As I tidied up the cheese section, I thought about what to wear. I didn’t have anything fancy. Maybe I could check out the thrift store on the way home. I could use a nice sweater, anyway.
By the time I finished organizing the area, Gabriel was gone. I never thought I could fall for someone so easily. First, I’d gotten caught up in his hotness factor that was an absolute ten.His humor captured me next. I needed a good laugh so I could forget about the sorry state my life was in and he was the perfect escape. He was like a sandy, warm, clear-watered island I was happy to visit and never leave.
Cleaning the fish bins wasn’t as bad as I’d initially expected, and I left the store at five, grateful for an hour of overtime. As I walked to the bus stop, I wondered if Gabriel was home, or still working. He normally shot me a text first. I hovered my thumb over the text box, apprehension stilling me. I wanted to show interest but didn’t want to bother him if he were busy. Biting my lip, I sent over a simple “hey” and left it at that. The ride back to my neighborhood wasn’t as gloomy and it was thoughts of Gabriel brightening everything.
I got off a stop sooner and headed over to the Faith & Hope Thrift. I flipped through the racks, finding several worthy candidates. Occasionally, I lucked out and found a luxury piece, but it was rare. As I scrutinized an argyle cashmere sweater, my phone chimed, letting me know I had a text.
Gabriel: Late day at the clinic. Be home soon.
I couldn’t help smiling as I read his text message. I returned my phone to my pocket and made my way over to the checkout where I dropped ten bucks on two sweaters.
As I walked back to my place, I saw everything in a new light. The sidewalks didn’t seem as dingy and the streets as oil-stained and pot-holed. I was so caught up in my thoughts that Inearly walked past my apartment building. Manny was sitting at the door jamb to his apartment, reading a beat-up comic book when I walked by.
“Amigo! You’re late today,” he said, looking happy to see me.
“I had to clean the fish bins. Don’t get too close. I’m sure I stink,” I said as I strolled into Maria’s apartment. I didn’t have to think about it anymore. Keeping an eye on Manny and his sister after school had become a habit.
He wrinkled his nose. “Come see. I finished coloring the book.”
I sat down at the cluttered kitchen table. The makeshift coloring book was open to the last page and crayons were scattered everywhere. “Already?”
“I helped,” Jazmine said softly.
“You need to learn to stay in the lines, but your pages aren’t too bad,” Manny told his sister who smiled brightly.
We flipped through the colored pages together, Manny making up a backstory for every scene. I was glad my birthday gift had provided entertainment, as simple as it was.
“This is great,” I said jubilantly. “I’ll have to make another book for you. Someone else has a birthday coming up, don’t they?”
Jazmine smiled shyly and nodded.
“What kind of coloring book do you want, Jaz?” Manny inquired.
“Princesses!” she said and jumped in the air.
“I can do that,” I said. “Did you two eat anything yet?”
“We split a sandwich,” Manny said and gathered the crayons into the box. “Mom should be home soon.”
“What about your homework?”
It turned out the kids only needed a little push and once they got going on their homework, it was a breeze. Mannywas smart, blowing through his multiplication and division with ease. When he was done, he helped his sister with her ABCs and shape identification.
I couldn’t help feeling a little envious. Math had always been easy for me, but I’d struggled with reading and spelling. I would have loved to have a sibling to help me with my homework. When Mom had sent me to school, anyway.I pushed the bitter thought away.
“What’s this?” Maria said as she walked through the door. “My children are behaving themselves and doing their homework?”
They screamed in delight and rushed to hug her. She kissed the tops of their heads then offered me a look of gratitude and set a bag on the counter. As Jazmine and Manny went back to their homework, I got up to head to my apartment.
“One minute,” Maria said, catching me at the door. “What are you doing next weekend? I have to work Saturday and wanted to beg a favor from you. I was hoping you might take them trick-or-treating? My parents usually do it, but Dad’s knee is acting up and Mamma has arthritis. I thought maybe I’d give them a break this year.”
“Oh. Yeah, I can do that,” I said, not at all bothered by the possibility of spending time with the kids.
She seemed delighted and squeezed my shoulder. “Thank you so much! Ten in the morning. They will be hitting the storefronts.”
“I’ll be here.”
She kissed my cheek. “Thank you, Jake. You’re a life-saver.”
