Page 15 of When Cardinals Appear

“There’s a lot of furniture to move around,” he retorted. “I’d like to break down the beds and move as much downstairs as possible to avoid having people traipsing through the house, messing it up right as it goes on the market. I also thought they could help stage the furniture you and I are keeping for when people come to see the house.”

“But wasn’t there anyone else you could have asked?” I moaned.

“Nate’s guys literally lift heavy things for a living. And they’ll do it for a couple of beers and some pizza. It seemed the most obvious choice.”

I stared at the ceiling. There was no denying he had a point. It would cost a fortune to hire movers, especially on such short notice. But I didn’t want to see Nate again. The car was one thing, and I wasn’t above begging Steven to deal with it. But this?

“I can’t believe you asked him without clearing it with me first.” I tried to sound strong, though my voice trembled.

“Come on. It’s just for a few hours.”

“No, Steven. Mom made me executor, and I think this task should fall to me.” I hated myself for pulling rank, but there was no way I was going to spend another afternoon in uncomfortable silence with Nate Sanders.

“Fine.” Steven sounded sullen. “Then what do you suggest?”

I considered my options. “I’ll call around tomorrow and price-check movers. And I’ll reach out to some of my old friends. Maybe they know someone.”

“Well, while you’re calling around, you need to find an appraiser as well for anything we want to sell in the estate sale.”

“Okay,” I said with a resigned sigh. “I can do that too.” For what felt like the millionth time, I questioned Mom’s decision to make me executor.

“I do have someone in mind, if you’re interested. As an attorney, I do work with them often.” Steven’s tone had moved from sullen to sarcastic.

“Please send me their information,” I said, trying to appease him.

He was silent for a moment, and I checked to make sure the line hadn’t disconnected.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t pick you up earlier. How much was the car?” Steven asked, and my shoulders relaxed at his friendlier tone.

“I don’t know yet. They said since it hasn’t been driven in months, there are a lot of repairs needed.”

“Do you need transportation in the meantime? Rose might be able to drive you around.”

“I’m not planning on going anywhere for a while,” I said. “But I’ll keep her in mind.”

We chatted about the day, then Steven had to go. I pulled up an app on my phone and searched for local movers before bookmarking the various sites. I hoped I would be able to find an affordable moving company, but I wasn’t above begging friends and neighbors. Anything to avoid spending more time with Nate.

The next day went by without incident. I continued to go through the house room by room. I also took a break to call the movers I’d reviewed the night before and get estimates. Steven’s assessment of the expense was accurate, and I feared Nate might be our best shot after all. But I wasn’t willing to admit defeat just yet.

I woke up early on Friday, ready to meet Steven to discuss the furniture. As I sat at the table, sipping my coffee, a flash of red caught my eye. A cardinal was perched on the back porch railing, looking in at me. Was it the same one I saw the morning after I’d arrived? I stood and took a few cautious steps toward the window, not wanting to scare it away. The cardinal cocked its head as if it wanted to speak. A smattering of black dots sat near its beak, like freckles, and its wing tips were tinged with black. Something about the bird’s presence was soothing, and the tension that I’d carried in my shoulders for the past few months eased. The front door slammed, and I jumped.

“Hallooo?” Steven bellowed.

“In the kitchen!” I called. When I turned back to the window, the cardinal was gone.

“Morning, sis,” Steven sang out as he entered the room. He’d already removed his coat and pushed the sleeves of his dark-blue sweater up his arms. “Are you ready for a busy day?”

I smiled and nodded. “Where would you like to start?”

Steven looked around the kitchen. “First, I’d love to have another cup of coffee.” He grabbed a mug from the cabinet and made himself a cup before adding cream and sugar. I returned to my seat at the table, and he joined me.

“I’ve gotten through most of the rooms and have divided up the items but figured you’d want to take a look,” I said.

“That sounds like a good place to start. Once we’ve sorted through the small items, we can clean the furniture and make some decisions.”

“I wasn’t sure if you and Rose would want any of Mom’s dishes or cookware.” I gestured to the pots hanging from the ceiling and the pale-white cabinets where the everyday dishes were stored. “She kept the china in the divorce, so there’s that too.”

Steven squinted through the doorway to the dining room at the cherrywood china cabinet where the light-blue plates were displayed. “We don’t have much need for such a fancy set.”

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