20 Questions

Chapter 82

The guys head to their houses to drop off their luggage and we drive my parents to theirs to do the same. I give the boys the address to my house and tell them to meet us there when they get done. Helen is quiet the majority of the ride and I can tell she is nervous about this new life she is starting. I'm hoping our surprise will help ease her anxiety. She won't have a vehicle, but that is something that we can work on later. One big decision at a time. We leave my parents' house and drive to mine...or Helen's now.

"Whose house is this? It's really pretty," Helen asks as we pull in my driveway.

"It's mine. I bought it right after I graduated nursing school. It's not huge, but it's a great house," I tell her.

"I think it's amazing," she tells me, looking through the window.

I turn to Hunter and he is smiling at me. He is just as excited about this as I am. He finally got out of whatever funk he was in at the airport and I'm thankful for it. We exit the truck and go in through the garage. My dad brings in the small bag that holds all of Helen's belongings. It breaks my heart to think that this is all she has to bring home with her. It reminds of the day that I found out that the only things Jansen had to his name could fit in a small cardboard box. Jansen would have liked Helen.

"Let me show you around the house," I tell Helen, grabbing her hand and pulling her along behind me.

I take her room to room, showing her the new home she doesn't know she has yet. She compliments me on the paint colors I chose years ago and how nice the furniture is. She tells me repeatedly how much she loves the house and how cozy it is. I can't stand the suspense any longer. I am terrible at keeping secrets. We walk back into the living room where my parents and Hunter sit on the couch in front of the fireplace. I give Hunter a nod and he walks into the kitchen to retrieve her gift.

"I didn't even see the fireplace!" she exclaims. "I love fireplaces. In my old life, we didn't have one in our house although I really wanted one. The closest I came to a fireplace after that was in an alley with a barrel burning old trash."

She looks down, embarrassed and fidgety. I put my arm around her shoulders as Hunter walks back in with the small box, handing it to me. I place the small box in her hand, telling her we got her a welcome home gift. She looks at the box, up to me, back down to the box, then to my parents and finally down to the box again. She carefully removes the ribbon and takes the top off the box. She reaches inside and pulls out a set of keys.

"What are these to?" she softly asks.

"Those are the keys to this house and they are now yours," I tell her, her expression still perplexed.

"I don't understand," she says, tears in her eyes.

"This is your house now, Helen. I am going to live with Hunter."

"But I can't afford this house. I can't afford the lint on the floor," she says, embarrassment on her face.

"First of all, the lint on the floor is free, it comes with the house," I joke. "Second of all, we aren't asking you to pay rent or the mortgage or anything. We want you to live here until you get a job and back on your feet. Then, if you want to stay here, you can. But if you don't want to, I can sell it. The mortgage isn't very much and Hunter won't let me help pay so I am more than able to keep paying for it. My parents are willing to help with whatever you need, too. We love you, Helen. You are family now and this is what family does. We look out for one another."

Her hands shake as she holds the keys in her hands. Tears pour down her cheeks. I pull her in for a hug and we stand there as she cries hysterically on my shoulder. This woman has been through so much tragedy and pain in the last year and it feels like the dam finally broke. Through muffled sobs, I hear her say thank you a few times. My parents wrap their arms around us and Hunter stands behind me, rubbing my back.