Page 66 of Rekindle My Heart

Erica nodded.

“Good. Please add the carrots a couple hours before. You know I don’t like them overcooked.” With a final air kiss, she was gone.

A big arm wrapped around her shoulders. “Come on, honey. Let’s grab those decorations, then you can tell me how work is while we clean out the garage.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Erica would make sure to check Mom’s note to see what else was on the list.

She reached for the latch on the ceiling and pulled the attic door down. It squeaked as she tugged but only opened a couple inches. She pulled harder.

Come on. With a firm yank, it finally opened completely. Unfolding the ladder, she crawled into the unfinished space. Memories of treasure hunts and hide-and-seek games filled her mind. Stale, hot air assailed her, and something that made her nose itch… mold?

Reaching out, she found the light string. She pulled, and the one incandescent bulb threw light over a litter of boxes, antique furniture, and lots of dust. Antiques Roadshow would have a field day in here.

Trailing her fingers over the oak crib that both she and her sister had used, she wondered why they’d kept it. She gazed at the spindles and the wide base, then back at the attic opening. “How the heck did they get it up here?”

“Do you need help?” her father called from the bottom of the ladder.

“No, I’m good.” Abandoning her thoughts, she found the boxes labeled “fall” and started handing them down one at a time. As she picked up the third box, she saw a fourth. She shrugged and grabbed that one as well.

She climbed down, closed the door so it sat tight to the ceiling, then reached for the first box.

“Leave it. Your mother will get to those later. Besides, the list only said to get the decorations out of the attic, not put them up.”

She shook her head. Her dad was a sly one. Always looked at the details. Now she knew why her mother always spelled everything out for them. But he had a point, so she followed her father outside.

The garage was the one place in the house that was Dad’s domain. It held the usual items like bikes, yard tools, and the mower, but Warren Randall loved to tinker. Whether he was fixing the car or making new patio benches, the man liked to stay busy. He grabbed the remote and turned on the fifty-inch television hanging on the wall over the work bench.

“How’s retirement going?” She picked up the broom and started sweeping out the dirt.

“Okay. I’m thinking about getting a job.” He picked up tools from his workbench and started putting them away in the toolbox.

She stopped, broom pulled back in mid-stroke. “Really? I thought you wanted to travel.”

He’d retired last year from the fire department with a full pension. She thought he was happy puttering around, doing projects.

“I do, but Dr. Nick is retiring next year, and she doesn’t want to make him train a new person if it’s only for a year. So, I might as well work part-time until she’s ready to quit at the chiropractic office.”

“That makes sense. I can see if they need some help at the station. I know you don’t want to go back out on calls, but maybe the chief could use help in the office.”

“Thanks, but I was thinking about applying at the local hardware store.” He slid his chisel into the drawer of his toolbox.

“I could see you doing that. But if you change your mind, let me know.”

“Thanks. I still have a few contacts there as well.” He smirked.

“I know. Heck, you trained most of my superiors.”

“Geez, now I feel really old.”

“With age comes wisdom.” She quoted back one of his favorite sayings.

They fell silent as they got to work straightening the area. The only sounds that registered as she worked were the clanking of tools and the sound of Chuck Norris’s voice as reruns of Walker, Texas Ranger played in the background.

Erica’s mind worked double-time as she did the mundane tasks. Sarah’s old Hula-hoop still hung from a nail on the back wall. She pulled it down and stepped into the ring.

“You used to love that thing.”

She did. Not this one, but hers, with rainbow stripes and sparkles.