Chapter 17
Zander makes us some scrambled eggs for breakfast in the morning. As I’m heating some water in a mug in the microwave for tea, he asks if I have anything to add to the shopping list.
“No, I’m good, thanks,” I say, taking a seat at the island.
Zander passes me a plate of eggs, then joins me. “Summer, I need to ask you something,” he says, looking serious. Glancing in his direction, I give a nod.
“Where is all your stuff?”
Shifting on the chair, I push my eggs around on my plate. “What do you mean?”
“Darling, you moved your entire life here and only had one luggage set with you, and one of those suitcases was full of baked goods. That’s a tiny amount of things for anyone.”
Closing my eyes, I should have expected this question.
He’s right that I brought very little here, and it’s only natural he’d be curious about it.
I noticed his puzzled expression when he came to pick me up for the airport.
I could claim it’s because I’m a foster kid.
They often have little, but l don’t want to lie to him.
I pull in a deep breath, knowing we need to have this conversation, and look over at him.
Zander is waiting with a patient look in his eyes.
“What I brought here is all I’ve been living with since the accident,” I tell him.
“What happened to your belongings from before? I’m sure you had more?”
“Everything is still at the house. I couldn’t, I still can’t return there.” The thought of that house still causes shortness of breath, rapid thoughts, and deep heartache.
“Did no one offer to get your things after the hospital?” He questions, puzzled.
“Jake’s dad did, but I wanted nothing. I was in an awful place and couldn’t handle the reminder of my family.”
“I’m so sorry, Summer,” he says in a solemn voice. “I’m happy to buy you whatever you want when we go out today. Clothes, shoes, makeup, or anything else.”
“Thanks, but I really don’t need anything,” I reply. “I’ve been fine with what I have for over a year now.”
“Are you sure? If you’re worried about money, you don’t need to be.”
“It’s not that. I’ve got my own money. Sue gave me half of each monthly board payment, and I put it in my bank account, and I’ve barely touched that money. I’ve also got the lawsuit settlement money in a separate account, but I avoid touching that as much as possible. It feels wrong,” I shrug.
“What do you mean by wrong?” Zander asks.
“It’s money I have because my family died and I was so badly injured.
In my brain, it’s like the money is in exchange for their lives, kind of like blood money.
Realistically, I know it’s not, but I’m uncomfortable using it.
I’ve only touched it to maintain the house, pay for therapy, and pay for the phone Mal is using for me to talk to Jake. ”
Zander nods at me in understanding. “So, you still have the house?”
“Mom left it to me in her will. It was my Nana’s house, so there’s no mortgage.
She left it to my Mom when she passed. Jake’s dad arranged for a property management company to take care of the house for me, and our next-door neighbor has a key, too.
She was a good friend of my Mom’s and regularly visits to clean and check on things.
Jake’s dad receives any messages from them if there is an issue. ”
Zander gets off his chair, opening his arms to offer a hug. I hesitate for a minute, but move closer, accepting. “You’ve handled so much in your young life. You’re so strong, Summer. I’m proud to be your father.”
My eyes fill with water as I blink furiously. “Thanks,” I mumble.
“Okay,” he says, pulling back and clearing his throat. “Keep Sue’s money, and I’ll gladly support you from now on. I’ll purchase whatever you need, although I have a feeling you won’t actually ask me for anything, will you?” He quirks an eyebrow at me.
I shrug in answer.
“Maybe I should deposit some money into your account every month,” he ponders, rubbing his chin.
“Yes, I’m going to do it. That way, you can buy whatever you need on your own.
Please try to let me know if you need anything, though.
It’s unnecessary for it to always come from your accounts, alright? ”
Internally groaning, I reply, “I’ll try Zander, but I’m pretty low maintenance.”
“I’ll take it,” he smiles. “Let’s finish breakfast and get going.”
We finish eating and head out to the garage. Zander has a big navy blue truck with four doors and a covered bed sitting in the left bay. I climb the foot rail and hop into the passenger seat. The truck is super clean but doesn’t have that new car smell, so he must take excellent care of it.
A short drive later, Zander stops at a box store in Mt. Pleasant first. “I added a few household items to the list, so I thought we could start here.”
l nod and get out of the truck to follow him inside.
It doesn’t seem very busy today, which eases some tension from my shoulders.
I should be able to avoid people bumping into me.
Zander grabs a cart, and we walk to the home goods section, where he stops in an aisle full of storage solutions.
He looks around, then chooses two hampers.
One is lime green with dinosaurs on it, and the other is white.
“You need a hamper for your laundry. Pick one, Summer.”
I narrow my eyes at him and point to the white one.
He grins and puts it in the cart, then heads down another aisle of kitchen supplies.
He points, telling me to grab measuring cups and spoons as he continues to the next aisle.
I walk around until I spot similar ones to what Sue had.
Turning the corner, I see Zander has a kettle and two stand mixers in the cart.
I drop the measuring cups and spoons in the cart and quirk an eyebrow at him.
“Pick a mixer, Summer,” he says, smiling again.
Gazing down, I spot a mint green professional mixer, complete with attachments, alongside a tiny generic brand mixer with a plastic bowl and paddle.
I point to the pro mixer. Zander beams and puts the other one back on the shelf.
He thinks he’s being sneaky, but I’m on to him.
Next, he drives the cart through the women’s clothing section, stopping to comment here and there on a piece of clothing, watching for my reactions. I don’t say anything, simply follow.
We walk over to the outdoor section next, and Zander picks out a fire pit for the backyard. We check out, and I help carry the purchases to the truck. Zander pulls the truck up to the curb, and an employee loads the fire pit parts into the truck bed.
We stop at a hardware store next, where Zander tells me I can wait in the truck if I want, as he’ll be quick.
