15. Carson #2
I drop a box on my desk and turn on my computer.
Digitizing these files is a good start, but maybe there’s a way to weed out the people who aren’t around anymore, so we can put them in storage.
There have to be files going back fifty years here…
or more. Vance had been the Autumn Ridge dentist since we could still take full sized shampoo on airplanes.
Overwhelm creeps into my shoulders as I take in the sheer amount of patient files in this room—and that’s not counting the boxes in the storage closet.
Emma would have a great idea on how to handle this.
She always seems to know exactly what I need to hear.
I open the first folder and read a name I don’t recognize.
Year of birth: 1914. Do they still come to me?
Probably not.
Should I assume?
Definitely not.
I rub my eyes and let out a sigh. Cold calling each of these numbers to invite them in for a cleaning seems to be the best way to get a good inventory of our current customer base, but who has the stamina for that?
Barb is sitting at the front desk working on seating charts, probably for her daughter Landrie’s wedding, and the other two—Paul the dental assistant and Megan the hygienist—are developing an organization system for the exam rooms.
Maybe if we each took a box and a phone, it would go quickly and we could knock some of these out—
Penny’s voice bleeds in from the waiting room, and I’m out of my seat and halfway down the hall immediately. Maven stands behind her, holding a hand over Penny’s closed eyes.
“Can I look now?”
“Not yet, Sweet P.” Maven grins at me as I cross the room. Barb is watching now, and Paul and Megan followed me out. Everyone knew we were surprising Penny with the treehouse as soon as school got out, and now it’s time.
“Hey, Nickel,” I say, turning her by the shoulders so she faces away from the kids’ corner. “You can open your eyes.”
Maven moves her hand and Penny blinks at me, glancing to the floor, then behind me. “What’s my surprise?”
“How was school?”
She widens her eyes. “Dad, you can’t make me wait anymore!”
“Okay fine. I had an idea for a fun thing in our kids’ corner, and Aunt Maven’s friend Ben helped me make it.”
I can sense her anticipation. “Can I see now?”
“Yep, go ahead.”
Penny turns around and squeals, the sound bouncing off the walls. “A treehouse! Dad, are you serious?!”
“Go check it out.”
She doesn’t need further encouragement. Her backpack swings onto one of Emma’s freshly redone chairs as she makes her way across the waiting room and climbs the mini staircase to the upper level.
Maven holds out my car keys and I take them, sliding them into the pocket of my scrubs. “Thanks for picking her up.”
“No problem.” She folds her arms and presses her shoulder into mine, her long blonde hair swinging behind her back. “Good move. She’ll want to spend time here now.”
“That was the goal.” I shoot her a look. “What do I have to build to make you want to spend more time here?”
She throws back her head and laughs. “An orchestra?”
“Keep your violin tuned. I’ll start working on it.”
“Knock it off,” she says through a chuckle. “You know you guys are all the enticement I need for a visit.”
“I’d love for that visit to turn permanent. But you’re going through a lot right now, so I’ll quit pressuring you. We’ll take you for as long as we can.”
She draws her hand behind my back and squeezes softly.
When Jen left me, Maven was the first person I called.
She knew how rocky things were in my relationship.
I knew she’d understand my biggest concerns right out of the gate, because the divorce was causing my child to relive my childhood—being raised by a single parent.
There would be no shared custody situation when Jen stopped being interested in motherhood.
I couldn’t risk giving Penny further trauma, and Jen didn’t mind letting go of all her parental rights, which was the final nail in the coffin.
Then, when I made the call to pack up my life and buy out Vance’s practice, Maven was also my voice of reason, telling me it was a good move to be near Mom and have her support.
My sister is level-headed and my best friend. If only she and my other best friend would reconcile…but I understand their relationship is between her and Ben and none of my business.
“How has business been this afternoon?” she asks. “Any better?”
I shake my head. “We need to get appointments on the books.”
“Run a booth at the Fall Festival. You can offer some enticement for people who schedule a routine cleaning in the next month.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Like a discounted service or something.”
“Yeah. You need to get people in the door. Have you thought of having a BBQ or some grand opening party?”
“The thought was there at some point.” I scrub a hand down my face. “I’m not cut out for this.”
Maven gives me a stern look. “You’re overwhelmed. Pick a day for an opening party, schedule a face painter and balloon artist—”
“A what?”
“You know, the guy who makes balloon animals? And put out some sort of food. You can pass out flyers next week at the festival.”
“You want to come be my marketing person?”
“No.” Maven grins. “I need to run. Let me know if you want help with the flyers.”
“Thanks.”
“I won’t bug Penny while she’s exploring, so give her a hug from me.” She lifts a hand toward the front desk. “Bye, Barb! See you guys later.”
Once she’s gone, I park in a chair near the treehouse and watch Penny explore every single item I placed in there. I’m still waiting on the cushions Emma’s going to make, but that’s not stopping Penny from sitting up there and reading.
The moment I shared with Emma soaked in rainwater last night keeps popping in my head.
I can’t stop thinking about the dinner she’s having with her librarian friend tonight.
Is she going to wear a dress? The dress?
Will she be impressed by his reading stamina and the sheer number of pages he gets through in a week and fall madly in love?
She could be beguiled, thinking of all the little readers they could produce together.
I could stand outside and throw a football far or show off my root canal skills, but I don’t think either of those things will make Emma swoon.
Not that I need to do that. I shouldn’t even want to make her swoon.
Gosh, what is wrong with me? I don’t usually get worked up like this over a woman. I don’t even think twice about them—haven’t since I met Jen.
A melancholy falls over me until Penny pokes her head through the small window. “This is amazing.”
“Fantastic. So you want to hang out there while I sort through patient files? Then Nana is taking you out for a girls’ night.”
“The movies!” She jumps on her toes, excited to spend time with Nana and Maven. I’m happy to put a dent in these file boxes. With Penny occupied, I’ll have some guilt-free work time.
I’m way too dead to figure out dinner, and my mom has this Price girls evening planned anyway, so I think I might take advantage of my solo time and get a burger on the way home.
If I happen to see Emma, it’s a total coincidence.