Yes, And by Cynthia Gunderson

Author:Cynthia Gunderson [Gunderson, Cynthia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Button Press

* * *

“You did what!?” Clara exclaims, setting her glass of water on the table and flouncing down in her chair dramatically. “Toby, that could have been really dangerous.”

“I think she had fun, actually. She wouldn’t admit it, but she seemed...lighter somehow when I dropped her off.”

Clara taps her fingers on the glass, pursing her lips. “Don’t you think this has gone a bit far?”

“How so?” Toby asks, crossing his legs and leaning back in the chair.

“Tob, seriously?”

He looks at her, not sure how to respond.

“This is all just...pure crazy! Jo isn’t all there, Toby. She lashes out at anyone and everyone, she makes up stories that are clearly not factually based, and now you’re egging her on! If Brett found out that you were purposefully stalking him⁠—”

“It’s not stalking...more like observing⁠—”

“It’s full on stalking, Toby,” Clara asserts, standing and beginning to pace. “And I get that Jo is doing well—I mean, honestly, better than well, considering—but it seems like entertaining her ideas is only going to cause her more harm in the long-run.”

Toby runs his hands through his hair. “Regardless of whether what she believes is true, it clearly hasn’t been helping her for people to tell her that. So what if her ideas are a bit quirky? Or if her plans don’t make complete sense? Would it be more beneficial for me to tell her she has to get out and be active and have her resent me for it? That’s what all the workers do! What harm can really come from me doing what she wants?”

“Toby, you had an elderly woman on roller skates yesterday. She could have killed herself. Someone could have sued you, and⁠—”

“Nobody is going to sue me,” he scoffs. “She has nobody, Clara. Literally nobody. It’s me, her cat, and her television. But this week, she was outside for hours, she did something she hasn’t done since the 70’s and she has all kinds of confidence from feeling like she has control over her life!” he asserts, and the intensity of his voice is shocking to both of them. He clears his throat. Clara stands in the middle of the kitchen, hands on her hips, pondering.

“Come meet her with me,” Toby says gently. “I think seeing us together will make you feel more comfortable with me spending so much time with her. You’ll see that it’s harmless.”

Clara meets his eyes just as the doorbell rings. Toby inhales slowly as Clara walks around the half-wall and down the few stairs to the entryway.

“Hey, babe,” Ian says as she opens the door. “Sorry I’m late, got held up.”

“No, it’s fine,” she says, resting her head on his shoulder as he embraces her.

“Everything alright?” he asks, leaning back to look at her face.

“Yes, sorry, just a long day,” she says, retreating back up the stairs.

“Hey Toby,” Ian waves as he rounds the corner.

“Hey,” Toby nods.

“Smells great in here,” Ian comments, sitting at the table, not even offering to help. Toby recognizes that there really isn’t much to help with at this point, but it still irks him that Ian doesn’t even think of it.

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