AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This excursion better be worth all of this stress. He couldn’t believe he was actually letting Sofia loose in his house, but his mother wanted this, and he would give anything in this world to make his mother happy. He knew Sofia would make big changes in the space. That’s what scared him. He just hoped she wouldn’t go overboard, like she had on every other design, and end up ruining his mother’s safe haven.
He was also grateful for this trip out of town, because it got him away from the projects for a while. He’d been working like a dog, keeping multiple crews busy on different projects, all while dancing to Jake Ryland’s tune.
He couldn’t deny that the resentment had been growing inside him, stealing the joy he normally felt over a job well done. Knowing that he had zero chance of changing Dom’s mind as long as Frankie and Sofia were opposed was eating away at his motivation. He was going to have to leave. He hated the idea of leaving the only job he’d ever known, but if he couldn’t advance there was no way he could stay. He needed to leave before things turned bitter. Part of his plan while he was up here in Oakland for the weekend was to scout out new potential contractors who might need some help. Maybe they could relocate closer to Mahalia so it wouldn’t be quite so stressful for his mom to help with the new baby.
He also couldn’t keep seeing Sofia every day and not have her. It was killing him slowly. No matter how many times his head reminded him that he was angry, that she’d done him wrong, that she was standing between him and his dreams, his heart still sped a little faster when she walked into the room. His blood ran a little hotter when she leaned over her desk. His soul reached out for hers when she smiled, until she saw him and her smiles faded. He’d really screwed up that whole relationship, and he’d be damned if he hung around to watch her move on.
“She says she found the key and is already hard at work.”
His mother’s voice broke through his turbulent thoughts, scattering them beneath his speeding tires until one remained. Why hadn’t they worked harder to stay together?
* * *
“Hey, you got started without me!”Frankie stood in the open doorway with two welcome white-and-green coffee cups.
“I don’t have much time.” Sofia climbed down from the stepstool where she had been removing the heavy damask drapes, letting in some much needed light. Leaving the curtain hanging from half of its pins, she gratefully clasped the hot coffee in both hands. “But now that you’re here, can you help me carry these couches out to the curb? And then we need to clear as many of the bookcases as we can.” After a few quick sips, Sofia set the paper cup aside and rubbed her hands together. “Okay, grab the other side of this sofa. On three…”
They worked in quiet tandem, their rhythm smooth and silent from years of repetition. They’d all grown up helping on Dad and Uncle Tony’s work sites. The room quickly emptied and they laid out thick drop cloths to protect the hardwood floors, the only thing worth protecting in the room. Sofia opened a can of pale, creamy paint and passed Frankie a roller.
“Remember when Gabe decided to paint his bedroom Day-Glo yellow?” Frankie chuckled at the memory.
“It was sunshine yellow, and he said it would help him get up for school in the morning.” Sofia laughed along at the memory of her cranky, sleep-deprived brother. For the first time in too long she thought of her older brother with affection instead of guilt. “It didn’t last a month before he repainted it navy blue.”
“He was always jumping into crazy plans like that.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Of course, I do. Don’t you?”
“I do miss him, like I’d miss my right hand, but then I get really angry that he left us, just like that.” Sofia snapped her fingers. “He screwed up everyone else’s plans without a second thought and dumped all this stress in my lap. But that’s a shitty thought to have, and then I feel guilty. I hate that I feel trapped. I hate that I’ve had to do his share of the work for so long, and I hate that he’s gone.”
Frankie met this flood of words with silence, as if unsure of where to start mopping up.
Sofia focused on the repetitive strokes of her roller as the walls gradually brightened. “Does that make me horrible?”
“No, it makes you human. Does it make me horrible that I’m happy to get a chance to run the crews how I want, without my big brother looking over my shoulder, telling me what to do?”
“No.”
“Because every time I think about it, I feel like I’m stealing his spot. Your job got harder, but chasing my dream got a lot easier. And I feel guilty for it every day.”
Sofia let that sink in. She had been so caught up in her own messy emotions, she hadn’t considered how her siblings were dealing with Gabe’s death. Did Enzo have this messed-up crap rolling around behind his stoic façade? Sofia switched to a small angled brush and began cutting in the paint along the trim line.
“That’s part of why I didn’t want Adrian to buy in,” Frankie continued. “Dad treats him like another son. How long would it be before he starts trying to boss me around? I know I’m young, but I’m not an idiot.”
“Honestly, I don’t think it would be like that.”
“Wait, I thought we were mad at Adrian.”
“Oh, I’m pissed as hell at him right now, but that doesn’t change the fact that we can’t afford to lose him. I was never completely against him buying in. I just needed details no one could give me. I think it could be a good idea if we do it right.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, sis.”
“Damn it, Frankie. Don’t be like that. I know exactly how many jobs we’ve got lined up right now, both on and off the show. If Adrian walks, so does his crew. Do you really think you can run all the crews, plus hire a new slate, if both Dad and Adrian are gone?”
Frankie paused, paint dripping off the roller. “But Dad’s not going anywhere soon. It would be fine. By the time he actually retires, I’ll have things under control.” Vigorous strokes up and down the wall mocked the calm words. A fine spatter of paint flew from the speeding roller, coating them both in buttery freckles.
“Given the full-court press from Mom, I’d bet on sooner rather than later. Even Dad never handled everything alone. He had Uncle Tony. When Seth didn’t step up into Uncle Tony’s spot, you did. Who’s going to fill Dad’s? All I’m saying is don’t be stupid. Plan how to make this work to your advantage instead.”
