Chapter 20
Derek dressed nervously on his first day alone in his new office. He used the crossbody strap of his briefcase and pulled the diaper bag over his shoulder before scooping Ivy up and holding Leo’s hand as they crossed the lawn to his mother’s house. “You be good for Grandma, okay,” he told the little boy. “I’ll be home in time to make dinner.” Leo nodded. Derek kissed his mother on the cheek and then turned to his children. “Have fun, okay?” There were hugs and kisses all around and then the kids waved goodbye to their father. The butterflies in Derek’s stomach were receding. He could do this.
The front door of the old red brick Ontario farmhouse was finicky, Derek remembered when it didn’t open on his first try. Mr. Graham had warned him he’d have to jiggle the key. Mission accomplished, Derek opened the door to his new life. He walked into a reception room full of legal books, that had seen better days. The floors could use refinishing he thought, but the bones of the place were great. Maybe he’d bring in some of the furniture he’d put in storage to freshen it up. Off to the left was his paralegal’s desk. Janet was in her mid-fifties, and he was glad she’d agreed to stay on for continuity. Behind her desk were two doors. One served as the firm’s current file room, and the other as a small kitchen. To the left, stairs led to upstairs rooms where they stored historical files. To the right, another door led to his office. Derek put his lunch in the fridge and then put his briefcase down on the old desk in his office. He’d spent the last week going over files with Janet and Mr. Graham but today was his first day solo. Maybe it wasn’t the kind of law he’d planned to practice, but it would be good for his family. And that made it the right law for him. At least for now.
The outside door opened, startling Derek out of his thoughts. “Mr. Blake? You’re here already! I’m so sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. I wanted to have coffee ready. Such that it is.”
Janet’s nerves were showing, he thought, and he wanted her to feel at ease. “Thanks, but I can assure you that coffee at Legal Aid is dreadful. Yours is a step up.” When the gurgling from the machine stopped, Janet brought him a cup, and he flashed her a sincere smile. He took a sip. “This is great. Now what do we have today?” The pair got down to business.
Derek’s phone buzzed just before noon and he put down the file he’d been reading.
Hey! Hope your first day is going well.
So far so good. Good coffee, great assistant, I had breakfast with my kids and I’ll be home for dinner. Nothing to complain about! What about you? How was your day?
Sad one. We were at an orphanage in Idlib. So many kids whose parents have been killed in the war. It’s heartbreaking. Give your two a hug and a kiss for me when you get home.
Will do. Be safe.
* * *
It tookDerek some time get used to the slower pace of small-town lawyering. Janet encouraged him to take his lunch hour every day and once he realized that meant he could pop in and check on the children, he was ecstatic. And when five o’clock rolled around, the day was done. He and Janet turned off the lights, locked the door, and Derek was home within ten minutes, ready to give Ivy and Leo hugs, and make dinner.
Today, though, was Thursday, and somewhere along the way, Thursday had started to mean dinner at Anna and Danny’s. Kirsten was often there too, and between the two women, and two newly teenaged girls, Ivy and Leo were well occupied. This left the guys with lots of time to get to know each other better and they could often be found after dinner in the basement, shooting pool.
“Curling season’s starting soon,” Danny mentioned, as he lined up his cue and then successfully knocked the ball into the side pocket.
“Nice shot. Curling?”
“We’ve got a good rec league in town,” Danny said. “Wondered if you’d like to join us. I can put in a good word.”
“Thanks, but I’m sure I won’t have time, with the kids and the business.”
Danny put down his pool cue and said authoritatively. “You’re back at Silver Lake now. You’ll have the time. And if your mother can’t watch the kids, Emma or Gabby will babysit. It’s time you started getting out a bit.”
“Okay, okay!” Derek knew when he was beat, and meeting some new people did sound good. As it turned out, the same group of guys played basketball in the warmer months, which reminded him of the pickup games he and Aiden had played.
