“Is that a birdhouse?” I asked pointing at the neatly stacked wood.
“Not yet, but it will be,” Dad replied cheerfully.
“And why are you making one?”
“It’s almost spring, and that seems like as good a reason as any. Your mom loves hummingbirds. I’ll put one of those special feeders inside the ‘house’ part and hang it outside the kitchen. I won’t tell her, though. She’ll be pleasantly surprised when the hummingbirds flock to her window.”
“You don’t think she’ll know you put a feeder in it?” I asked dubiously. “She’s pretty smart, Dad.”
“She is indeed. Smartest person I know. And the smartest thing I ever did was ask her to the Sadie Hawkins dance.”
I smiled. “Isn’t that the dance where the girl asks the guy?”
“Yes, but I heard she was going to ask Cal Stephens. I couldn’t have that. Cal was a conceited jerk and a real ladies’ man. She deserved better than him.” Dad spared me a wink as he began arranging the wood pieces.
“You?”
“That’s right.” He chuckled good-naturedly. “We were seniors in high school, mind you. We all thought we were something special. But your mom was the real deal. Seventeen years old, legs for miles, and long auburn hair. I liked being around her. She’s like a pretty song on the radio you want to hear over and over. Every time you listen, you hear something new. Gee, I could listen to her for hours. We had algebra together. Did I ever tell you that story?”
Only about a million times.
I inclined my head. “Yeah, and you were too shy to ask her out. Every time you tried, you’d ask her for a pencil instead. And on your first date—”
“At the Sadie Hawkins dance,” he interjected. “Hand me that screwdriver, Sport.”
I obeyed and continued the story I’d heard a million times. “You tied the pencils in a ribbon and gave them to her with a bouquet of daisies.”
“Worked like a charm.” Dad beamed at me. “I haven’t patented that move yet. Give it a try.”
I barked a quick laugh. “Dad, I think you’re steering me wrong. If I give a guy a bunch of pencils, he’s going to think I’m nuts.”
“The right one won’t.”
“We’ve done this a few times, haven’t we? I’m still scarred from our ‘birds and the bees’ chat,” I griped without heat.
“That’s my job. Chief Embarrassment Officer Dad at your service.” He chuckled.
“Right.”
He hummed to himself for a few minutes then asked, “Anyone you’re interested in? What about Declan?”
I swallowed hard and stared at the dart board on the wall. “What about him?”
“Nothing. We like him. That’s all.”
“Me too.”
“Pencils work.”
I laughed. “Dad…”
“Never mind me. Are you leaving soon?”
“Yeah. Can you handle it from here?”
He tossed a sardonic grin my way. “I’ll manage. Be sure to say good-bye to Mom on your way out.”
I nodded in agreement and waved before heading for the house. I found her in the kitchen, filling the kettle. “What are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t lay around all day. And I fancied some tea. Would you like a cup?”
“Um…” Stalling, stalling. “Sure. Let me do it.”
“No way. This is all mine. Take a seat and tell me your troubles,” she singsonged.
“I’m fine,” I grumbled but obeyed.
“No, you’re not. Tell me all about it. Don’t make me guess. My head hurts.”
I furrowed my brow. “It does?”
Mom patted my hand as she set a mug in front of me. “A little, but I’m okay.”
“I worry about you,” I said unthinking.
She poured water over the tea bag, then tended to her own cup before joining me at the island. “I know you do. I’m not ready to die, but it’s occurred to me that life isn’t happening on my terms. I may not get a say in how long I’m here. And I have two choices. I can be angry for what I might miss when I’m gone, or I can be grateful for what I have right here and now. I choose gratitude.”
“That’s good.”
“It is. I married the love of my life, we have a beautiful family, and a beautiful life. I’m grateful I took a few chances. I hope you do too.” She nudged my shoulder and smiled. “I know you do. You play an instrument in front of hundreds of strangers. Sharing your talent is very brave. But sharing your heart…oh boy, that’s tough.”
“Mom…”
“I know, I know. I can’t help myself. Indulge me for a moment, and let me get nosy. You’re hurting. Who is it? Declan?”
I stared at my tea for a long moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”
“Will you be angry if I tell you I know what happened?”
I did a double take. “Huh?”
“Tegan, I follow you online. I’ve been reading all the posts on the interweb. I’ve seen every photo, and I waded through the nonsense pretty darn fast.”
“You’ve been following me online?” I asked incredulously.