Party of Four

Open House - Riley

I made the mistake of calling my mom back instead of just texting her. “We trust your judgement,” I insisted, modifying Cole’s line.

“I don’t doubt that, but the two of you are going to be living here, at least one of you needs to come with me,” she argued.

I opened my mouth, about to argue that she had originally invited us under the pretense of if we wanted to go, but realized that would most likely just drag out the conversation. “Okay, I’ll go,” I relented, getting back out of bed so I could change clothes. I’d intended to spend the day pampering Nica, but now it would all fall on Cole. Not that he’d mind.

“Thank you,” I could hear the smile in her voice, knowing that she had won. Cole snickered from behind me. I scowled at him as he hid his grin behind Nica’s shoulder.

I got dressed and put my boots on, then leaned down to kiss Nica. “I’ll take your plate down,” I told her as I pulled away.

“Thank you,” she smiled.

“And you,” I turned my stare to Cole as I picked up the tray, “are going to get plenty of pictures. You’re not getting completely out of this.”

“Whatever you say,” he grinned, pulling Nica back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You know you have your own bed,” I pointed out, joking as I left the room.

~*~

I rode with my mom to the open house, staring out the window in awe at the neighborhood we’d pulled into. The sign at the front of the drive had “Stonehaven Estates” across it in flowing gold script. Large trees lined the drive, leading up to a gate with an actual security booth. “Mom…” I breathed, fascinated. It reminded me of Magnolia Pointe, yet somehow…more.

She rolled her window down as the guard stepped out, “We’re here to tour 586 Haven Court,” she explained before he even said anything.

He handed her a guest pass to put in the windshield and directed her where to go.

She thanked him and he opened the gates.

I was stunned. Fascinated. As we drove through the neighborhood, I couldn’t help looking out the window in awe. We passed people on golf carts, a lake with a fountain, tennis courts. There were children playing on a playground. Each house was unique, yet somehow cohesive, and they looked more like manors than houses…maybe even mansions. There was no way any of these had less than four bedrooms…probably more. Way more.

We pulled up to the house and my first thought was that Nica would love it. Not that she had to love it. I didn’t even know if she was going to move in with us yet, but it wouldn’t hurt if she did love it. The exterior was a soft gray with an almost pink tint to it. Large bay windows looked out onto the driveway where a silver BMW was already waiting. That’s probably the realtor, I thought, not seeing any other cars around. We were probably the first ones there.

Mom cut the engine and I was hyper aware that we were out of place in her old Kia. The other drive ways were filled with fancy Jeeps and Mercedes Benz, Beamers. I swallowed, realizing I hadn’t even asked mom what the listing price on the house was yet.

The garage looked like it would house at least three cars, if not more. To the left of the garage was a the front door. It was pushed back into an arched alcove. Windows framed the sides and top of the door, and an intricate, scrolling design of twisting metal was placed over each window.

The door opened and a woman in a black skirt suit stepped out. Her blonde hair was slicked back into a tight bun, and her heals clicked as she walked across the paved drive to meet us. “You must be Mr. and Mrs. Holland,” she greeted, extending her hand.

“Please, call me Gwen,” my mom returned the handshake first. “And this is my son, Riley.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. I’m Erica Shore.”

I cut my eyes at my mom as I shook Erica’s hand, realizing that we were going to be the only people here.

Erica led us inside, and I was once again in awe. To the right was a winding staircase, leading upstairs with an intricately carved banister that matched the designs on the door. The banister continued along the side of the second floor, and I wondered if it would allow someone upstairs to look down into the main area of the house. I could see doors, presumably leading to bedrooms from here. “Through here is the kitchen,” Erica flipped the lights on as she led the way. Not that she needed to. The bay windows that looked out onto the drive filled the kitchen with sunlight. Dark wood cabinets complemented the marble floor and lined the opposite wall. All of the appliances were sleek and new. Stacked double ovens blended into the cabinetry across from the fridge, and there was a large center island where the sink was.

On the opposite side of the room was another doorway, leading into a dining room that felt much too large for someone who had always eaten their meals at a table in the kitchen rather than in a whole separate room. More massive windows lined the walls.