Derek and Danny met often for coffee in the early months, finalizing the renovations Derek wanted to make to his mother’s house. They were significant and would turn the tiny old two-bedroom cottage into a four-bedroom lake home with modern efficiencies. Derek wanted his mum to have some of the luxuries she deserved after raising him alone. She’d have to move into Linney’s house for some of the renovations, but it would be worth it in the end.
Derek and Linney texted constantly and called each other often as he got used to his new life in Silver Lake. After they adjusted to the change, the children settled in and the community rallied around Derek the way he had known it would. Aiden called from time to time, and he kept making the noises about coming to visit, but it hadn’t happened yet.
Small-town law turned out not to be so bad. It was certainly varied. Wills, real estate, and the occasional prenup for sure, but Derek also saw some clients in conflicts with neighbours, fighting police charges, or sad cases where proud people facing bankruptcy needed help staying in their homes—not so different from his work in Toronto. Derek realized he could find satisfaction in making a difference in Silver Lake lives.
It afforded him some luxuries too. When Ivy got an ear infection, Derek could leave the office in Janet’s hands and take her to the doctor. When Leo cut his head falling down the stairs and his mother called in a panic, Derek rushed home, scooped up his bleeding son and took him to the emergency room. Kirsten was working that day, and when she saw a crying Leo in Derek’s arms with bloody cloth pressed his forehead, she rushed over.
“We’ll get you triaged quickly,” she said, “but let me take a quick look now.” Fortunately, it wasn’t deep, and she said she thought a few stitches would take care of it. Derek was incredibly relieved to know she was there. He would never have gotten that kind of personalized service in the city.
* * *
Derek knewhis mother loved having him and the kids close. And she was just as happy when she moved next door while the renovations were going on. They’d just celebrated Leo’s fourth birthday and Ivy was close to two.
“You take the little ones out before it gets dark,” she told him after dinner. “I’ll clean up the dishes.”
“Are you sure, Mum?” he asked. “I could help and then we could all go together.”
“No, you go. Take them down to the lake.”
“As long as you’re sure.” He grabbed a light windbreaker. Together, they went down to the shoreline to look at the rocks. Leo loved throwing them into the lake and Ivy laughed and clapped her little hands when they made a splash. It wasn’t exactly skipping stones, but it was a start.
After their walk, Derek read bedtime stories and doled out kisses before coming down into the kitchen to make some tea for his mother and himself. He had an hour or two of work to do and his mother would likely watch television.
“Just another few weeks, Danny tells me,” he said to his mum, who was looking across the lawn to her house.
“I hardly recognize it,” she said, somewhat sadly. “All those memories.”
Derek put an arm around her shoulder. “We’ll build more memories, Mum,” he assured her. “There’s room for all of us, and room to grow.”
“You’re a good boy,” she said. “Thank you for bringing my children home.”
“Your grandchildren!” he corrected.
His mother’s hands flew to her face. “Oh my, I can’t believe I said that.”
They both laughed and then went on with their evenings.
* * *
Finally the daycame when the house was finished. Derek’s mother watched the children while Derek and Danny moved furniture across the yard and removed dust covers from things that had stayed during the renovations.
“I know I keep saying this, but this is amazing,” Derek told Danny. “Your team did great work here. He ran his hand over the counter in a kitchen that his mother was going to love.” “I can’t thank you enough.”
“Write me a good review,” Danny said. “That, and your cheque are thanks enough.” He pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “Anna’s on her way with some lunch. We should be ready to give your mum the grand tour by midafternoon if we make it a quick one.”
Derek felt a small twinge when Anna arrived and gave Danny a kiss. It had been a long time since he’d had that in his life and he envied their easy relationship.
“Is it okay if I set this up in Linney’s kitchen?” she asked and Derek nodded. “Come on over in about ten minutes.”
Anna pushed the door open. “Hello, Mrs. Blake.” Seeing confusion on Derek’s mother’s face, she added, “It’s Anna. Derek’s friend. I brought lunch for everyone.”
The confusion cleared. “Oh, that’s so kind of you, dear.”
