I have long, wavy, coffee-dark hair that snags in its own knots very easily, and right now, it’s an unruly mess—I shrug and turn away from the mirror. What I can’t see won’t hurt me.
The strong wind hits me as I step outside and onto the upper deck. The salty smell of the water reminds me of my early morning runs by the East River in New York. Mom was right, the view from the upper deck is much better. The bay is a dark shade of blue, calm, and surrounded by mountains and evergreen islands. Whidbey lies ahead, and I wonder what it holds for me.
The locals sure know how to enjoy a beautiful sunny day. There are boats and kayaks everywhere and fishermen on the pier. I would love to kayak or do some diving. I would just love to be in the water—to feel calm and untouched.
As I head back to the car, I spot my mom talking to a tall, red-haired woman. “Livia!” Mom calls out as she sees me approaching. “Come here. I want you to meet Mrs. Cooper. She is a good friend of mine and our neighbor.”
“Hi, Mrs. Cooper.” I shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Please, call me Karen,” she says, looking me up and down. “I’ve heard so much about you. You’re as beautiful as I thought you would be.”
“Thank you.” I give her a shy smile.
“So I hear you’re starting senior year,” she continues eagerly. “My son Adam is, too, and you’ll be going to the same school. It would be a good idea for the both of you to meet. It would be nice for you to already know someone on your first day.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” I think I should sound more enthusiastic toward the idea, but I’m always a little apprehensive about meeting new people. However, I’ll stand by the promise I made myself: I’ll try to be more social.
“How about we have you all over for dinner this Saturday?” She looks at my mom. “I would love to have your family over at the house.”
Mrs. Cooper blurts it out in such a begging tone that my mom can’t say no. I can sense that Karen has an overwhelming need for attention, a desire to be liked and approved of.
“We would love to, Karen.” Mom smiles.
Mrs. Cooper’s need is satisfied, for now. “Great! We’ll see you Saturday.”
* * *
“Wow!” I exclaim when I see our new house.
It’s two stories high and built of exposed timbers, just the way Dad always dreamed his retirement home would look like. I personally love all of the natural wood and the stone foundation. The second floor has a long porch that wraps around the house. The windows are long and wide to let in all of the sunshine of a cloudless day like today has to offer.
“Welcome home!” Mom says, sweeping her arms out as she presents our new home.
As we walk in the house, I see dark hardwood floors throughout, which contrast with its eggshell walls. Finding my way around, I gasp as I step in my room. All of my twenty white Chinese lanterns are hanging from the ceiling, matching the curtains. My bedroom wall is sage green, my favorite color. I slide open the double doors to my walk-in closet—my own walk-in closet.
I open another door and find myself in my very own bathroom. “A Jacuzzi?” I gasp in utter surprise. “That’s so cool!”
“Knock, knock.” My dad is leaning on the door. “So, how do you like it?”
“I love it, Dad!” I can’t help the massive smile on my face as my eyes rove the space. “It’s a beautiful room.”
“I want you to come with me,” he continues. “I have something to show you.” Again, I feel him filtering his emotions.
As I follow Dad outside, I wonder if any other seventeen-year-old girl has a bedroom this nice. My parents have always tried to fill in the blanks by spoiling me. They feel bad for their constant absences, due to the amount of time they spend at work—and maybe, too, because I’m adopted. They’ve never managed to understand that the material doesn’t matter to me. I just love them. They took me into their lives and gave me a family. I accept what they buy me because I know it eases their guilt, though it never eases mine.
Dad and I walk outside and everyone else follows. I see a beautifully polished wooden deck with a built-in stone barbecue and a wood burning pizza oven. To my right, I see a guesthouse. We have a nice-sized yard covered with fresh sod. The Northwest landscape is infused with the tranquil feel of a Japanese botanical garden, and that odd local charm is extremely noticeable here. The roses hang heavy with blossoms and a flowery smell drenches the air. There is even an inviting koi pond that is catching a bit of the afternoon sun. I want to sit on the bench and soak it all in, but Dad isn't finished.
“So, you see anything interesting?” he asks.
“Are you serious?” I laugh. “It’s beautiful. We have a hot tub? I can’t wait to get in it!”
Dad laughs, too. “I am glad I got a big tub enough for all of us. But I want you to look past the backyard, Livia, a little further down, to your left.”
Puzzled, I turn around, searching for something to my left.
My mouth falls wide open once again as I take in the sight of a barn—a horse barn—and two horses standing outside.
“Oh my God,” I barely get the words out. “You didn’t! That barn is big enough for a whole team of horses!”
He’s laughing and his emotional filter fails—he’s full of radiant joy at my surprise.
“There are just two for now,” he explains. “One for me, one for you; eventually, I’ll get one for the boys, too. Your mom didn’t want one, but the barn has five stalls in it in case she changes her mind.”
This is more than I ever wanted. I can’t believe I actually have a horse now. I give my dad a tight hug, mumbling into his shirt, “Thank you so, so much. I can’t wait to ride them with you.”
“Not so fast, Livia,” he scolds not unkindly. “They are young, and they still require training. The black one is a male and he is four and a half years old. His name is Sicilian. The Appaloosa is five years old. Her name is Aphrodite.”
I pull back and look at him. “When will I be able to ride her?”
“Soon,” he smiles reassuringly. “She is almost fully trained. I bought them from Mr. Cooper. Their older son, Adam, trained her himself, and he’s coming over next week to help you out. We’ll have him and their horse trainer, Alo, to work with the horses, and a helper to feed and keep up with the barn, but I do expect you to take care of your horse as much as you can.”
“I will!” I nod ecstatically. “I absolutely, positively, one-hundred-percent promise.”
I am so happy that I wish my dad had my empathic abilities so he could know just how happy. Words aren’t enough.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up to a bird’s song. It feels like I’ve slept way too long. I grab my phone from my nightstand, but it’s only nine a.m.—my body is still on New York time.
I sling myself out of bed anyway and head downstairs to find my mom in the kitchen.
“Hey, Mom, what are you doing holding that pan?” I tease. She has a smile on her face and she’s proud of herself. I’m proud of her for trying; I don’t remember ever seen Mom cooking before. Whenever Annette wasn’t working, we had to get takeout.