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UponMartha’sreassuringwords,Lysanderfeltafleetingwaveofanxietyaboutherownkitchendissipate-assheleanedforwardtopeekinside.Everythingappearedinorder<b>,</b>allowinghertoreleasethebreathshedidn’trealizeshe<b>was</b>holding.
Josiahfound<b>a</b>smallmeasure ofsceinMartha’sencouraginmentsanddecided,“It’sgettingquitteandthereisn’tmuchfoodleft.IthinkI’llstopthelessonhere<i>lol</i>
andhandlethecleanupmyself.”
“Allrightthen,”Martharespondedassheneatlyhungherapronbackinitsusualce.Sheadded,“Mr.Guerra,thesethingstaketime;youneedtolearnthemgradually.”
“Thankyou,”Josiahsaid,graciouslyescortingMarthatothedoor.
WhenJosiahswiftlyreturnedtobeginclearingthetable,Lysanderexpressedherconcern.“Marthaisn’tyounganymore,andit’salreadte.Howcouldyoulethergohomebyherself?I’llcacarforher.”
WhileJosiahwasbusydisposingofthespoileddishesintothegarbagebin,hereplied,“No need,shewon’tbegoingbackjustyet.She’sstayingintheguestroomnextdoor;I’vealreadygivenherakey.”
Lysanderpaused,hereyebrowsarchinginsurprise.“She’sstayingatyource?”
Mm,”Josiahaffirmed,thenqueried,“Doyoumind?”
“WhywouldI?”
“Because<b>she’s</b>alsoawoman<b>.</b><b>”</b>
“She’sawomaninmenopause,”Lysandersaidwithahintofirritation.
Josiah,pickinguponherjest,lightenedupabit.“Don’tworryaboutit,”hereassured,“I’llhandlethesetasks.Imay<b>not</b>begreatatcooking,butIcancertainlymanagethecleaning”
“Josiah,”Lysandercalledout.
Josiahpaused,stilldonninghisapron,bncingateinonehand.His hair wasdisheveled,andtherewerestreaksonhisface–eitherfromsootorsauce,it<b>was</b>hardtotell.
“What’swrong?”
“You’redoingallthis…Lysanderhesitated,“Didn’tyousaythatyouwerecontentwithkeepingthingsastheyare?”
“Ijustwanttostartoverwithyou,”Josiahconfessed.
AfterJosiahfinishedcingthedishes,hemeticulouslybegancleaningthetesandbowls.Hecedtheminthesinktosoakbeforereturningtowipedownthetable.
Hismovementsthroughthehouseholdchoresweresmoothandpracticed,evidencethathislessonswith
Marthaweretakentoheart.
Itwouldberudetospurnafriendlyperson,andJosiah’searnestdemeanormadeitdifficultforLysandertobeoverlycritical.Lookingtogetsomesleep,shesighed<b>.</b>“Youheadtothekitchen,I’lltakecareofthelivingroom.”
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“Noneed,”heinsisted,holdingtheclothfirmly,notallowinghertohelp.
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“Inthepast,Ilearnedmanythingsforthewrongperson,anditwasn’tjustyouwhofeltuneasy;Iwasunsettledtoo.Butnow,havingfinallyfoundtherightperson,it’sonlynaturalthatIstartlearningnewskillsthatcanhelp you.Indoingso,atleastIcanensureyoufort,andIsupposbackontherightpath,”heexined.
it’sa
yofgetting
it’sa
Lysander’seyshesflutteredslightly,hervoicesoft,“What’spastispast,let’snotbringitupagain.”
“Allright.”WhileJosiahengagedinconversationwithher,hedidn’tlethiswork suffer.Switchingtopics,hecontinued,“Theearlystagesofworkarealwaysthehardest,somethingIknowalltoowell.Yourpositionatthpanystillneedstimetostabilize<b>,</b>andyourdayswillundoubtedlybebusyandtough.Iwouldlovetotake
onthebulkoftheworkforyou,butknowingyourcharacter,you’dnevereptthat.Soaftermuchthought,Icanonlyoffertohelpwithsomesupportingtasks.”
Ashespoke,heturnedbacktothekitchen,slippingonapairofcleaninggloves.Hethenbeganwashingstacksofdisheswiththesamehandsheusedtosigndocumentsandtypeonthekeyboardatwork.
Ifanyonefromeitherofthetwpanieshadseenit,theysurelywouldhavedoubtedtheirowneyes.WhenLysanderobservedJosiah’ssteadymovements,sherealizedtherewasnoriskofhimworseningthings.Shesimplyasked,“So,yourideaofassistanceisdoinghouseworkatmyce?”
