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I still wanted to know what the dynamic was with her parents. It was odd, that was for sure, and I didn’t want to pry, but I was also pretty curious.
“I mean, I don’t really have much to do. I like working,” she said.
I gave her a look.
“Did capitalism tell you to say that?” I asked and she smiled.
“No. I guess not. I don’t know. It’s complicated.”
“Yeah, I got that,” I said. “Your parents don’t seem that involved.” I took a stab and hoped it wasn’t pushing the boundaries.
Alivia didn’t talk for a few moments.
“That’s an accurate assessment.”
I waited for her to elaborate.
“My mom isn’t well. She’s been sick for a long time and having this inn was her dream, but she can’t even get out of bed most days. Dad takes care of her. My siblings are off doing their own thing and can’t really be here to help, so I’m the one who’s here. They send money and help in other ways.”
Oh. That was heavy. I just assumed her parents were mooching off her labor and just didn’t want to work. The reality was different.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “That must be really hard.”
“It is. But I can handle it,” she said, and I didn’t know if she was trying to convince me or herself. I wanted to reach out and smooth my hand along her face and tell her to stop clenching that glorious jaw, even though it was so sexy.
“Still, you do need to rest. You’re not a terrible daughter if you take a few days off,” I said.
She shrugged. “I guess I just don’t trust anyone to care for the inn like I do. I mean, the reason I came here was because we had a shady manager we had to fire because they weren’t doing their job. It’s hard to let go of that control, you know?”
I did. I really did.
I put my hand on her arm so she stopped walking. “Thank you for telling me. I know it wasn’t easy.”
Alivia wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“It is what it is,” she said. I’d known my questions might make her pull away from me again, but it was a risk I was willing to take to get to know her better.
“Let me know if you need to hire anyone. My aunt knows literally everyone in Castleton and would be able to provide references. There are always people around looking for jobs.” Most people here had to supplement one job with another.
“Thanks, I’ll think about it. Right now, I’m just trying to get through the summer season. Once we get to fall, things will calm down and I can figure shit out.”
She finally looked at me and her eyes were red, as if she was holding back tears.
“You don’t have to do this alone, you know,” I said.
She shook her head and sniffed.
“I’ve been doing it alone this whole time,” she whispered.
There was only one thing to do.
“Can I give you a hug?” I asked. She nodded and I put my arms around her. Since she was quite a bit taller, I fit right under her chin. If I turned my head, I could hear her heart pounding.
Alivia hugged me back, and I could feel her leaning into me.
“Thank you for listening,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome. You can talk to me anytime.”
