“Well, all the way through his surgeries and rehab, he was pretty well taken care of—he had insurance, disability, plenty of support—he was a pro ball player. He also had some money set aside—a large sum he’d gotten for signing his contract. I imagine he could’ve used that to live on, to pay for college, that sort of thing. Maybe his father is mad about that—that the money didn’t stay in the family. I told Seth we didn’t want his charity and he just said it wasn’t charity. That I’d have to earn it every day. It beats me just how he thought I’d do that. He set up the trust so that when some of my benefits ran out, there would still be help. He told me, ‘Take care of this here, Oscar, because that’s all I got and there ain’t no more.’”

Iris was speechless.

“He didn’t tell you?” Oscar asked.

She shook her head. “I bet he didn’t tell anyone.”

“He’s got a big heart, that boy. And you remember, he was a kid then. Not a wise older man, but a kid whose dreams were destroyed. A kid who was gonna have a lot of work ahead just to get by.” He shook his head. “He’s going to make a good father.”

“Has he talked about that? About wanting to be a father?”

“Here and there,” Oscar said. “He mentioned that a couple of kids with the right woman would make everything he’s done in his life more meaningful.”

Iris felt her eyes well with tears. “What a coincidence. I feel the same way.”

* * *

It didn’t take Seth long to get those storm windows up and then he and Oscar got to that ongoing game of chess. Flora tended her dinner and then took Iris upstairs to show her some of her quilts and petit point—she loved needlework. And while Oscar and homemaking might be a lot of work, there was lots of time she could lose herself in sewing. Since Oscar couldn’t get upstairs, one of those bedrooms was dedicated to her quilting. When she watched TV with Oscar in the evenings, she liked to stitch. “Now that the kids are grown I have lots of quiet time and, don’t tell anyone, I enjoy it. The kids worry that I’m overworked and lonely and I think I’ll just let ’em think so. Keeps them on their toes. Keeps ’em coming around to help their father.”

They had a wonderful dinner together, though Oscar complained that he had to succumb to being fed, which he disliked in front of company. But Flora hushed him and had a very organized way of parceling out a bite for him, a bite for herself. They shared a plate, Oscar and Flora. And when the meal was done, she held his hand and they talked and laughed.

It was nine before Iris and Seth said goodbye and headed for a hotel.

“You did pick a nice hotel,” she said.

“I looked for one with the best breakfast,” he said. “We can relax in the morning before tackling that big drive. Thanks for coming with me, honey.”

“I love Oscar,” she said. “And I love Flora.”

Seth nodded. “Kind of an inconvenient way to find new friends, wouldn’t you agree?”

“They’re very grateful to you.”

“Not as grateful as I am to them. What happened to us changed everything. You never really know how much one small single act can change things. At the end of the day, I think I’m better off where I am today than I could’ve been. I think this is where I’m meant to be.” He smiled. “And when we get into bed, I’ll be in an even better place.”

“Seth, Oscar told me about the money. The trust you set up for them.”

“He has such a big mouth. That’s probably why I haven’t ever brought anyone with me to meet Oscar before.”

“Do your parents know what you did?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t tell them. I don’t know who the Spellmans told. It doesn’t matter, Iris. No matter what any accident report or jury says, Oscar and I were in it together. It was our accident. I tried to help because I could, that’s all.”

* * *

When Iris got to school on Monday morning she saw what she expected. Many of the teachers had been in the building over the weekend to get a good start on their personal holiday decorating. There were wreaths and garlands, Santas and elves, images of gift-wrapped boxes on doors and Christmas trees on windows.

She brought her two boxes of decorations from home and, for lack of a better idea, put them in the cubicle her student assistants used. The corridor that the school nurse, counselor, assistant principal and office staff shared looked like it could really use some cheering. But she had too much to do and it would have to wait until after school. She had phone calls to make, meetings to attend, paperwork to process and a couple of teachers to talk to about special presentations for students.

When she got back to her office after grabbing a quick lunch, the girls were giggling. She poked her head into the cubicle. “Someone making milk come out of his nose again?” she asked.

Krista lifted up a gnarled pile of twinkle lights from one of Iris’s boxes. “No, not that. This year can I please help you put these decorations away so that next year Misty doesn’t have to deal with this disaster?”

“By all means, you’re hired. But I want you to know something. I put them away neatly and very well organized. In the eleven months I wasn’t looking at them, they did this to themselves. I think they get bored and unhappy....”

“Right,” Krista said. “We’re going to stay after school and help you put them up. There’s no way you could organize this wreck and still decorate. Really, Ms. McKinley.”

“I told you, not my fault! I’m very tidy.”

“Right,” they both said.

A little while later Krista left for her next class and Misty stayed on for her hour in the counselor’s office. Iris looked in on her later and saw that she seemed to have that tangle of lights pretty well organized. “Wow. Thanks, Misty.”

“You’re welcome,” she said brightly. “They were a wreck.”

“I know. Sorry. But in other areas of my life I’m neat as a pin. If you want some very bad news, I have lights for the house, too. I’m afraid to look at them.”

“I’m not signing on for that,” she said.

“Things seem to be going okay for you these days,” Iris said.

“I think working in this office helped a lot,” she said. “I like Krista. Hey, you didn’t tell her to be my friend, did you?”

“Of course not! I asked her to help you if you needed any orientation in this office—she’s been an assistant for a couple of years. She’s a nice person but I think she picks her own friends.”

“She is nice. And she has some good friends—they’re nice, too. I’ve been having lunch with them sometimes. Three of them are going to the university together. They’ll be roommates.”

“You’re going to miss her next year.”

“We’re going to chat on Skype,” Misty said with a smile. “Stephanie asked to have lunch with us one day and I wanted to tell her to get lost, but Krista said it was fine. I asked where her new best friend was.... Okay, I didn’t say it like that. I asked her where Tiffany was and she said, Algebra. But Tiffany used to have the same lunch, the one I wasn’t invited to join. Something’s up there.”