Chapter 2
Chapter Two
R iley’s doorbell rang again.
She groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head. Didn’t everyone know not to bother her on Saturdays? It was the one day a week she got to sleep in!
Ring, ring, ring.
“I don’t care who it is,” she grumbled, finally stumbling out of bed. “I’m going to demand they cook me breakfast.” She glanced at the clock, groaning again when she realized it was only eight o’clock. Someone was really taking their life into their hands right now.
The doorbell rang two more times before she managed to jerk open the front door. “What the…Aspen! Oof!” Riley stumbled back when Aspen’s almost six month old threw himself into Riley’s arms. “Gee whiz. Baby Tony…you’re turning into a chunka-munk!” She nuzzled the toddler’s neck, blowing raspberries and delighting in his giggles.
When he grabbed her hair, however, Riley pulled back. Her long, blonde hair was the perfect toy for the active child, and Riley knew all too well how it felt to have him give it a good tug.
“Shoot. Let me grab a rubber band.” She handed Baby Tony back to Aspen and rushed down the hallway, listening to Aspen chatter with her son the whole time. By the time Riley got back and had her hair tied up safely, Aspen had a spread of food on the counter and the baby was laying on the floor chewing on plastic keys. “What’s all this?”
“Can’t I bring my best friend breakfast on a Saturday morning?” Aspen asked with wide, innocent eyes.
Riley narrowed her own. “Uh, huh. I’ve known you since elementary school, Aspen. You want something.”
Aspen shook her head. “Nope. Not asking a thing.” She patted the counter. “Come on, while it’s still hot.”
“Aspen…” Riley warned.
Aspen threw up her hands. “Seriously, Riley. I’m just here because it’s been forever since we’ve spent time together. Between the shop and Baby Tony, I never have a girl day anymore, so I brought one to you.”
Riley forced her shoulders to relax. “Alright. I’m sorry I jumped the gun.” She smiled and walked over, throwing her arms around Aspen. “Thanks. I’ve missed our girl nights as well.” She turned to look over the table. “How the heck did you carry all this in while holding that two-ton weight?” She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder toward the gurgling baby.
Aspen fake punched Riley in the shoulder. “Watch it. That two-ton weight is gonna eat you for breakfast when he’s a teenager.”
“Maybe by then he won’t be so obsessed with my hair,” Riley shot back.
Aspen chuckled. “Yeah…hair is easy to reach.” She indicated her own wadded up bun. “I’ve been sporting this same hairdo for three months now. I think people are starting to wonder if I ever wash it.”
“Do you?” Riley teased.
“Only when I’m bringing breakfast to incredibly beautiful, single best friends.” Aspen’s smile was too wide to be genuine.
Riley froze, then slowly shook her head. “No. No way, Aspen. We’ve been over this. ”
“What? I just gave you a wonderful compliment.” Aspen sniffed. “I actually showered before I came.”
“I’m not stupid,” Riley threw back. “I heard exactly what you said, and the answer is no.”
“Ah, come on,” Aspen whined. “This guy’s a total hottie! You’d be a match made in heaven.”
Riley shook her head harder. Sometimes it was rough being the last of their friend group who was still single, but being single was still preferred to being set up on a date with a stranger…especially when Riley already knew her heart was engaged elsewhere.
Not that Aspen or anyone else knew, or needed to know, that particular piece of information.
“Riley,” Aspen whined. “You need more than dogs in your life.”
Riley folded her arms over her chest. “I have cats and birds and even the occasional ferret, thank you very much.”
Aspen slapped her hand down on the countertop. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Riley raised her eyebrows. “Do I? Do I really?”
Aspen’s brows lowered as she scowled. “Sometimes, I think I’d be best to set you up with Tony. You’re both as stubborn as mules.”
Riley rolled her eyes to hide the jump in her pulse. “I’m hungry. How about you?” She grabbed plates out of the cupboard and handed one to a still scowling Aspen, then began to dish up. “Wow. You really wanted me to say yes.” Riley grinned. “Eggs, potatoes, sausage aaaaaand”—Riley opened the last container—“cake! Of course!”
“You haven’t even heard his name.”
Riley continued to load up her plate, then stuffed a bite of sausage into her mouth. “Mmm! Thanks for bringing this by.” Walking over and plopping on the ground near Baby Tony, Riley watched him munch on the toy, drooling all over his neck and the blanket beneath. “So…girls morning, huh? What shall we talk about?”
“Boys,” Aspen shot back with a smirk.
Riley pointed her fork at Tony. “There are sensitive ears around. Better be careful. ”
This time it was Aspen’s eyes that rolled. “Good grief,” she grumbled, beginning to load up her own plate. “You’re a mess.”
“No. That would be Baby Tony. He’s drooling so much I think we could fill a kiddie pool.” Riley frowned. “Seriously. That can’t be healthy. Isn’t he going to become dehydrated?”
