26. Natasha
26
NATASHA
“ H ey, guys! That’s great,” I called. “Just this place over here.” I pointed to Dee’s Jamesport home as the small box truck from Gable’s Moving Company pulled up. The mover who was driving nodded, rolling up his window and parking the truck on the side of the street.
I turned, my breath fogging in the November chill as I stared up at the house. After everything, I couldn’t believe I was standing here.
“I’ll just need your signature,” the driver said, walking around the end of the truck with his clipboard. His partner opened the tailgate, revealing the only thing inside—a midsized, solid oak bookcase with repurposed stained glass doors, adjustable shelves, and brushed brass hardware. It was the first of the three matching pieces I was making for Dee—and the only one I’d finished so far. When I’d heard from Jimmy that she was doing better and had been discharged from the hospital, I thought I’d bring it over as a welcome home present.
I pulled my gloves off and scrawled my name at the bottom of the first page.
“And here,” he said, pointing out a space on the second page. “Last one is the damage clause. We’ll hold off on that one until it’s safely inside.”
“Perfect. I’m gonna go get someone to open the door. Just give me a sec.” I hurried up the drive and the front steps, knocking on the door before I could chicken out. This had all seemed like a grand idea when I’d finished the piece a few days ago, but now that I was standing here, knocking, I wasn’t nearly so certain. But I’d already paid for the movers to deliver and unload the piece, so it was a sort of now-or-never situation.
I knocked again, annoyed with myself for my poor planning when there was no answer. I hadn’t considered that Dee might be out when I arrived, but of course she could have any number of appointments following her stint in the hospital. Or maybe she’d gone for lunch with Trent at the office. I supposed I could have the guys unload the bookcase onto the porch. I’m sure Dee could have some of the Lost Boys pop by to relocate it later. I didn’t love the idea of leaving the case out in the cold, exposed to the elements, but what other choice was there if no one was home to let us in?
“We all good?” one of the movers called up to me.
I went to respond when the door creaked open, revealing Dee’s nurse. “Hello?”
“Oh, hi! Sorry to bother you. It’s Sofia, right? We crossed paths briefly on the day I first came by to meet Dee,” I said, smiling. “I’m?—”
“Natasha,” she said, pulling the door open wider. “Yes, I remember.” Her voice was carefully neutral, and I found myself wondering what she’d heard about me and about how things had ended with me and Trent. “I didn’t know Dee was expecting you today.”
I laughed uncertainly. “Actually, she’s not. It’s sort of a surprise. A ‘welcome home’ surprise.”
Sofia spotted the movers pushing the bookcase up the drive on a small rolling cart, and her face lit up with a grin. I smiled back, flooded with relief. “She’s gonna love it,” Sofia assured me. “Come in.”
“Thanks,” I said, stepping into the foyer, grateful for the heat pumping through Dee’s house.
“Dee’s just finishing up breakfast. Let me go tell her you’re here.”
I nodded, turning to wait for the movers while Sofia rushed off to summon Dee. When the guys reached the porch, I watched them lift the bookcase, holding my breath. I had every confidence in the quality of my craftsmanship, but I still winced as they made their way up the slippery steps and across the porch. I’d feel so much better once the piece was on solid ground and I could check to make sure none of the glass had cracked.
“In here,” I said, leading the guys into the nearby sitting room. They placed the bookcase down, and I did a quick inspection, making sure there’d been no damage on the drive over. Letting the bookcase leave the safety of my workshop felt like parting with a child. But while part of me was sorry to see it go, I was more than happy to know it had arrived in one piece. “Looks good,” I said. “I just have to check with the homeowner to see where she wants it.”
The driver nodded. “We’re just gonna go put the cart away and close up the truck. Then we’ll position the piece and get you to sign the rest of the contract.”
“Thanks,” I said. It meant a lot to me that they’d been extra careful. When they were done here today, I’d definitely be tipping them well. And looking them up again when the next pieces were ready for delivery.
They hurried off into the cold, and I closed the front door behind them.
“What is it?” I heard Dee say from somewhere down the hall.
“Come and see for yourself,” Sofia said, coaxing Dee along. Sofia appeared in the doorway to the sitting room a moment later, giving me a smile and a wink. Then Dee turned up wearing a black turtleneck, her pearls, and a string of oxygen tubing. She looked a little more worn down than the last time I’d seen her—paler, slower, her hands shaking—but her face broke out into a brilliant grin the moment she laid eyes on me.
“Natasha!” Dee said, pleasantly surprised. “Now there’s a sight I’ve missed.” Dee held her arms out, and I went to her, giving her a big hug. She tightened her arms, her grip stronger than I’d expected. “It’s so good to see you, honey!”
My chest ached at her sweet words. I pulled back. “It’s really good to see you too. Jimmy said you were feeling a bit better.”
“Fit as a fiddle,” she sang.
Sofia gave her a look.
Dee huffed grumpily. “A fiddle with a few loose strings,” she amended. “But seeing you has my spirits soaring.”
“Well, hopefully this will lift them up even higher,” I said, stepping aside so she could see the bookcase.
Dee gasped. “What is all of this?”
“A little ‘welcome home’ present,” I said.
Dee took the glasses strung around her neck and slipped them on to better inspect my work. A bout of nerves twisted in my gut. Part of me still couldn’t believe I was designing furniture for Deana Saunders.
