Yes. They all slept through the worst of the storm thankfully. Okay, go find Scott. Let us know if you need anything xx
I don’t find any trees down in our yard. I also don’t find Scott in our yard. However, our neighbours haven’t been so lucky, and our street is a mess of tree branches and debris. Scott is in the middle of it taking charge of the clean-up.
I quickly duck back inside and change into shorts and a T-shirt before heading out to help with the clean-up. The further down our street I get, the more of the damage I can see. Trees are down everywhere, and debris is piled up all over the place.
Scott’s talking with two men I don’t recognise when I reach him. They’re deep in conversation, making a plan to clear all the trees. When they finish talking, Scott comes to me and slides his hand around my waist so he can pull me close and drop a quick kiss to my lips. “This isn’t quite the Boxing Day we had planned,” he murmurs.
“How long have you been out here?”
“A few hours.”
I blink. “What? Since three a.m.?”
He nods right as another clap of thunder sounds overhead. “Yeah.” He looks up at the sky, a frown creasing his forehead. Then, giving me his attention again, he says, “Jimmy had a tree come down on his roof and called me just after three this morning asking for help. We’ve cleared it and tarped his roof, but it’s a fuckin’ mess over there.”
He’s talking about the next street over. Jimmy’s a seventy-five-year-old man we both have a lot of time for. I hate that he’s had this happen.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s safe at Vera and Fred’s place.” He glances at the sky again. “Baby, go inside. It’s about to fuckin’ bucket down and I don’t want you out here in the storm.”
I grip his arm. “I don’t wantyouout here in the storm.”
The first drops of rain splash my cheek. By the ominous dark clouds and the wind that’s lifting leaves up into the air, I know Scott’s right. The sky is about to open right up.
“We’ve got trees down in all the streets surrounding us. I’m gonna keep going until it’s not safe.”
“Scott,” I start to argue over that, but he cuts me off.
“Go inside. Start making food for everyone. It’s going to be a long day.” With that, he turns and strides to where our neighbours are chain-sawing fallen trees.
I stare after him, knowing I’ve got no chance at changing his mind. We’ve lived on this street since just after we were married. It’ll be ten years in a few months. Scott cares for the people who live here with us like they’re our family. He would do anything for them. Has done anything for them. Today won’t be any different. He’ll stay out here however long it takes to help clean up.
Right.
Food.
That is how I can help.
As the rain begins falling hard, I go back inside our home and start making enough food to feed an army.
It’s a long day.The longest one I can remember in a long while.
After the early storm, Scott calls on his club for help and spends every minute of the day directing the clean-up of three streets. Our street and two either side of ours. Fifteen clubmembers come and help, for which I know all our neighbours are grateful.
I spend every minute of the day checking in on people, feeding them and helping in any way I can. Madison keeps Aurora and Keaton for the day, telling me that they can stay tonight too.
By the time Scott comes home for the night, it’s just after eight p.m. I’m sitting in our bed reading while waiting for him. The minute I hear his boots in the hallway, I’m out of bed.
I meet him at our bedroom doorway. “You’re finished?”
“Yeah.”
“Is everyone okay?” A few people needed to find places to stay, and I know Scott was helping them do that.
He nods. “Yeah. And the weather seems to have settled.”
He’s right about that. The heat has eased, and a cool change has come in. Thankfully.
