Chapter 6
Six
“Thank you so much for doing this,” Lauren said, climbing into the passenger seat.
Annie smiled at her. “It’s my pleasure. I’m sure when my car inevitably breaks down, you’ll get to return the favor.”
Lauren’s head flashed back in a cackling laugh. “You crack me up. Don’t say that. Don’t jinx your car into being like mine.”
Annie didn’t think it was that funny, but she appreciated the laugh. Lauren was like that. She smiled easily, laughed easily—she just seemed happy.
Did Annie seem happy? Was she happy?
Happiness was what everyone wanted, but so much of the time she felt overwhelmed and guilty and over-wrung, like a towel with every last drop squeezed out.
She didn’t want to be this way. How could she be more like Lauren? Lauren, with four children, was always laughing and had perfect hair and stylish clothes and was so, so kind.
Maybe it was experience. Her youngest was in the same class as Leon and Noel, which was where Annie had met her. She’d already raised three kids past this age. That had to count for something, right?
They’d done a few playdates at Lauren’s house. Leon loved her son, and Annie loved going over there.
Lauren’s older kids were sweet and polite.
Her eldest daughter always wanted to play with Noel, and she was so gentle and creative.
Lauren’s husband was sweet and attentive, insisting on making lunch and firing up the grill.
He was a real family man, the kind of guy Annie thought Roy would be once they had kids.
Instead, for whatever reason, Roy had cracked into pieces and ran off.
Annie shook her head and snapped herself out of it. She didn’t want to stoke any jealousy about her friend.
“Do they think they’ll have it fixed for good?” Annie asked.
This was the third time Annie had given Lauren a ride to pick up the car from the mechanic. It seemed whenever one issue was fixed, another cropped up.
Lauren waved a hand. “Who knows? Every time they promise me it will be the last visit. At what point do I stop putting money into this car?” She rolled her eyes. “We just can’t afford a new one right now.”
“I hear you on that.”
Annie wasn’t jealous of Lauren in a spiteful way. If anything, Annie admired her. Desperately admired her.
She wanted to be like her, more carefree, more even-tempered, more spontaneous. She wanted to be the fun mom.
“My parents offered to loan me one of their cars, but they don’t understand what irreversible damage four children will do to the interior,” Lauren said with a laugh.
“Perry’s parents only have the one car – you know, their minimalist lifestyle, which I totally get.
But wouldn’t it be nice if they had an extra minivan lying around? ”
Annie smiled. “Did you ever think you’d hear yourself saying those words?”
“Never!” Lauren leaned forward and turned up the dial on the radio. “I love this song!”
Annie hadn’t even noticed there was music. She was still thinking about how involved all four grandparents were in Lauren’s life. Every time Annie visited, there was at least one set of grandparents present, if not both.
That had to take a lot of the load off. To have people around, always available to make food or wipe faces or babysit.
Annie couldn’t even coordinate a time to get her hair cut. Her mom had been helping before her fall, but she felt guilty enough about that. Now, she had no one.
The haircut would have to wait. She’d considered taking scissors to the annoyingly long locks herself, but she knew she’d look deranged.
There was so much joy in Lauren’s house. Bickering, of course, but that was family. What kind of family would Noel and Leon end up with?
Her heart constricted in her chest. She had to remind herself that even if she had stayed with Roy, his plan was to keep an apartment on the mainland and use the island as his “home base.” There was no promise that he’d even be around…
Her mom would be back soon. She was days away from discharge. Margie promised she had a guy to help prepare the house for her arrival. Annie had no idea how she would pay him, but she would figure something out.
They arrived at the car shop and Annie pulled into the lot.
“Thanks so much, girl.” Lauren said, opening the door. “Do you want to come over with the twins next weekend? I’m going to do a little Halloween thing. Pumpkin painting, cookie decorating.”
“Sure! They’ll love it.”
Annie would love it too. It made her feel more normal to be around other families with kids, even if it meant falling behind on the never-ending dishes and laundry.
“Great. Just show up whenever on Saturday. I’ll see you later.”
“Good luck with the car!”
Lauren made a face and rolled her eyes.
Annie laughed to herself, then made the drive to daycare to pick up Noel and Leon.
They were both in chipper moods, having just gotten over a thankfully mild case of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Annie got the worst of it, starting with a wicked cold and now a cough that wouldn’t go away. At least her fingernails hadn’t fallen off again…
Yet.
