Page 70 of Single Dad's Christmas Cookie

“It’s okay, Amelia, I’ll be okay.” I reached out for her and grabbed her back to me. “Y’all came and got me for Christmas. This is the best Christmas present I didn’t even know I needed. Thank you.” I sniffed and blew my nose again. “How did you find me?” I asked.

“I do have your address for employment records, but you failed to give me your apartment number. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an apartment complex this big.”

I laughed. “This is hardly a big apartment complex. I thought it was small when I got a place here.”

“What do you mean? You thought it was small?” Bryan asked.

“You’ve never had to find a place to live among the masses, have you?” I tried to tease him. “There are apartment complexes much, much bigger than this, a whole lot more buildings. They almost look like whole towns. I guess they sort of are towns without shops. Did you…” My heart stuttered for a second at the thought of Bryan and Amelia actually going toward a door like that crazy movie. “Did you actually knock on people’s doors?”

“We asked a man walking his dog, and he told us to go away. He didn’t know you. And another person thought you were Jello. She was very confused, but she didn’t know you either. And we did knock on doors nobody answered. And then those people?—”

“Veronica and David,” I filled in the names for Amelia as she was telling me the story.

“And then those people were yelling, and Daddy asked them if they knew you and?—”

“Yeah, they know me. Knew me. I don’t know.”

“You never have to deal with them again,” Bryan said. His voice was so soothing. I wanted to wrap up in him and feel safe.

“That’s why I moved here. I took my horrible job as a way to escape from David. I stupidly thought I’d never accidentally bump into him in New York, of all places. But she brought him to my apartment. He knows where I live. Now they know where I live, and they know how to hurt me the most.” I clutched the pillow that I had been holding even harder.

“Nova, look at me,” Bryan said.

I had to blink away tears to see him clearly.

“They know where this apartment is.” He cast his gaze around before returning his eyes to mine. “They don’t know where I live.”

“So what if they can’t bother me while I work for you? We both know that it’s only going to last a little over a week.”

He shook his head. “You’re not understanding what I’m saying. You need to come stay with us, live with us, me and Amelia.”

“Do I get my own room? What’s your cook going to think? I don’t want her to think I’m trying to take her job.”

“No, you will not be taking Emma’s job, and she’s not going to think that at all. You have a job at Wentworth Academy. You know, I have contacts at Leeds, if you want to transfer there.”

“Are you saying you can pull strings and give me a better job?” I asked.

“I could make it happen,” he said.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my jaw hung open. Was he actually saying the words that I had been dreamingabout, or was I so far gone in the pain over what Veronica and David had just put me through that I wasn’t comprehending him properly? Bryan wanted me to come live with them and he was willing to help get me a better job. This really was turning into a morning for unexpected gifts.

“You want me to live with y’all while I still work as a teacher?”

“Of course. I’m not going to ask you to give up your job.”

I opened my mouth and started and stopped a few times as I tried to formulate my next question. I wanted to throw myself at him and say, ‘yes, please.’ But I still wasn’t certain if he was asking me to live with him as his girlfriend or partner or asking me to live with them in their house and rent one of the rooms.

“I can’t afford a whole lot of rent,” I finally confessed. “This place is one of the cheapest in the area that I could find on short notice.”

“I wouldn’t be charging you rent, Nova. I’m asking you to live with us.”

I stared at him for several long moments. I was seriously fuzzy brained. I heard the words. I thought I understood him. But each time I tried to speak or say yes and get excited, a thick wall of uncertainty slammed in place around my comprehension. I had to be misunderstanding something. My jaw was probably still on the ground as I struggled internally to grasp what he was saying.

“I was planning on cleaning my kitchen today.” I gestured pathetically over my shoulder at my kitchen. “if you’re serious about me moving to your house, and I’m not going to be here for a couple of days, I absolutely have to clean and take the garbage out. This place smells off, and I can’t tell if it’s the garbage or if something’s rotting.”

“I can help with that. I can clean the kitchen and get your garbage ready to take out,” he said.

“Are you serious?” I asked.

---