by Rachel Magee
But right now, he’d never been so grateful for an overcompensation.
“If the solar panels get damaged, you can run almost everything you need from the other generator. It can handle the main floor air-conditioning unit, lights, and the refrigerator. Just try to steer clear of drying any clothes and running the dishwasher at the same time.” He unplugged the large metal box-like structure from the wall and wrapped the cord around it, getting it ready to load into the back of his minivan. “The whole house should be secure, but if you start getting nervous, the interior laundry is the safest room.”
He wheeled the giant machine toward his minivan. “Keep your phone by you. I’ll call to check in.”
“Wait. You think you’re leaving me here?”
Braxton stopped by the trunk of the vehicle and straightened up to look at her. “Of course. The house was built to withstand this kind of storm. You’ll be safe here.” He kissed her on her forehead. “But can you help me lift this into the minivan before you head upstairs?” He folded down the backseat to make space for the generator.
Millie shook her head. “No.”
He shot her a questioning glance. True, the three-foot motor was heavy, but Millie was stronger than she looked. He’d seen her lift some pretty big things all on her own while doing the renovations.
“I could make a ramp out of plywood, but I’m kind of in a hurry. Can you try to lift it first, and if it’s too heavy I’ll work on a plan B?”
“Of course we can lift it. I meant no, you’re not leaving me here.” Before he could argue with her, she squatted down on the other side of the generator and counted down. “Three, two, one.” Together they lifted it high enough to get the two wheels in the back of the minivan.
“I’m going with you. Plus, if we fold down the middle seats, we can take both generators, and it sounds like they could use them.”
Braxton stopped what he was doing and stared at Millie. The thought of her driving with him through the storm, one that was already blowing down trees and knocking out power, flooded him with fear. Here she was safe; out there on the road with only the thin metal of the minivan to protect her was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.
“No way. It’s too dangerous.” He rolled the generator farther into his car, making sure there was enough room to clear the tailgate. As far as he was concerned, this conversation was over.
“Apparently, it’s not too dangerous for you to go.” There was a hint of defiance in her tone. She wasn’t one to back down even when things got tough.
Normally, he liked that quality in her, but now… “That’s different.”
Millie propped her hands on her hips and glared at him. “How? Because I’m a woman?”
She had his full attention now, especially with that fiery look in her eyes that ignited something in him, the fierce determination he adored. But fear gripped him, squeezing so hard it was getting difficult to breathe.
“Because out there I can’t keep you safe.”
Her hands dropped to her sides and for a second a different emotion flashed across her face. Something that more closely resembled the look she gave him right after he kissed her.
She nodded and stared at her toes for a second before she reached out and took his hand in hers. “You’re never going to be able to keep everyone you care for safe. Not me, not Alice, and not Henry. Things are going to happen that are beyond your control.” Her words were soft and caring, wrapping around his wounded heart like a warm embrace. “And right now you need me. You could use an extra set of eyes to look for hazards as you drive and an extra set of hands to help you lift this. And the other generator will do a lot more good there than here with only me and Bear.”
A knot formed in his throat, because she was right, and not just about him needing her help. It was impossible for him to keep all of his loved ones safe. For so long he’d been doing everything in his control to physically protect the people he loved, but control was just an illusion. What he’d really done was shield his heart so it wouldn’t hurt so bad when things went sideways. But that was no way to live.
Millie had broken through his barriers and shown him that.
She gently squeezed his hand. “It’ll be okay. Let me come.”
The thought of something happening to her terrified him, but he drew in a deep breath, letting her confidence give him strength. “You sure you want to sacrifice the second generator? You might be singing a different tune when you’re sleeping in sweltering heat without air-conditioning.”
She flashed one of her dazzling grins. “I haven’t had a good reminder of summer camp in a while.”
Braxton’s heart tripped. While he might not be able to completely protect her all the time, he sure wanted to do his best to keep her around for a long, long time. “Why don’t you grab Bear and I’ll meet you at the other garage to load the other generator?”
Millie cocked an eyebrow, looking around. “You have a second garage? Fancy.”
Braxton chuckled. Leave it to Millie to help him keep his stress level in check. “You have six bedrooms, but I haven’t said anything.”
She shrugged with a sort of mock humility. “Seven, but who’s counting?”
Ten minutes later, the second generator was loaded into the minivan and he, Millie, and Bear pulled out into the rain. He’d driven in heavier rain before. The Lowcountry had a history of letting the skies open on a moment’s notice, dumping blinding sheets of rain on any poor soul who was unfortunate enough to still be on the road. They still hadn’t invented a windshield wiper setting fast enough to keep up with it.
Hurricane rain was different, though. It wasn’t as solid. Instead, it came in random blasts, blowing in from every direction at once. Sometimes, it even seemed to be coming up from the ground.
