Rewrite the Stars by Christina Consolino (classic fiction TXT) 📗

His reply arrived within an instant: Me as well. Enjoy your time away.

A smile graced my face as I ambled around to the front porch at a little after eight in the evening and placed my feet upon the sagging, cedar steps. Lexie and Delia, possibly even Charlie, would be in bed if the afternoon had been full of outdoor activity. The wood squeaked under my shoes as I touched the edge of the red, painted door and peeked through the side lights.

The end table lamp illuminated the living room area. Lena and Theo sat on the pin-striped sofa, watching a sitcom of some sort, the glow of the television highlighting their grins. My curiosity got the best of me as I looked at the two of them, both so close on the furniture, as if they’d known each other for longer than a day. A slight pang of—what, jealousy?—murmured within me, an emotion that shocked me for two reasons. One, I might be seeing something that wasn’t there. And two, my feelings for Theo had been extinguished long ago, as evidenced by my encouragement for him to sign the divorce papers.

I opened the screen with a light hand and turned the brass doorknob, entering the living room. The dry heat from the electric heaters brought tears to my eyes, blurring my vision. Even with my sudden presence, Lena didn’t jump back from Theo. Instead, she pushed the button on the remote control and placed it on the coffee table before giving me her undivided attention. Theo followed her lead and moved to catch my gaze. My glance danced back and forth between the two of them. Was I being unreasonable and seeing something? Was my mind preoccupied by my own flaws and projecting? What did Theo think about a young woman like Lena, a stranger, sitting so close to him?

“How was the library?” A trace of fatigue laced Theo’s voice as he pushed his hands through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose, both telltale signs he was annoyed. By my arrival or by my going to the library in the first place?

My work bag slid off my shoulder to the floor, where I scooted it with my foot into the corner so the children wouldn’t disrupt it in the morning. “Not as productive as I had hoped, but I finished enough for now. I do need to go back tomorrow...”

“But you promise not to be there the whole day.” Theo finished the sentence for me as his eyebrows rose to his hairline.

Lena must have sensed discord for she rose from the couch to gather up the water glasses and headed to the kitchen, her footsteps so light they barely registered in my ears.

“Yes, I promise.” I pulled off my gloves and stuffed them into the coat pocket before shrugging the garment from my shoulders. “And I mean it. I have a call with Jackie at nine thirty, and I’ll go to the library at ten, which means I should be done with the first installment by noon.”

Theo quirked his eyebrows, a silent notice of his disbelief. The sound of dishes in the sink indicated Lena must be cleaning up the kitchen, something I’d have to remember to thank her for before she left for the night.

“Hey, I mean it, Theo. I love this cottage, this place.” My gaze darted around the room, taking in the familiar furniture, photo collages, and books before it landed on Theo again. This place...but not you. Why was I still questioning myself?

“Yes, but you also love your job.” He looked at me as he spoke that simple truth, as if daring me to deny it. His posture—tight shoulders, straight neck—told me he expected my rebuttal, something I’d give to him to avoid the answer to the question I’d asked myself.

“I do. But this job is keeping us afloat right now. Without this job, our budget would be tighter. You’re only working part-time, and that’s to be expected. But we wouldn’t be here, at the cottage, if it weren’t for my job.” Utter irritation clawed at me as my voice fought to stay low and not wake up the kids. Theo had probably meant to start an argument, but I didn’t want to rise to the bait. What he said was the truth—my job sometimes came before family time—but right now, what I said was also the truth. We needed my job.

A simple shuffling of feet behind me forced me to turn and acknowledge Lena, who held her thin coat and purse in her hand. She placed the purse on the floor as she slid her slim shoulders into the arms of the fleeced denim jacket.

“Well,” she said, “It was a pleasure to meet you all, but I should get going. I’ve got a few projects of my own to do at home.” As she adjusted her collar, she inclined her head toward Theo. “Do you need me tomorrow? I’d be more than happy to come for part of the day. I’m not sure I’m needed here the whole time: the kids were great, and Theo seemed fine today.”

Theo would prefer I not go back to the library and spend time on my work commitments, but in my mind, the outcome was a given. He nodded slightly, and I knew I’d won the battle. When had our life gotten so competitive? Our situation—on many levels—needed to change soon.

“Sure. Can you come by about nine fifteen or so? You may have overheard—I have a call at nine thirty. I’ll aim to be back by noon. If you can get lunch ready, I’ll be here to help set the table, and of course, you’re welcome to stay and eat with us.” I looked at Theo before I continued. “We appreciate what you’re doing for us, so always plan on staying to eat if you want.”

“Thank you. I had a good time today with the kids, and I hope I was helpful.” Lena turned toward