Page 5 of Burden to Bear

“I’m just as confused as you, Jamie,” I confessed. “I don’t know what it is, but this move wiped everything out of me. My brother came down on Saturday and helped me get all the big stuff situated once the movers transported it to the new house. We then unpacked a couple of boxes before he left to head back home. Todd was over yesterday, and we spent a good chunk of the day trying to get through the remainder of the boxes. We got most of it done, but I never expected it was going to take this much out of me.”

Suddenly, it was like a light switch had been flipped on inside Jamie’s head. Understanding seemed to have dawned, and the stress and worry I’d seen in her just moments ago were no longer there. “Oh, I’m so glad to hear you say that. My cousin and her husband moved into their new home about seven or eight months ago, and she had the same thing happen. If I recall correctly, it took her a solid month or two to get back to feeling normal. Apparently, it’s a common thing for some people to experience after they move. There are others who carry on like nothing happened, so it seems you’re just one of the unlucky ones. It’d probably be the same for me if I were in your shoes.”

My eyes widened.

As much as I was relieved to hear that what I was feeling wasn’t unusual, I didn’t know how I’d manage to deal with feeling like this for another month or two. I didn’t think I was going to make it through the week successfully. “What am I going to do?”

She shrugged and suggested, “Why don’t you take a week off and try to catch up on some rest while you adjust to your new home? You know I’d never not want you here, and no offense, because you know I think you are beautiful, but you look dead on your feet right now.”

I shook my head. “No. No, I don’t want to do that. I’m making some real progress with so many of my kids that have been coming in over the last few weeks. I don’t want to disrupt that for them, especially since they’ve got the holiday breaks coming up and won’t be getting the support they might usually have while in school.”

Just then, Freya popped her head in and said, “Good morning, ladies.”

“Morning, Freya,” Jamie returned.

Freya’s eyes fell on me, and before I could say anything, she asked, “Are you okay?”

I audibly sighed. “Just exhausted from the move this weekend.”

“Oh, that’s right. How’s the new house?”

A smile spread across my face. I might have been tired, but I wouldn’t have changed being where I was for anything. “It’s wonderful. Maybe after I catch up on sleep, make it through the holidays, and get myself completely settled, I can have all of you over for a little party.”

“That sounds like fun. I’m up for it,” Freya declared. “Unfortunately, we have to work now, and both of your first appointments for the day have arrived.”

With that, Jamie and I both stood and followed Freya out of the room. It was time to get to work, and I was grateful for that. Because at least I could count on the kids who came in to see me to keep me from falling asleep in the middle of the day.

Hours later, I considered it a win when I’d finished my day at work without even needing to doze off on my lunch break. The extra calories I’d burned over the weekend became obvious then, because I ate ravenously, like I hadn’t had a meal in weeks.

As I drove home, I thought about all the ways this move had impacted my life. While there were some downsides to it—most notable being the exhaustion—I believed the positives made it all worth it.

And when I finally turned onto my street and spotted my house a couple hundred feet away, any of the negativity I felt melted away. This was what I’d been working so hard for, and I’d finally made it happen.

It was only when I got closer that I realized there was a truck parked right at the end of the driveway to my neighbor’s house.

Brock must have just gotten home from somewhere, because when I made the turn into my driveway and came to a stop, so I could grab my mail, I realized his truck was running, and he was doing the same.

I got out, moved toward my mailbox, and waved. “Hi, Brock. How are you?”

He smiled and waved back. “I’m doing well, Mia. How are you?”

“Great.”

I pulled the mail out of my mailbox and walked in Brock’s direction. I might have had a boyfriend, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t give credit where it was due. Brock was a handsome guy. He was tall—much taller than me. He was wearing a beanie on his head now, but when I’d introduced myself to him over the weekend, he hadn’t been wearing a hat. His hair was a very light brown with bits of blonde in it. It was buzzed short around the back and sides, but straight, quite a bit longer, and slightly unruly on top. It was as though he’d put some product in his palms that morning and ran his fingers through it haphazardly. It was a great look for him.

Brock’s eyes were the color of whiskey, and there’d been a moment where the corners had crinkled, and his irises had sparkled on Saturday when he laughed at something I said. He wore a full beard that was clipped close and maintained. I didn’t suspect he let it get out of control.

And although he was bundled up in a thick winter jacket now, he had been wearing a T-shirt when I met him on the weekend. The man was built solid. He looked strong, but not in the way that I thought he’d enter any powerlifting contests any time soon. He simply looked like he ate well, could lift heavy things, and would likely win in a bar brawl.

Of course, I didn’t think that would be anything I’d witness any time soon or ever. Because to top it all off, Brock was a really nice guy. Not only had he not shut the door in my face when I went to introduce myself to him, but he also took the time to tell me what he did and offered to help me move anything if I needed it.

As soon as I came to a stop in front of him, he asked, “Just getting back from work?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do?”

“I’m a speech and language pathologist at Backyard Treehouse. We work with kids who struggle in different areas, and I work with them on speech and language,” I explained. “So, some kids have trouble with speech where they have a tough time with actually forming the words and sounds, but I have others that struggle with pragmatic language, which just means they struggle to understand the flow of conversation to be able to execute it well.”

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