It wasn’t exactly what Hanna wanted to hear, but it was enough. She wiped her eyes just as Tom walked through the door.
Instead of greeting him with a kiss, she grabbed her keys and a coupon off the counter and patted him on the chest. “Fix the oven,” she said. “Also, change of plans—we’re having pizza.”
* * *
The late sun was turning the sky Starburst pink as Hanna drove on the back roads to Remy’s Pizza. The evening breeze blew through her wavy butter-blond hair, and the sound of crickets chirped in the trees. For a second, she forgot she was in a bad mood. The world seemed to be at peace, and for the first time today, so was she.
Farther down the road, she came upon a sign written in black script with letters that read: AZALEA PLACE ESTATES.
Tom had worked on some of the houses in this subdivision. He would come home and rave about how nice they were turning out with their marble countertops and oversized glass showers with double pulsating heads. She always felt a twinge of jealousy when he’d talk about the subdivision. She wanted fancy countertops. She deserved a sexy shower. So why couldn’t she have either?
The truth was, no matter how bad she or Tom wanted it, there was no way they could ever afford to live there.
The development included everything from townhomes modeled after places in the French Quarter to mega mansions that sat on the river. The place would even have a retail shopping center with high-end boutiques and markets.
Without thinking, Hanna turned into the neighborhood and drove down the freshly paved concrete roads. Some of the townhomes were almost complete with black shutters on the windows, ornate steel numbers on the doors, and gas lanterns hanging in the entryways.
The further she drove into the neighborhood, the larger the houses became. At the end of the road, she spotted one of the biggest homes she had ever seen.
She parked the car and got out, looking around to see if anyone was watching her.
Just a few birds and a squirrel, otherwise all clear.
She walked onto the unfinished lawn and up the stairs of the front porch. The crystal-clear windows were sparkling, and she leaned in to take a peek inside the house. She noticed the walls were painted and the floors were installed—everything looked as though it was done.
She wanted to see more. A thought occurred to her.
She shouldn’t.
But she wanted to.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she jiggled the doorknob, and she was surprised it was unlocked. As she stepped inside, she inhaled the strong scent of fresh paint and wood.
Even though the sun was close to setting, the house still seemed bright as the large windows drenched light onto the meticulously painted white walls.
Her flip-flops slapped the solid oak floors as she walked, bewitched, through the home. The open floor plan featured a large main living area, where a quartz-topped island separated the clean white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen from the family room. Hanna noticed the island had space for four stools—one for each member of her family. On the wall next to it was an intercom system. How awesome would that be, she thought to herself. She’d never have to yell for her kids to come downstairs again—she could just call them on the intercom.
A grand stone fireplace was the focal point of the living space. She envisioned her family cuddling up together on the sofa and watching movies in there.
She walked through a small hallway to another room. Hanna’s jaw dropped when she saw the built-in bookcases lining all four walls of the room. “A library?” she exclaimed. “There’s a freaking library in this house?” Reading was her favorite hobby. She read every night before bed and could only imagine what it would be like doing it in there, sipping a cup of tea by the fire.
Upstairs, there were four bedrooms—each with its own bathroom. The lucky couple who got to live here wouldn’t have to share one with their kids. She was so jealous.
The master suite was everything she had ever dreamed about. It was massive and had a spacious en suite bathroom with a white soaking tub, glass-enclosed rain shower, double vanity, and marble countertops. It looked like a luxury spa, not that she had ever been to one. The closet was a room in itself, featuring a marble-topped island in the center with storage for scarves and jewelry, a built-in shoe rack that was as big as her current closet, and a sparkly chandelier. “I could live in here…” she said out loud with a sigh, rubbing her hand along the mahogany wood.
The room also had its own private terrace that overlooked the backyard. The sun was fading, but there was enough fire in the sky to highlight the sparkling river water in the distance. Hanna walked through a set of French doors and stepped outside, watching as a snowy egret pecked on the bank.
She closed her eyes and took another deep breath, inhaling the fresh air into her lungs. She could just picture what life would be like if she lived in a place like this. Everything would be different, she thought. Everything would be better.
Her phone buzzed in her bag all of a sudden, startling her.
Where you at? We’re starving, the text message from Tom read.
Sorry, it’s taking forever. Will be home soon! she wrote with a sigh. She took one last look at the river, then turned around and walked through the gigantic house back to reality.
CHAPTER 4 Lexi
Can I make a toast?” Hanna asked. Lexi lay sprawled with Hanna and Callie on the lumpy gray sectional sofa in Callie’s living room where they had spent many a girls’ night together. Tonight, they were sipping on glasses of Franzia Chillable Red and had just finished a lengthy debate about who had the worst week. Lexi felt like she won, despite what the other two thought. She grabbed another drumstick from their bucket of Popeyes on the coffee table as her sister began to wax poetic.
“Maybe it’s the wine talking, or the fact that I’m heading into a premature midlife crisis, but I’m feeling a little emotional right now,” Hanna said, raising the stemless acrylic wineglass with her right hand. Lexi noticed that Hanna’s plum-colored nail polish was so chipped it looked like she had done a cracked style on purpose. “If I’m a tree, you girls are my roots, and I appreciate your support when I’m feeling crappy.”
Lexi giggled to herself. She loved her sister, but Hanna had a tendency to get cheesy when she drank.
Hanna shot her sister a look and cleared her throat. “I just want to say how thankful I am for y’all,” she continued. “I couldn’t have chosen better little sisters.”
“Girl, you used to lock us in the bathroom so you could watch MTV by yourself,” Callie said, shaking her head.
Lexi burst out laughing. Leave it to Callie to keep things real.
“I did that, huh?” Hanna said with a guilty grin. “Anyway, that’s beside the point.” She waved her hand away.
“Okay, no more wine for you,” Lexi said with a laugh, taking the glass out of Hanna’s hand. “You’re getting too sappy on us.”
“Hush.” Hanna grabbed the wineglass back and held it in the air. “To my sisters. I love you both so much—nothing will ever change that.”
Lexi and Callie clinked their glasses to hers. After, they all simultaneously looked at the clock on the TV stand and realized the live drawing was only a minute away.