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“You don’t need that,” he replied, laughing. “I need to move on. The papers are signed. And my point of bringing it up today is that I want that hutch in the garage.”
That got her attention. “You want that old thing? It was Grandma’s. Your pop uses it for his tools. It’ll probably smell like car oil.”
“Look at this,” he said, scrolling through his phone to Pinterest, with Violet chewing on her fists while he held her. “I want to do something like this to it. It’s called chalk paint. Then you add antiquing ink to the crevices. What do you think?”
She held the phone and examined the picture. “Grandma Isabella would love it. But since when are you interested in decorating?”
“Since I got my own place. Do you want to see it? We can drive by.”
“When do you take ownership?”
“Next Saturday, which is why I needed to talk to you today. I’ll probably ask everyone to help me. I don’t even have a dish.”
“Hallelujah,” she cried. “I can finally get rid of all those dishes and pots and pans and sheets and towels that your father refused to part with.”
“You mean the stuff from the beach house?” Leon asked, his interest really piqued now. “I’d love the dishes.”
“You don’t really remember them, do you?”
“I do! They were blue ship’s wheels, right? I loved those things when I was a kid, turning them on the table like I was steering. Uncle John used to yell at me to stop, it was hurting his ears.”
“Yeah, John is still a putz. If you want those dishes, they’re yours. As a matter of fact, you can go through the house right now and take whatever you want. We have too much stuff here.”
Taking furniture from Roberta was something he’d wanted to avoid, but the idea that he could use sentimental items that would be in the house where he’d raise his daughter made perfect sense now. He wondered why he’d been so against it, probably the little-boy syndrome. Big boys didn’t take mommy’s castoffs.
“Let’s go,” she said. “I want to see this place. Over by the park, you said? I love that area.”
“I do too.”
So they drove over to the complex, and Roberta gave it her seal of approval. “Now we have to tell your Pop when he gets home tonight. Do you want to do it, or should I?”
“You can,” he said, suddenly more worried that his father would burst into tears than get angry. “I don’t want him to be PO’d at me at work.”
“Yeah, he was a wreck when Anthony moved out. It will be so lonely with you and Violet gone.”
“You can have her whenever you want,” he said. “I just don’t want you to feel taken advantage of.”
“Well, this is really nice. I love that you’ll be so close, and this is a primo area. Does Ava know?” She looked at her son with piercing eyes.
“Ma, she knows, but only because I asked her to keep the baby overnight, okay? No ulterior motive.”
“I’m worried about you, Lenny. She’s too old for you.”
“She’s going to go back on the dating sites, Ma. I don’t think she’s interested in a firefighter, anyway. Did you see her house? Her husband left her well provided for.”
“He was a really nice man. Oh well, only the good die young. I’m sorry if her dating is hard for you to take, honey.”
“I don’t think about her like that, Ma,” he lied. “I keep telling you. She’s Violet’s nanny, that’s all.”
That night in bed before midnight, he thought about Ava in thatotherway. Tossing and turning, he heard the baby and waited for her to cry, but she was just trying to get comfortable, too. Giving up finally, he reached for the light and flicked it on. His phone was there, tempting him. Taking the chance she’d still be awake, he went to messages, found Ava’s number, and sent her a text.
Are you awake?
She didn’t answer right away, so he put his head back against the headboard, closing his eyes. It had been a busy day preparing for his move the next week. His mother had honored his wishes and didn’t do any of the baby’s laundry, so he had to get caught up with that. Who knew that washing and folding hundreds of tiny pieces of fabric was so exhausting?
His phone beeped.I’m awake and away. At Barnacle Ben’s.
The impulse was to text back,No way, but he didn’t. Barnacle Ben’s was a dive. Instead,Have fun. Talk to you later.
