Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 106798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
“You sure?” His face scrunches as his teeth plant firmly into his lower lip.
“This is my only house to clean on Tuesdays. So if it takes me longer or if you’d like me to stay until her sister gets here, it’s no problem.”
“Would you stay?” he replies so quickly my head spins.
“Yes.” I chuckle. “I’ll stay.”
“You’re the best.” He shrugs a shoulder. “Okay, Suzanne’s the best. But you’re close. If it wouldn’t be completely unprofessional, and if I had more time, I’d hug you or braid your hair.” Zach winks, and it makes me giggle and shake my head.
He pivots and heads toward the bedroom. “Don’t worry. I’ll pay you more.”
As I sort through the cleaning supplies he has on the kitchen island, he peeks his head around the corner. “Gotta go. You’re awesome. If someone hasn’t told you that today, then now you know.”
“Hey, you don’t need to pay me to be with Suzie. It’s my pleasure because I like her … a lot.” I follow him toward the back door.
Zach turns just before reaching for the handle. After a few seconds of silence, I wonder if he’s lost his ability to speak. Finally, he gives me a sad smile and nods. “I like her too … a lot.”
My eyes instantly burn with emotion. He’s breaking my heart. Zach is a lost puppy, even though his owner is still alive.
“Um …” He clears his throat and shakes his head. “She’s in the jungle reading a book. Again, thank you for … everything. Really. You’re …”
I give him a slight grin. “The second best. Got it. Have a safe flight.”
The tension along his face softens, and his grimace turns into a genuine smile. “Thanks. All emergency numbers are on my desk.”
I nod.
After I clean the bedrooms and bathrooms, I check in on Suzie.
“Hey!” She catches me peeking my head around the corner.
“Hi. Do you … need anything?” I inspect the jungle as I mosey toward her recliner.
“I need you to stop cleaning things that aren’t even dirty.” She nods at a striped ottoman. “Have a seat. It’s where Zach sits to rub my feet, but you don’t need to do that. I just want you to tell me everything.” She sounds a little stronger today, and that’s probably why Zach was in a better mood.
Playful.
Full of gratitude.
And overflowing with compliments.
He thinks I’m the one doing him a favor. He’s so wrong. Neither he nor Suzie know how much they feed my soul with something. Friendship? Compassion? Just something that feels like nothing I’ve ever had before now.
“Everything, huh?” I laugh while taking a seat.
“Everything. Start at birth and work your way up to cleaning my house.” Suzie adjusts the scarf around her head before folding her bony hands on her lap. Her skin has a slightly mottled appearance.
“Are you sure I can’t read you a book instead? There are so many good stories out there, but mine isn’t one of them.”
With a slow headshake, she clears her throat. “I don’t want a fairy tale. I want something real.” She points to herself. “I’m all about real at this point in my life.”
On an easy nod, I take a deep breath. Where to begin? I give her the CliffsNotes.
My mom and her addictions. Her favorite pastime involved sleeping with men—mean men.
No clue who my dad is or was.
No siblings.
Suzie gives me her complete attention, and I can’t remember the last time someone cared this much to listen to me. I find myself glancing away to compose myself. Is this what it feels like to have someone really care?
“I pretty much raised myself. No time for sports or anything like that. I had to find odd jobs to make enough money to eat when my mom blew through her paycheck buying drugs and alcohol. And her paychecks weren’t reliable anyway because she never kept a job for longer than a few months.”
Suzie frowns, but I continue. “When I graduated, my mom tried to convince me to go to the University of Georgia—close to home. I laughed in her face, stole her car because I felt like she owed me something, and drove to Atlanta. Let’s see …” I twist my lips and stare out the window for a few seconds. “College. Student loan debt. An epilepsy diagnosis. A job at Walmart. It’s such an amazing story, huh?” I release a nervous laugh because I’ve needed to say these things. Something just beneath the surface of my pride needed to really hear those words. I’ve spent so much time wondering how the hell I got here. Feeling lost.
“One of the other employees at Walmart told me she cleaned houses on the side. So I used my first few paychecks to buy cleaning supplies with my discount. And I started going door to door, looking for jobs. Never landed one that way. I met an older woman while walking out to my car after work. Margie Mumford.” I grin. “She dropped her wallet a few feet behind her, but she didn’t notice. I picked it up and returned it to her. Then fate stepped in and opened a door for me. She mentioned being distracted because she had a party coming up, and her maid went into labor. That was my first job, and her referral to friends led to me having enough houses to clean that I could quit my Walmart job. And here I am.”