Aspen laughed. “There’s plenty more where that came from. Trust me.” She groaned while sitting down next to Riley. “He’s teething. The water works never stop.”
Riley nodded and shrugged. “If you say so.” They ate in silence for a few moments before Aspen piped up.
“Speaking of things that never stop. Have you heard the latest Harrison drama?”
Riley gave Aspen the side eye. “Do I want to?”
Aspen shrugged. “Antony has decided to move out.”
Riley choked. Coughing until her eyes were watering enough to blind her, she dropped her plate on the floor and jumped to her feet to grab a glass of water. It took several minutes to get herself under control enough to speak. “He what?” she finally wheezed.
Aspen’s eyes were wide. “Uh…he’s moving out?”
Riley’s eyebrows nearly reached her hairline. “How can he do that? Do we even have anywhere he can stay in the city that’s handicap accessible?”
Aspen shrugged. “It’ll take some looking, I’m sure, but by law, don’t there have to be some places like that?”
Riley shook her head. “No idea. It just seems…I don’t know. It’s not something I’ve ever looked into before, I guess.”
Aspen nodded while she chewed. “I know. I’m worried about him.”
Coming back over to her messy plate, Riley sat down and tried to take another bite, but her appetite was gone. “We’ve all been worried about him for ages.”
“Yeah, but now there’ll be no one to check on him, you know?” Aspen poked at her own food. “He can hide in an apartment for weeks, sick with depression and angry at the world, and no one will know.”
Riley pinched her lips, squishing them from one side to the other, her mind working through a scheme. She’s trained Griffin for this exact moment, but…
“I guess we’ll just have to take turns,” Aspen said with a sigh, setting her plate to the side. “He’s got enough family in town that we can just keep hounding him until he gets a job and gets a life.”
“Give him a little break,” Riley said softly. “Things haven’t been easy.”
Aspen nodded. “I know.” She turned to Riley. “But they haven’t been easy on the rest of us either.”
“True,” Riley agreed. “But you went back to baking cakes after your father died. Antony can’t go back to his job.”
Aspen huffed but didn’t respond for several long moments. “I know.”
Riley leaned over, hugging her friend again. “We’ll check on him together. He doesn’t just have family here, he has friends. No matter how grumpy he is, we’ll just keep doing what we can do.”
“And this is why we all love you,” Aspen said softly, leaning her head on Riley’s shoulder. “If only all of us had a Riley in our lives.”
“Wheelchair,” Antony enunciated more clearly. “I’m wondering if there’s room for a wheelchair to make it through the apartment.” He paused to listen. “It’s on the third floor? Is there an elevator?” Antony closed his eyes and prayed for patience. “Right. I see. Thanks, anyway.”
Dropping his phone in his lap, he growled low and slumped in the chair.
“Any luck?” his mother asked, walking through the family room with a basket of laundry on her hip .
Antony straightened and opened his mouth, but gave up and slumped back.
She gave him an encouraging smile. “Don’t give up. There has to be something.”
Antony didn’t want to say that if he had a job, he could afford a small house, which was more likely to be helpful than an apartment, but it was true. If he was hirable, he could actually manage to live somewhere decent. As it was, he had no idea who would hire a cripple like himself, and that left him needing a place that was low on the financial scale. He’d never been a big spender, so his bank account wasn’t destitute, but with an unknown future ahead…Antony knew it was best to be careful.
The pickings were proving to be depressingly low.
“Right.” Antony nodded while his mother continued through the room and disappeared into her bedroom. “Right.” He huffed and looked down at his list. It was pathetically small, and he was already halfway through it.
“Remember…” his mother said, appearing again. “There’s no hurry. If we can’t find something, we’ll wait until we do.” Her head disappeared again.
Antony knew she was happy to have him there, but she’d been right to kick him out. He couldn’t kick his own backside, and his mother was the only one available to do so. Ever since he and his mother had discussed it the first time, something had begun to burn in Antony’s chest.
He didn’t just want to get out, he needed to. He needed to feel like he could take care of himself. He needed to try and reclaim his life, even if he had no idea how he was going to do it.
This was a perfect scenario for the cliche, “jump in the deep end.” There was a tiny voice in the back of Antony’s head that said if he didn’t get out now…he’d never do it.
Taking a deep breath, he picked his phone back up. He had failed at so many things in the last couple of years. Surely, finding an apartment didn’t need to be added to the list.
A half hour later, he couldn’t stop smiling. “Mom! Mom!”
She poked her head out of her bedroom door. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, but...” That stupid smile was still hanging around. “I…I think I found something.”
His mother came out of her room, an eager look on her face. “You did?”
He nodded, feeling like a bobble head. “Yeah. It’s on the other side of town, but it’s a basement apartment with an outside ramp. But, hey.” He shrugged. “Beggars can’t be choosers, right?”
Her brows pulled together slightly, but she nodded. “Of course. You…you want to go look at it?”
