“He is hot. I just… I just couldn’t,” I admit, and she studies me closely then lets out a sigh.
“Not all aspects of your life can be planned out, written down, and scheduled. You need to live a little and have some fun.”
“I have goals, things that are important to me,” I defend myself.
“Yes, and you always meet your goals, but some events won’t fit on one of your lists of things you need to do.”
“You’re right.”
“Next time he asks yo—”
“If there is a next time,” I cut her off and correct her, not wanting to get my hopes up that there will be a next time. It was a fluke that I saw him today.
“Fine, if there is a next time.” She rolls her eyes. “Seriously, do you really want to look back on your life in fifteen or twenty years and think about all the things you missed out on because you were afraid to take a chance?”
“No.”
“Exactly, you don’t. So in order for that not to happen, you need to start living a little,” she scolds gently. “Seriously, I love you, but I don’t get you sometimes,” she grumbles, before pressing play on the TV. I pull in a breath then press my lips together. I don’t know if I will be able to do what she is telling me I should do, but I know she’s right. I don’t want to look back on my life and have regrets.
Chapter 1
Harmony
“THIS IS PERFECT,” I SAY as I spin around, taking everything in. The living room is huge with a white fireplace, and white bookshelves built into the wall on either side of it. The kitchen is open to the living room and has off-white cabinets and cream-colored granite with flecks of gold and wine in its surface. It offsets the pretty dusty rose-colored long cabinet separating the kitchen from the living room, with a butcher block top and three clear glass pendent lights hanging over it. Tipping my head back, I look up at the tall white ceilings with dark beams running upward, meeting in the middle, where there is a decorative crystal chandelier. Dropping my eyes to the floor, I check out the dark wood under my feet that seems to run through the entire house.
“You haven’t seen the bedrooms,” Michelle says regretfully, and I look up at her. “They’re small. Most of the square footage is out here.” She waves her hand around to encompass the room we’re standing in.
“I don’t care. I love it,” I tell her honestly, looking around the room again.
This has to be the hundredth house I have looked at since I started my search. I gave up on finding somewhere four weeks ago after I started my job at the hospital in town. Michelle assured me that she would find me a house, but I destined myself to an hour-long commute every day to and from work. When Michelle called me this morning and told me that she had a place I just had to see, I agreed to meet her before work, even though I didn’t really want to. Now, I’m glad I did.
At just over fifteen hundred square feet, it’s everything I was looking for and more.
“If you’re sure about this place, we need to put in an offer. The owner did me a favor letting you see it before she officially put it on the market. I know when that happens everyone and their mother is going to fight for it.”
“I’ll pay full asking price, and I won’t even ask for closing costs,” I tell her, and she smiles.
“Let me go get my paperwork from the car. While I’m doing that, have a look at the bedrooms just so you can be sure this is the one.”
“Sure,” I agree, watching her turn on her heels to leave. I wander to the sliding door off the living room and look out past the wooden deck. The yard isn’t very big, but it already has a five-foot tall white fence around it, so Dizzy can run whenever he feels like it. All I will have to do is figure out a way to put in a doggie door for him.
Spinning around, I head past the kitchen toward the bedrooms. The first door I open is a small bathroom with a pedestal sink, tub/shower combo, and a toilet. Going to the next door, I find a bedroom. Not a very big room, but if I put in a daybed, I can make it work. The next room is exactly the same size, perfect for an office. At the end of the hall, I open the door and step in.
Bright light is filling the room through a double bay window looking toward the neighbors’ place. This room is big enough for my queen size bed, and there is an attached bathroom that has been updated with gray wood like tile floors and cream-colored tile in the glass enclosed shower. Looking at the pedestal sinks side by side with pretty oval mirrors over them, I sigh in happiness and relief.
“So what’s the verdict?” Michelle prompts, and I turn to face her.
“Sold.” I grin then ask, “Where do I sign?”
An hour and a call to the owner later, my offer is accepted. Thank God. She also agreed to let me move in and pay rent until we close, since the house is now sitting empty, and she’s all the way in Florida and—in her words—“losing money everyday.”
With a smile on my face, I leave Michelle to lock up, and head for my car and get in. I look through the windshield at the house one last time after I put on my seat belt, shoving my key in the ignition. The house is cute with blue siding and black shutters. The front door is in the middle of the porch, and there is enough space that I can place pots on either side of it and fill them with flowers. The landscaping around the house leaves much to be desired, but I can fix that up myself on my days off, maybe plant some flowers and a couple more trees.
I take out my phone and snap a picture, sending a group text to my mom and my sisters so they can see the house. My sister, Nalia, who moved to Denver, is the first to text back an emoji of a smiling face with heart eyes. Willow’s text comes next with the same emoji. Right after that, my phone rings. Hitting accept on the call, I back out of the driveway.
“You finally found a house,” Mom says, sounding relieved. I know she’s been worried about me driving an hour each way to work and home every day, especially after working double shifts at the hospital. I love my new job, but working three doubles in a row is tiring, even if I do get four days off after working those shifts.
“Mom, wait until you see this place. It’s perfect,” I tell her as I stop at a red light. “The owner also agreed to let me move in and pay rent until we close.”
“I’ll tell your dad. You tell your cousins. I’m sure between the two of us we can gather enough guys to get you moved this weekend,” she assures, and I laugh.
“I haven’t really packed, Mom. It’s going to take me a few days to get that all sorted out.”
“Oh, hush. I’ll drag everyone I can get with me tomorrow and we’ll get you packed up in no time at all.”
“If you think you can get them all together, I won’t stop you,” I agree, making a mental note to at least pack up my bathroom and the side tables in my room so my mom and aunts don’t accidently run across any of my toys. That would be humiliating.
“I’ll call them when we get off the phone. When are your next days off?”
“The day after tomorrow, which is Tuesday then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”
“Perfect, we’ll get as much done as we can while you’re at work tomorrow, and then we will finish up on your days off and have you moved out by the weekend,” she says, and I smile, pulling into the hospital parking lot.