Page 2 of Mine For The Winter

“I made you a lunch today, honey.” Kelly pushed herself up from the kitchen table and grabbed the brown bag from the refrigerator. Cole walked back into the kitchen, his sneakers and coat on, his bag dangling from his hand. “Cheese and ham. Your favorite.”

“Thanks.” He smiled at her and she couldn’t help smiling back. Cole was a good kid. Sure, he didn’t know the value of money yet, but he was learning, maybe too fast. She wanted to protect him from the realities for as long as she could. He was only a kid, he didn’t need to worry about money or work or anything else. That was her job.

“No problem, kiddo.” She ruffled his hair and he ducked away with a wrinkled nose.

“I just brushed that.”

“I thought it needed a little zhuzhing,” she told him, winking. And he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling again. “You have any after school activities?”

Cole shook his head, stuffing his lunch into his backpack. “Nope. Not today.”

“Then head straight to the Tavern. I’ll make you dinner there.” And then her dad would take him home and Kelly would work all night.

That was their agreement these days. Ever since her dad’s knees had started failing and he couldn’t physically stand behind the bar anymore. She ran the place and he did the accounts. Between them, somehow they were keeping the business going.

“Gotta go,” Cole said, looking up at the kitchen clock. She could remember taking it down from the wall to teach him how to tell the time when he’d just started kindergarten. It made her feel wistful.

“Come here.” She pulled him close and kissed his cheek.

“Mom.” Another eye roll.

“You’re not too old for kisses from your mom,” she told him as he pulled away. “I’ll see you after school.”

“Not if I see you first.” He grinned and ran out of the backdoor, heading for the road where the bus would pick him up. She wasn’t allowed to walk him there anymore. At the start of the school year he’d told her with a serious voice that he was too old for that.

And it hurt, but he was right. Her son was growing up. A few more years and he’d have bristles, an attitude, and a deep voice.

She wasn’t sure she was ready for that. Maybe it was the time of year, or the fact that her son was growing up, but she could remember another boy turning into a man. Another voice breaking.

Her chest clenched.

She didn’t have time for stupid reminiscences. Didn’t have time for much except working, eating, and sleeping. Sighing, she pushed the memories away and grabbed her purse, walking down the hallway to the closed door at the front.

She put her ear against it but couldn’t hear a thing. So she rapped on the door with her fingertips.

“Dad?”

There was no response for a minute. Then she heard the groan of the bedsprings followed by the slow pad of footsteps to the door. She’d had her dining room converted to a bedroom for him when he moved in with her a while back.

“Kelly?” Her dad frowned. His hair was messy, his face creased from sleeping. “What time is it?”

She smiled at him, because even though he was old and in pain he was still the man who’d brought her up single handedly. The one who’d been able to carry barrels of beer without getting winded and had made sure she had everything she needed, the same way she was trying to do for Cole.

“Just before eight. I need to head into town to pick up some things. Don’t forget you have your appointment at twelve.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” She could have swore he rolled his eyes. “Don’t see the damn point though. It’s not like I can afford to have the surgery.”

“You’re having it,” Kelly said firmly. “We’ll work out a payment plan.”

Her dad’s eyes caught hers. He looked tired. And she knew he was constantly in pain. He couldn’t even live on his own anymore, not when it hurt him to walk up stairs. Luckily her house was a bungalow and he had everything he needed on the ground floor. “Cole needs the money more than I do.”

“Cole’s absolutely fine. You don’t need to worry about him.” Her voice was firm.

“He needs new skates.”

Ah, so he’d heard them talking. Not a surprise, this place was too small for the three of them, and the walls weren’t exactly soundproof. “And he’ll get them. The same way you’ll get a new knee.” She shot him a smile. “I’ll see you at eleven-thirty to drive you to the doctor.” He couldn’t drive, either, thanks to his knees.

“I got a ride already,” he told her. “Charlie Shaw’s gonna take me.”

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