afloat here. I understand that you want to help Mamie. I do too. But she has Alzheimer’s, Annie. The request she’s making isn’t logical. Now if you’ll just listen to me, I—”
“Whatever, Mom,” she cuts me off again. “You don’t care about anyone.”
She strides back into the kitchen, and I start to follow her, my hands clenched into fists as I struggle to control my temper. “Young lady, don’t you walk away from me in the middle of an argument!”
Just then, the door chime dings, and I spin around to see Gavin, dressed in faded jeans and a red flannel shirt. He meets my gaze and rakes a hand through his unruly brown curls, which I distractedly realize need to be cut.
“Um, am I interrupting something?” he asks. He glances at his watch. “Are you still open?”
I force a smile. “Of course, Gavin,” I say. “Come in. What can I do for you?”
He looks uncertain as he approaches the counter. “You sure?” he asks. “I can come back tomorrow if—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I’m sorry. Annie and I were just having a . . . talk.”
Gavin pauses and smiles at me. “My mom and I used to have lots of talks when I was Annie’s age,” he says in a low voice. “I’m sure my mom always enjoyed them.”
I laugh, despite myself. Just then, Annie emerges from the kitchen again. “I brought you coffee,” she announces to Gavin before I can say anything. “On the house,” she adds. She shoots a glance at me, as if daring me to challenge her. Little does she know that I haven’t charged him for anything since he completed his work on our cottage.
“Well, thank you, Annie. That’s generous,” Gavin says, taking the coffee from her. I watch as he closes his eyes and breathes in the aroma. “Boy, this smells great.”
I arch an eyebrow at him, because I suspect he knows as well as I do that the coffee’s been on the burner for approximately the last two hours and is anything but fresh.
“So, Mr. Keyes,” Annie begins. “You, like, help people and stuff, right?”
Gavin looks surprised. He clears his throat and nods. “Sure, Annie, I guess so.” He pauses and glances at me. “And you can call me Gavin, if you want. Um, do you mean I help people by being a handyman? By fixing things?”
“Whatever,” she says dismissively. “You help people because it’s the right thing to do, right?” Gavin shoots me another look, and I shrug. “So anyways,” Annie continues, “if something was lost, and it was really bothering someone, you’d probably want to help them find it, right?”
Gavin nods. “Sure, Annie,” he says slowly. “No one likes to lose things.” He shoots me another look.
“So, like, if someone asked you to help them find some of their relatives who they’d lost, you’d help them, wouldn’t you?” she asks.
“Annie,” I say in warning, but she isn’t paying any attention.
“Or would you, like, totally ignore them when they ask for your help?” she goes on. She looks at me pointedly.
Gavin clears his throat again and looks at me. I know he realizes he’s been dragged unwittingly into our fight, despite the fact that he has no idea what we’re arguing about. “Well, Annie,” hesays slowly, turning his gaze back to her, “I suppose I’d try to help find them. But it really depends on what the situation is.”
Annie turns to me with a triumphant look on her face. “See, Mom? Mr. Keyes cares, even if you don’t!” She whirls around and disappears back into the kitchen. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of a metal bowl slamming into the counter. I open them again to see Gavin looking at me with concern. Our eyes meet for a moment, and then we both turn to look as Annie reemerges from the back.
“Mom, all the dishes are clean,” she says, without looking at me. “I’m walking to Dad’s now. Okay?”
“Have a nice time,” I say flatly. She rolls her eyes, grabs her backpack, and strides out without looking back.
When I look up and
“Whatever, Mom,” she cuts me off again. “You don’t care about anyone.”
She strides back into the kitchen, and I start to follow her, my hands clenched into fists as I struggle to control my temper. “Young lady, don’t you walk away from me in the middle of an argument!”
Just then, the door chime dings, and I spin around to see Gavin, dressed in faded jeans and a red flannel shirt. He meets my gaze and rakes a hand through his unruly brown curls, which I distractedly realize need to be cut.
“Um, am I interrupting something?” he asks. He glances at his watch. “Are you still open?”
I force a smile. “Of course, Gavin,” I say. “Come in. What can I do for you?”
He looks uncertain as he approaches the counter. “You sure?” he asks. “I can come back tomorrow if—”
“No,” I cut him off. “I’m sorry. Annie and I were just having a . . . talk.”
Gavin pauses and smiles at me. “My mom and I used to have lots of talks when I was Annie’s age,” he says in a low voice. “I’m sure my mom always enjoyed them.”
I laugh, despite myself. Just then, Annie emerges from the kitchen again. “I brought you coffee,” she announces to Gavin before I can say anything. “On the house,” she adds. She shoots a glance at me, as if daring me to challenge her. Little does she know that I haven’t charged him for anything since he completed his work on our cottage.
“Well, thank you, Annie. That’s generous,” Gavin says, taking the coffee from her. I watch as he closes his eyes and breathes in the aroma. “Boy, this smells great.”
I arch an eyebrow at him, because I suspect he knows as well as I do that the coffee’s been on the burner for approximately the last two hours and is anything but fresh.
“So, Mr. Keyes,” Annie begins. “You, like, help people and stuff, right?”
Gavin looks surprised. He clears his throat and nods. “Sure, Annie, I guess so.” He pauses and glances at me. “And you can call me Gavin, if you want. Um, do you mean I help people by being a handyman? By fixing things?”
“Whatever,” she says dismissively. “You help people because it’s the right thing to do, right?” Gavin shoots me another look, and I shrug. “So anyways,” Annie continues, “if something was lost, and it was really bothering someone, you’d probably want to help them find it, right?”
Gavin nods. “Sure, Annie,” he says slowly. “No one likes to lose things.” He shoots me another look.
“So, like, if someone asked you to help them find some of their relatives who they’d lost, you’d help them, wouldn’t you?” she asks.
“Annie,” I say in warning, but she isn’t paying any attention.
“Or would you, like, totally ignore them when they ask for your help?” she goes on. She looks at me pointedly.
Gavin clears his throat again and looks at me. I know he realizes he’s been dragged unwittingly into our fight, despite the fact that he has no idea what we’re arguing about. “Well, Annie,” hesays slowly, turning his gaze back to her, “I suppose I’d try to help find them. But it really depends on what the situation is.”
Annie turns to me with a triumphant look on her face. “See, Mom? Mr. Keyes cares, even if you don’t!” She whirls around and disappears back into the kitchen. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of a metal bowl slamming into the counter. I open them again to see Gavin looking at me with concern. Our eyes meet for a moment, and then we both turn to look as Annie reemerges from the back.
“Mom, all the dishes are clean,” she says, without looking at me. “I’m walking to Dad’s now. Okay?”
“Have a nice time,” I say flatly. She rolls her eyes, grabs her backpack, and strides out without looking back.
When I look up and
Similar Books
