Chapter 39

“Hey, Mom.”

“How’s the house cleaning coming, dear?” Dale’s mother asked.

“Not bad. I’ve still got quite a way to go. I’ve been selling off some of her extra stuff a little at a time.”

“Antiques? I know she collected some very odd things.”

“You have no idea,” Dale was tempted to break into laughter. “But it’s fine, even interesting at times. Aunt Mildred’s assistant has been invaluable.”

“Assistant? Do you mean that nice foreign exchange student that did her yard work? I met him once.”

“His name is Riadh. He did a lot of miscellaneous jobs for her.” Lord that was an understatement and a half.

“You sound fond of him.”

“I am.”

“Does that mean you’re dating him?”

“I’ve…yes, sort of.” Dale didn’t want to get into details. Jesus, the embarrassment.

“He seemed like a nice enough boy when I met him.”

“When you come home at Christmas, maybe you should bring him along.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Take care, honey. I’ll talk to you soon.” 2