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Chapter 11
DANIEL
Never before has my life felt so close to perfect. Julia calls almost every evening after class and visits every weekend. It doesn’t even bother me when she brings Leslie along. I’m not quite ready to admit it to Julia but the boy is growing on me. And even though Julia swears up and down they aren’t, Leslie acts like he hasn’t gotten the memo they aren’t dating. Even better than everything going on with my daughter, Riley has all but officially moved in to get the most out of the time she has off of work. Which seems to be less and less every week.
I haven’t breached the subject but I worry about her. Coming home worn down a little more every day. Emotionally more than physically. I understand she loves to cook but can’t for the life of me figure out why she’s willing to risk that love for a job she obviously hates.
“Cookies are done,” Riley calls from the kitchen as I come in from my morning in the shop.
As worried as I am about her mental health, I have to admit I don’t mind the way she’s coping with it. Though, I don’t much care for the extra time on the recumbent bike to compensate for all the extra sugar in my diet lately.
“You might need to find a good home for these. The freezer is stuffed to the gills,” I say taking a cookie hot off the baking sheet. “And I should probably cut back. I’m already way over my RDA.”
“Not sure cookies have an RDA but…” She stands back sighing as she takes in the counter and bar covered in an array of different flavored cookies. Double chocolate chip, pumpkin spice, peanut butter, and more I’m not even sure. “Wow. I’ve gone a little overboard, haven’t I?”
“I’m not complaining. Your cookies are amazing. If I had a younger man’s body, I’d eat them all. Maybe you could send a bunch with Julia. Leslie and his football buddies could use them for workout fuel.”
“That’s an idea.” Riley clicks off the oven and wraps her arms around my waist holding me close with her cheek pressed to my chest over my heart. “I don’t want to go back to work tomorrow.”
“Then don’t.”
Riley chuckles. “Easier said than done.”
“Is it?”
She doesn’t acknowledge me beyond a shake of her head before turning to the sink full of dirty mixing bowls and the like.
She doesn’t want to talk about it and I guess she doesn’t want to spend her only day off talking about work, so I let it go.
“Lainey called.”
“How’s she doing?” I ask.
“Content to be a professional student. She dropped two of her classes. So she has yet another semester to go before she can graduate with any kind of degree. Though, I’m still not sure what it would be.”
“She’ll figure things out eventually. Some just need more time than others.”
“Sometimes I wish I’d had more time.”
“You can still take the time. You’re only twenty-three.”
“Yeah. I guess.” She shrugs. “I wanted to ask Lainey to come visit. For you two to finally meet but I thought I should talk to you first,” she says, changing the subject again.
“I’d love to meet her. Anytime.”
“I’ll call.” Riley smiles and continues scrubbing the beaters for the mixer. I get a kick out of her sometimes. The only person in the world who enjoys washing dishes. She claims it’s relaxing. Part of the process.
“I’ll take that,” I say plucking the dishtowel off her shoulder.
Riley hands me the clean beaters. I dry them and put them in the drawer.
“How’s Nell?” Riley asks after we finish a few more dishes.
“Good. Glad to see the back of me again.”
“I’ll need to have a talk with her about that. That’s my backside.” Riley reaches down and swats a soapy hand on my jean-clad ass.
“Oh. Is this something we’re doing now? Because I’ve had a mind to turn you over my knee a time or two.” I bend over putting my shoulder in her stomach forcing her to fold against me as I hoist her up.