This year was still better than the last, as far as illnesses went. During their first year of daycare, the twins were sick so severely and so often that Annie had felt like daycare was nothing more than a virus library – they’d go one day, then be home for a week with whatever they’d picked up.
“Aunt Margie is going to come over later,” she told them once she had them in their car seats.
Noel clapped her hands and Leon grinned, happily munching on cheese puffs.
When they got home, she set them up in the living room with toys and some fresh fruit. Though they wanted to come with her and tug at her legs, the baby gates kept them contained.
Annie had kept the gates between the living room and the rest of the house, but they’d have to go once her mom came home as to not cause another fall. It felt like the last thing she needed was two toddlers and all their toys underfoot…
A knock rang out at the front door. Annie rushed over and pulled it open to see Margie.
“Hello there!” Margie called out, waving at the twins.
They both looked up and smiled, then returned to fighting over a puzzle.
“Hi Margie,” Annie said, then looking past her, gasped.
Behind Margie stood a gorgeous, dark-haired firefighter – the firefighter from the dating ads. And the grocery store. And her dreams.
He was too handsome for this world, a brooding, smoldering-eyed hunk of a man cut from muscle and fire.
Despite herself, she blurted out, “It’s you.”
“Excuse me?” His brow furrowed.
“I’m so sorry, I’ve seen you before. On the ferry. On an ad on the ferry,” she said slowly.
A polite smile formed on his face. Or maybe it was a pained smile. “That was my daughter’s doing. We are no longer accepting applications.”
Margie laughed. “I dare say you were never accepting applications.”
“No, I was not.”
“Annie, this is Miles Coleman. Miles, this is Annie Thompson, Clara’s daughter.”
“Hello,” he said with a nod.
“Hi.” Annie swallowed. He clearly was not amused by her, and though she recognized him, he clearly didn’t recognize her. She wasn’t going to remind him about the grocery store cookie incident.
“I thought it was quite genius,” Margie said, stooping down to plant a kiss on top of Leon’s head, then Noel’s. “I admire her entrepreneurial spirit.”
Miles shook his head. “I’d prefer you didn’t tell her that.”
Margie laughed, completely nonplussed by his annoyance. “That was what I wanted to talk to you about, Annie. Miles’ daughter, Bella, is starting a babysitters club.”
“How nice,” Annie said, hiding her face by picking up toys as the redness dissipated. “If she needs any guinea pigs, we’re available.”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say. Bella and Miles live just down the street, and Bella approached me because although she wants to start this babysitter’s club, she doesn’t have any experience with children. I think she feels a little insecure about it.”
“That’s so sweet,” Annie said. “I loved babysitting when I was a kid.”
“Would you be willing to take her on as a mother’s helper, perhaps, to teach her some of the basics?”
Annie’s chest filled with air and a smile forced its way onto her face. “I would love that. It would be my honor.”
Margie clapped her hands together. “Wonderful. I’ll tell her to come over while Miles starts on some of the work. Do you have a list of what needs to be done?”
“I do,” Annie said, reaching into her pocket. “This is what my mom’s physical therapist recommended. It’s a lot. Maybe we can just do the basics.”
Miles accepted the list, his eyes scanning.
Margie went on. “I brought dinner. Another baked ziti! It’s enough for everyone.”
“It’s one of the twins’ favorites.” Annie smiled and glanced at Miles. He was carefully looking over her list, brow furrowed. Or he was ignoring her.
“You need a handrail for outside?” Miles asked, looking up at her.
“Yes,” she said.
He didn’t seem annoyed, just serious. Maybe she’d misread him. She’d be sure not to do anything else annoying.
“I’m not sure which one to buy or how much it’ll cost,” she added.
He waved a hand. “We’ve got a fund for that sort of thing at the fire station.”
“Really?” Annie felt a weight off her chest. “I’m happy to pay you for your time, too.”
Miles shook his head. “No need. Consider me an extension of the fire department. We’re happy to help the community.”
Annie smiled. “Thank you. I really, really appreciate it.”
Now wasn’t that something? She didn’t have four grandparents, but she had Margie. And she was part of this community.
Helping Bella start her babysitters club would be something, too. She could finally feel like she was contributing instead of taking.
Annie took the pan from Margie’s hands. “I’ll get this into the oven.”
“Then you can show me some of these other areas that need changes,” Miles said.
“Sure.”
Margie was already down on the floor playing with the twins.
Annie took a breath. It was going to be okay. Her mom would come home, and the house would be safe for her. They wouldn’t have to move out.
Then she could try her hand at being a happy mom, too.