“Aunt Claire, this is Dylan. He’s the best physical therapist ever.”
Dylan smiled and slid his gaze to Jo. Claire didn’t miss the way his cheeks flushed. They turned the same rosy hue as Jo’s did in the seconds before they both looked at the ground. Dylan cleared his throat before raising his chin.
“Nice to meet you. My buddy Kevin told me about helping you the other day, with wiring the trains. That’s awesome.”
“He was a great help.”
“I’d love to see the set-up sometime. Hey, Kevin, why don’t you show us how you can pick up a garden rock with your claws on? Mind if I sit?”
Claire and Jo scooted to the outsides and made room for Dylan in the middle of the watermelon. The swing jolted under his weigh. As Jo turned to lean forward, her knee bumped into Dylan’s. When she startled the swing went into motion again. She hadn’t seen Jo this nervous around a member of the opposite sex since they were freshman in high school.
Dylan cleared his throat a second time. “I know the claw hands seem silly, but Jo told me you’d noticed Kevin’s decreased dexterity with a screwdriver. I wanted to give him a tool to begin to get used to the idea of manipulating objects with fingers operating as a single unit in opposition to the thumb.” He used a more serious, matter of fact tone that she would have expected based on the monster noises earlier.
“Got it!” Kevin thundered up the porch steps.
“Cool. Now show us how you can move the rock from one hand to the other.”
The boy’s smile as he transferred a rock between two giant claws proved contagious. His joy spread to Claire until she grew lighter and her cheeks tightened into a grin.
“Aunt Claire, will you let me try turning on a train with these? I want to be super-lobster-Lego-man for Halloween and maybe for Thanksgiving and Christmas too.”
“You can certainly help me decorate for Halloween. As for the rest—”
“Didn’t we get you a different costume last week?” Jo rescued her from having to break Kevin’s heart. “Since Claire approves, you can help her with Halloween for sure, and we’ll see how it goes from there. I’d hate to make a promise we can’t keep because some random ice storm hits.”
“Okay, Mom.” His enthusiasm faded.
Hope was a powerful tool, but Claire had learned firsthand how devastating broken promises could be. She didn’t want to add to Kevin’s burdens. “I’m certain we can have you bring those claws to the store one afternoon so you can turn the trains on and off, even if you aren’t in full costume.”
“Okay. Can I have a snack?”
Jo looked at the sky, Claire followed her gaze. The sun was dipping lower, but clouds covered the color.
“It’s getting late. I should probably get dinner started. Stay for dinner?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Dylan’s yes came as Claire said her no. The expression on Jo’s face was decidedly flustered.
“Walter insisted I have dinner with him and Sandy tonight.”
Dylan winced. “Oh, did I overstep? I wasn’t—”
“No. It’s okay if you don’t mind staying past the appointment time. I know Kevin will be so excited. Why don’t you two go in the house, and I’ll walk Claire out... to the sidewalk.”
After the boys went inside, Claire hugged her friend. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. And I know you are stressed about the holiday trains. We’ll make something work. My grandma said where’s there’s a will, there’s a way. It might seem hopeless and overwhelming now, but there are always options and always something new to try. We just have to stay open to possibilities.”
“Thinking of which, do I need to make a Dylan figurine for a scene with you? He seems smitten with you, and I saw the way you looked at him.”
“If Kevin found Dylan in the display, he’d be thrilled, but don’t you dare dress him up as a groom and put me beside him in a dress. I know how you think. Since one couple got married after you put them together—”
“Two dating couples and three as newlyweds, although one of them was by the groom-to-be’s request as a wedding proposal, so that doesn’t really count. My figurines had nothing to do with that.” Even though she knew they did. You couldn’t have wish fulfillment without the wish first and some people needed the visual nudge before opening themselves to the world around them.
The pupils of Jo’s eyes disappeared as she looked skyward. A giggle trickled out of Claire. “Okay, okay. No pressure, but is there any possibility of you two getting together?
Jo glanced at the house, then at the motorcycle parked in front. “I can’t. He’s good looking, smart, fun, great with Kevin, but he’s too young. He’s got his whole life ahead of him.”
“How young?”
“Twenty-three.”
“That’s five years. It’s nothing.”
“And he’s like an employee. As Kevin’s physical therapist, there are ethical lines. Kevin needs the hope he brings more than I do.”
“Hope is important.” Claire hugged her friend one more time. She leaned in close and whispered, “Just stay open to possibilities.”
THE WIND PICKED UP, blowing brown, yellow and orange leaves from the trees. She’d need a new tube of Cadmium Orange if she were going to paint these leaves, but only on canvas. She’d tried making individual leaves out of multiple materials, but none worked yet.
Claire checked the time. She could go home and get her car, but the wild weather was better. She needed to start walking if she wanted to get to Walter and Sandy’s on time for dinner. If she took the short cut through the cemetery, she could amble at a leisurely pace, but the thought of facing her family and sharing her shame with them put a chill down her spine. She zipped her jacket against the cold wind rushing down the cemetery hill and opted for the sidewalk. The rustling leaves made a strange sound, almost human. They seemed to whisper, “All’s well, ends well.”
“I should have driven. If this keeps up, I’ll
