Chapter 8
Kerrie tugged her belted slacks up after sitting the lamps down in Bette's office. Luke pointed to the artificial tree in a brown wicker basket with fake green moss surrounding it. "I'll never understand why women like things like this. It's a fake-ass tree."
"Don't look at me. I have no idea. I'm not exactly the most feminine."
Luke snorted. "No way. Not you, Ms. K. You're practically Barbie."
Kerrie rolled her eyes, smirking. "Right. Come on, let's see what else she wants moved."
Luke followed her out the office door. "You're warming up to her, aren't you?"
"I'm being a professional. She's my coworker," countered Kerrie a little too quickly.
"Right," drawled Luke, but he said no more as they descended the basement stairs.
When Kerrie stepped into the storage room, she didn't see Bette at first, then she caught movement in the back. Her mouth parted in surprise. "How did you get back there?"
"I'm not really sure, but I think I'm stuck," a reluctant reply came from Bette. "The chairs fell when I got in here, and now I can't move back or turn around."
Kerrie shook her head with a chuckle. The chairs in question were blocking a small hole in the stacks of office gear. It would have been a tight squeeze for Bette and an impossible one for Kerrie and her bigger belly. She began to carefully lift the chairs out of the way and back to Luke. "What are you doing back there anyway?"
"I saw a picture I wanted, and now I think there's something else I'd like."
***
Kerrie couldn't believe Bette, a woman she knew nothing about, had her huffing and puffing on a Thursday afternoon, hauling a huge desk up basement stairs, but there she was doing just that. Her back ached in protest as she held the bulk of the heavy wooden desk while Luke guided her from the top.
"A little to your left, Ms. K."
She did as instructed, groaning a little as she was now holding the desk at a near vertical angle. "You couldn't have picked a lighter one?"
"I think this one is nice, don't you?" replied Bette from behind her.
"Nice and heavy," muttered Kerrie as they finally breached the door at the top of the stairs; Kerrie was straining to keep her hold. Her palms were sweaty, slipping on the smooth surface.
They navigated the piece of furniture up the small set of stairs at the front landing, it growing heavier by the minute. It felt like an eternity before they finally set it down in the middle of Bette's office.
"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" beamed Bette, amusement sparking in her eyes as she looked at the pair of makeshift movers.
"Right, easy-peasy," huffed Luke as he leaned against the desk, wheezing lightly because of years of heavy smoking.
"It wasn't that bad. And the old one you've got to take back downstairs won't be nearly as heavy."
Bette's words were met with a chorus of groans.
***
Kerrie shut the engine of her pickup off, feeling not only exhausted but a mix of happiness and something akin to sadness. Her home was once a place of joy, a safe haven. But now, it just felt like a new job. It wasn't necessarily Kenny. He wasn't a burden. But they had gotten into a stale routine that gave little stimulation. They used to go out, have dinner, or take in a movie. Sometimes, Kenny would accompany her to The Church on Fridays when it was a more laid-back day. She was terrified to take him out now. After the heart attack, he just felt fragile. A piece of irreplaceable glass that she held with sweaty hands.
The curtains on the back door shifted, and Kenny's pointy nose pressed against the glass to get a better view of her. She was happy that he was up and moving around .
As she made her way to the back door and her waiting brother, the door to the basement opened. Seth's head popped out. He was young, around 23 years old, tall with thick black hair, and always had a grimace in place, even when he smiled. It was an odd look, but Kerrie was used to it.
"Hey, Seth, how's it going?" She greeted him.
"Not bad, Kerrie, not bad. I was hoping I would catch you. I know it's a bit last minute, but I'm going to be moving out over the weekend."
Kerrie's heart plummeted. "What? Why?"
He shrugged, and the permanent grimace deepened. "I lost my job last week, and I don't really have savings. My mom's letting me move back home until I can find something and save a little. If I stay past Friday night, then I'll have to pay another month."
Sucking in a breath, Kerrie rubbed the back of her head, nodding. "I get that. I hate to lose you, though. Kenny, too."
"Shit, yeah, I'm going to miss him, too. Mind if I come by and visit him?" he asked with hope in his voice.
"Yeah, of course. You know you're always welcome."
An awkward silence descended on them. Seth scuffed his shoe into the gravel beneath them with his hands jammed in the pockets of his jeans. Kerrie's small amount of joy she'd pulled into the driveway with was extinguishing quickly.
Sighing, Kerrie motioned to the door where Kenny was still hovering. "Well, I need to get in there before Kenny wears a spot in the glass. If you need any help moving, just let me know."
"Yeah, sure. I may see if I can borrow your truck if I can't get my buddy's."
"Sounds good. Just let me know."