“You have a lovely home, and if you decide to rent me a room, I can help with the housework and the cooking and anything else you need. I have finals next week, but after that I’ll have a short break before the next quarter and can make myself available.”
“I appreciate the offer, Maggie, but that won’t be necessary. I understand you work two jobs and rarely have free time.”
So far, so good. “Do you have any questions for me?”
Joan shook her head and seemed comfortable after having met Maggie. “You’re everything I hoped you would be.”
Maggie’s throat tightened and she struggled to speak. “Thank you.”
“Would you care to see the room?”
Maggie didn’t want to make any assumptions. “Does this mean…you’re willing to let me live here?”
Joan grinned. “I think we’ll get along nicely.”
Spontaneous tears pooled in her eyes, which Maggie quickly blinked away.
Joan seemed to pretend not to notice. “The two spare bedrooms are upstairs. You can have your pick. We’ll need to shuffle a few things around so you can make the space your own, but that shouldn’t take much effort.”
“Okay.” This was the best news ever, more than she’d hoped, more than she felt was possible.
“Follow me,” Joan said, as she headed up the stairway.
Maggie dutifully traipsed up the stairs after Joan. The two bedrooms shared a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. Even a glance into the rooms told Maggie they had once belonged to boys. The rooms were typically male, with high school memorabilia and trophies from sporting events.
Joan waited while Maggie examined each room, then chose the slightly smaller of the two.
“This one is perfect.” It had a queen-size bed, which was much larger than the twin she currently slept in. What she liked best was the desk beneath the window, allowing in the light. She didn’t have a desk at her father’s house and balanced everything on her knees in bed when forced to study at home.
“That’s Nick’s old room,” Joan mentioned.
“Is he the son who objected to you taking in a boarder?”
Joan answered with a wry grin. “He is. My other son lives in Arizona. Nick lives here locally.”
“Will he be upset when he learns I’m living here, and in his bedroom?”
“Why should he be? Like I mentioned earlier, I make my own decisions. He hasn’t slept in that room in years. As far as I’m concerned, the space is yours.”
Maggie didn’t want to start out on the wrong foot with Joan’s son. “Perhaps I should take the other room, then.”
“No, you’ve already made your choice, and I agree this room suits you. When would you like to move in?”
Once again tears came close to the surface. “Would later today be a problem?”
“None whatsoever. Go collect your things, and by the time you return I’ll have dinner ready.”
“I don’t expect you to cook for me,” Maggie was quick to tell the other woman. She was grateful beyond words Joan had agreed to take her in as a boarder. Anything else was far more than she’d hoped or expected. Nor did she want to give the impression she expected meals to be included.
“We can discuss those details over dinner,” Joan told her.
“I’ll need to know how much you want for rent.” This was the last hurdle Maggie had to climb. If the fee was beyond what she could afford, she didn’t know what she would do.
Joan seemed to need to think about this some. “Can we go over that at dinner?”
Maggie needed to be sure the other woman understood that her finances were limited. “I…I can’t afford much…if it’s more than I can afford, would it be possible to make payments later once I finish my classes and am fully employed?”
“We’ll hash all that out later. No worries, Maggie, I can work with your budget.”
Maggie’s relief was instantaneous. “Thank you, but I won’t feel right until I know what you plan to charge.” As happy as she was to find a space to rent, Maggie needed to nail down the details before she packed up her belongings.
Joan shrugged, as if the rent was of little concern to her. “Is three hundred dollars a month fair?”
“Three hundred?” Her father charged her more.
“That isn’t too much, is it?”
Maggie beamed a smile. “It’s more than fair. I can easily pay that.”
“Then it’s settled. I have an appointment at six this evening. I’m hiring a lawn maintenance company. Dinner will be ready, and afterward we can finalize the details.”
“That’s perfect.” Maggie resisted the urge to hug the other woman. “Thank you again.”
“While you’re away I’ll move a few things around in Nick’s old room.”
“Oh, please, let me. I can—”
“Nonsense. Don’t be late for dinner.”
“I won’t.” As she walked back to her car, Maggie felt as if she was walking on air. One door had closed and a sliding glass one had opened. This was big. This was amazing. Only a day earlier she’d been fighting to keep her spirits up. Within less than twenty-four hours, everything had turned around. Joan was asking for a cheaper rent than Mrs. Royce wanted. It felt like a miracle, and perhaps it was. She couldn’t discount that her mother had been behind this from heaven.
Now all that was left was letting her father know she was moving out.
And frankly, that was a task Maggie dreaded, knowing how much he counted on her to help with the bills and his daily supply of beer.
Chapter 8
Joan stood in the doorway as she watched Maggie drive away. What she’d told the young woman was true. Joan was rarely, if ever, impulsive. Reaching out to Maggie had been completely out of character.
Before she’d left the salon, Charlene had hinted about Maggie’s unhappy home life, which had weighed on Joan’s mind. Her heart had gone out to the girl. Now, after personally spending time with her, she couldn’t imagine not helping the young woman.
After she’d spoken to the manager at Starbucks, Joan had been even more reassured. She’d learned Maggie was prompt, kind, and patient with the customers. The manager claimed she wished she had a dozen employees just like her.
Joan had also learned that following Maggie’s nursing classes, she tutored children with reading disorders. Every minute of her day was taken up. All Maggie really needed was a hand-up.
Now, after meeting Maggie, Joan was so grateful to Charlene and to her sister for suggesting Joan take in a boarder in the first place.
Joan found it difficult to admit how lonely she was. It had been easy to deny the silence. She’d always been more of an introvert and appreciated quiet times. For most of her life, she’d been a deep thinker, methodical, rarely acting rashly or on impulse.
She had that night. After talking to Charlene, as hard as Joan tried to put Maggie out of her head, she couldn’t. For reasons she would likely never understand, Joan had made the call.
Their conversation didn’t last long. The meeting time was set. The relief that followed was uncanny. As silly as it sounded, she recognized deep down with a certainty that she didn’t question that she was meant to help Maggie Herbert. For whatever reason, God had put Maggie in her path.