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“I thought I’d stay through the work on the house, and that would give us weeks or maybe months. Then, I happen to find the only contractor in the world who not only sticks to a schedule but makes the process easy and, somehow, is going to be done much sooner than I’d planned. Part of me is very happy about that, but the other part was kind of hoping for delays because that meant I’d stay longer.”

“What happens then? When she’s done with the work?” Bridgette asked her.

“I think Mel and I need to talk about that first, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Bridgette replied.

“But I’ve never had with anyone what I have with her already. She’s special, and I have no intention of hurting her. I hope that’s good enough for now,” Kyle offered.

“I guess it has to be,” Bridgette said. “She deserves the best, Kyle.Imay be unlucky in love, but I don’t wantherto be.”

Kyle thought about those two words;in love. Was she in love? She’d said those words to two other women in her life, but after things had ended between them, she’d often wondered if she’d actually felt them. She hadn’t said themto Melinda yet, for obvious reasons, but everything was so different with her. Kyle was happy. She felt like she was finally out from under her mother’s thumb. Well, almost, anyway. When her mom had been back home, Kyle knew that if she’d called or texted and asked Kyle to stop by to do something for her, she couldn’t. She wasn’t there. She was off living her life in New Orleans, meeting a beautiful, amazing woman, and falling in love.

“You just realized it, didn’t you?” Bridgette chuckled. “Yeah, it’s all over your face.” She pointed at Kyle.

???

“So, if I wanted to add a fountain or something back here one day, how would that work?” Kyle asked Myra.

“You pick out what you want and just need the plumbing hooked up, but it’s not that difficult. The only thing I’d say is to be careful with water.”

“Mold?”

“No. If you’re renting the house, it’s just another liability. If you had a pool back here, I’d tell you the same thing. Some family with toddlers rents the house for the week, and they don’t watch little Timmy closely enough; that kind of stuff. Even fountains can be dangerous. Besides, it wouldn’t add anything to the value of the house. Purely decorative. So, it’s up to you, but I’d recommend a small fence around it with a sign just to protect you.”

Kyle nodded as she stared out at the yard. When Myra left the kitchen and likely went back to her crew, Kyle continued to stare. She’d pictured a small fountain in the back corner, but she didn’t want anyone to get hurt or risk getting sued if that happened. In her mind, though, when thinking of the fountain, she hadn’t pictured the house being rented out. She’d pictured herself living in it. Now, she pictured two little toddlers running around the garden while Melinda and she sat on a blanket, watching them have fun. Kyle swallowed hard then, not because it scared her but because it felt right.It felt like that was what she was supposed to do, move into this house, and eventually, Melinda would join her. One day, therewouldbe a wedding in the garden, but it wouldn’t be because she’d rented the house out for that purpose.

Kyle left the kitchen and walked into the parlor. Recalling dancing with Melinda there, she thought about how much she wanted to do that again, and soon. It was true that Kyle missed Jolie, but now that they had money, they could visit, and Jolie could stay here, in this house, whenever she wanted. Kyle could see that, too: Jolie’s kids running down the stairs and out into the backyard to join their cousins while Jolie and her husband tried to quickly chase after them. She smiled softly as a burly man, carrying flooring for one of the rooms, walked through the front door, nodding at her as he did.

That was when she saw her. Kyle walked outside and across the street to stand in front of her mother.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“This was where I should have grown up,” her mother replied, pointing at the house. “You’re doing work on it.”

“Yes, I am.”

“It’s going to be mine, Kyle. If anyone should approve the work, it should be me.”

“Mom, the house is mine and Jolie’s, and she told me I can do whatever I feel like I need to. It doesn’t belong to you.”

“It should,” her mother repeated.

“But it doesn’t,” Kyle said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“I’ll sue, Kyle.”

“You know what? Sue your own kids. Go for it,” Kyle told her. “I have a great lawyer, Mom. I figured you would try something like this, so I already met with him about it. He tells me you have no chance of winning a lawsuit. Grandma knew what she was doing. You need to let this go.”

“I need a house, Kyle. I live in that shitty trailer.”

“You’ve chosen that life for yourself, Mom. Over andover again, you’ve made selfish decisions. You choose booze and cigarettes, and God knows what else over saving money to afford a nice apartment or keeping a job long enough to move up somewhere.”

“I was sixteen and a mom, Kyle. What did you think would happen? I had no support.”

“You had Dad for years until he couldn’t take it anymore, and he never left, Mom. He was sixteen, too, and he worked, and he was able to support himself, find someone who loved him, and help Jolie and me, too.”

“You’ve always been a daddy’s girl. Jolie is my baby.”