Page 32 of Wishing for Love

“Let’s go,” she said. “We can get it over with. Elsie told me what she wanted too. We can compare lists.”

“I should have figured she’d give you a list too,” he said.

“Uncle Nix might forget,” she said, nudging him with her elbow as they walked up the stairs.

“You think it’s funny she calls me that, don’t you?”

“I think it’s cute. I do like Phoenix. It fits you better. Stronger.”

He knew he was going to blush and didn’t know why he always did around her. He never had that reaction before with anyone else.

“Thanks.” They turned into Elsie’s old room. It was purple now and he hadn’t realized it’d changed. “This is it.”

“A little girl’s dream room,” she said. “I only have five toys on the list. Two dollhouses and a few dolls.”

“The same,” he said.

Together they found them and moved them downstairs and into his SUV.

“Is there anything you need to get of Maryn’s for Elsie?” she asked.

“I’ve got all of Maryn’s jewelry. That is in the safe at my house. She didn’t have a ton, but a few nice pieces. I wouldn’t know what to take in terms of clothing.”

“Elsie talked about a few scarves,” she said. “That she liked to put them on and play dress up.”

“Oh,” he said. “She didn’t say anything to me.”

“I can go in and look if you want,” she said.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s not like I came in here. I don’t remember the last time I was upstairs. Maybe when Elsie was a baby and I was watching her. Once she was a year old, she was staying at my house rather than me always coming here.”

“Which I have to say was super sweet of you to do. I’m not sure I know too many single men that would do that.”

“Don’t forget how many siblings I have. I’ve been babysitting and changing diapers most of my life.”

“I guess when you say it that way, you make a good point.”

They moved into Maryn’s room. Jesus, he had no idea what he was going to do with all of this furniture.

“Her closet is over there,” he said.

Crystal moved over and looked through everything. He popped his head into the primary bathroom and saw the makeup all lined up neatly on the counter.

Between the clothing in the closet and the items in the bathroom, he started to sweat. He needed to sit down and take a few deep breaths.

He said he didn’t remember the last time he was here, but that was wrong. It was when he had to pick up the clothing for Maryn for her funeral. He walked in here and couldn’t do it and just stopped. His mother was with him and nudged him out of the way and did it for him and he was thankful.

It was a closed casket anyway, then cremation. The remains were in a pretty vase in the family room where they could see them if they wanted.

He knew it’d be too much to put in Elsie’s room and hadn’t offered.

“I think these are it,” Crystal said, coming out of the closet. “At least they are the only ones like the colors Elsie explained. Are you okay?” she asked, moving closer to him.

“Yeah. Just needed to sit.” Somehow he ended up on the edge of the bed and wasn’t sure how. He looked at the scarves. “I bought those three,” he said. His throat was starting to close up on him.

“You’ve got good taste. This one is silk, I think. Let’s get out of here. You shouldn’t have come in.”

He glanced at the silver and black scarf that had a few crystals on the end. “I thought I’d be okay.” They moved out of the room. “That scarf is silk,” he said. “A Christmas gift and then Maryn wore it to a New Year’s Eve party. She was looking at it online one day and I made a note and got it for her. As much as she loved to spend money, she didn’t often spend it for something like that once Elsie was born.”

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