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“Should be?” He raised a critical brow, although there was a small twitch of a smile threatening to escape and spread across his face.
“If all goes according to plan, you won’t be able to tell where the seams are.” I stared at the wood, trying to see them in all their glory. “I will, but you won’t. And it’ll be majestic and perfect.”
He looped his arms around my waist before I had a chance to step back. “I can’t wait.” He stared into the depths of my eyes, his gaze flitting between them. “Think it’ll be ready before the fifteenth of October?”
“The fifteenth?” I backed away and scanned the pieces. “I thought the renovations wouldn’t be done until the end of the month.”
Mentally, I was stacking the images of the pieces I still had to carve into my head and placed them on the calendar.
“Good news, they’re actually slightly ahead of schedule and are estimating a completion date of mid-month.”
I swallowed down a building ball of anxiety. The fifteenth had been my personal date to have it completed, two weeks before its true due date. That was a buffer zone, but to take that away? I glanced around the shop, prioritizing what pieces would be next, and which could wait.
“Will it be a problem? It’s okay if you’re not going to be ready. Originally, I had said the thirtieth, and it was a date we agreed on.”
I forced a weak smile onto my face. “Oh gosh, it’ll be fine. It’s only a couple of weeks early.” Did I sound casual? I hoped so. As it was, I had planned on having it ready early to surprise him. Guess the surprise was on me. “Now I’ll just push myself a teeny bit harder and get it done sooner.”
Mixing business with pleasure was going to prove a tough mix. I didn’t want to let him down, and he was paying me handsomely, above my typical pricing to make up for part of what he cost me years ago, but still.
“I can pay extra for anything additional you need.”
“Like what?” All the materials were paid for and sitting in the shop.
“A sitter, or food delivery, or a steady stream of coffees.” There was a slight curve to the right side of his lip when he spoke and a reassuring rub of his hand on my arm.
“I’ll be fine. It’ll be done. My word is my bond.” I sighed and gestured to the house. “I should get back inside.”
“Oh, of course.”
Walking from the shop to the backdoor was only fifty feet at most, so it surprised me when I could hear banging and crashing sounds. Sprinting, I ran to the back door and yanked it open, taking the four stairs in two, and running to the source of the noise. Vera’s room.
She was throwing things in a full-blown tantrum.
I ran in and ducked as a Barbie came at me. I grabbed her and pulled her to the bed, wrapping my arms around her tight. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”
She fought against the restraint, twisting and turning and yelling so loud I worried she may hurt my eardrums in addition to her own.
“It’s okay,” I repeated and searched her ears. No hearing aid.
Her head tipped back, and she roared to the ceiling. This was her frustrated cry. It happened on occasion, where she’d just lose control of herself and the situation and act out. But she hadn’t tossed so many of her Barbies before; her room looked as if a tornado had blown through.
After a few minutes of punctuated screaming, and a few kicks to the shins, she finally collapsed breathlessly into my arms, and I held her cradled body tight to mine. I stroked her hair, and pressed her limp hand to my throat, humming so she could feel it. Eventually, she stopped crying and opened her reddened eyes.
“Oh, momma,” her lips moved but barely a sound escaped.
“I’m here.” My hand brushed down the length of her arm, and I held my hand over hers.
Continuing to hold her close, I waited until she’d calmed down enough, knowing it was safe to put her into her pajamas and tuck her into bed. I stayed beside her, stroking her hair and rubbing her back, until she’d fallen asleep. Resigned that she had truly drifted into a deep sleep, I stepped through the minefield of a room that needed tackling first thing in the morning before school to locate her hearing aids. I needed full light for that.
Mentally exhausted, I ventured out to the kitchen.
“Everything okay?”
Holy shit, I’d forgotten David was still around. “Um, yeah. Surprised you’re still here.”
“I couldn’t leave without first making sure you were both okay. Is Vera going to be all right?” He rose and met me at the counter, handing me a cup of tea. “Sorry, I saw the kettle and the tea bags. Hope you don’t think I overstepped?”
“No, that’s very sweet of you. Thanks.” I took my mug over to the table and collapsed into the chair. “Vera will be fine. Just an episode.”
