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Taylor smiled. “See? You’re still an important part of his life. Just because Carla is back in the picture doesn’t mean that’s going to change.”
“You don’t know that.”
Taylor stood up and took her glass of wine with her. She finished off the rest of it before washing it in the sink. I watched her as she set it out to dry before coming back. Wordlessly, she lowered herself onto the carpeted floor in front of me and reached for a pile of clothes.
“I thought you hated doing laundry.”
“I do, but I love you more,” Taylor replied with a smile. “And the sooner you get done with this, the sooner you can call Bernard to remind him about Ron’s school event in a few days.”
I sat up straighter and cleared my throat. “I don’t know if he will be able to make it.”
“He’s made it to all the events so far, hasn’t he? Besides, didn’t you already tell him?”
I nodded and glanced down at the towel in my lap. “I did.”
“So, you’re just calling to remind him. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
In silence, I folded a few more items, sneaking glances at Taylor the entire time. When I was done, she helped me sort everything into piles. With a smile, we carried Ron’s clothes into his room, and he helped us put them away. As soon as I was done, Taylor waited for me in the doorway while I switched off the TV and tucked him in. Ron gave me a quick hug before twisting onto his side and squeezing his eyes shut.
Tears welled in my eyes as I crept towards the door and stood there, watching him. Slowly, I crept back out into the hallway, leaving the door slightly ajar. Light spilled into Ron’s room, casting long shadows across the walls. Taylor and I picked up the rest of the laundry and went into my room. She kept glancing over at me while we put the clothes away. When we were finished, I led the way back to the kitchen and handed her a bag of nuts.
“I know you’re right.”
“I usually am.”
I rolled my eyes and patted my pockets. “And modest too.”
“That’s me.” Taylor winked at me and wandered back into the living room. “By the way, my parents want to have all of you over for dinner next week. Let me know when is a good time for you.”
I stared at Bernard’s number on my phone before dialing. “Sure, does this mean we get to meet the man you’ve been dating?”
Taylor threw me a look over her shoulders. “Maybe.”
I grinned and tapped my feet against the floor.
On the last ring, a strange voice picked up, and I heard laughter in the background. I pulled the phone away from my ear and put it back. “Hello?”
“Yes, hello.” The female voice on the phone sounded breathless and impatient. I frowned, set the phone down on the counter, and set it to speaker. “Who is this?”
“I’m trying to get a hold of Bernard,” I said, my voice trailing off. “This is his phone, right?”
“Yes, it is. I’m sorry, Bernard isn’t in the office right now. He must’ve left his phone behind by mistake.”
“Who is this?”
“This is Carla. Who shall I say is calling?”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “This is Rachel.”
“Oh, Rachel, right. You’re his housekeeper, right? I can give him a message if it’s something important.”
Bile rose in the back of my throat. “No, that’s okay. Thank you.”
“Are you sure?”
I could hear the laughter rising in the background and the sound of glasses clinking together.
“Yes, thank you. Bye.”