Anna set up the crock pot of chili on the counter and looked into the cupboard for a bowl to put the rolls in. With her height, reaching the top shelf was easy. When that was done, she joined the kids on the floor.
“Hi, Leo. Hi, Ivy. Are you doing puzzles?” The children nodded earnestly. “Your daddy and Uncle Danny are coming in soon for lunch. Shall we get you cleaned up?”
They scrambled up and Anna took them to the powder room to wash their hands. Derek and Danny came in and Derek kissed his mother. “Where are the kids?”
“Linney took them to get washed up,” she said. “She brought lunch.”
Derek was taken aback. “You mean Anna.”
“What? Oh yes, Anna. She told me her name. What a nice lady.”
Derek and Danny exchanged a look, but the kids ran into the kitchen and the incident was forgotten.
* * *
They’d beenin the new house for a month and everyone had settled in when Aiden finally made it to Silver Lake. After introductions, Derek gave him the grand tour. The light and airy upstairs bedrooms for the kids, and the more masculine one for him. There was a big family bathroom and a space for the kids’ toys. On the main floor, the great room had huge windows to the lake. It was open to a big kitchen and the whole space had wide hickory plank floors. Derek’s mother had a main floor bedroom with its own sitting room and with an eye to the future, an accessible ensuite. A small office had a Murphy bed which Derek pulled down for his old friend’s visit
“You’ve got a great place here,” Aiden said. “The location was beautiful before, but with this house—wow!”
“Thanks. You’ll meet the builder tonight. But first, Mum has made us dinner.”
They sat down to a simple meal of chicken, scalloped potatoes, and glazed carrots.
“You spoil me, Mrs. Blake,” said Aiden appreciatively. “I have to rely on my own cooking, and I can promise you I don’t eat this well.”
Derek’s mother blushed. “Have another piece of pie,” she suggested, to which Aiden was happy to agree.
Ivy was shy with their visitor, not willing to make eye contact with him, but Leo asked Aiden questions about his shiny red sports car—he was car obsessed these days—which Aiden answered patiently until it was time for them to leave.
They met Danny, who was waiting at the local bar. Danny put his hand out immediately.
“Aiden. I remember you from the wedding.” Danny winced and glanced at Derek. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.
“Good to see you again. I remember you too. Your wife, and another woman—shorter, brunette.” He searched his memory. “They were always with Linney.”
Danny nodded. Kirsten. She and Anna have been tight with Linney since grade school. I was a few years ahead of them. And Derek too. Beer?” He pointed to the bottles on the table. He’d ordered for all of them.
“Thanks.” Aiden took a drink from the bottle. “Great job on the house, by the way. It’s perfect for him.” He nodded his head toward Derek.
Aiden and Danny had a second beer, as they traded stories about Derek, all in good fun.
“I’m sure he’ll show you his office tomorrow,” Danny said to Aiden, when Derek went to the bar to pay for their beers. “Being a former big shot Toronto lawyer and all that! But honestly, he’s really well respected in Silver Lake and people have nothing but good things to say about him. It’s a good fit—for him and his kids. I hope you’re not here to convince him to go back.”
Aiden took a last swig of beer. “I won’t lie. I miss having him around. But I can tell this is way better for him. He wasn’t coping in the city. But here? It seems to really suit him and he’s got a whole community looking out for him.”
Derek returned to the table. “All ready to go?” he asked his friends, and they headed out. The house was dark when they returned, and when Derek opened the door, he found his mother standing in the kitchen in her nightgown.
“Mum? Everything alright?” he asked with concern.
She looked at him blankly and then shook her head as if returning from a dream. “Derek. This house is just so big now that sometimes I forget where I am.”
“That was a little odd, don’t you think?” Aiden said, after Derek walked his mother back to her suite.
“You’re overreacting. Mum is over seventy now, and I completely changed her house around. She’s bound to be a little confused from time to time.”
“If you’re sure. Now show me where I’m sleeping. I can’t wait to see your laid-back office tomorrow!”