Page 100 of Seasons of Love
“Yes, since Tyler started it.”
“That’s nice of you, especially when you’re already busy with work and raising a baby.”
I stop scrubbing the pan for a moment and look at him. “I live right around the corner, so it’s no big deal.”
“You’d be surprised how many people can help and don’t or won’t, so don’t sell yourself short,” he says.
“Why are you here?”
Ellis is as taken aback by my question as I am. What the hell has gotten into me? I almost want to take it back, but I’m curious. What brings him to this side of Stillwater? How did he come to know Tyler in the first place, anyway?
He folds his shirt sleeves and starts washing the cutlery in the smaller sink next to mine.
“I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know there was such a class divide in Stillwater.” He laughs to himself. “Even saying that sounds so wrong.”
“It’s the truth though. A lot of folks from here, especially the older ones, used to work at the old mill factory in Chester Falls. When it closed down, everyone lost their jobs.”
A pang of sadness hits me as I still remember the day it happened.
It’s one of my earliest memories.
“A small town like Stillwater would never have enough jobs for everyone,” Ellis says.
I rinse the pan and grab the last one.
“Some retired. Some went on disability. There were…a lot of men who took their lives thinking their insurance would provide for their families.” I can hear my voice break as it all comes back to me.
My mom crying while cradling her pregnant belly. Me holding my favorite teddy and asking her why she was crying. My dad was home during the day. He was never home during the day.
I clear my throat.
“Anyway. How did you meet Tyler? He’s not usually the sociable kind, and he doesn’t have kids, so it can’t have been at school,” I say, changing the subject.
When the hell did I get so chatty around Ellis? Where’s tongue-tied Milo who doesn’t ask inappropriate questions?
Ellis lets out a laugh that makes me forget everything and reawakens the butterflies in my belly. The small lines in the corner of his eyes return, even as he’s rolling them.
“Believe it or not, my sister tried to set us up on a date.”
“Oh.” That’s the butterflies all gone. Puff. No more.
Thankfully, he’s still washing the cutlery and doesn’t see my reaction, so he carries on. “I don’t know what even possessed her to think Tyler and I would be a good match.”
I look at him. A flicker of hope—well, more like keeping my little dream alive—rises in my chest, but he’s still distracted.
“He’s a great guy, though, and I’m so glad I met him. I think we could become good friends. And I would never know about the support he’s giving the community. I mean, how many of my students come from this part of town, and I don’t even know it?”
“There’s a lot of good people in this part of town,” I say.
He turns to me and his eyes are on mine, capturing them, holding them hostage because I can’t look away.
“From what I can see, there’s at least one good person in this part of town.”
He slowly removes his gaze from mine, which is just as well so he doesn’t see me blushing or my infatuated smile.
The rest of the team comes back after a while, having gotten the hall ready for the cleaner, and with Ellis’s help, the dishes are done in half the time.
“Good effort, team. Thank you all for coming again. See you for more fun and games in a few days,” Tyler says. “Now, skedaddle off home. I’ll lock up.”