Josiahrepliedearnestly.“Inlinewithmyoriginalintention,Iwantedyoutobeabletoenjoydeliciousandnutritiousmealseverydayafteryoufinishworkandreturnhome.However,thereisagapbetweentheoryandpractice,soitmight takesometimebeforewecanachievethisgoal.”
Hewasn’tsureexactlyhowlongitwouldtake,butwithMarthanextdoor,atleasttherewasabackupnince.
Lysanderncedattheoverflowingtrashcanand,inanefforttobeeconomical,advised,“Everyonehastheirownexpertise,it’sbetternottomeddleinareasyou’renotskilledat.Ifyouinsist<b>on</b>helpingmewiththechores,itwouldbebettertoleaveittoMartha.I’llcoverhalfthecostofthegroceries.”
Ifpossible,shestillhopedtoestablishasclearboundariesaspossiblebetweenthetwoofthem.
Josiahwasadamantaboutnotlettinganyoneelsehandlethecooking.Hewasn’tsurewherethisconfidencecamefrom,buthespokeabouthistheorywithconviction.“Today,youtoldJosephthatit’snevertoteto<b>start</b>learningifoneiswilling.AnythingthatAdriancandoforyou,ofcourse,Icandoaswell”
Adrianhadonlyoncerestockedherrefrigerator,yet,unexpectedly,notonlyhadherememberedit,butithadalsolingeredinhisminduntilnow.
Afterwaitingforawhile,Josiahtooktheinitiativetoask,“Whydidyoustoptalking?”
Lysanderletoutalongsigh:“WhatelsecanIsay?ShouldIadviseyounottofollowAdrian’sexample?Hemightheedadvice,butyoumightnot.Mywordswouldprobablyfallondeafears.”
Josiahwassilentinthekitchen.Hewipedthewaterdropletsoffthecleaneddishesandneatlyarrangedthemontherack.Onlythendidheturnaroundandsay,“Everythingthathecandoforyou,Icandotoo.Evenwhathecan’t,I<b>can</b>.”
Josiahsawherstillstandingthere,unmoving,andurgedheragain.“It’sgettinte,youshouldgoback<b>and</b>getsomesleep.It’sgoingto<b>take</b><b>a</b>whiletocleanupall this,andthere’snoneedforyoutostayupwith
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mehere<b>.”</b>
Finished
Lysanderhadbeenfeelingexhaustedforawhile,barelystiflingayawn.Uponhearinghiswords,shedidn’tbotherwithpleasantriesandsimplyreminded himtolockthedoorwhenheleft.Withoutfurtherado,shewentofftoherbedroom.Asperherusualroutine,shelockedthedoorfromtheinsidebeforesettlingdowntosleep.
Perhapsduetotheburdenofwork–rtedworriesweighingheavilyonhermindbeforesleep,Lysanderdidn’thaveapeacefulrest.Whenshefinallyopenedhereyes,theworldoutside<b>was</b>stillshroudedindarkness,thebreakofdawnyette.
Hermouthwasdry,soshe decidedtoheadtothelivingroomforadrinkofwater.
Shegentlyunlockedthebedroomdoor.
Lysander,dinherslippers,steppedintothelivingroom.Insteadofthedarknessshehadanticipated,atwarmglowstretchedoutbeforeherfeet–the<b>wall</bmpwasstillon.
Thenextmoment,afamiliarvoicereachedherears,itwasunexpectedlyJosiahspeakinginStounian.
Lysandercautiouslysteppedintothesoftlylitlivingroom.As<b>she</b>triedtomakesenseofthescenebeforeher,sheblurtedout,almostreflexively.“It’salreadythreeinthemorning,whyareyou-
Hervoicewasquiet,almostwhisper–like,suchthatJosiah,whowasdeeplyabsorbedinaconversationthroughhisBluetoothheadset,didn’tregisterherpresence<b>.</b>
Inthelivingroom,whereonlyasinglewalmpwaslit,Josiahsatattheendofthecouch,fullyimmersedinhistasks.Thecoffeetableinfrontofhimwasupiedbyhisworptop,whichhehadcarriedoverfromtheadjacentapartment.Abriefcasewashaphazardlystackedonthesingle–seatercouchnearby,signifyingthatthisspacehadeffectivelybehismakeshiftoffice.
Lysanderlingeredinthebackground,hereyesadjustingtothedimlightasshewaitedforJosiahtowrapuphisinternationalcall.Onlyaftershesensedthattheconversationhadconcludeddidshecautiouslyapproach.
Shewasabouttoaskifhewasnningonsleeping,whensomethingonthptopscreencaughtherperipheralvision.Turningto lookmoredirectly,shefinallynoticedwhatwasdisyedontheilluminated.
<b>screen</b><b>.</b>
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