Page 36 of Sean
Chapter 9
Sean walked aroundan empty apartment on Saturday morning, doing his best to ignore the real estate agent’s constant yammering.He liked what he saw.The floor plan was open with the soft gray walls of the kitchen blending neatly into the living area.Even though three bedrooms and two baths were more than he needed, apartments were in short supply in Garfield.And even with the extra space, he had more than enough saved, so the rent was doable.
He especially liked the fireplace.He could almost see a Christmas tree positioned beside it and Jace’s stocking hanging from the mantle.He’d have to hustle to make it happen this year.
Brittany would love this space.
The thought caught him by surprise.Brittany would never see this space and that was almost everything he needed to know.
A wave of grief overwhelmed him.He faced the agent and held up a finger to interrupt her praises.“I’ve seen all I need to see today.Do you have a card?I’d like to think about this for a few days.”
“Sure.”She dug in her huge bag.“I understand that you need some time to think, but I need to tell you, there are other people interested in this location.”
Sean took the card.“I appreciate that.I’ll be in touch.”
He held himself together until he got outside.When the agent was headed toward her own car, he gave in.
The grief stung his heart, his throat, and his eyes.People said it got better with time.Part of him longed for those days.Another part of him clung to the memories.His memories were all he had left of Brittany.
Halfway to the car, his phone rang.Grateful for something else to focus on he snatched it out of his pocket and swiped the screen.“Hello.”
“Hey, bro, how’s it going?”
On the other end of the connection, Benjamin’s voice held a hint of something that put every nerve ending in Sean’s body on alert.He’d heard that tone of voice many times over the years, usually at the beginning of one of Benjamin’s cockeyed schemes.
“Just looking at apartments.”
“So soon?”
Sean opened his car door and got in.“I’m not going to live with Mom and Dad forever.I appreciate all they’ve done, but I have to get on with my life.”
“I guess their rules are a little hard to swallow now that we’re adults.”
“Living there hasn’t come with any rules.”The other end of the line was silent as if Benjamin was waiting him out.It worked.“It’s true that it’s hard to ignore the ones we lived with all our lives.”
Benjamin laughed.“That one about attending church as long as we lived under their roof must really be chafing you about now.”
“It’s not my favorite, but when it comes down to it, it’s all about respect.”Sean started the car.“Was there a reason for your call this morning?”
“You in a hurry?”
“Mom’s babysitting, and I don’t want her to feel taken advantage of.”He started backing out of his spot.
“I can see that,” Benjamin said.“Especially since she’s babysitting tonight.I called to see what time you wanted us to pick you up.”
And there it was.Something was up.
Sean stopped and put the car in park.“What are you talking about?”
