Page 86 of Once Upon a Fall

Four more nights before I move up to Burlington, to a boring old hotel without a kitchen at my disposal and without Rosie sitting across from me in denim overalls and a white T-shirt, looking way too pretty for someone who hasn’t slept in days.

“So, now that your tenants have been evicted, what’s next?” Rosie asks after a yawn, leaning her head on her hand.

“Getting rid of all the furniture,” I say.

“What are you doing with it?”

“Since it’s been tainted by raccoons, I was told to haul it to the dump.”

She frowns. “That seems like a waste.”

I thought so too, but I’m not sure may or may not have been touched by a raccoon is an acceptable Facebook Marketplace description.

“Luke came through, though. I told you the Walkers would take care of it,” she says.

“I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“You should never doubt me again.”

I never doubted Rosie. I was just worried more damage would happen to the house than was necessary, and it didn’t.

Still, I give her the straight line of disapproval. Which is now just the look I give her whenever she says something ridiculous.

It was never disapproval anyway. Maybe some mild annoyance at the beginning, but somewhere along the way that changed. Now it’s mostly me trying not to smile.

Rosie smiles, but then it turns into another yawn. She rubs one eye, and I have the ridiculous urge to tell her to go to bed.

“I probably shouldn’t have sat down,” she says.

“You’ve been working all day. You need a break,” I tell her.

“I’ll take a big long break after the festival.”

Somehow, I doubt that.

I flip the chicken over, and it sizzles against the hot pan.

“I never got a chance to talk to my dad,” she says.

I look over my shoulder to find her staring off at nothing in particular.

“Why not?” I ask.

She sighs. “There was never a good time to do it. Plus, bringing it up while he was helping me felt unfair. Like, thanks for everything Dad, and while you’re here, let me tell you everything I’m mad about.”

“Are you mad?” I ask, looking over at her.

She told me the day after her birthday that she’d found out her dad was dating a woman named Alvina and planned to ask him about it when he came to help today. Instead, he spent the afternoon with Dominic in the Beauty and the Beast room while Rosie and I hung dozens of pictures of apples in Snow White.

She panicked for a minute when she realized she’d forgotten about the seven dwarfs in the room, then said she’d add them later.

I don’t know if this place will ever be done enough for Rosie.

She shakes her head. “Not mad. Just . . . confused. I didn’t expect him to be alone for the rest of his life. Actually, that’s not true. I never really thought about it.”

“Makes sense,” I say.

“How did you do it? With your mom dating.”