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Mr. Schultz finally came out of his appointment, shuffling and mumbling as he went.
“Everything okay?” Milo asked as he followed.
“The doctor wants me to cut my sugar intake.”
“What’s the problem with that?”
Mr. Schultz stopped and stared daggers. “He can pry my Twinkies from my cold dead hands.”
“I did not realize your affinity for Twinkies.”
“They’re little cakes of goodness that have a shelf life of forty-five days. What is there not to like?”
Milo bit back a laugh as he stood by idly while Mr. Schultz lowered himself into the car. Once he was situated, Milo folded up his walker, tossed it in the trunk, and got back on the road. He had a few more runs to make today, including taking Ms. Wheeler to the grocery store, and he did not want to be late.
He dropped Mr. Shultz off, who was still grumbling about his Twinkies. He had about twenty minutes before he had to be at Ms. Wheeler’s, so he took the scenic route. On his way, he passed Harper’s mom’s house. Mrs. Flynn was outside in her garden, yanking weeds.
Milo pulled over to the curb and hopped out. “Hi Judy,” he said as he made his way up the lawn. She hated being called Mrs. Flynn and made him promise to always call her Judy. He never broke that promise.
She turned, smile on her face. “Milo!” Her eyes were clear, which meant she hadn’t started drinking yet. She had makeup on, and her brown hair was combed into a low sitting ponytail. The crow’s feet around her eyes, the fine lines around her mouth, and the dark bags beneath her hazel eyes told the truth about her addiction.
“I’d hug you, but I’m covered in dirt.”
“I don’t mind,” he said and embraced her. Despite her issues and the hell Harper had to deal with in cleaning up her messes, Milo genuinely liked the woman. He wanted better for her, but he knew that ultimately lay in her own hands.
“Garden is looking beautiful, as always,” he said.
“I try my best.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. It was almost as if her words were a blanket statement for her entire life.
“A little tender love and care go a long way,” he said in hopes she’d understand the double meaning.
She nodded and bent over to rip out a weed. “What have you been up to?” she asked as if she didn’t see him the other night. She was so drunk, though; she probably didn’t even remember the car ride.
“Expanding my business. I hired Hal to help with the summer influx.”
“Look at you, creating a business from the bottom up. I always knew you’d be okay. You’re smart.”
“Harper’s business is growing, too,” he said. He hated to talk about himself, but he’d be more than happy to boast about Harper.
“What, her painting?”
“She’s commissioning a lot more work, and her classes have been a hit in the community. I think she has a real chance of opening a brick and mortar in town.”
“Like you, my daughter has always been smart. The problem is, she can’t get out of her own way.”
“I’m not sure I get what you mean.”
“She’s so busy taking on everyone else’s problems that she doesn’t stop to figure out her own. She’ll never grow her company, because she’ll blame everyone else as to why she can’t do it. And she’ll find a way to make it all my fault just like it’s my fault she couldn’t go to college, or it’s my fault that she has to stay in this town. Never blames her father who is the one who up and left us. Left me as a single mom struggling to raise two kids. No, she doesn’t see that. All she sees is a drunk who is out to ruin her life.”
Milo hated getting in the middle of Harper and her mom, and while he understood what Judy was saying, Harper had sacrificed a lot for her mom. It was possible they both were wrong in certain things, but Milo wasn’t in a position to judge. The only thing he could do was what he always did. He listened.
“I get up and go to work, too. What’s the big deal if I like to unwind a bit and have a few drinks?”
“As long as you don’t drink and drive,” he said. He wouldn’t lecture her on the way she chose to live her life, but he drew the line at someone being irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel and endanger the lives of others.
“After what happened to you, I would never.”
“I appreciate that.”
