He drove on for a minute or two, eyes focused on the road, before he responded.
“Thank you, Tim.”
“I didn’t say that to make you feel better. I meant every word. Now, if you wanna help me, I’ve been craving a proper meal for a damn week, but I’m pretty sure whatever I have in my fridge has gone bad by now.”
“Grocery store it is, then!” he proclaimed, in a distinctly better mood, and drove us to a store relatively near to my apartment. That made me stop.
“Jack? I just realized that I never told you where I live. How did you know which direction to drive in?”
“Well, about that...” Suddenly, he looked a little guilty again. “Mom and Mia MAY be waiting for us at your place?”
He really ended that sentence like it was a question. I wasn’t sure if he was asking for permission or acceptance.
“Why?”
“Mom has something to talk with you about. Don’t ask me, she didn’t tell me.” he quickly prevented my obvious question from being asked. “But when Mia heard, she insisted on coming too, to ‘make sure you settle back in Okay’. I think she just wants to see your place. Dad would probably be there as well if he didn’t have to work.”
As he looked at me, trying to gauge my reaction, my first impulse was to ask them to leave as soon as we arrived. But, honestly, Nora and Mia were the two people outside my workplace that I’d deem most likely to actually care for me, given how I saved Mia’s life and witnessed Nora’s behavior after Aaron showed up in the hospital. The deciding factor, however, was how I felt two nights before. Sitting all alone in that sterile Hospital Room on New Year’s Eve sucked.
“Alright.” I nodded after reaching a conclusion. “Let’s finish up so they won’t wait too long.”
After that, we drove to my apartment building and, as threatened, were greeted by Nora and Mia, who looked a little worried about the way I groaned while moving, but accepted my assurance that I was okay.
Entering my apartment, Mia and Jack acted much like Ava had on her first visit, though they quickly found different things that held their interest. While Nora helped me put the groceries away and clean out my fridge, Jack inspected my TV-assembly, and Mia took a good look at the photo collage of Tess. So, I took that opportunity to speak with Nora.
“Jack tells me you have something to talk about?”
“Yes. It’s actually George’s idea, but I think you’ll like it.” she smiled. “Seeing as you are a little restricted for now, we thought it would help if we hired a housekeeper for you.”
“What for?” I had expected a lot of things, but not that.
“You can barely walk, Tim. Much less push a vacuum around. How do you plan on carrying around a basket full of wet clothes? And I won’t let you live on pizza for the six weeks it’s going to take your collarbone to heal, young man!”
I had to blink a few times after hearing all that. Not because of what she said, but because of how she said it. I know this probably sounds weird, but it sounded every bit like a mother scolding her child, and it made me grin.
It did not change my stance, though. I conceded that it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world if they saw me injured, but accepting their help and thereby admitting that I needed it ... that was still not going to happen. Also, there was no way in hell I would let a complete stranger rummage through my home under the pretense of cleaning.
“Okay, MOM.” I chuckled, and she raised an eyebrow at me. “I really appreciate it, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Right now, the only two things I really can’t do are tying my shoes, and driving. And the only reason I can’t drive is that my Jeep’s a manual. I’d have to reach over with my left to shift gears.”
“Are you sure?” she asked in a doubting tone.
“It’s not like I can’t move the arm at all. The hand works fine, so I can hold stuff” I didn’t point out that I couldn’t lift the arm, or move it in any way that required my chest muscles. She eyed the sling holding my arm critically, but ultimately nodded. “My vacuum barely weighs twenty pounds, so I can easily handle it one-handed. And if you look over there, you’ll notice the dryer is directly facing my washing machine, so no need to carry around wet clothes.”
“Still...” She sounded worried.
“Look, I promised Mia to call if I need anything. I have no desire to starve. So, if I notice that I was wrong, I will call you and take you up on your offer. How about that?”
She pondered my words for a moment, and then nodded.
“Fine. But I will talk with George about it. He is determined to help you out while you recover. I’m afraid it’s a question of principle with him, and I’m not inclined to talk him out of it. Which brings me to my next point.”
By now, Mia had joined us in the kitchen and was intently listening. Nora grabbed her purse, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to me. After I had unsuccessfully tried to open it, Mia took it from me with an exasperated eye roll, opening it for me.
“Physical Therapy?” I asked after studying the papers.
