Stages of Grace - By Carey Heywood Page 0,66

bathroom to wash my face.

Back in my room, I check my phone one last time before going in search of food. No response. Kate is by the pool eating breakfast. I pour myself a cup of coffee and make some toast before joining her. She asks how I slept. I know the dark circles under my eyes probably answer the question for her, but downplay it and say I slept fine. I can tell she isn’t buying it but am relieved that she doesn’t push the subject. We discuss our plans for the day. Kate is to play tour guide as I get my car registered.

I plan to call my insurance company first to file the change of address. I make that call not long after breakfast but before I shower. My insurance is almost doubling. That job Ryan offered me is looking more like a life preserver now. I shower and dress simply in loose capri cargo-style pants and a long-sleeved, striped t-shirt. Kate is in the kitchen pulling out some meat from the freezer to thaw.

"All set, Grace?"

"Yes. I mean, if now is a good time."

"Of course. Let’s go."

After my car is registered and its emissions tested, we make our way back to Kate's house. On the way back, Kate asks me what I think of Ryan.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you fancy him?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. I like him. He's a really nice guy."

"Would you ever like to be more than friends with him?"

"Kate, are you trying to set me up?"

"So what if I am? Ryan is such a sweet boy. You could do worse."

"I'm just not sure if I'm ready for anything like that. Besides, it would be weird working for him." I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself. "And most important, who knows if he likes me?"

"I think he does" she says with a sly grin.

"Well, has he said anything?"

"Not directly, no—" I frown.

"Well, there you go. No point in even thinking about it."

"But he's so handsome."

"Then you date him" I tease.

She laughs. "If I was fifty years younger, I would. Hell, if I was thirty years younger, I'd at least think about it."

I laugh and shake my head. As attractive and sweet as Ryan is, there is no way of knowing if he is interested, and most importantly, if I can even handle it. The smartest thing I can do for myself is to get settled before I even think about anything like that. No point in worrying about Ryan when I’m losing sleep over Jon. I check my phone again when we get back to Kate's. No message. Pleading exhaustion, I take a nap. When I wake up, Kate is by the pool knitting. I missed lunch.

When Kate sees me, she says, "There's a plate for you in the microwave."

I'm already enjoying living with such a good cook. I reheat my lunch and bring it out to eat. Kate's knitting group is meeting the next day so she's working on finishing another prayer shawl.

Kate senses my interest in what she is doing. "Would you like to learn?"

"Sure, if it wouldn't be any trouble."

She sets her work on her lap and reaches into the basket beside her for a skein of pale yellow yarn and two thick metal needles.

"Why are these needles so much bigger than the ones you are using right now?" I ask when she hands them to me.

"I think it's easy to learn on bigger needles and the work will go faster as well. It's nice when you are first starting out to see progress."

Kate pulls maybe half an arm length of yarn loose from the skein and shows me how to make the first knot on the needle with the excess yarn hanging down. She then loops the excess yarn with the yarn from the skein to create more loops on the needle. "This is called casting. Every knitting project starts like this. It just depends on what you are making as to how many stitches you need. This scarf will need less than the shawl I'm making."

Kate hands the one needle with the loops to me. "Try adding a couple more stitches."

I add three, and Kate seems pleased. She takes the needle back and shows me how to put the point of the other needle into the loop closest to the narrow end of the needle. Once both points are in, that first loop Kate pulls from the skein to add another loop, pulling it through the