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Henry shuffled to the coffee bar, Charlie next to him.The lab, tongue lolling, drooled on the floor she'd just swept.
She picked up a roll of paper towels and walked behind them, cleaning the drool.
"You want one?"Henry asked, as he poured his first cup.
"Please."She tossed the dirty paper towel in the trash behind the counter, used some anti-bacterial wipes, then took the steaming mug from her boss.What topic to broach first?"You got a few minutes to sit with me?"
His blurry eyes swept over her."I’m not gonna like this.Go on.Tell me anyway."Henry sat back in his chair and fed Charlie scraps of yesterday’s pastry.
"Okay."She drew a breath and dove in."Jason told Nicole that I’m working with you.She remembered me from when she was best friends with Kristin, his sister.She asked to see me."
"What did that girl want now?"he asked grumpily.His cheeks waddled as he lowered his head.
"Just to catch up mostly.Before I left, she asked me to find her journal that she’d forgotten in the apartment.Have you seen it?”
“No.Her mother cleaned the apartment very thoroughly.”Henry sipped his coffee.“I don’t recall Mary finding anything like that.Did you poke around?”
“No.That was the day of the accident and I haven’t been up to moving furniture—and I kind of forgot about it until this morning."
"Be careful when you do.That old stuff is heavy."Henry squinted at her."Is that all you want to tell me?Not going to give me a sob story about why I need to help her?”
"Nope.”If she thought it would help, she would.
He was silent for a few moments, patting Charlie's head when the dog's cold nose would creep under his knee."You know, my little girl used to be a very good artist.She’d painted the walls in the apartment with murals.I painted over them the last time she stole from us.Emptied the safe.I kicked her out and changed the locks."
Stephanie’s heart broke for Henry, Mary, and Nicole."Addiction changes people.They are so lost all they want is the next score.It's a terrible thing to come back from but Nicole made it.Most don't.Be proud of the fact that she's clean, Henry."
“Enough!She broke our hearts.We did everything we could.My poor Mary."He banged the table with his palm and Charliewoofed."Don't be giving me any sob stories.Why don’t you just take care of yourself?”
Stephanie didn’t take offense, knowing that he dealt with anything emotional by putting up roadblocks."Sorry, Henry."She added a little pep in her voice."I expect we'll be busy today.Twenty-two days before Christmas.It's countdown time and people are shopping, shopping, shopping."
"If they don’t, we'll be out of business."He glared into his mug.
"Hope not,” she chuckled.“I've become attached to Charlie."
His head shot up, and she knew he was offended."What, and not me?"
She reached over and patted the back of his hand."Of course, you.I wouldn't still be here if I didn't like you."
"Oh, I dunno.Might stick around because of my handsome nephew."
A picture of Jason and Laura flashed into her mind.She felt an ache inside of her that she could not heal.“That ship has sailed, Henry.”
“What the dickens is that supposed to mean?”His bushy eyebrows twitched and he used a finger to straighten them out.
“It means Jason had a date last night.”Two days after she was released from the hospital, where he’d told her that he wasn’t going to wait forever.“The woman is a radiologist technician who also happens to make great lasagna.I can barely cook.Never needed to, and certainly don't have room for it now."
"Ah, don't be too hard on yourself."He stroked Charlie who was pushing his nose into Henry’s thigh, wanting attention.
"I'm not.”Stephanie took full responsibility for her actions even when it hurt.“I've got plans for my life.Told him that after being cooped up all these years, I'm ready for adventures."
"What did Jason say?"
"Um, it wasn't good.He wanted to come too, and I didn't think that was a great idea—so it's pretty much my fault."She was sorry that she'd hurt him, but she had to be honest and true to herself.Jason had to be the sweetest man ever.A true gentleman in every way—telling her to figure out what she wanted, and if it wasn't him, then he hoped she'd find someone who was.
Books were much easier than relationships.She could write from the heart and not over think it.In real life feelings got hurt easily and one had to pick their words carefully.
"It doesn’t matter.”Stephanie drank her coffee.“I haven’t had a date in years, you know?Other than my book boyfriends.The only one who keeps asking me out is David and now Billy, the donut man.For the past couple of weeks, he's been making eyes at me every time he passes the shop window.He smiled and waved at me yesterday then got brave enough to pop in and ask me out."
