It was hard seeing my dad and the uncles aging. Every time I came back, I was surprised to see how they’d changed. None of them were really old, but living the life they’d lived and working the jobs that were so hard on a person’s body took its toll on each of them. They were slowing down, no doubt about it, and it was tough to watch.
Less than an hour later, I stood staring into the small bedroom that I used to share with my baby sister, wondering how in the heck I was going to find a place for all of our stuff. My bed and Etta’s crib were built and ready for linens, but I wasn’t sure where we’d put them. There were plastic bins and boxes lining the walls almost to the ceiling.
“I draw the line at unpacking,” Frank said, laying a hand on my shoulder as he came up behind me.
“I’m not even sure where I’ll put everything,” I confessed, grimacing. I hadn’t thought that Etta and I had very much stuff until we’d unpacked it into the small room. We’d been spoiled with space at our old place.
“Just leave everything in boxes and spend twenty minutes searching through them whenever you need something,” Olly chimed in, grinning as he came down the short hall. “That’s what Frank’s been doing for two years.”
“Ew,” I replied. “Seriously?”
“Apartment’s temporary,” Frank mumbled. “Just until I can get the old house sold.”
“Gotta get the ex-wife out before you can sell it,” Olly said helpfully. “And I don’t see that happening.”
“Still?” I asked, shaking my head. I’d never really liked Frank’s wife, but I’d made an effort whenever I saw her. It didn’t matter. Her snotty comments when we’d visited made it clear that she hadn’t liked me or Miranda. I couldn’t exactly blame her, though. Miranda and Frank had this never-ending relationship that wasn’t good for either of them. They got together and broke up so many times that most of us stopped paying attention to their ups and downs until Frank came home from Vegas with a wife, effectively ending things with Miranda for good. I’d always wondered if Frank was the reason Miranda had chosen the college in Oregon, but I’d never asked. My sister would never have admitted that he had anything to do with her decisions.
“My ex is none of your business,” Frank mumbled. He kissed the side of my head. “I’m out of here. Call if you need anything.”
“You shouldn’t have said anything,” I chastised quietly as Olly and I watched him leave.
“Someone’s gotta say something,” he replied. “Or he’s never going to get off his ass and fix it.”
“Not your call,” I reminded him as I caught sight of the plastic garbage bag that held our linens half hidden behind a cardboard box. I ripped the bag open and tossed him the sheets to my bed. “It just pisses him off.”
“He’ll get over it,” Olly said as he rounded the bed and started helping me make it.
* * *
Later that night, my dad, Danny and his wife, Lorraine, Olly, and I were sitting around the table playing dice and catching up. Etta had fallen asleep on my dad’s lap and was snuggled against his chest, not even flinching when the dice rolled loudly on the wood table. It felt like old times, when I was a kid and we’d all get together for a barbeque or whatever, and the kids would sleep where they landed and the adults would stay up visiting long into the night. I loved it.
My phone rang in the middle of a game and my dad’s eyebrows shot up. “Know that ain’t your sister, since she’s usually in bed by nine.”
I laughed a little and glanced at my phone, smiling a little as I saw Trevor’s name on the screen. We hadn’t talked all day, but I’d texted him a photo of Etta drooling with her head resting on the table about an hour before.
“I’ll be back,” I told everyone. “Skip my turn.”
Ignoring the good-natured grumbling, I left the room and answered before Trevor could hang up.
“Hey!”
“Hey,” Trevor replied, sounding surprised at my excited greeting. “How’d the unpacking go?”
“Good.” I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me. “I mean, the only things that made it out of boxes are our clothes and sheets, but I call that a win.”
“Definitely,” he agreed. “That was a long drive yesterday. You’ve got time to put everything where you want it.”
“You’re never going to let that long drive go, are you?” I joked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.
“Hey, I thought I was pretty cool about it.”
I snorted.
“Wish you would have let me help, but you got there and everything’s all good,” he clarified, chuckling a little.
“I really appreciated the offer,” I said, getting more comfortable on the bed. “But I had it covered.”