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If and when he came to the door, she would politely tell him to leave, that he had made his apologies and that she had accepted them, and that he should go home.
Sitting in the kitchen that evening, eating dinner alone, she listened for any rustling from under the cupboards or under the walls. Nothing.
Shortly before ten, she picked up her cell, brought up her husband’s number from her contact list, and tapped on FaceTime. Seconds later, her husband’s face appeared. He smiled warmly.
“Hey,” Andrew said cheerily. “How’s it going?”
He looks happy, she thought.
“Okay. I interrupt anything?”
“No. Greg’s already gone back to his place. Early night. We were out on the water for the better part of four hours. Got a lot of sun. Kind of drained the life out of us.”
“You look beat. Catch anything?”
“Other than a burn on the back of my neck, no.”
“How’s his leg?”
“Limping a little, but pretty much healed. Stumbled once getting in the boat. Idiot. Thinking he could jump down that far. Twenty years ago, maybe, but he’s too old for that kind of shit. We both are.”
“So, what’d you guys talk about, all that time?”
“I dunno. Usual.” Andrew shrugged.
“Work stuff?”
“Some. But mostly just reminiscing, reliving our glory years. Not exactly happy to talk about work, way things have been going.” He paused. “And I told him I was done putting you through one renovation after another. If you like where you are now, we’re staying. If you want to find your dream home, that’s what we’ll do.”
Brie smiled, as though he might actually mean it this time. “I had someone here today, a pest control guy, checking for mice. Thought I heard something in the walls. He was a bit of an oddball. Doesn’t like to kill them if he doesn’t have to. A humane exterminator.”
“Not surprising we’d have mice. Old house, they’ve probably got a hundred ways to get inside.”
She briefly angled the phone so he could see the floor. “Can you see that?”
“You spill something?”
“It’s flour. Exterminator’s idea. If I see footprints in the morning, I know I’ve got company.”
“Hey,” Andrew said, touching his neck. “Nice to see you wearing that.”
She touched the necklace and smiled. “I love it. I’m never taking it off.”
“Anything else going on?”
Should she tell him about Norman coming to the door? No, not a good idea.
“Nothing,” Brie said. “Listen, I’ll let you go. What time you getting back? Should I have a lunch ready?”
“Don’t worry about me. Probably midafternoon sometime.”
“Okay.”
“Love you,” he said.
“Bye,” Brie said, and ended the call.
She turned off the kitchen lights and headed upstairs. When Andrew was gone overnight, whether for work or pleasure, she couldn’t drop off to sleep right away. She’d read, or watch Kimmel or Colbert, or bring a laptop to bed and watch some romcom flick Andrew would never sit through.
