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ChapterTwenty-Eight
Surrounded by boxes,I didn't have time to think about the mess I'd made out of my life and I was grateful for the distraction of sorting through Uncle Ray's things.Sara Beth had helped for a while, but it quickly became clear that she wasn't ready.With a flood of apologies and tears, she made her exit earlier that morning, leaving me on my own to sort through the condo and Uncle Ray's few possessions.
I was almost done with the bedroom, which was pretty easy since I'd decided that most of Uncle Ray's clothes were going to Goodwill, when I heard the front door open.
"Lexi?"Nicole called.
"I'm in here."I pulled myself off the floor just as she poked her head in the room.
"Hey," she said."How're you doing?You handling everything okay?"
I nodded.Ever since the funeral yesterday, when I cried more than I thought possible, I'd done a pretty good job of keeping it together.
"I'm doing okay," I said honestly."What're you doing here?Shouldn't you be with Ben?"Nicole and Ryan had been wonderful, giving up their honeymoon to help me out.With Ben.I didn't feel right asking Andrew to take time off work.Especially after everything.Nicole had hardly left my side until today, when she insisted on taking Ben to give me a chance to take care of things.
"Ryan and Ben decided to go to the zoo."
"More like Ben decided and dragged Ryan along," I said."Will he be okay?"
"Are you kidding?Ben loves Uncle Ryan."She smiled."Besides, it'll be good practice for him."
"What?Are you?"
Nicole blushed.She never blushed."Well, not yet.But soon hopefully.We're trying."
"Nic, that's awesome news."
She stepped over the garbage bags full of clothes and I pulled her in for a hug."You'll be a great mom," I said.
"Well, I'm not yet."She rolled up her sleeves."Right now I'm going to be a great best friend.What do we need to do?"
"Thanks, Nic," I said."I mean it.Thank you for being here."
"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
We worked together, bagging clothes and sorting items.Every once in a while, something would trigger a memory and I'd break down.So much for holding it all together.
"Do you want to keep this?"Nicole asked and held up a bulky sweater.
"I made that for him," I said."I was thirteen and I didn't have enough money to buy him a present, so I bought yarn, needles, and a learn-to-knit book."Nicole handed me the sweater and my vision blurred with tears as I looked at the uneven rows and dropped stitches."He wore it too," I said."He even wore it last winter."
"It's a great sweater," Nicole said."Let's put it over here."She took it gently out of my hands and put it with the fishing vest I'd set aside to keep for Ben.She grabbed a box of tissues and worked her way back through the clutter to where I was sitting.
I wiped my eyes and Nicole got back to work.
"Ben's doing pretty good," she said as she stripped the sheets from the bed."All things considered."
I wiped my tears."He has his moments.Sometimes I think he's still waiting for his papa to walk through the door.He doesn't totally understand."
"Give him some credit," Nicole said."He's a smart kid and a good kid.He'll be okay."
"I hope so," I said."He's got a lot more changes coming."
Nicole sat on the mattress."About that, what's going on with Andrew?"
"We haven't had a lot of chances to talk about it."
"No, I guess you wouldn't," Nicole said."The timing kind of sucks, doesn't it?"
