Sharon said, “There’s coffee in the pot and orange juice in the fridge. Glasses and cups are in the upper cabinet to the left of the fridge.”
Niki nodded and popped two pieces of bread in the toaster, then poured herself some juice while she waited. By the time she took a seat at the table, Sharon guessed enough time had passed to talk again. “So you’re going to apply for jobs today?” she asked.
“That’s the plan. I already called my old job and told them I quit because I moved and don’t have transportation.”
“Were they mad?” Sharon was curious. She’d never walked off a job in her life. There were times it had been tempting, but she’d always given two weeks’ notice and stuck it out.
“I’m sure they will be.” She grinned, revealing straight white teeth. “I left a voice mail.”
Ah, voice mail. That made it much easier. “I would have loved that option when I was your age. So many things are easier now.”
“Yep.”
Sharon took a breath and mentally launched into business mode. If Niki was going to be living there, she needed to know what was expected of her. “I realized that yesterday we really didn’t get a chance to talk.” Niki’s face clouded over, probably anticipating a lecture. Well, Sharon had no intention of going there. “We should probably exchange phone numbers, and I’ve got a house key for you too. That way you can come and go as you like.”
Niki looked relieved. “Since we’re talking, how much time do I have, and what are the rules?” She took a sip of her orange juice, her eyes still on Sharon.
“How much time do you have for what?”
“For staying here.”
Sharon took in a sharp breath. Since the initial phone call with Amy, she’d rethought the whole situation. When she’d met Niki briefly at the mall, she’d judged her as the scary tough girl, the one who didn’t take anything from anyone, and yes, there was something about her to back that up. She did, after all, opt to move out of the last house despite the woman’s objections, so something had to have happened, and Sharon was willing to bet it involved the man who’d watched as Niki left the house. Spending even this short period of time with Niki made Sharon reconsider her original stance. Amy had been right. The girl had been through difficult times, and she deserved a chance to turn it around. “As long as we get along, you’re welcome to stay for as long as you like,” Sharon said.
“As long as I like,” Niki repeated, as if she didn’t quite believe it. “And what are your rules?”
“I can’t really think of any offhand,” she said, almost apologetically. “Just be a considerate guest. Don’t leave wet towels on the floor, clean up after yourself—you know, all the commonsense stuff.”
“And what’s my curfew?” Niki asked with the practiced air of someone who’d gone through this many times before.
“Well, you’re an adult, so you can keep your own schedule, as long as you don’t disturb my sleep. If you’re planning on staying out late, let me know ahead of time. If I hear someone come in at three in the morning, I’d like to know it’s you and not some criminal breaking into the house.” This was the same agreement Sharon had had with Amy once she’d reached adulthood. It was borne of necessity more than anything else. Amy had been a good kid, and Sharon found she didn’t have the energy to stay up late solely to police her. And, honestly? Some circumstances required late nights. When Amy had been a young college student living at home, she often got off work at eleven. If she and her coworkers went to an all-night breakfast restaurant afterward and got to talking, coming home at two or three o’clock wasn’t that much of a stretch. “Does that work for you?”
“Sure.”
They sat for a few more minutes, Niki eating and Sharon, pen in hand, working on a sudoku puzzle. After Niki finished, she picked up Sharon’s plate and stacked it on her own, then rinsed them off in the sink and put them in the dishwasher. “So,” she said, almost nonchalantly, “how much rent will you be charging me?”
Instead of answering the question, Sharon said, “Amy says you’re saving up to get a car and a place of your own.”
“That’s the plan. It’s taking me forever, though. I was living in an apartment with some other people right after I aged out of foster care, but I didn’t have to come up with a lot of cash up front. I just moved in and paid them every month, so it didn’t cost so much.” She crossed the room and sat down at the table opposite of Sharon. “If I rent an apartment myself, I’ll have to come up with a lot more money. I’m okay with getting a roommate and taking a bus to get around, but even with that I still need the first month’s rent, or half the first month’s rent if I’m splitting it with someone, and then there’s the security deposit and furniture and buying all the cooking things.” She gestured back toward the cabinets.
“It’s a lot,” Sharon said in a kind way. She thought back to when she was young. How had she gotten started going from nothing to moving out on her own? Thinking back, her parents had sold her one of their old cars for a pittance. It was a gift, really. Relatives who had cast-off furniture and housewares had also contributed to her cause, and she’d gotten the rest at Goodwill and from clearance sales at Kmart. In the ensuing years, she’d bought things as needed, and in later years she’d sometimes even bought things that weren’t needed. Impulse purchases. Ruefully, she remembered the bread maker she’d used only a handful of times and the juicer she’d once vowed to use on a regular basis. She’d been able to get rid of the bread maker without an ounce of guilt, but for some reason she couldn’t part with the juicer. It was only a matter of time, though. Looking back, she realized that she’d spent the first half of her life acquiring things and was now spending the second half getting rid of them.
Niki nodded. “You’re right. It is a lot.”
Sharon made a decision. “Let’s not worry about rent for the moment. You can stay for free. You’re in guest mode right now, and if that changes, I’ll let you know.”
“Wait.” Niki seemed befuddled. “But you have to charge me something. I can’t just live here and not pay.”
“You can if I say so. It’s my house, and I can do whatever I like,” Sharon said. “As long as you’re working toward a goal, I’m good with letting you stay here for free. If you start spending your money on stupid stuff like gambling or drugs, I’ll rethink the whole thing.”
Niki frowned. “I don’t do drugs. Is that what you think of me?”
Sharon leaned forward, one palm flat on the table. Outside the window, behind Niki’s head, she saw a small brown bird alight onto the bird feeder suction-cupped to the glass. “No, Niki, I don’t think you do drugs, but the truth is that I don’t know you and you don’t know me, so I’m just putting it out there. I don’t want someone living with me who’s doing drugs or drinking to excess. It’s not personal—it’s just my policy. And who knows? You don’t know me at all. I could be a drug addict. The only thing we both know for sure is that Amy has vouched for each of us. I’m thinking that means we’re both okay.”