Page 6 of Our Sadie
“Trip okay?”
“Yes, ma’am, uh Sadie. Thank you.”
I noticed this about him before, too, his tendency to go overboard on the manners. Ironically, of all of us, he has the thickest Bostonian accent. I only avoided it due to my parents insisting I cultivate a voice with as little accent as possible. It’d been something they’d each had to erase as news broadcasters.
“Jerome and Zach are on their way upstairs. Your rooms are on the right. Choose whichever one you’d like, though the other two may have already made their decisions.”
He shrugs. “I can sleep anywhere.”
And with that, he holds the door of my own home open for me, and our three-month-long experiment begins.
THREE: Trying Not to Think About It
DOMINIC
As grateful as I am to Sadie Vincent for working with me, being so far away from Paisley is making my skin pull too tight against my bones. It’s not that I don’t trust her caregivers because I do, but I’m worried what her reaction will be once I quit showing up in person. Especially when it goes on for several weeks.
I have done a practice run, though.
My sister and I shared a couple of video calls doing the whole Zoom thing last week, and it went okay. She seems to think it’s some kind of funky game and had a good time popping in and out of frame. But I can’t give her a squeeze this way or muss up her hair like she’s used to. Like I’m used to. My only hope is that she won’t notice.
If we can keep these calls up without her having a meltdown, we’ll be golden.
But if she does have a meltdown... I don’t know. I’m trying not to think about it.
And yeah, I know Paisley’s the reason why I took this gig with Sadie in the first place. If I can become this woman’s semi-permanent paid lover then I shouldn’t have so much trouble making the hefty payment to Serenity Adult Care every month.
Our low income means Paisley qualifies to reside in certain other facilities, but I’m not sticking her in one of those hellholes. Between the grumpy looks of the employees, the misery hanging over the residents, and the overall urine smell, that’s a big nope from me.
I’ll do literally anything to keep her where she is.
I sling my duffle on my bed and proceed to unpack just to have something to do. I caught glimpses of the other guys, but I’m so agitated right now I’m not sure I’ll say the right thing. Not to Sadie. Not to anybody.
“You can rest or explore or whatever you’d like,” the woman who’s simultaneously requiring me to be away from my sister and who’s also my best shot at financial salvation explains. Her face is unsmiling, and her tone clipped. Different from how she spoke to me alone. “A meal will be served downstairs in an hour. Turn left at the bottom of the stairs, and you’ll find the dining area.”
Sadie pivots to leave the common space where our three bedrooms slant off like the spokes of a wheel. She doesn’t respond or even pause as one guy replies in a soft voice, “Sounds good,” and the other gives off eager puppy vibes with his, “We’ll be there.”