He knew this drive well. He’d done it almost every day for the past year. But today the familiar road looked eerie. There wasn’t another car anywhere to be seen. The big oak trees that lined the road shook angrily as he passed and the palmettos blew so far to the side that they threatened to touch the ground. Gusts of wind blew the minivan around as if it were an empty tin can, and he struggled to keep the car centered on the vacant road.
Finally, after what felt like the longest drive of his life, he pulled into Summer Island Memory Care Home’s vacant parking lot. Storm shutters covered every window and door, and if he didn’t know for sure that there were people inside, he would’ve thought it was abandoned. He drove around to the back entrance that the manager had told him to use.
Millie pulled out her phone and dialed the number they’d been using to communicate with Memory Care’s staff during their drive. “Hey. We’re here.” She paused. “Yeah, we’re at the back entrance.”
She paused again, listening, then laid her gentle hand on his wrist. Warmth billowed through him. It wasn’t lost on him how easily she fit into his life.
She lowered the phone from her mouth and looked at him. “He said you should back all the way up to the door.”
Braxton nodded and shifted the minivan into reverse. “Backing in.”
He swung around so the tailgate was pointed at the doors and slowly moved the van backward. Millie twisted around in her seat to watch his progress.
“I think if you get close enough to the building, I can climb through the car and help them unload it.”
Braxton kept his eyes on the backup camera. “Deal. Then I’m going to try to park under that covering over there.” He pointed to the overhang of the maintenance building. “It’s not total protection, but it’s better than nothing. And it’s an easy sprint to the door.”
“Bear and I will wait to let you in.”
“Good plan. I feel like we should be putting our hands in the middle to do some sort of team cheer,” he joked.
Millie stuck her hand in between them. “Go team on three?”
He shif
ted the car into park. But instead of putting his hand on top of hers for the cheer, he leaned across the seat so his face was inches from hers.
“Go team.” He gently kissed her lips. “Be careful.”
She blushed and a spontaneous grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. “Always.”
She climbed out of her seat and crawled through the car as he opened the liftgate.
“You must be Millie,” a familiar voice said. Braxton leaned around in his seat to see Ronnie, the head of maintenance. “Hey, Braxton. Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how much these two generators will help out.”
“Anything for y’all,” Braxton said, holding his hand up in a wave.
Millie climbed over the generators and helped Ronnie and one of the medical assistants lift them out.
Once both were removed, Braxton pulled forward, parked under the overhang of the maintenance building, and turned the ignition off. The main building was less than a hundred yards away. It was an easy walk across a paved parking lot, but with the winds picking up, the thought of running across it made his heart race.
“On the count of three.” He said the words out loud, as if some unseen person in the car was going to force him to go on the appropriate number.
Pulling his rain jacket hood over his head, he twisted around to look at his target. Through the rain, he could barely make out Millie’s face behind the glass door.
It didn’t matter what kind of storm was raging outside, she’d always be worth running to.
“Three,” he said, not bothering to count down the rest of the way. He flung the door open and dashed out into the rain. The wind blew at his side, but as he got near, Millie opened the door for him.
“See. Nothing to it.” She handed him a towel. He used it to dry his face as she locked the glass door. Turning the key that was stuck into the hole on the wall, the automatic storm shutter slowly lowered down, covering the glass doors.
“Where are the generators?” Braxton asked.
“Already in the process of being installed.” She grinned at him. “They said everyone is gathered in the formal room. That means nothing to me, but I’m guessing you’ll know how to get us there.”
“Formal room, huh? We’re going to have to socialize with some people.”
Millie shrugged. “I hear there’s a pretty exciting game of bingo going on at the moment. And a TV set to live coverage of the storm. You can choose your poison.”
Braxton flung the towel over his shoulder.
“It’s a tough decision, but I do love a good game of bingo.” He made sure the storm shutter had lowered securely into place before he opened the interior door for Millie.
“Come on. Fun is waiting.”
He took her hand and they walked down the empty back hallway in the direction of the noise with Bear trotting along by their side.
“This place seems nice.” Millie’s head swiveled around, taking in the sights of the empty hallway. “I haven’t been in a lot of nursing homes, but they all had a sterile, hospital feel. This place feels homier.”
The dark wood floors, crown molding, and private rooms did make it feel more like a home, which was what Braxton wanted. When it became clear that Henry was requiring more help, Braxton didn’t want his dearest friend to move into some cold institution. If Henry couldn’t stay at home with him, he wanted the closest thing to home they could get, and this was it.
They walked to the end of the hall where it opened up to the common space. Veronica stepped out of the kitchen holding a tray with two pitchers of iced tea.
“Braxton! You’re our hero as usual. Ronnie tells me your two generators, along with the one another family member lent us, will be enough to power all the medical devices, keep our kitchen functional, and maybe even allow the lights and air conditioner in the main part of the public spaces to stay on.” She beamed at him. “He’s hooking them all up right now so we’ll be ready when the power goes out.”
