uncomfortable leaving her daughter by herself for an entire day.
“Can we go to the lake?” her daughter pleaded, as she hopped into the car.
“Sorry, honey, not today.”
“But, Mom, it’s beautiful out,” her daughter protested. “How many sunny days can we expect in April and on a weekend?”
What Amiee said was true. A glorious spring day in Seattle in the middle of the rainy season was rare. Blue skies and lush green foliage all around was an amazing combination. Unfortunately, Cassie had other commitments for this afternoon. “I need to put in my hours so we can get our house.”
Amiee slumped down in the car and crossed her arms in protest. “Do we even know where the house is going to be?”
“Not yet, but we will before long.” Megan had assured Cassie that there were several options opening up soon.
Options
.
The word reverberated in her head like an echo against a canyon wall. How lovely it sounded. Options, options, options, options.
“Can I have my own bedroom?” Amiee asked, showing the first sign of enthusiasm for this project.
Cassie stopped at a red light and glanced over at her daughter. “You have your own bedroom now.”
“Mom, my friends have bigger closets than what you call my bedroom.”
That, sadly, was probably true. “Your new bedroom will be much bigger.”
“With real closets?”
“Oh yes, with room for all your shoes and books and a desk for you to sit at while you do your homework.”
“A real desk?”
“A real desk,” she echoed. Cassie didn’t want to make a promise she couldn’t keep. Her hope was that the very desk she’d used as a girl would be among the furniture her sister had mentioned. It would mean a great deal to her if she was able to give her daughter something that came from her own childhood.
“Can I help at the construction site?” Amiee asked.
“I don’t know, but my guess is probably not.” Cassie had asked Megan about Amiee and learned that no one could work on the project until age sixteen or over. However, Megan hadn’t said anything about not bringing Amiee to the construction site. It might be boring, but at least they’d be together and she would be able to keep an eye on her daughter. All she could do was hope that Steve Brody didn’t take exception to that along with everything else.
“Then what am I supposed to do while you’re working?” Amiee whined, clearly not excited about the prospect of hanging around with nothing to do.
“You’ll have to amuse yourself.”
“With what?”
“Did you bring a book?”
Amiee sent her a pathetic look. “You actually expect me to sit in the car and read when it’s beautiful outside?”
Cassie sympathized. “It won’t always be like this, Amiee, I promise. You can talk a walk and enjoy nature, or any number of things.”
Her daughter’s shoulders slumped forward as she went into her sulking posture.
“It won’t be so terrible.” Cassie wished it could be different. She felt bad about this, but there was no help for it.
Amiee crossed her arms over her chest and made a huffing, disgruntled sound.
Cassie arrived at the work site and parked behind Steve Brody’s truck. Her heart sank; she’d hoped to avoid him after their clash Friday evening. The night before, when she’d left the construction site, Cassie made sure there wasn’t a speck of anything that could be termed garbage anywhere close to the lot. If Steve noticed what an excellent job she’d done, he didn’t mention it. It went without saying Steve Brody was the kind of man who would be sure to point out the tiniest infraction but would be stingy with his praise. Just thinking about how critical and rude he’d been made Cassie tense.
“What’s wrong?”
Amiee read her like a McDonald’s menu. “See that truck,” she said, and gestured toward Steve’s truck.
“How could I miss it when it’s parked right in front of us?”
“I don’t get along with the man who owns it.”
“How
“Can we go to the lake?” her daughter pleaded, as she hopped into the car.
“Sorry, honey, not today.”
“But, Mom, it’s beautiful out,” her daughter protested. “How many sunny days can we expect in April and on a weekend?”
What Amiee said was true. A glorious spring day in Seattle in the middle of the rainy season was rare. Blue skies and lush green foliage all around was an amazing combination. Unfortunately, Cassie had other commitments for this afternoon. “I need to put in my hours so we can get our house.”
Amiee slumped down in the car and crossed her arms in protest. “Do we even know where the house is going to be?”
“Not yet, but we will before long.” Megan had assured Cassie that there were several options opening up soon.
Options
.
The word reverberated in her head like an echo against a canyon wall. How lovely it sounded. Options, options, options, options.
“Can I have my own bedroom?” Amiee asked, showing the first sign of enthusiasm for this project.
Cassie stopped at a red light and glanced over at her daughter. “You have your own bedroom now.”
“Mom, my friends have bigger closets than what you call my bedroom.”
That, sadly, was probably true. “Your new bedroom will be much bigger.”
“With real closets?”
“Oh yes, with room for all your shoes and books and a desk for you to sit at while you do your homework.”
“A real desk?”
“A real desk,” she echoed. Cassie didn’t want to make a promise she couldn’t keep. Her hope was that the very desk she’d used as a girl would be among the furniture her sister had mentioned. It would mean a great deal to her if she was able to give her daughter something that came from her own childhood.
“Can I help at the construction site?” Amiee asked.
“I don’t know, but my guess is probably not.” Cassie had asked Megan about Amiee and learned that no one could work on the project until age sixteen or over. However, Megan hadn’t said anything about not bringing Amiee to the construction site. It might be boring, but at least they’d be together and she would be able to keep an eye on her daughter. All she could do was hope that Steve Brody didn’t take exception to that along with everything else.
“Then what am I supposed to do while you’re working?” Amiee whined, clearly not excited about the prospect of hanging around with nothing to do.
“You’ll have to amuse yourself.”
“With what?”
“Did you bring a book?”
Amiee sent her a pathetic look. “You actually expect me to sit in the car and read when it’s beautiful outside?”
Cassie sympathized. “It won’t always be like this, Amiee, I promise. You can talk a walk and enjoy nature, or any number of things.”
Her daughter’s shoulders slumped forward as she went into her sulking posture.
“It won’t be so terrible.” Cassie wished it could be different. She felt bad about this, but there was no help for it.
Amiee crossed her arms over her chest and made a huffing, disgruntled sound.
Cassie arrived at the work site and parked behind Steve Brody’s truck. Her heart sank; she’d hoped to avoid him after their clash Friday evening. The night before, when she’d left the construction site, Cassie made sure there wasn’t a speck of anything that could be termed garbage anywhere close to the lot. If Steve noticed what an excellent job she’d done, he didn’t mention it. It went without saying Steve Brody was the kind of man who would be sure to point out the tiniest infraction but would be stingy with his praise. Just thinking about how critical and rude he’d been made Cassie tense.
“What’s wrong?”
Amiee read her like a McDonald’s menu. “See that truck,” she said, and gestured toward Steve’s truck.
“How could I miss it when it’s parked right in front of us?”
“I don’t get along with the man who owns it.”
“How
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