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Alden comes up behind me, sliding his arm around my neck. He kisses my cheek. “I didn’t know you were coming this early. It’ll be a couple of hours before I can help.”
“My two o’clock rescheduled. I figured I’d go ahead and start sorting.” Milo and Joanna head into the garage. Once Milo is out of earshot, I turn around to regard Alden. “Milo has a live-in girlfriend?”
He grins, nodding. “Kathy. Seems to be pretty serious. She’s visited him here a couple of times too.”
“I can’t believe you’ve held out that information. Wives are supposed to be privy to every bit of gossip. What’s she like?”
“Nice, about his age I’d guess, mid-forties. Tall with red hair. Real pretty.”
“Good for him. We should invite them over for dinner.”
“Sure.”
“Ok, I’m going upstairs. See you in a little while.”
He reaches out to rub my belly. “Don’t pick up anything heavy.”
“I won’t. I’m just going to clean out the drawers and cabinets. Small stuff.”
After poking my head into the office to say hi to Smith, I go up to Oliver’s old apartment. Alden has already assembled a bunch of cardboard boxes that wait in each room. It occurs to me the last time I was here doing something similar, it was after the cops had torn everything out in their search. It simultaneously seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago.
A smile grows on my face as a realization I’ve had a lot lately strikes me again.
I’m happy.
Alden and I are both happy and safe. We’ve managed to come out on the other side, put our lives and businesses back together. We’re starting the family we always wanted. Both of us have an occasional bad day with a panic attack or memories that drag us down, but overall, we’re good. We’re almost us again. How quickly things can change.
I start sorting in the bathroom, working my way through the medicine cabinet, closet, and the items under the sink. Most of it gets tossed in the trash. My phone rings with a video call request from Tori and I answer, propping it on the kitchen counter while I start removing and boxing up dishes.
“What are you doing?” she asks, then quickly adds, “Never mind, whatever it is, stop because I have some news that I’ve been dying to tell you.”
“It’s triplets, not twins?” I tease.
“Fuck no, bite your tongue.” Her smile reaches from ear to ear. “We’re going to be neighbors again.”
“What? Are you moving into your parents’ house?”
“No, you know Alden’s mother’s old house was on the market again? I didn’t want to tell you until we knew for sure, but we closed on the sale today. We bought it!”
The guys downstairs probably hear me squeal. “Oh my god! You’re moving in across the street.”
“Yes! I’m so excited.”
“That’s the best news. When do you get to move in?”
“Whenever we want. We’re going to do some work on it first, but I’d like to get moved before the babies come.” She turns around and talks to someone, then looks back at her phone. “I have to go, but I couldn’t wait to tell you. I’ll call you later.”
She hangs up and nothing can wipe the smile off my face for the next couple of hours while I sort and box Oliver’s things. Alden calls up the stairs to ask if I want pizza for dinner as if that answer would ever be no. He leaves to go pick it up while I start on Oliver’s bedroom.
I’m relieved not to find any sex toys or lube tucked under his bed. It’s dusty though, and I retreat, sneezing. His dresser is mostly full of clothes, but his desk drawers contain a bunch of paperwork. At one time, this would’ve been neat but after the cops tore it out, I shoved most of it back in haphazardly. Keeping things organized wasn’t a priority.
I sort through it, tossing old receipts and bills. A green sheet of paper catches my eye because half of the writing is in Spanish. Oliver couldn’t speak Spanish. None of us do. When I scoop it up for a closer look, I realize it’s directions for how to treat an animal bite written in Spanish and English.
That isn’t what sends my heart into my feet. Another half page is stapled to the back of it. It’s a receipt from a clinic in Cahuita, Costa Rica. Oliver’s name and date of birth are printed on the patient line. On the section for treatments administered, three things are listed.
Animal bite on right foot cleaned and bandaged.
Tetanus vaccination administered.