Antony grabbed his crutch and pushed himself up from the chair. “Yeah. They said I could come now.” Hobbling toward the door, he grabbed for the hanging keys.
“Do you want me to go with you?” his mother asked, her voice soft.
Antony’s gut clenched. He loved his mother. He really did. He didn’t want to hurt her and he didn’t want to shut her out, but the craving for independence wouldn’t let go of him. Spinning, he forced a tight smile, much less genuine than the weird, goofy thing that had been plastered on his face only a few moments ago. “I, uh, think I got it, Mom.” He pushed the smile wider. “If it works out, then I’ll have a housewarming party, huh? You can help me cook things that won’t poison my guests.”
Everything in him relaxed when she smiled and laughed softly. “I can just imagine your face during that party,” she teased. “It won’t look anything like the fake smile you’re pushing right now.”
Antony relaxed, chuckling darkly and pushing a hand through his long hair. “Yeah, well…I think we both know I’m not much of a socialite these days.”
“It would be good for you, though.” His mother pursed her lips. “Better go before I make you promise about the party. Then you’ll really be stuck because Aspen will make sure it happens come what may. ”
“And I’m out!” Antony waved the keys through the air and headed for the garage, his crutches clumping with each step. He didn’t use his crutches often, since the skin on his arm and hand was still sensitive, but he wouldn’t be able to take the wheelchair and navigate it all alone.
Someday, he’d have to look into getting all the equipment he needed, but Antony was still struggling to accept this was his new life. He wasn’t ready to put hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovating his life as if he’d never get any better than he was now.
Grunting with the effort, Antony worked himself into the car, nearly throwing the crutch through the side window before all was said and done.
Throwing the car into reverse, he backed out of the driveway, feeling awkward as he drove with his left foot reaching over. It probably wasn’t the safest option, but it was the only one he had.
To make up for the fact that he was skewing the rules, Antony made sure to drive slightly slower than the speed limit, though the pace grated on his nerves.
It took a full fifteen minutes to get to the house, and he frowned slightly when he saw it. The owners, an elderly couple, had built a basement apartment for their parents many years ago. It had an outdoor entrance with a ramp, which was supposed to make it easier for them to access, but they’d warned Antony the apartment hadn’t been used in many years.
The house itself was neat but old. It needed new paint and a new roof, but the grass was cut and the landscaping was under control.
“It’ll be fine,” he whispered to himself. That tiny spark of independence flickered. Considering the size of the house, the apartment was going to be tight. Would he really be able to navigate his wheelchair in it? Was it better to just stay with his mom until he had a job?
So many questions were churning through his mind, but Antony clenched his jaw and began the arduous task of working himself out of the car. He was breathing heavily by the time he was standing on his crutch, and the skin on his hand was blazing hot with pain .
Grinding his teeth, Antony hobbled up to the front door using awkward hops up the steps and forcing himself to knock softly on the door. He worked on getting his breathing under control while he waited for someone to answer, wiping at the sweat on his forehead.
“I really need to start working out again,” he grumbled. Physical therapy had helped, but it had ended ages ago and Antony had lost a lot of weight since coming home. Exercise had once been a source of meditation for him, now it only brought bad memories of a life he’d never see again.
“Hello?” a shaky, elderly voice came through the cracked door.
“Hello,” Antony said with a forced smile. “I’m Antony Harrison. We spoke on the phone a few minutes ago? About your basement apartment?”
“Oh.” The door shut again, followed by the sound of a chain being moved, and then the woman appeared. All five-foot-two of her stepped through the door and eyed Antony up and down. “I can see why you asked about it,” she stated, though her words held no bite.
Antony’s smile stiffened even more, and he held his tongue.
Huffing, the woman reached in the house, grabbed a set of keys and started down the steps. “It’s bound to be dirty,” she declared over her shoulder as she walked him to the fence. “But after a good scrubbing, you shouldn’t have any troubles.”
Antony closed the gate behind him and saw the entrance she’d spoken of. The ramp was going to be slightly tight for his wheelchair, but it might work. “You’re sure the inside is big enough for a wheelchair?” he asked as he carefully made his way down to the basement level.
“Unless you’re bringing a car inside, it’ll be fine.” She huffed again, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. “It’s not fancy,” she warned. “But it’s sturdy.” Turning, she stared him down again before offering the key. “Lock up behind you and come talk to me when you’re done. That way we’ll know where we stand.”
Antony’s hands were shaking when he took the offering. “Thank you,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll be up soon.”
The woman nodded and made her way past him as she shuffled up the ramp.
It was dark inside, and even from here, he could smell the musty air of a place that hadn’t been open in too long. Swallowing hard, he took one step, then another and another, pausing just before he crossed the threshold. His heart was hammering against his chest, but that tiny flame was still alive and begging to be stoked into a fire.
Pulling on that bit of heat, Antony nodded firmly to himself. “Man up, Harrison,” he scolded. “It’s time.”