by the store and a lot of them would tell me to call them if I ever needed anything. Most of them knew I didn’t have any family here and they meant well, but I never called anyone because it just wasn’t me. Even if I did want something, I wouldn’t have known how to ask, but most of the time, I didn’t even know what it was that I wanted. All I knew was that I was at the end of my rope, and to continue the metaphor, for a long time, I was barely hanging on. I mean, all at once, I had to take care of two young kids as well as the store, and the kids were younger then and needed even more attention than they do now. And then one day, Joyce showed up.” He looked at her. “Have you met Joyce yet? Works a few afternoons a week including Sundays, older lady, talks to everyone? Josh and Kristen love her.”
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s not important. But anyway, she showed up one afternoon, maybe around five or so, and she simply told me that she was going to take care of the kids while I spent the next week at the beach. She’d already arranged a place for me and she told me that I didn’t have a choice in the matter because, in her opinion, I was heading straight for a nervous breakdown.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stifle the memory of those days. “I was upset about it at first. I mean, they’re my kids, right? And what kind of father was I to make people think that I couldn’t handle being a father? But unlike anyone else, Joyce didn’t ask me to call if I needed anything. She knew what I was going through and she went ahead and did what she thought was right. The next thing I knew, I was on my way to the beach. And she was right. The first two days, I was still a wreck. But over the next few days, I went for long walks, read some books, slept late, and by the time I got back, I realized that I was more relaxed than I’d been in a long time…”
He trailed off, feeling the weight of her scrutiny.
“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.”
He turned toward her. “Both of us know that if I’d asked if you wanted the bicycle, you would have said no. So, like Joyce did with me, I just went ahead and did it because it was the right thing to do. Because I learned that it’s okay to accept some help every now and then.” He nodded toward the bike. “Take it,” he said. “I have no use for it, and you have to admit that it would make getting to and from work a whole lot easier.”
It took a few seconds before he saw her shoulders relax and she turned to him with a wry smile. “Did you practice that speech?”
“Of course.” He tried to look sheepish. “But you’ll take it?”
She hesitated. “A bike might be nice,” she finally admitted. “Thank you.”
For a long moment, neither of them said anything. As he stared at her profile, he noted again how pretty she was, though he had the sense that she didn’t think so. Which only made her even more appealing.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“But no more freebies, okay? You’ve done more than enough for me already.”
“Fair enough.” He nodded toward the bike. “Did it ride okay? With the baskets, I mean?”
“It was fine. Why?”
“Because Kristen and Josh helped me put them on yesterday. One of those rainy-day projects, you know? Kristen picked them out. Just so you know, she also thought you needed sparkly handlebar grips, too, but I drew the line at that.”
“I wouldn’t have minded sparkly handlebar grips.”
He laughed. “I’ll let her know.”
She hesitated. “You’re doing a good job, you know. With your kids, I mean.”
“Thank you.”
“I mean it. And I know it hasn’t been easy.”
“That’s the thing about life. A lot of the time, it isn’t easy at all. We just have to try to make the best of it. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I think I do.”
The door to the store opened, and as Alex leaned forward he saw Josh scanning the parking lot, Kristen close behind him. With brown hair and brown eyes, Josh resembled his mom. His hair was a riotous mess, and Alex knew he’d