Page 3 of A Valentine's Day Gift
She didn’t want him in her house alone. He understood; they’d just met. Didn’t mean he didn’t have the urge to shove her out of the way and find the phone on his own. But he knew better. Besides, Angel wasn’t expecting his call. It was more to put Vinny’s mind at ease. Angel was probably happily eating whatever his Nonna made him for lunch. But would she ask Angel how he was doing? He didn’t volunteer everything right up front.
“Twenty minutes,” he said, turned and went back to his truck. He’d use the time to line up the lumber they needed. He checked his watch twice, shook it to make sure it was still working, and then finally it was time.
He jogged back to the door and knocked. Thankfully she answered. “It’s in the kitchen.”
He left his work boots on the front porch and followed her inside, down the hallway to the kitchen on the right, where a little boy with light brown hair and a smudge of dirt on his face stood on a step stool at the sink, where he was probably supposed to be washing his hands, but was instead staring at the strange man in his kitchen, his green eyes too big for his face.
Vinny lifted a hand in greeting.
“Can I try your tools?” the boy asked, staring at Vinny’s toolbelt.
Allison spoke up. “Jared, wash your hands. I told you the workers are very busy.” She crossed to Vinny and handed him a cordless phone. “You can take it in the dining room for privacy if you’d like.” She gestured to an adjoining formal dining room.
He nodded and went into the other room, quickly dialing home. His mother-in-law, Loretta, answered. “Hi, it’s Vinny. I just wanted to say hi to Angel, see how his day went.”
“I’ll get him.”
A moment later, his sweet boy’s voice came through the line, earnest and pure. “Hi, Daddy! I got a loose tooth!”
He nearly collapsed with relief. He was okay. He sounded happy. “That’s great, bud. Did ya have a good day?”
“Uh-huh. I’ve been wiggling my tooth all day, but it won’t come out.”
“Don’t force it. It’ll come out when it’s ready.”
“Nonna says we can tie a string to my tooth and the doorknob and slam it. Pow! Tooth out.”
“No. That’s the old way. Now we leave it until it’s ready.”
“Okay. I hope I get a lot of money from the tooth fairy. Robbie got five dollars!”
“Last time I checked, the tooth fairy left one dollar.”
Angel whispered loudly into the phone, “I think the tooth fairy got richer.”
“I’d expect one dollar. I think maybe Robbie’s parents added some because they got richer. That’s not us. How’s your lunch?”
“Good. Nonna made my favorite, ziti with cheese dots. When’re you coming home?”
His heart clutched. He wanted to drive home that very minute. But he knew he had to prepare Angel for the way things were going to be, back to the normal routine. “I’ll see ya at dinner.”
“Okay. Bye.”
“I love you.” The phone made a banging noise. He’d probably run off.
“It’s me,” Loretta said. “Don’t worry, he’s doing just fine.”
“Okay, thanks again for your help. I’ll see ya later.” He disconnected and stared at the ceiling, trying to pull it together. Angel was fine. Vince and Nico were still at school, but he knew they’d come home and be fine too. They would all keep going just like they always had. It had been him and Loretta keeping the family going for the past year, taking care of the kids and Maria.
He went into the kitchen. Jared wasn’t there, but he could hear the TV in another room. Allison stood at the stove, her back to him, cooking lunch.
“All done,” he said.
She whirled. “Oh, hi. Didn’t hear you come in over the exhaust fan from the stove. Grilled cheese.”
He set the phone on the counter, keeping a polite distance. “Thanks for letting me use your phone.”
“No problem. How’s your son?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s good. I think I needed the phone call more than he did.”
She shook her head, smiling, and he was struck with her sunny brightness—her light blond hair up in a high ponytail, her eyes bright blue, her skin glowing with health. She looked so much younger than him. He was thirty-six, but the past few years had taken a toll, making him feel ancient. “Isn’t that just like a kid?” she asked. “They’re fine while we’re worried sick. Feel free to stop by same time tomorrow if you want to check in with him again.”
That small kindness reached in and squeezed his heart. “Thank you. I just might do that.”
She nodded once and turned back to the grilled cheese, flipping it over. She was a tiny thing yet radiated so much life. So different from the heavy sense of impending death he’d lived with for so long. He wanted to get closer to that light.
He turned and walked straight out the front door.