From here, we went into the living room. The whole time Erica talked about the house and the design features, but I was too in shock to really process anything she was saying. My mother asked plenty of questions though. The living room was the size of the entire bottom floor of my house. The high ceiling confirmed my suspicions that second floor banister continued across creating a loft effect over the living room. The far wall had another intricately designed fireplace tucked into an alcove. Massive bay windows were placed on either side of it with bench seats. There was built-in shelves under the seats and along one wall. Sliding doors led out to a fenced-in backyard that housed an in-ground pool and a guest house. Erica was saying something about the guest house, but all I caught was, “The five main bedrooms are upstairs-“

“Five?” I whisper-hissed, turning to my mother as Erica opened the glass door. “I thought we were only looking for three-bedrooms…four at the most.”

“I told you, this was a steal,” she replied, as if that actually explained anything. “It’s about ten thousand less than half of the four-bedrooms we’ve been looking at. Besides, you have to consider the future. You never know when pregnancy will strike. You should realize that.”

“Mom,” I blinked, shaking my head, trying to process everything she’d just said. “Can we have this baby before you start planning a second one?”

“I’m just saying…you need to think long term.”

We continued the tour, and it was hard to deny the house was incredible. I hated how easy it was to picture Nica lounging by the pool, or coming down the winding staircase all sleepy-eyed in the morning. I imagined her filling the cabinets and shelves in the living room with books, her sitting in the bay window, reading to our baby. The guest house was basically a small one-bedroom house, and my mom was quick to point out how nice it would be for her and dad to be able to stay so close to us, while still giving us privacy. Erica also showed us the massive garage and explained that the current owners had used it as a home gym, but there was also a community gym in the neighborhood that was free to use. The living room had another entry point that led back out to the foyer and the stairs. I still couldn’t believe I was touring a house that had a foyer.

The second floor was split in two by a hallway. The master bedroom was on one side of the hallway. A massive walk-in closet had cabinets and shelves built into one wall, while racks for hangers lined the remaining walls. The master bathroom was huge too. A glass shower stood next to a garden tub. I knew Nica was anti-shower s*x, but I couldn’t stop myself from imagining what we could do in that tub. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to control my thoughts. On the opposite side of the hallway was two more bedrooms, smaller, but not the smallest in the house. They had similar designs with similarly designed closets, and a shared bathroom. I was already thinking how perfect these would be for Cole and I. Neither of us would be fighting for the master bedroom, and yet we’d still have the luxury of not being in either of the smallest rooms. The master bedroom could be Nica’s…

I swallowed, continuing the tour. I had to stop thinking like this. Mom was convinced it was a steal, but I was still uncertain we could afford it. The last two rooms were the ones that could be seen from downstairs. The smallest of the five. They had small bay windows with bench seats, perfect for a child, and normal closets with no fancy cabinetry. The third and final bathroom was simple. There was no separate shower and tub like in the other two, and the vanity counter wasn’t as big either. This was clearly meant to be the bathroom used by kids or guests.

Erica went back downstairs, allowing us to explore a little more and talk privately. “Don’t you love it?” my mom asked, gripping my upper arm with both hands. I did. I knew she knew that I did. Who wouldn’t?

“We can’t afford this,” I told her, refusing to answer.

“Yes, we can.”

“Mom…”

“Trust me, I’ve done the math. Between what we would make selling both our houses, plus with five incomes, it would probably be cheaper than what we’re all paying now, combined.”

“Five incomes?”

“Well yeah, you don’t think your dad and I will live in the guest house and not contribute, do you? We’re here to help you, Riley.”

“There’s still no guarantee Nica is going to move in with us,” I pointed out.

“Do you honestly think that once the baby is born she’s going to want to be anywhere else?”

“I don’t know,” my nose scrunched and I adjusted my glasses.

“Even if she doesn’t, your dad and I can help. This is perfect…for everyone. You know it is.”

I sucked in a deep breath, closing my eyes. “Okay.”

We found Erica downstairs and mom made the offer. Now it was all a matter of waiting.