Helpful
That evening, Robyn turned the card over in her hand, alternating between Kristine’s number and the contact information for the woman from the barn. Grace Warren, Administrative Director. Art Department, Humboldt State University. Simple and professional with the school’s colors featured in the forest green of the lettering and the gold of Founders Hall, the building which had once been the entire campus.
She pursed her lips, considering whether this Grace was a friend or simply a colleague. She’d be surprised if they were more than work acquaintances. Even though her elegant business attire, absurd for the task at hand but nonetheless very attractive, the cut and style suggested that fashion, not function, came first for her. As an administrator, her closet was sure to look more like Barb’s than Robyn’s or Kristine’s. Workday or weekend, Kristine’s attire never wavered from her cowboy boots, jeans and tidy plaid shirts.
That the administrator would help out one of the adjunct employees had warmed Robyn, making her appreciate, again, the tight-knit community that was Arcata. People took care of each other here. The neighbors had noticed when she’d taken up residence in her grandparents’ old place seven years ago. Until she’d been able to secure a coast guard assignment at Sector Humboldt Bay and move back to Arcata, she had rented out the two-story house in Northtown Arcata.
Like distant relatives, the neighbors recognized her from the summer vacations she spent there as a child. Still, the number of them who had stopped by with fresh-baked goods or fruit in hand had floored her. It had been years since she’d been at the house and she was the sole member of her immediate family who had chosen to reside permanently in Arcata. Her brother had been called by their grandmother’s homeland and her parents had eventually followed him to be with their new grandson. She still felt her grandparents’ presence in this community of theirs that had welcomed her so openly. She knew that if she found herself needing a helping hand, there were many around her to give her just that.
She called Kristine to let her know she’d run into Grace and was happy to take care of Bean. “Is Caemon enjoying being a big brother?” she asked after they’d checked in.
“He is, but it’s tough for him to have our attention divided. That’s one of the reasons I asked Grace to take over Bean for me. I don’t want Caemon to feel sidelined.”
“He loves coming to the barn, though.”
“I know, but he’s getting big enough now that he isn’t entertained by mucking and waiting for me to give Bean a decent workout.”
“He’s entertained when he’s working with the tractor. If you bring him when I’m there, I’m happy to have him help with that again.”
“That’s nice of you to offer. Maybe I’ll try to bring him on Saturday and sneak in a ride too. If you’re sure.”
They agreed on a plan to coordinate Saturday afternoon, and Robyn heard Kristine stifle a yawn. “Have you got anyone in town to help out?”
“Gloria’s parents are here in Eureka.” She was quiet for long enough that Robyn wondered if she’d been distracted by the baby in the background. When she spoke again, she sounded even more exhausted. “They help as much as they can. One of these days, I’m going to have to be the grownup and cook supper again.”
Impulsively Robyn asked if they had a dinner set up for that evening.
“I’m just going to scrounge some kind of leftover together tonight, I think,” Kristine said. “Or order in.”
“No, you’re not. I’ll bring something by when I’m finished at the barn.”
“You’re already taking care of Bean.”
“It’s no trouble. I’d like to. When my brother and his wife had a baby, my parents went to Japan to help them get settled.”
“That’s amazing. How long did they stay?” Kristine asked.
“Nine years.”
Kristine’s laughter rang through their connection. “And you never had a kid to bring them back here.”
“Nope, and if they’re waiting for that, they’re never coming back.” Robyn waited out Kristine’s laughter before continuing. She smiled remembering how good it felt to make someone laugh. “I feel guilty for not being there when my nephew was born, so you’d be helping assuage my guilt.”
“I never say no to food.”
“Good,” Robyn said, feeling excited to plan a meal for them. After checking for allergies and preferences, she signed off and rubbed her hands together. She pulled some potatoes out of the pantry and harvested a few leeks from the garden, frowning at her beds. If Kristine’s baby had come in the spring, she could have created a salad with greens and berries from her backyard. She remembered Caemon’s joy when she mentioned her garden and smiled at the possibility of having him help harvest berries later in the year. Since garden pickings were slim at the tail end of autumn, she made a list to take to the co-op.
Back inside, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work on mixing bread. While she kneaded it, she figured out the timing for the soup and salad to be done and the bread out of the oven before she went to take care of the horses. The stopover at the barn would give the potatoes a chance to absorb the flavor from the leeks. Kristine would have to reheat it, but that should be the only thing she’d have to worry about for dinner.
In her workshop, she found a large bowl she’d made out of a beautiful old oak burl. The shed also yielded a nice basket that would hold the bowl and its bread. Wiping out the bowl, she had an idea and called Isabel.
“What does a nursing mother really want?”
“What kind of greeting is that?” Isabel asked. “And since when do you have a nursing mother to care for?”
“My friend at the barn has a new baby, and I’m making dinner for them. Soup, salad and bread. What else should I put in the basket?”
“Guinness. The darkest one. It’s good for producing breast milk. I lived on the stuff, and I wanted dark chocolate. Is this their first or second?”
“Second.”
“Make sure you put something in the basket for him. The big one so often can feel left out.”
“Thanks. I got it.”
“This is good. You have a new friend who’s getting you out of the house. Barb come get her shit yet?”
Robyn was quiet.
“You cannot let her steamroller you, mija.”
“I know. I’ll call her. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s all out of the way in the shed.”
“Whatever. It’s still not right how she’s treating you. The least she could do is make a clean exit, so you can get on with your life.”
“I’m getting on.”
“I’ll believe that when you’re cooking for a single girl, not a family, but this is a good start.”
Enjoying herself, Robyn pushed aside Isabel’s observations about her dating life and Barb and went back to the dinner plans. Having someone else to focus on, whether it was cooking for Kristine’s family or putting work into Jen’s studio space, made her feel freer than she had in years. For too long she had allowed her failing relationship to drag at her like diving weights around her waist. Slowly, she felt herself letting each weight of disappointment sink away while she surfaced, thankful for every breath.