Page 36 of Daddy's Little Charmer
Mrs. Owens looked around her room.
“The only things I’d want to take would be the love seat, my chair, and those two tables.”
She glanced at Christian. “Will there be room in the place for all of that?”
Christian nodded. “Absolutely. It’s a nice, spacious room. We hope you’ll love it. They have three meals a day, and a lot of activities you might enjoy.”
“It sounds wonderful. I’m still uncomfortable with the fact that you’re paying for it.”
“Believe me, I can afford it, and it makes Harmony happy.”
Christian carried the suitcases and box to the truck before walking Mrs. Owens out.
Harmony looked back at Sunny and waved. She probably wouldn’t see the other woman again, but she hoped she’d call when she got where she was going.
Harmony sat in the middle of the seat and conversed with the older woman the entire way to the home. Harmony gasped. This would be the first time she had seen it, too, and it was so much more than she expected.
Mrs. Owens’s eyes widened. “Oh, my. Is this it?”
Christian grinned. “Yes, ma’am.”
The building was a single level and pristine white, with black shutters. It looked more like a home than a retirement place. There were flowers and bushes all along the front, and a walkway that circled the entire building, allowing residents to take a leisurely stroll.
“Come on, ladies.” Christian helped Mrs. Owens out of the truck and then Harmony.
Harmony and the older woman walked arm in arm through the front doors. They stood back as Christian talked tothe woman at the front desk.
“This is Mrs. Owens,” Christian said to the employee.
The woman was in her forties or fifties with a soft, round body, and a friendly face came around the counter and took hold of Mrs. Owens’s hands.
“I am so happy to meet you. Mr. Sharp has told us all about you.”
Mrs. Owens smiled. “I have to admit I just found out about you this afternoon,” she said to the younger lady and laughed.
“What a nice surprise. Well, let’s show you your new home.”
Christian and Harmony followed behind while the woman chatted with the retired teacher down the hallway until they came to an open door.
“Here it is. We hope you like it.”
Mrs. Owens pressed a hand to her chest as her eyes skimmed over the room. Large windows faced a courtyard that held all sorts of bird feeders, benches, and flowers. The giant trees in the area protected it from getting too hot during the day.
The view out her old window was of junk cars, garbage, and dead grass.
Her room was spacious and bright. Her furniture would fit very easily, and she still had space for a small table and chairs if she chose to get them.
The employee walked around the room and showed her everything.
“It is kind of set up like an apartment. You have the one bedroom, bathroom, this living room, and a small kitchenette. We have some guests who prefer to prepare their own food, but we encourage everyone to dine in the dining hall together. It’s good to socialize. It helps with mental and emotional strength. Besides, it’s also paid for.”
Mrs. Owens moved around the rooms, touching different things. The bedroom already had a bed set up with nightstands that were much better than her own.
“If you have your own furniture you’d like to use, we can move anything you don’t want out so your furniture will fit. If not, we have a small warehouse that holds all sorts of different things people have donated that you could use.”
Harmony looked up at Christian with a worried frown when the older woman stood looking out the window.
“Mrs. Owens, if you don’t like it, we can find another place,” Harmony told her.