“Oh my!” Dee gushed as she hobbled into the room, dragging her oxygen cylinder around the shelf to take in every inch. Sofia trailed along behind her, ensuring she didn’t trip. “Isn’t it wonderful, Sofia?”
“Gorgeous,” Sofia agreed. “I love the doors.”
“This is from the church?” Dee said, running her hands along the stained glass.
I nodded. “And there’s more where that came from. So I can make sure your other pieces match.”
There was a knock on the front door, and the movers returned, poking their heads into the sitting room. “Any thoughts on where you’d like it?” one of them asked.
Dee clapped her hands together. “Up to the library, please. Against the far wall. There’s a perfect little nook.”
“I’ll show them,” Sofia offered, leading the movers ahead while I hung back with Dee. We took it slower, Dee getting winded on the stairs. By the time we reached the library, she had to stop and lean against the doorframe.
“Is here good?” the driver asked.
“Perfect,” Dee said, inhaling sharply. “It looks wonderful.”
“That’s great, guys. Thank you.” I signed the last of their paperwork and tipped them. Sofia left momentarily to show them out.
“You’re so incredibly talented,” Dee said when we were alone. “The attention to detail…I mean it, Natasha. There have only been a few designers over the course of my career that have impressed me as much as you.” She took my hand, squeezing gently. “I can’t wait to see where your career takes you.”
“Thanks, Dee,” I said. “That means a lot.” And it truly did. I tried to summon a smile, to enjoy the praise, but the truth was, being in her house brought all sorts of feelings rushing back, and I couldn’t stop thinking about everything I’d lost.
Thankfully, Dee didn’t notice, wrapping her arm around my waist, using me as a support. “Thank you for dropping by today.”
“Of course,” I said as Sofia returned, helping Dee into a nearby chair. “I’m not sure when the other pieces will be done, but I’ll have Jimmy keep you posted so I can arrange delivery.”
She sighed heavily. “I’m really sorry things ended the way they did, Natasha.”
“It’s okay,” I said quietly. “We don’t need to talk about it.”
“I’m not sure what I could say anyway,” Dee said, and I could hear the genuine regret in her voice. “Trent was a fool to treat you the way he did.”
I bit my lip. I couldn’t complain about Trent to his own grandmother. And besides, I didn’t want to put any more stress on her. She was dealing with enough.
“We both made mistakes,” I said diplomatically. There. Perfect. Let’s leave it at that.
“I won’t try to make excuses for him,” Dee said.
I winced, glancing at Sofia. Apparently, we weren’t leaving it at that after all. Sofia gave me a little shrug as if to say, Just get it over with .
“There’s no excuse for the things he said to you,” Dee continued, patting my hand. “I guess I’m just…disappointed that I failed to teach him more about hope.”
“I don’t think you failed at anything, Dee.” Trent was an adult, and he’d made an adult decision. Sometimes, things just didn’t work out—no matter how much we might want them to.
“I did, though,” Dee said. “He’s always carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and his world was heavier than most. It’s easy to see why he defaults to pessimism now, and why he always assumes the worst of people. He had to deal with it more times than any child should.” She looked up at me. “I don’t know what Trent’s told you, but the house he grew up in was nothing like a home.”
“Jimmy’s told me some of it,” I admitted.
She nodded. “Davis and I did our best to fill the gaps, but we could never completely replace his parents—especially after Davis got sick and passed.”
For someone who said she wasn’t going to make excuses for Trent, I was sure hearing a lot of them. But that last part stuck with me. I didn’t know how many times I’d wished for someone to step in, to fill the gap created by my parents’ passing, all while knowing no one ever could. Dee had tried her best to be there for Trent, but she couldn’t replace all the love he’d been denied, nor could she wipe away the memories of shouted arguments or toxic silences.
“He’s afraid,” she said. “Afraid to trust someone enough to let them in, let them matter to him, and risk having it all fall apart. And for his sake, I hope he realizes that sooner rather than later. Because being afraid is no reason not to live, not to love ,” Dee continued, straightening up beside me. “Which is why I’ve made a decision.”
I blinked at her in surprise. What kind of decision was she talking about? “You have?” I glanced over at Sofia who bit her lip, hiding a smile.
Dee puffed up her chest, looking determined. “You’re actually the first one I’m telling. I’ve decided to get the treatment after all. I’m going to have the heart surgery.”
“Dee!” I said, leaning over to give her a quick squeeze. “That’s wonderful news!” I knew how much Trent had wanted her to try. This was going to mean so much to him and Jimmy and the rest of the Lost Boys and their families.
“I don’t know if I’ll survive it,” Dee said, sounding resolved. “But I suppose none of us really know how much time we get to spend here. But if this surgery can help…if it can buy me more time with the people I love, then I want to try.”
“That’s very brave,” I said.
She laughed. “I think it’s more that I’m greedy, really. I’ve lived a lot of years, but there’s still more I want to see and do. More I want to learn.” She sighed. “I know the surgery might not work in the end. The doctors have warned me of that, but I think it’s worth a shot. I’m not giving up on my life yet.”
“You didn’t strike me as the type to ever give up,” I said. “In this or with your Lost Boys.”
“Don’t you give up on life either, honey,” Dee whispered. “I know that horrible things happen sometimes out of the blue, and they shake our whole foundation. But wonderful things can happen too.”
I wanted to believe that.
Dee reached up and pressed her hand to my cheek. “And I just know that this life holds wonderful things for you.”