Page 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Will

U awake?

The text came in just as Will finished the book he’d been reading on his Kindle. It was a mystery story featuring gay characters in New York. One owned an antique store, and his boyfriend was a police detective. Good stuff.

Instead of answering the text, he called Tom, who answered on the first ring.

“Hey.”

“How did it go?” Tom had called him after work and said he was planning on telling his mom about the apartment as soon as he got home. Will had been feeling antsy since that conversation. Fortunately, the book had managed to take his mind off it until now. He hadn’t wanted to call or text Tom lest he interrupt something.

“It started out pretty bad,” Tom admitted. “Pretty much how I expected it to. After she once again tried to talk me out of it all, she accused me of leaving, just like everyone else.”

“I’m sorry,” Will said quietly. “That must have been awful for you.”

“I realized that once again, she was blaming herself for everything that’s ever happened, and I finally asked her to consider that maybe it was my dad’s fault, not hers.”

“What happened?”

“It’s like a light bulb went off above her head. She finally stopped and thought about it,” Tom said. “And then I asked her if she ever gave any thought to seeing a counselor to help her work through her feelings.”

“Wow. What did she say?”

“Not much at that point, but I could see the wheels turning. She’s not happy that I’m leaving, but I think for the first time, she’s beginning to look at things a little differently.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t all bad, but you know she’s still got a long way to go before she can think more clearly about everything.”

“I know, but at least now I have hope that things might actually get better,” Tom said.

“Any plans before work today?” Emily asked her son as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Will looked up from his iPad. “I was just looking at some classified ads. There’s one here about someone selling some furniture and things. I was gonna give them a call to see what they have. Maybe Tom can use some of it for his new apartment.”

“That’s sweet of you, dear,” she said. “Oh, take a look in the basement. Remember when I replaced our dishes last year? The old ones along with some cutlery should be in a box on one of the shelves. Tom is welcome to those if he wants them.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Will picked up his phone and placed a call. After a few minutes, he ended the call and said, “The lady I spoke to has a coffee table and an end table along with a microwave. They live a few blocks over, so I’m gonna go take a look at the stuff before I go to Bradley House.”

He gave his mom a quick kiss on the cheek, grabbed his coat, and was out the door.

The bright sunlight nearly blinded him when Will opened his bedroom curtains on Thursday morning. A quick look at the weather app on his phone let him know that it was also quite cold—currently thirty-five degrees, with a high of forty-three expected. Ah, well, he’d work up a sweat helping Tom clean the apartment that day.

He got ready quickly, dressing in an old pair of jeans, work boots, and a well-worn T-shirt topped with a sweatshirt that had seen better days. Perfect clothes to clean in, he figured. Sending off a quick text to Tom to confirm their meeting time at the Cask and Larder, he hurried downstairs to have breakfast with his mom.

“I looked for the dishes downstairs like you told me to,” Will said to his mom as he buttered his toast. “I’m definitely gonna bring them to Tom but not today. I’ll wait until most of the cleaning is done.”

“That’s fine, dear,” she said. “How did you make out with that used furniture you were going to look at yesterday?”

“Great. The tables and microwave were in good shape, and the woman didn’t want much for them, so I bought them yesterday,” Will told her. “She agreed to keep them for me for a couple of days. I’ll tell Tom today, and hopefully we can pick them up soon. I plan on telling Tom they’re an early Christmas gift.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

“Well, I know he’s gonna be overwhelmed with everything that he needs to get. If this helps, I’m happy to do it,” Will said. “Oh, and Mom? Is it okay if I borrow some cleaning supplies? You know, the dustpan and broom, some spray cleaner, sponges and rags, and maybe a bucket?”

“Of course, sweetie. Take whatever you need. And don’t forget some trash bags for all the dust and dirt and whatever else might need to be thrown away.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Will’s phone buzzed, and he checked it quickly. “Okay, let me grab the stuff and load my car. Tom says he’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

Will parked next to Tom’s truck in the rear parking lot and met him at the front door with a kiss. Mitch let them in and handed a set of keys to Tom.

“I think I managed to get all the crap that was stored there moved into the other room,” Mitch told them. “But if you find anything I missed, let me know.” And with that, the guys went upstairs.

“Okay,” Tom stated, surveying the mostly empty room. “Where do you think we should start?”

“How about we clean the higher surfaces first?” Will suggested. “That way any dirt and dust that falls down will get swept up later.”

“That sounds good to me,” Tom agreed. They returned to the parking lot to get their supplies, then went back upstairs to begin. Several hours later, the kitchen, living room, and dining area were clean, and the place was looking better already.

They heard someone on the stairs; Will opened the door to find Mitch standing there with a tray of food. “I thought you guys might want to take a break for lunch.”

“That’s so nice of you!” Will exclaimed.

Mitch set the tray down on the dining table and looked around. “Wow, you’re doing a great job. This place is looking so much better.”

“Thanks,” Tom said.

“Oh, I spoke to my mom, and she has an old rug in her basement that she said you can have. It should fit in here just fine. I’ll pick it up Saturday morning and bring it over.”

“Really? That’s very kind of her.”

“Not a problem. Okay, I’ll let you two eat your lunch. Enjoy.”

“I can’t believe how nice he is,” Tom said after Mitch had left.

“I know, right? But it seems to run in the Reynolds family. From what Clay has said about Finn, it seems Mrs. Reynolds did a wonderful job raising those guys.” Will paused to sip from one of the water bottles that Mitch had left for them. “So, um, speaking of moms, has yours said anything else about the fact that you’re moving?”

“Subtle, Will,” Tom said, smiling. “Actually, she’s been rather quiet about it. And weirdly, I think that’s a good sign. At least she’s not yammering on and on about how all relationships are bad.”

“Yeah.” Will sighed. “I just wish she was a little more positive about things.”

“Well, I don’t expect her to change overnight. I’ll take her silent acceptance as a good sign.”