Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
My mouth must have been practically on the floor. “I can’t believe this.”
Evan looked into my eyes. “You’re not upset, are you?”
“No. I just… I don’t know what to think. I never expected this in a million years.”
“The kitchen is almost done, but I can put a stop to further renovations for now so you can move in with your mom, if that’s what you want.”
I looked away as I considered his offer. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Okay, then don’t ask me. I’m telling you that I plan to put a stop to further work for now and let you move in there with Judy. Or at least bring her to visit. Whatever you decide is best.”
A sense of overwhelm hung over me. “I have to think about it. I mean, I can’t just take her home unless I get some help. I need to look into what she’d be eligible for in terms of home health care.”
He nodded. “There’s no rush. I just wanted to let you know that it’s an option. You can have the house, if you want it.”
“Thank you for giving me the choice, Evan. It means more than you could ever know.”
“Of course.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. “I can’t believe you bought it.”
“Please tell me those are happy tears.”
I wiped my eyes. “They are.”
“Wanna stop by the house before we get Effie?”
“Really?”
“Why not?”
“The workers aren’t there?”
“I don’t know. They go in and out. But it doesn’t matter. It’s my house.”
I sniffled. “I would love that.”
We returned to Mom’s room and sat with her a little while longer. Fortunately, she didn’t demand to go home again, and a peace came over me, knowing that bringing her back to our old house was now an option, once I sorted through the logistics. It felt like a gift I’d never imagined possible.
***
As Evan and I drove down the long gravel driveway leading to my family home, I got chills.
There it was, the two-story farmhouse where most of my best memories had been built. There was a wide, wraparound porch where Mom and I would sit and talk for hours. The light gray paint on the detached garage was peeling, but that was probably the only thing that looked much different. Everything else seemed the same as it had been decades ago.
When we got out of his truck, I just stood there a moment, peering up at the house. I was swept back in time. My parents were inside, Mom preparing dinner while Dad sat at the table with a scotch, telling her about his day. Fawn was upstairs in her room, listening to music so loudly that she wouldn’t hear the call for dinner. And Evan had just given me a ride home from the high school because he’d happened to be driving home from college and passed by after my cheerleading practice.
Evan stood behind me and rested his chin on my head. “What are you thinking about?”
“Just taking a little trip down memory lane.”
“Take all the time you need. Let me know when you’re ready to go inside. I don’t see any work trucks. They must’ve left for lunch, which is perfect so we can tour it in peace.”
“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen it since I moved out. I hadn’t even driven by the last couple of times I was here.”
“Really?”
“I didn’t think I could handle it, knowing it belonged to someone else.”
“But knowing that I’m the someone else now? How does that make you feel?”
“Certainly better than if it belonged to a stranger.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready to go inside.”
Evan took my hand and led me to the front door. He used his key to open it.
The first thing I noticed upon entering was that the floors had been redone and the paint colors on the walls were different.
As if he’d read my mind, Evan said, “The previous owners repainted this part of the house, and I had the wood floors redone.”
When we entered the dining room, I noticed the table that Evan had supposedly taken from the storage space to donate. “Oh my God. Our table.”
“I couldn’t give that away. This was the table where we used to sit and have our breakfasts together. I needed a table, so I figured I’d keep it. Since I hadn’t told you about the house at the time, I just made it part of the surprise.” He flashed a crooked grin. “So…surprise.”
“What else did you keep?”
“A few chairs. Don’t worry. I’m not trying to recreate the old house. That might be a little creepy.”
I followed him into the kitchen. This was the one room that looked nothing like the original.
“The previous owner actually updated the kitchen first,” Evan explained. “But they used really cheap materials that didn’t hold up. So I installed all new white cabinetry and granite countertops. As you can see from the tools they left out, the workers aren’t completely done, but it’s functional. All of the plumbing is finished. If you end up bringing your mom here, I’ll clean everything up.”