Pushing You Away - Noah & Katie (Ex-Con Duet 3)

It's completely unexpected, considering how yesterday started out between us. Not to mention, she basically loathes me.

“Good morning,” she tells me.

“Mornin’.”

She hands me one of the cups. “I didn’t know how you take your coffee anymore, so I just got it the same way as mine with cream and sugar.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I take a sip and enjoy how warm it is. Prison sure makes a person appreciate the small things in life, such as a good cup of coffee. Katie looks at me the same way she used to when we were teenagers, then beams as she opens the bag and pulls out two bagels. She’s in a good mood today, and I’ve missed seeing this side of her.

“There's cream cheese in the bag,” she informs me, handing it to me.

“You're amazing.” I cover mine in cream cheese, then take a bite. “Where's Owen today?”

“Loretta and Elliot took him to church and will have him until this evening. I'm hoping I can make some progress here while he's with them.”

I haven’t talked to them since before the accident, and they ignored me at the funeral. No telling how many bricks they’d shit if they knew I was staying at Katie’s house or that I had dinner with Owen. I hate that she has to keep secrets from them, but it’s for the best.

“He’s a good kid, Katie. You've done an amazing job with him,” I say, meaning every word.

Her shoulders slightly relax, and she smiles gratefully. “Thanks, it wasn’t always easy.”

I nod in response, though I can’t imagine what she’s had to go through while juggling work life and single mom life.

“Alright, well, on to bathroom duty.” She taps on her phone. Moments later, someone’s giving monotone instructions on how to remove a toilet and a sink. The video is long and boring. I try to keep my opinions to myself, as she’s asked, and quietly eat my bagel.

“What?” She looks at me.

I shake my head and chuckle. “Nothing.”

She stops the video. “No, you want to say something. I can tell. Go ahead.”

“You're sure?”

“Yes,” she snaps.

“Well…” I hesitate. “While I'm here, I’d like to help you, Katie. It’d be a lot easier and faster than watching that.”

She acts as if she’s contemplating my offer, but she’s still too damn stubborn to agree.

I continue before she can tell me to fuck off. “If I'm being honest, not having anything to do is making me feel useless. I know you can do this on your own, but I want to repay you somehow. It would be my way of thanking you for letting me stay here. You've fed me dinner and even brought coffee and bagels today. I'm using your electricity, water, and everything else. It’d make me feel a lot less guilty for being an inconvenience.”

She lets out a sigh.

“I’m just trying to offer my skills as a payment for your kindness and using your resources. A fair trade. I don’t want to take advantage or get handouts. Not from my family, and especially not from you.”

Her face softens, and I can see that old twinkle return to her eyes. She studies me for a brief second before speaking. “Okay, I understand that more than you know. When I was younger and struggling, I wanted to repay them by doing whatever I could—cleaning, running errands, cooking dinner. I didn’t like the idea of getting free handouts either.”

A hopeful smile touches my lips.

“Alright, you can help, but you still have to keep your negative comments to yourself.”

I chuckle because whether she realizes it or not, she knows me better than anyone. “Deal,” I agree.

“That means you're on bathroom duty with me today.”

“Great. Time for us to rewatch that video and follow the tutorial from Mr. Monotone.”

Katie grabs one bag of tools and asks me to carry the other.

“I’m not sure where we should start,” she admits from the doorway, then moves to the side.

I look around. “Well, first off, is there anything you want to save in here?”

Katie looks around at the Pepto Bismol-colored toilet and bathtub. Her eyes trail along the gaudy tile on the walls and floors. “I don't think there's anything worth salvaging, do you?”

“Hell no,” I say, loving how she asked for my opinion. It’s proof my words actually got through to her.

“I think we should remove the toilet, then work on tearing out the counter, cabinets, and sink. Then the bathtub, wall tiles, and flooring. I think if we go in that order, we’ll be able to have an empty space for you to paint. Then we can rebuild from the bottom up.”

Katie grins. “That sounds like a solid plan.”

“What do you envision in here?”

“I’d like a big shower with glass doors. This bathroom will primarily be for guests, and there’ll be a huge tub upstairs if they want to soak or something.”