Page 30 of Puck Your Bunny

Dave unhooks the chest harness and tilts the wheelchair back a few degrees to change the angle. He grabs Brendan's right wrist and supports his elbow, initiating a slow upward stretch.

Brendan groans. A loud, strained noise rips from his throat as the stiff joint fights the movement. His free hand curls tighter into a fist.

"I got you, Bren." Dave keeps his grip firm, pushing the arm a fraction higher. "Breathe through it, buddy."

Brendan makes another loud vocalization of sheer frustration. I turn away and walk back to the kitchen. I sit at the small dining table and wrap my hands around my cold coffee. The sounds of the grueling session echo down the hall. My stomach twists with guilt. Skipping this means his muscles lock up for good, so we suffer through it.

Dave finishes up and heads out. The house falls back into a quiet, monotonous rhythm. Cali trots into the kitchen. The calico cat winds around my ankles, letting out a demanding meow for her afternoon snack. I scoop a cup of dry kibble into her ceramic bowl.

I head to the kitchen sink to tackle the pile of dishes. I plunge my hands into the warm, soapy water.

A loud, aggressive knock on the front door shatters the quiet.

I jump, dropping a soapy spoon into the stainless steel sink. The loud noise startles me. Unexpected visitors are rare here.Delivery drivers leave packages on the stoop. My neighbors stick to themselves.

I dry my hands on a dish towel and walk to the front door. I look through the peephole. A man in a bright yellow safety vest and a blue polo shirt stands on my porch. He holds a rugged tablet in his hand.

I unlock the deadbolt and pull the door open a few inches.

"Can I help you?" I keep my expression guarded.

"Vayda Moore?" The man smiles. He points to the logo on his polo shirt. It reads Apex Property Management. "I'm Marcus. I'm the project manager for the crews we have scheduled here this week. I wanted to touch base before we bring the loud equipment out."

"Crews?" I frown, pulling the door open a fraction wider.

I look past him into my front yard. Three men in matching safety vests stand near a massive wood chipper parked on the street. They unload rakes and chainsaws from the back of a flatbed truck.

"We have a landscaping team ready to clear the brush and trim the trees today." Marcus taps the screen of his tablet. "The concrete guys show up tomorrow morning to tear out that cracked driveway and pour a brand new slab. A roofing crew comes Thursday to handle the gutters and replacing the roof."

Panic hits my chest like a blow. A new concrete driveway costs thousands of dollars. Landscaping costs even more. My bank account is near empty. The medical bills and the cost of Brendan's nursing shifts eat up every penny of my savings.

"Stop." I hold my hand up. "You have the wrong address. I lack the funds for a new driveway. I have no money to pay for this."

Marcus gives me an easy, laid-back smile. He swipes his finger across the screen.

"You're all squared away, ma'am." Marcus turns the tablet around and hands it to me. "An anonymous client hired us to manage the upgrades. You owe us nothing."

I take the device with shaking hands. I scan the itemized digital list. Brush removal, Tree trimming, Concrete demo, and New driveway installation. The total at the bottom of the screen makes my stomach drop. Next to the total in bright red readsPAID IN FULL.

"We want to walk the yard with you first." Marcus retrieves the tablet and tucks it under his arm. "Make sure we get the landscaping the way you want it before we start cutting."

I stare past him at the massive wood chipper. The bold red font blurs in front of my eyes. Someone with a massive bank account and endless resources decided to fix my broken house.

I know who has the money to pull this off.

"I want you to leave." I grip the edge of the front door. "Take your guys and go."

"We can pack up the trucks and head out." Marcus shrugs. His tone stays calm and conversational. "But my crews are paid for the week regardless. The client covered the whole bill upfront. If this was my house, I'd take the gift. It's a great upgrade."

I stare past Marcus at the massive wood chipper and the crew waiting for the green light. My pride screams at me to turn them away. Accepting a handout from three Alphas feels like a giant concession.

The reality of my bank account kills my pride. The cracked concrete is a trip hazard. The overgrown bushes block all the natural light from the living room. I need this help.

"Fine." I hand the tablet back to Marcus. "Let's walk the yard." I step out onto the porch and close the door behind me.

Marcus gives me a calm smile. He tucks the tablet under his arm and leads the way down the front steps.

We spend the next fifteen minutes navigating the overgrown mess of my front property. I point out the giant, thorny bushes choking the front windows. I show him the dead branches hanging over the roofline, threatening to crash through the shingles during the next spring storm. Marcus taps away on his screen, organizing the crew's priorities.