Would another person change everything?
She did not know.
So she kept watching.
Lucy met Nora on a Saturday morning when her father needed help reorganizing the garage.
Daniel had promised Lucy money for sorting old tools and cleaning the storage shelves.
She agreed because she wanted to purchase a better camera for a school project.
By ten o'clock, she was regretting the arrangement.
The garage smelled of oil.
The storage room was dusty.
And her father had apparently kept every spare bolt manufactured since the invention of the automobile.
"Dad!"
Daniel looked up from a motorcycle.
"What?"
"Why do we have seventeen boxes of screws?"
He grinned.
"Because someday we'll need one of them."
Lucy held up a bent metal clip.
"What about this?"
He examined it.
"That might be useful."
She groaned.
"You're impossible."
At that moment, a dark sedan pulled into the lot.
Nora stepped out.
She wore an elegant black blouse, cream-colored trousers, a short white jacket, and low leather heels. A wide white headband held her glossy bob away from her face.
She carried a paper bag.
Daniel smiled before he could stop himself.
"Morning."
Nora returned the smile.
"Morning."
Then she noticed Lucy.
Her expression softened.
"You must be Lucy."
Lucy stared.
"How do you know?"
Nora looked toward Daniel.
"Your father talks about you."
Lucy turned.
"Dad."
He shrugged.
"What? You're interesting."
Nora smiled.
"I'm Nora."
Lucy studied her.
The woman looked unlike anyone who usually visited the garage.
Her clothes were beautiful.
Her skin was carefully made up.
Her posture belonged to someone accustomed to entering elegant rooms.
But there was something nervous about her expression as she waited for Lucy's response.
Lucy extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you."
Nora shook it.
"The pleasure is mine."
Daniel watched them.
Then returned to his work.
Lucy glanced at the paper bag.
"Is that lunch?"
Nora laughed.
"Yes."
Lucy looked toward her father.
"You've been getting free lunches?"
Daniel sighed.
"Here we go."
Nora smiled.
"He repaired my motorcycle without charging me."
Lucy crossed her arms.
"Of course he did."
Nora laughed again.
Daniel pointed toward the storage room.
"Don't you have seventeen boxes of screws to sort?"
Lucy looked toward Nora.
"See what I deal with?"
Nora leaned closer.
"I suspect he means well."
Lucy smiled.
"Usually."
The conversation flowed more easily than Nora expected.
Lucy told her about school.