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CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Liz shoved the old bedding, placemats, and Tupperware lids that had no bottoms into a garbage bag, which she then put outside the slider to be taken to the end of the driveway for trash collection. Had her father never thrown anything out? She had to admit the place was shaping up. It actually looked good enough to live in.
Sure, it was a little dated, but some of the old lamps and clocks and even the furniture were coming back in style.
But while the inside was shaping up, the outside was another story. She wandered out into the garden, letting old memories wash over her. She laughed when she passed the spot where her dad tried to plant carrots one year. The ground was hard, and the carrots had come out more like disks.
She paused at the heirloom tomato plant and picked one. Her mouth watered as she imagined sprinkling salt on it and biting into it like an apple as she’d done when she was a kid. Not too much salt now, though. She had to watch her blood pressure.
As she lugged the trash around the side of the house, she spotted Bunny in her sunroom, painting. The older woman was starting to grow on her, and Liz almost looked forward to her visits now. She’d told her all about the other neighbors.
The divorced single mother, Emma Chamberlain, who lived in the modest ranch at number nine. Sheila and Bob Donahue, the middle-aged empty-nesters who lived at number six. Olga Svenson, the ninety-five-year-old woman, proud of her Scandinavian heritage, who delivered Norwegian goodies to them at Christmas and refused to move no matter how much her kids tried to talk her into it. The whole neighborhood watched out for her. It seemed like a good place to live.
And now that the house wasn’t such a mess, she might be able to save the estate some money and stay here instead of Tides. She didn’t dread coming here anymore. Somehow all the bad memories were being replaced with good ones. Maybe her aged brain had forgotten the wounds of her teenage years… or maybe those wounds had been exaggerated in her head the whole time. Whatever the reason, the house now felt warm and welcoming, like home.
Staying at Tides right on the beach was pretty nice, though. She smiled, thinking about helping that couple. She hadn’t done much, really, just pointed out the obvious and made them see things a different way. Sometimes people needed that. And it had felt good to help someone, to be connected.
That was what she was missing in life. Since she’d retired, she had no purpose, no goals. She’d thought she’d be traveling with her husband, but he’d had other plans, and she’d done nothing to fill that void. She needed to settle down and get a job. Was Lobster Bay the place?
But how could she afford it? She didn’t have very much in her 401k and couldn’t withdraw it without a penalty anyway. She had a little bit in savings, but she was too young for Social Security and had no job. Maybe she could get a job at the school or the assisted living place where her father once was. Her education and experience would be useful for either. She’d get a third of the sale of this house, but after paying the realtor fees, back taxes, and other bills, that might not amount to enough for another place in town.
Her phone interrupted her train of thought. It was Sophie, her daughter, trying to FaceTime her.
“Mom! So sorry I haven’t called. Luke has had the flu. I feel awful that you are out there doing all the work at Grampie’s house and I can’t come to help.”
All her resentments about her kids not helping melted away. Naturally Sophie’s first responsibility was to her two-year-old. And when she saw her daughter’s anxious face and heard the sincerity in her voice, Liz knew that was all it was.
“I hope he’s okay?” Now Liz was worried about her grandson.
Luke’s cherubic two-year-old face appeared on the screen. “Gam!”
Liz’s heart soared. He seemed fine. She certainly couldn’t expect Sophie to get away with a little one at home. Liz remembered those times it was nearly impossible to get away. Sophie wouldn’t be much help if she had to watch him, and even though Liz would love to visit, she had work to do.
“As you can see, he’s fine. But, Mom, do you need help? I can have David take some time off work so I can come out.”
“Oh no, I’m fine. Look!” Liz turned the camera around and panned the room so Sophie could see her handiwork.
“Wow, that looks nice. It’s retro, and all of that is coming back in style. I think that place will sell in no time.”
“You do?” Liz frowned. She didn’t like the thought of it selling in “no time.” But wasn’t that what she wanted? Of course it was, because then she’d get her third of the sale and could use that money on another place. Strangely, though, she was slowly discovering she might not wantanotherplace.