“Anything for Summer Island Memory Care Home.” Braxton swiftly shifted the attention to Millie. “I don’t think you’ve met my friend Millie yet. Millie, this is Veronica Nicholas, the heart and soul of this place.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Millie. And who is this handsome fella?” Veronica looked down at Bear.
“This is Bear. I hope it’s okay we brought him. I didn’t want to leave him alone in the storm.”
“Okay? Darlin’, he’s going to be a bigger hit than the generators.” She balanced the tray on one hand and reached down to scratch the top of Bear’s furry head with the other. “The residents are going to love you.”
“Can we give you a hand with something?” Millie motioned to the tray Veronica was holding.
“Actually, I’d love a bit of help, as long as you’re offering. We’re a little short-staffed at the moment and the storm has made some of our friends pretty anxious.”
“Just tell me what to do, and I’m here for you.”
Veronica shifted her gaze to Braxton. “I like her,” she said, nodding her head at Millie.
Braxton’s heart did that flip-flop thing again. He couldn’t agree more.
Before he got lost in the moment, Veronica had shoved the tray of pitchers in his direction. “Braxton, you take this into the main room. Millie can help me carry in the other two snack trays. And Sir Bear.” She turned to the dog whose tail wagged happily at the mention of his name. “You just be your doggone handsome self.” She scratched him behind the ears again.
As the ladies and Bear disappeared into the kitchen, Braxton made his way out into the main part of the facility. It was more active than usual. Kimmie, the activity’s coordinator, was calling a game of bingo in the dining room which occupied most of the residents while several medical aides sat in the formal room trying to comfort a few of the more upset individuals.
Braxton set his tray down on one of the empty tables and went to join Henry who was sitting at a table by himself with three bingo cards in front of him.
“That’s a lot of cards to keep up with for an old man,” Braxton joked as he slid into the chair next to his friend.
“There’s a big storm outside. Big storm. I didn’t know it was coming.”
Braxton’s heart lurched as he caught sight of the panic on Henry’s face. “Naw. Nothing you haven’t seen before. Plus, it gives you a chance to win back some of your money at this all-day bingo tournament. I know your bingo dollar bag was getting a little light.”
“What are you talking about? I always win at bingo,” Henry grumped. He paused for a second as Kimmie called the next number and marked it off on two of his cards.
“Why are you here? You’re too late for chess.”
“I had to bring over a generator. But since I missed our chess game today, I thought we might be able to play later. You know, as soon as you finish losing your money at bingo.”
Henry grunted. “I’ll see if I can fit you into my schedule.”
Braxton chuckled and settled back into his chair to survey the room. With hurricane shutters covering all the windows, it had a cave-like feeling. There was a general air of nervousness hanging over the room, but the staff was doing their best to overcome it with their bright smiles and reassuring voices. Braxton twisted around in his seat to take it all in when he caught the brightest smile of all.
Millie, carrying a tray of cookies, emerged from the hallway that led to the kitchen. Bear stood by her side, his tongue hanging out of what appeared to be his own happy grin and his leash wrapped around her wrist. When she met his gaze across the room, he jumped up to help her.
He grabbed Henry’s shoulder. “Also, I brought a friend with me today. Someone I’d like you to meet.”
“You what?”
Braxton headed away from the table and reached Millie just in time to grab Bear’s leash, so she didn’t have to balance the tray as
the dog tugged.
“Mildred?”
Braxton jerked and turned to stare at Henry, who’d gotten up from his seat. It wasn’t so much the word as the tone that caught him by surprise. It had a ghostly hint, as if he was far away.
“No, it’s…” Braxton started, but it was as if Henry didn’t even see him. Henry hobbled, more unsteady than usual, through the tables in their direction, his eyes fixed on Millie.
“Mildred, it’s you.”
Braxton’s gaze darted back and forth between Millie and Henry.
Millie’s welcoming smile never faltered as she stood there holding her tray of goodies.
“Yes, it’s me. But most people call me Millie. And I’m guessing you’re Henry.”
Henry had a look on his face that Braxton had never seen before, and something about it troubled him.
“My sweet Millie.” Henry kept walking toward Millie, the far-off look in his eyes almost enchanted. And that’s when Braxton’s confusion turned to concern. While there was something about this particular expression Braxton hadn’t seen before, he knew this look. The hollowness in his eyes, the lack of expression on his face. Henry’s mind thought he was somewhere else.
This happened from time to time. His mind would think he was somewhere from his past. He would mistake people and situations from those in his fractured memory. As the episode went on and more things didn’t connect, the confusion ramped up and frustration would set in.
“I was hoping you’d come. I was hoping I’d get a chance to apologize. And look, here you are.”
Veronica had noticed the situation and stepped closer. “Mr. Donovan, I think you’ve gotten confused. This is Braxton’s new friend Millie. She recently moved here from Chicago.” She spoke in a loud, even tone. “You’re at Summer Island Memory Care Home, where you live. And there’s a hurricane today so we have a few new people here to help us out. This is Braxton’s friend Millie. You’ve just met her,” Veronica repeated.
