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His surprise at the transformation of the once-ruined house must have been easy to see on his face because Boychenko said, “Wait until you see the backyard. Checo taught me how to lay some of the brick on the patio.”
“Checo let you touch his brickwork?” Danny didn’t believe it. The surly old Mexican was a master mason who talked shit to anyone who got even close enough to sniff his mortar.
“I think he wants me to date his daughter,” Boychenko admitted, his ears turning red. “He talked about her the whole time we were working.”
Danny laughed. “You gonna ask her out?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Kostya’s rules,” Boychenko explained. “I’m celibate like a monk until he says otherwise.”
“He really does love to torture people.”
“He says he doesn’t, but he’s also a scary good liar so...” Boychenko shrugged. “I do what I’m told and don’t ask questions.”
“Probably for the best working with Kostya.” Danny opened the door and got out of the SUV. “Thanks for the ride, Roman, and for the other thing.”
“I’m your brother,” Boychenko replied matter-of-factly. “I’ll always have your back, even if you’re doing something stupid.”
“I owe you.”
“Big time,” Boychenko said with a laugh. “I’ll be around later if you need anything.”
“Thanks.” Danny grabbed his luggage and box of money from the back of the Tahoe and made his way to the gate in front of the house. As much as he wanted to explore the house and settle in, he didn’t have time. He had other places to be so he left the luggage in the living room, stored the cash in the freezer, and tossed the beets into the trash.
He found his truck gassed, washed, and waiting in the detached garage out back. It was another nice thing Artyom had done for him and another painful reminder of what an absolute asshole he had been to his uncle. His first instinct was to seek out Artyom now to apologize and make things right, but by now, Artyom had gone to meet up with Chess and her daughter. He wouldn’t want to be interrupted again, even for an apology.
So, he drove to his old townhouse instead. The burned-out shell of the unit Macy’s family had lived in came into view as he pulled into the parking lot. The destroyed roof had been replaced with construction tarps, and there were still scorch marks around the windows and doors. As he parked his truck in his old space, he stared at the ruined building and imagined Macy and her family escaping the flames and smoke. It turned his stomach to see how close she had come to dying.
The townhouse on the other side had also been vacated, probably due to structural damage. He got out of his truck and tried the door to his old house. It wasn’t locked, and he stepped inside to see how bad it was. The whole space had been gutted down to the studs. There was fire damage on the shared wall, but it seemed most of the trouble here had been caused by water and smoke.
Over at Macy’s old house, the story was different. Even though it had been weeks since the fire, the smell of it saturated the air. The stink of burned carbon and melted plastic and soot left him grimacing. He walked carefully through the space, warily eying the ceiling and stairs. The entire bottom floor had been gutted. Drywall, carpet, laminate flooring, appliances, cabinets, countertops—they had been ripped out and sent to the dump. There was no hint that a family had once lived here.
Wondering how bad it had been upstairs where the family had been sleeping, he cautiously took the stairs one at a time, gently pressing his weight down and waiting for the sound of a warning creak or snap. The once-white walls were marbled with gray and black. He could see where the flames had licked up the staircase and the clouds of smoke had billowed up the walls.
Had Macy really gotten her family out of this? Alone? He couldn’t even imagine how terrified she must have been. The fear of losing her siblings and her stepmother to the smoke and flames must have sent her adrenaline production into overdrive. He could almost see her carrying the little ones down the stairs and out the door before running back inside to get Janie and the baby, braving the heat and smoke without care for herself.
And I wasn’t here.
I wasn’t here when she needed me most.
He hadn’t ever been inside the house when they lived here, and he had no idea which room was hers. The townhouse had a similar layout to his with an extra bedroom and bathroom upstairs. He poked his head into the first bedroom and saw the bright blue walls and meltedPaw PatrolandPJ Masksdecals. This one had definitely been shared by Colt and Hannah.
He moved to the other bedroom, this one the smallest, and stepped inside. Like the rest of the house, it had been emptied of furniture and belongings. There were a few bits of trash that hadn’t been taken out yet. He bent down to examine a piece that got his attention. It was a scorched remnant of a tarot card.
Macy loved the damn things. He thought it was all a bit silly, but that still hadn’t stopped him from bringing back two new decks from his travels. They were in his luggage along with the other gift he had gotten for her. He had planned to take her out and make a big romantic gesture. Now, he wasn’t so sure that was the right move.
He rose from his crouched position and noticed a fleck of something glimmery and green on the wall. He moved closer and found more of the specks and splotches. He touched one and then scraped his nail over it. Was it melted fabric?
He stepped back to look at the outline of green flecks and realized it was a dress. A formal one, if he had to guess. Her prom dress?
His heart sank. She hadn’t only been denied her chance to read her graduation speech. She had lost the chance to dance at her final prom in a pretty dress she had probably worked hours to afford. She must have been so disappointed, but he was certain she hadn’t let it show. She wouldn’t have wanted to make Janie feel bad.
No, Macy would have swallowed down the bitter feelings and pretended everything was fine to spare others the discomfort of her sadness. She had spent her whole life taking care of everyone else and doing her best to never be a burden. What else would she sacrifice for her family?
The thought of her giving up on her dream of becoming a doctor was too much for him to bear. He wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t care what he had to do or how much he had to work. Macy was going to A&M and then to med school. She was going to be a doctor, and she was going to achieve everything she wanted.
