“Hey, you two,” Kyle approaches out of what feels like nowhere. “Stop with the jabber jaws and help us clean up the snacks.”
“Coming.”
***
The two of us step through the threshold of the house I grew up in and a wave of nostalgia hits me. I thought I would have sold this house by now, but there’s always been something holding me back. After my grandmother passed away, I had the place renovated specifically for sale, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. Now it just sits empty.
“When the heck did you do all of this to Mrs. Hudson’s house?” Kaya asks, twirling around the room as if she’s dizzy. “This is freakin’ amazing.”
“I had the work done a few years ago.” I smile, for some reason happy that she approves. “I was going to sell it.”
“Sell your house? Your grandma would roll over in her grave if you sold this to some random family.”
“What else am I going to do with it? I’m never going to live in it. New York is my home now.”
“Maybe your dad wants to live in it?”
“He’s not bringing some strange woman to live in my grandmother’s house. That ain’t ever happening.”
“You’re right,” she agrees softly, trying to keep the mood light. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
We step further into the small but beautiful living room and I try remembering the house the way it was.
“There was once a large painting of a bouquet of flowers where this flat screen is now.” I point to the farthest wall. “It was her favorite.”
“Where’s the painting now?”
“I had it wrapped and placed into storage,” I say wistfully.
“Are you sure you want to throw the party here, Brick?” Kaya sounds unconvinced that this is a good idea. “It seems like we should just go to a nightclub or something.”
“It will have more meaning if it’s here.”
“How so?”
“Let me tell you a story. It’s just between us, though.”
“Okay.” Her eyes light up like Christmas trees.
God, she’s gorgeous.
“My grandmother liked to go into the city once a month to visit her Aunt Georgina. She made the visit like clockwork and I always knew she’d be gone for the majority of the day on the first Saturday of the month.”
Kaya nods her head. “Okay.”
“Your brother was in love with Dena and wanted to… you know, hook up.”
“Um, I don’t think I want to hear the rest of this.”
“But listen, he wanted it to be special because he knew. He knew way back then that Dena was his forever after.”
“I guess so.”
“No, trust me, he knew. So per his instructions, I decorated the house with a trail of rose petals and told coach that Kyle wouldn’t make Saturday morning practice because he had the flu.”
“I see where this is going and you don’t need to tell me this story.”
I continue anyway.
