I’d been driving to her house when all the cop cars and emergency vehicles came flying past me. I had no idea until there was a knock on the door later. And two cops outside with serious faces.
They didn’t even need to tell me. I knew with one look.
And that had been hard.
But telling the kids?
That fucking shattered something in me.
And, of course, them.
I shook off the memories, grounding myself in the moment.
“Anyway. It took a while to get things all settled. Funeral, her house, the custody of the kids. Then I heard that job that I’d worked on all those years ago, the construction one?”
“Yeah, I vaguely remember that.”
“It was funding life still. Then the contractor I worked with died. And it all dried up.”
“Chris, one call. One call and you’d have had more money than you ever needed.”
He meant that, too.
“That’s not the kind of man I am,” I said. “I want to earn it. Besides, the kids… we all just needed a fresh start, man. We all lost… everyone.”
“No, not everyone. You have us. You need us now more than ever.”
Truer words had never been spoken.
“I know,” I agreed. “That’s why I’m here.”
“What do you need first? An apartment?”
“I have my old place. I sublet it all these years. The tenant moved to Texas two months back. I’ve just been stringing it along since. We just got in last night. The place needs work, but it will do for now. What I need is work.”
“You got it. I will talk to Emilio and figure out what we have open right now. We will get you on something as soon as you want it.”
“As soon as possible.”
“Look, I get having pride, Chris. But if money is tight, an advance on work can be done. Got the cash right in the other room.”
“No. It’s not that dire. I still have some savings. And my sister’s house is under contract. That money is coming my way eventually. More than enough to hold me over until I can really get back to work.”
“Alright. But the offer is open. I know kids are expensive. Where are they?”
“Home.”
“Alone?”
“They’re twelve and seventeen. Don’t wanna leave them alone long in a new house and new city, but they’re fine for right now.”
“Wow. Didn’t realize they were so old.”
In a way, I was thankful for that. Not for myself, per se. I’d been a stand-in father figure for years already. But for them. So they had memories of their mom. So they were mature enough to process the loss.
“Yeah, getting big fast. If any of the wives know a good child psychologist, I’m gonna need one of them.”
“I’ll ask around. I’m sure you want to ease them into it, but they have a lot of family here. Think that will help eventually.”
