Page 24 of Minor Trouble
I’d been away on longer holidays, and she hadn’t expressed any such sentiment. “Will do, speak soon.”
Blowing out a breath, I ended the call and turned my attention to the message. Expecting to see something from Lyla, the sender took me by surprise.
Seth: Just wanted to say thank you for earlier. I can’t believe I missed something so major by not giving Noah his own space.
Seeing his words made my heart contract. It had been something simple, obvious to someone from the outside. If it ended up being something which made Noah’s schoolwork improve and stopped him from falling asleep in class, I’d done it right.
Ainsley: No problem, it’s my job. How’s it going?
Seth: I never realized quite how much stuff a thirteen-year-old boy could have! Actually, scratch that, how much crap a twenty-nine-year-old man has…
He followed his comment with a laughing emoji and the corner of my mouth curved up.
Seth: Seriously though, Ainsley, I really appreciate the time you’ve taken with Noah and me. You didn’t have to get so involved.
My initial happiness at his contact was brought down to earth by his last comment. Was he warning me off? Telling me not to get so wrapped up in them? Asking me to stay away? I started to type a response, then stopped, not quite knowing how to react.
Another message from him arrived, allaying my fears.
Seth: I’m not used to relying on anyone else for things. I’ve always had to do it for myself. Knowing there’s someone in my corner is a good feeling, even though it’s taking some getting used to.
His response echoed some of what Marlena had told me earlier, how he’d fallen in with the wrong crowd, taken the responsibility, and paid the penalty. It made my reply so much easier now.
Ainsley: Happy to help. I guess you don’t know how much you really need someone until they step up.
Seth: I’m glad you stepped up, Ainsley. Really glad.
I stared at the screen, pulse racing, breathing heavily.
So was I.
Eleven
Seth
The rest of the week passed without any major incidents. Noah had settled into my—no, his—room well, and I was getting used to sleeping on the couch again. It wasn’t the most ideal set-up, but it would have to work until I could afford to start looking for bigger places. I’d willingly take any overtime Maddox could put my way, and perhaps I could look at taking on another job in the short-term to get a deposit together. There had been vague references to Hannah having insurances and an inheritance for Noah, but I didn’t want to bank on them in case they didn’t come through. When he came home from school, he disappeared to do his homework, then in the evenings we ate dinner together and watched television. Conversation revolved around school and what to watch next on Netflix, never going any deeper. A couple of times I tried to get Noah to talk about Hannah, but each time I did, he rebuffed my questions and changed the subject to something less controversial.
Saturday brought about the promised trip to get supplies to decorate the bedroom and make it truly Noah’s. Maddox had lent me his truck, which I suspected we’d need. Having moved most of my belongings out of the room, I’d realized just how little space there actually was in that apartment. While it was suitable for a bachelor, as Noah got older, we would soon outgrow it.
“What color do you think you want it to be?” I asked Noah on the drive out to IKEA. The plan was to stop at Walmart or Home Depot to get paint as well as select bits of furniture.
“Black?” Noah shrugged.
I think he was joking, but I had to check. “Are you sure? It’s not the biggest of rooms anyway, so any dark colors will make it look smaller.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “I thought it might fit with my pseudo-emo look.”
I glanced over at him. His hair was getting long on top, and he wore black jeans, Doc Marten boots, a checked shirt layered over black T-shirt with a band I didn’t recognize. He certainly fitted his stereotype. “Well, it’s your room now,” I relented. “So, I guess you can have whatever you want.”
He sniffed. “I think you might be right about the color. Maybe something lighter would work, grey?”
“Let’s take a look, there’s no pressure.”
“Thanks, D—” He stopped himself.
So far, he’d manage to avoid calling me Dad, but on a couple of occasions it had almost slipped out. I hadn’t set any expectations for him, but if today went well, perhaps I could broach that subject tonight.
My first ever trip to IKEA turned out to be a revelation. Reasonably priced furniture and all sorts of things I never knew I needed fell into the cart as we walked around. As well as getting a desk and more storage options for Noah, I ended up with a compact wardrobe and chest of drawers for the living room which would house my stuff. Fresh bedding for both of us, a new rug, some mugs, and some other bits for the kitchen were apparently essential. When we went to pay, I winced. Looking at Noah’s happy face and remembering the fun we’d had picking items out made it totally worthwhile.
