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I fished my phone out of my pocket and handed it to her. Together, we made silly faces at the camera while Martha snapped picture after picture. When she was done, I set Jimmy back down and ruffled his hair. Once the movers arrived, it was a flurry of activity, with Jimmy running around them making noises under his breath while Anne, Martha and I supervised the movement of the boxes.
A short while later, we stood on the front porch.
Martha and Anne clung to each other while I held Jimmy’s hand. With tears in her eyes, Anne crouched and took Jimmy into her arms. He squeezed her back before pulling away and skipping to my car. Martha and I followed him to the car, and I waited until Martha had him settled in the backseat before I got behind the wheel.
“I’m glad we live close to Anne,” Martha admitted, pausing to push her hair out of her face. “It’s nice to have a friendly and familiar face.”
“You can have her over anytime,” I replied, pausing to give her a quick smile. When we arrived at the house, the next few hours went by in a blur. Martha kept trying to keep Jimmy entertained while I directed the movers, who filled the living room with boxes. Once they were done, they set to work emptying everything while the plumber and electrician worked around them, putting in their finishing touches.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Martha in the backyard pushing Jimmy on the swing, wisps of hair framing her face. Jimmy’s laughter filled the air, and it kept a smile on my face while I worked. When the movers were done, the evening sun had dipped below the horizon. I ushered Martha and Jimmy inside and smiled at their reactions. Jimmy ran from end of the house to the next, including up the stairs, and when he came back down, flushed and breathless, he hugged me.
Martha let him play on the floor and joined me in the kitchen. “It really does look great, Albin. I can’t believe it’s the same house.”
I draped an arm over her shoulders and squeezed. “Me neither, but you and Jimmy are the reason this is a home, not a house.”
Martha blushed and tilted her head back to look up at me.
Her lips were inches from mine when we heard a loud crash.
Immediately, she sprung to attention, with me hot on her heels. Jimmy was in the middle of the living room, shards from a broken vase around him and crayon stains on the carpet and floor. Martha sighed, drew Jimmy to her and crouched in front of him.
“Sweetheart, I know you’re used to Anne’s house, but you need to be more careful. There’s a lot of stuff here that can break.”
Jimmy’s eyes widened. “I was just playing.”
Silently, I stepped away from them and back into the kitchen. I swept up the shards of glass and threw them into the garbage. When I went back, Martha was talking to Jimmy in a hushed voice, but he didn’t look pleased. On the contrary, he looked uncomfortable, and I could tell by the way he pulled on his bottom lip that he was unhappy.
Moving was an adjustment on its own.
Being here with me must’ve been overwhelming for him.
“We have to be careful,” Martha continued. “And you have to do a better job of listening to me.”
Jimmy huffed and didn’t say anything.
“I know this is different, but you’re going to like it here, honey.” Martha stood up and ruffled his hair. “You just need to give it some time.”
Jimmy clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at her. “So, I’m not allowed to play at all?”
“No, sweetheart. I didn’t say that. You just need to be more careful.”
“You can make a mess in your own room, buddy,” I added after a brief pause. “As long as you clean it up afterwards.”
Jimmy’s gaze swung to mine, and he gave me a skeptical look. “Really?”
I looked over at Martha who nodded. “Yeah, absolutely. When we get back, I’m going to show you how big your new room is, and you can decorate it however you want.”
Jimmy’s expression changed, and he clapped his hands together. “Back? Where are we going? Mom, Can I have dinosaur wallpaper in my room?”
Martha chuckled and patted his head. “Of course, sweetheart.”
“One dinosaur wallpaper coming right up.” I held my hand out and took Jimmy’s hand in mine. “Now, why don’t we go pick up some dinner while your mommy relaxes?”
“What are we having?”
“Pizza or Chinese.”
“Chinese,” Martha and Jimmy echo, at the same time. He glanced over at his mother, and she gave him a kiss. “Don’t be too late. You’ve got kindergarten tomorrow.”
