head to her car. It wasn’t until Brenda was reversing back down the driveway that Janae shook herself and retreated into the house.

She set the boxes down by the couch, running her fingers along the tape. She didn’t open anything; not yet. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to do anything but acknowledge that the box was there.

“I’ll wait for him to come home.”

Her wait wasn’t long. Not even fifteen minutes later, she heard the rumble of Aiden’s Harley coming up the drive. She heard the back door unlocking followed by his familiar footsteps walking in.

“Hey,” Aiden said as he stepped into the living room. He paused, looking down where Janae still sat on the floor. “Is everything okay? What’s with the boxes? If you needed help unpacking, you could have called me.”

She shook her head. “Mrs. Brenda brought the boxes from the apartment. Seems the fire department found more things in our units when they were clearing it out for demolition.”

Aiden’s expression shifted, his features softening into a concerned look. “Oh, shit. Okay.” He walked around the couch and crouched down beside her. His eyes widened when he saw the second label. “She brought mine too?”

She nodded. “They knew you were staying with me, so they gave her both boxes to drop off. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t open it.”

Aiden’s smile was small. “It’s fine with me. I am living here, after all. I’m just surprised they didn’t drop it by the shop, but the house is closer I guess.”

“Yeah,” she said before looking back at the box. Janae swallowed hard. “We could open them now together if you want?”

Aiden nodded, though his expression showcased he felt similar to her. The boxes still carried a faint scent of smoke and Janae hoped there weren’t clothes in there. If so, she’d probably have to toss them. She was pleasantly surprised when she opened her box and saw mostly kitchen items warped by heat and a couple of books that were bloated and stained. When she lifted it though, she froze.

“What’s that?” Aiden asked.

She reached in and pulled the second book out—her sketchbook. “It’s the first sketchbook I ever owned,” she said quietly, staring at it in awe. The cover was scorched and the spiral was dented and darkened with soot, but she would have recognized it in any state. Her hands shook as she opened it, expecting to see burnt pages and ash, or for the pages to crumble in her hands.

Surprisingly, they didn’t. Some were clearly water-damaged while others were singed. But her drawings, some of the earliest she’d ever done, were still there. There were face studies of people she used to know and buildings once familiar. She couldn’t help the way she traced over the lines, her movements gentle as if handling something sacred. These were all just part of her memories now.

She kept going, pulling out a bundle of thick fabric and unwrapping it to reveal a couple paintbrushes, their handles charred a little, but the bristles still intact.

“I can’t believe these things survived,” she said, her voice shaky with awe. “I thought everything was gone for good.”

She held the items up to Aiden’s view. “These are important to you, so I’m glad they made it,” he said.

“They are,” she admitted. “They remind me of why I decided to move here.”

Aiden watched her, but she wasn’t able to elaborate more than that. As if sensing that she needed a minute to compose herself, he opened his own box and pulled out an old clay pot. He stared at it for a moment longer than was normal.

“It’s a pot?” she asked, noticing.

He nodded and smiled. “Yeah. This was the pot I had for that plant I told you about, the one I used to talk to.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “That guy was the first thing besides myself I managed to keep alive.”

“I’m sorry, Aiden,” Janae offered with a small smile.