“Not yet,” he said seriously. “I still mix up the meat eaters.”
She laughed softly, and I stepped closer.
“Everything okay?”
Mrs. Adele tucked the envelope behind the rest of her mail.
“Just bills, honey. They come whether you invite them or not.”
“Do you want me to read anything with you?”
“No, Carmen. Thank you. Elias handles most of that now.”
“Your nephew?”
She nodded.
“Since my eyes got worse, he put everything online.”
“Is he nearby?”
“Two hours away.” She gave a small, tired laugh. “He’s busy. I just hope he remembers the electric bill. It’s due today. These companies don’t wait for old ladies to find their reading glasses.”
Something about that made me pause.
“Mrs. Adele, if anything feels wrong, knock on my door.”
“Oh, Carmen,” she said, patting my arm. “You have Oliver, work, groceries, bills. I won’t be another thing for you to carry.”
Oliver looked up at her.
“Mom carries heavy bags all the time.”
Mrs. Adele smiled at him sadly.
“I know. That’s why I won’t add another one.”
I should have pushed harder.
Three nights later, Oliver stopped in the hallway with his toothbrush in his hand.
“Mom.”
“What, baby?”
“Mrs. Adele’s porch light is still off.”
I looked out the window.
Her little yellow house sat completely dark.
No porch light.
No kitchen lamp.
Nothing.
“She might be sleeping early,” I said, though I didn’t believe it.
Oliver disappeared into his room and came back holding his green piggy bank.
“She says porch lights help people find their way home.”
I glanced at my own stack of bills on the table.
Oliver saw them.
“Are we out of money too?”
“No, sweetheart. I’m just making sure every dollar knows where to go.”
“Then can some of it go to Mrs. Adele?”
“We can try to help.”
He hugged the piggy bank tighter.
“I want to help too.”
“Grown-up bills are big.”
“Then I’ll start small.”
“Oliver…”
“No.” His little face became serious. “I want it to be mine.”
“Why?”
“Because you already take care of us. You buy cereal and shoes and dinosaur toothpaste. Mrs. Adele takes care of me too. She gives me candy and asks about my spelling tests.”
I had to turn away for a second.
Then I grabbed my coat.
“Okay,” I said softly. “Your gift. My help. We’ll do it together.”
Mrs. Adele took a long time to answer her door.
When she finally opened it, she was wearing her winter coat inside the house.