I choose to wait in the truck with the windows down.
The humidity doesn’t seem as stifling this morning, perhaps because it’s early in the day.
The store is busy, as I notice many more flowering trees and shrubs dotted around.
It’s such a juxtaposition with barren trees and shrubs alongside ones in full bloom.
It’s like winter and summer are competing in the same space.
Fifteen minutes later, Zander comes back with a big bag and a smile. After getting in, he hands it to me. “For you,” he says.
I open it to find a small pink orchid plant and carefully pull it out. “I figured since you enjoy plants, you should have some in the house. This will be your first.”
This man is so thoughtful. “Thank you, Zander.”
He waves me off and hands me a leather keychain with 3 keys on it. “These are for the front door, garage, and this truck. Wait, do you have your license?”
“No, I never got it.” I didn’t turn 16 until the summer after the accident and had zero interest in taking the driver’s test. There were too many other, more important things to handle, like surviving.
“That’s no problem. Would you like to get one now?” I open my mouth to answer, but he holds up his hand. “Before you say you don’t need your license, remember this place isn’t walkable like your town in Virginia.”
Darn, he’s right. There will be no walking to school here. It’s something I need to take care of. “Okay, I’ll get my license.”
“Perfect. Let’s stop and grab a driver’s manual for you.
” Zander drives to the local motor vehicle branch and quickly grabs a manual for me.
Then we’re off to a large warehouse store.
Zander says he shops here every few months and stocks up.
We stop at the desk so he can get me a membership card and asks me to grab a second cart as we head into the store.
It’s busier here, but I’ve gotten good at avoiding contact with others over the past year.
The cart helps as well. He grabs toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and detergent.
He asks what detergent I prefer, but I tell him I don’t have one, and he lets it go.
When we get to the pantry items, he asks me to choose the brands of flour, baking powder, and other items. I reluctantly agree because he hasn’t baked before, simply picking the brands Sue always bought.
He calls out items on his phone and checks them off as I put them in the cart.
Once the baking supplies are done, I follow him into the middle of the store.
“I always check this area before getting the cold items. You can find some pretty cool stuff.” We wander around the rows as Zander grabs a folding knife, socks, and a pair of shorts.
He keeps looking back at me, but I follow quietly.
We grab some meat and frozen items next.
As Zander peruses the ice cream, I see a tub of death by chocolate.
I hesitate for a minute before opening the door to grab one.
I place it in the cart and glance up to see Zander smiling at me.
He puts two more of the same into his cart.
I grumble and keep moving down the aisle as I hear him chuckle and follow.
When he’s got everything on his list, we check out and head home.
As we’re putting everything away in the kitchen, I turn to Zander. “I know what you were doing at the stores.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies with a blank look on his face, although there’s a gleam in his eyes.
“Expressing opinions and making decisions kind of went away when I got depressed, Zander. I didn’t realize I hadn’t been doing those things until Sarah pointed it out last week. Be patient with me.”
“Always Summer,” he nods. “I was trying to gently coax you with simple choices today to get you back in the swing of it.”
“The lime-green kids' hamper and tiny toy mixer weren’t obvious at all,” I deadpan.
He laughs. “Well, it worked. You made a choice, didn’t you? And you grabbed that chocolate ice cream with no prompting, so I’d say my method is genius.”
I shake my head at him with a smile. We enjoy lunch at the island, and afterward, Zander takes me to Rainbow Row in Charleston.
It’s actually very pretty, with the colorful houses lined up together.
I don’t think I could live in them with it being a busy tourist trap and the fact that they are touching each other on the left and right sides, like townhouses.
They are apparently very expensive, too.
We walk around The Battery next for an hour, and I watch small waves crash on the seawall.
The breeze off the water is refreshing with the warm temperatures today.
It’s like summer weather in Virginia, except for the humidity.
The sea breeze actually makes the humidity feel less, which is strange if you think about it.
We get back in time for me to call Jake. One good thing about the move is that I don’t have to worry about a time difference. I thank Zander for showing me around and make a beeline for my room, kick off my sneakers and get comfortable on the bed to dial Mal.
“Sugar!” Mal exclaims. I can see a yellow bandana on her head with a white star pattern. “It’s good to see your face. How was your trip to Charleston?”
“It was actually okay, Mal. How are you?”
“I’m doing fine. Are you all settled in already?”
“I think so, yeah. Zander had my room ready for me, and we went shopping this morning for stuff.”
“Good. I’m heading down the hallway now to Jake,” she says, as the phone swings around and I have to look away so I don’t get dizzy.
“Jake, honey, Summer is calling for your visit. I’m gonna clip on the phone so you two can chat.
” There’s a rustling as the phone swings down until I see Jake’s face.
“Ok Sugar. I’m leaving now. I’ll come back in half an hour to check on you,” Mal calls.
I wait until her footsteps disappear before I talk.
“Hi Jake. I’m calling from outside Charleston.
I can’t believe I’m here. It seems way longer than yesterday when I left.
” I fill him in on the flight, the flowers, and my new house.
I hug the pillow I sprayed last night with his cologne as I talk to him.
I’m a little emotional as we visit, and it’s not the same as being able to snuggle with him or hold his hand.
By the time the half hour is up, I’ve shed a few tears.
I lie on the bed, letting myself feel sad for a while after I hang up.
I miss his heartbeat so much. Zander pops his head in, asking about supper.
He sees my red, puffy eyes and offers a hug, which I accept.
It’s still uncomfortable to let him hug me, but that will improve with time.
I help him make spaghetti and salad for supper.
He asks if I’d be interested in watching the Marvel movies with him in order.
Apparently, he's seen none of them. Since I’ve only seen a couple myself, I agree.
Zander is good at finding things for us to enjoy together.
We settle on the couch to watch the first one.