Between work and basketball, the week was brimming with activities. Keisha worked a lot—Denny’s was short staffed, hence why they’d hired her so quickly—and, unfortunately, she had to cancel her therapy appointment for the week. I took comfort in the fact that she’d gone to four sessions already, and I reminded her to ask about getting Tuesday evenings off in the future. I also made sure she had appointments scheduled through the end of March.
Nothing more was said about the missing gift card, and the more time went by, the more I thought about how ridiculous the whole thing was anyway. I watched Keisha count out her tips every night. What did she need to steal from Landon for? And how did she sell a gift card anyway? I imagined Keisha standing outside Sports Authority and waving people over with a “Psst, want to buy a gift card?” Who would buy a gift card from a stranger anyway? How would they know it wasn’t an empty card? The whole thing was silly.
Friday was a welcome reprieve and my first day off in five days straight—four ten-hour days and a twelve-hour shift. I was exhausted. John took the morning routine so that I could sleep in. Pure heaven. We’d gotten over our tension easily enough, like we usually did, and kept our focus on other things.
I got up at nine o’clock and thought about going running, but I got started on the laundry while John worked in the yard instead, and then I started reading up on Keisha’s school information. I wanted to make sure I knew the different deadlines for tuition and what she’d need before her first day, which was just over three weeks away.
John came inside and made me an omelet for a late breakfast, and we talked about the new job he was starting—custom cabinets for a condo in Newport Beach that was being remodeled by a Realtor. If it went well, he hoped it would lead to other jobs. He was giving the guy a great price in hopes of future projects.
“So what’s your plan today?” he asked while putting on his boots. He’d be working out of the shop at his dad’s for a few hours this afternoon, building the cabinet boxes.
“To be as lazy as possible,” I said, which was a joke. I really didn’t know how to be lazy. I needed to pay some bills, get the flowerbeds ready for spring, and catch up on a hundred other things in need of doing.
“Are you going to be running any errands?”
“I was planning to get groceries. Oh, and I need a new sports bra.” Assuming I’d get back to running anytime soon. It had been a few weeks, and I’d gotten out of the habit of my morning jog—the time just got away from me. Maybe a new bra would motivate me to return to my former hobby.
“That’s perfect,” John said without looking up from his boots. “We need new lacrosse pads for Landon, and practices start in a couple of weeks. Do you think you’d have time to take him after he gets home? You could get your sports bra while you’re there.”
Talking about lacrosse pads reminded me of sporting goods stores, which reminded me of the missing gift card and the argument from last weekend. I wondered if John was thinking the same thing, but I wasn’t about to bring it up.
“I can totally do that,” I said with a nod and a smile. I kissed him good-bye a few minutes later, then pulled open the kitchen drawer where we threw most of the mail. A few times a month, one of us would sort it, and today it was my turn. The drawer was overflowing, and I tried not to frown. What good was a day off if I had to fill it with another kind of work I didn’t get paid to do?
Landon was home by three, and we headed toward the closest sporting goods store, which just happened to be Sports Authority. We found my bra—though Landon wouldn’t come into the section with me—some lacrosse pads . . . and socks . . . and a jersey he just had to have before I put the kibosh on any more purchases.
We were in line when I saw the gift card display at the register. A horrible idea entered my mind, and I looked away in hopes the idea would disappear if I didn’t give it my attention.
Landon asked, rather ironically, if he could go look at the airsoft guns he’d buy once he found the card. Apparently he’d taken me at my word that it would show up eventually.
I told him he could go look and then found myself staring at the gift cards again. There were a few different styles to choose from, but I knew which design Mom and Dad had sent because it had a collection of sports balls on it. It was right there. Landon would never know. No one would ever know.
I looked away again. I would know. I would know that I had manipulated the whole situation. I would be lying to my husband and creating false trust toward Keisha. But . . .
“Is this everything?”
I looked at the clerk and smiled. “Yes, that’s everything,” I said, reaching into my purse for my wallet. I slid my debit card through the machine and found myself staring at the gift cards again. It was such an easy solution. John wouldn’t have to wonder if Keisha had taken the card, Landon would get his gun, and I would help create some extra harmony in our home. The pin number prompt came up on the credit card machine, but I hesitated. I looked around for Landon, but he wasn’t close by.
“Is it too late to add a gift card to this?” I asked, turning back to the clerk, who was patiently waiting for me.
“Not at all. Which style do you want?”