Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“I’m being serious. This is your place and it’s your choice.”
“True.”
“And you’re happy here, aren’t you? I mean, you seem happy. It’s like you’re more relaxed now than you used to be.”
“That may be because of the company I’m keeping. Or not keeping,” I said. “But yeah, I mean...this is really the only home I’ve ever known. At least, it’s the place where I was the most wanted and welcomed. But enough about my childhood trauma. Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
He just waited.
So I took a moment and thought over what he’d been saying. This was the kitchen where my aunt taught me how to bake. How to roast and fry and other things. The same as what her mother taught her when she was little. And out the back door was the small yard and Japanese maple. I don’t know how many hours of my youth I spent staring up at the colors and the play of sunlight through the leaves of that tree. Often with music blasting in my ears and a book sitting forgotten on my lap. Then there was the back bedroom where I slept. Tales of dinosaurs had morphed into middle school worries and then high school woes. Aunt Susan had listened to it all with patience and love.
I knew I’d been lucky to have her. But I don’t think I’d ever quite realized how lucky. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who’d been afraid of change. There was every chance I’d inherited some of the trait myself. I wish she was still here. I hadn’t asked her nearly enough questions about her opinions on life and love and everything. What would she have thought of the divorce certificate?
“Fine,” I admitted. “So maybe you have a point or two about me and the house.”
“Are you actually agreeing with me?”
I groaned. “Yes.”
He smiled. Then his expression turned serious once again. “Have you told any of your family about the divorce certificate?”
“Hell no. Have you?”
“Just Tore. My sister’s busy with her own stuff.”
“What about your parents?” I asked. “How do you think they’d react?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“Hmm. Well, as was just displayed, I’m not particularly close to any of my family. Sharing our discovery with them hadn’t really crossed my mind.”
He just looked at me.
“On the plus side, if the certificate is fake, overhearing that conversation is the closest you’ll ever have to come to dealing with any of them, you lucky thing.”
He gave me a half smile. “It’s fake. It’s got to be.”
“Yeah. Want to go furniture shopping later?” I asked. “And I’m not just asking because you’re strong and can lift things and you drive a truck. You actually seem to have a knack for picking out soft furnishings.”
“And you like having me around.”
“That too,” I admitted. “What will I do when you finish work on the house this week?”
“Why don’t you throw a party? Have a housewarming?”
“Hmm. I don’t know. An intimate gathering of friends, maybe,” I said. “Furniture shopping, yes or no? And how do you feel about stopping by Biscuit Bitch for lunch?”
“Whatever you want, Susie.”
Seven
“You’re out of gin,” said Cleo.
I unwrapped a wheel of brie and set it on the charcuterie board. The fourth such arrangement I’d made this evening. Snacks were my bitch.
“I can’t wait for your ex-husband to arrive so I can finally meet him,” she said. “Though I guess he’s currently your pre-husband.”
“You should definitely call him that. He would be delighted to hear it,” I joked. “Did you check the bar cart in the corner of the living room for more gin?”
“On it.” Cleo swept out of the kitchen in her yellow maxi dress.
The house party was indeed happening. Lars and his crew finished painting the interior and exterior of the house and were packed up and gone by Friday. It all transpired scarily fast. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was it for us. If perhaps our friendship would fade once we weren’t in each other’s faces five days a week. In the same way that school and work friends tend to drift away. Time would tell.
In the meantime, the house was now mostly furnished. Because once I get an idea in my head, I tend to fixate. And Cleo, who needed a distraction after breaking up with Josh, embraced the furnishing and housewarming party idea wholeheartedly. Lars hadn’t been available for all of my furniture-shopping needs, sadly. This might be due to some dithering and repeat visits to stores on my part. Now everyone was here, eating my food, drinking my booze, and admiring my home. Along with giving me presents, which was awesome.
The cat, however, was horrified by all this and hiding under my bed. Poor baby.
“You’re not going to sell, are you?” asked Tore, appearing in the kitchen.
I smiled. “Hello.”
“I love it.” He looked around with wonder. “You’re so cruel.”