“Well, if your questions turn into interest.” Levi pushed a hand into the back pocket of his slacks, “here’s a contact at oursales office. We’ve got a few properties opening up for sale this quarter. Some are part of the city’s Good Neighbor initiative, too.” Levi tapped Xander on the arm. “You’d qualify through your department.”
Xander’s brows shot up as he accepted the card, eyes lowering to it. “Good Neighbor? Why does that sound familiar?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s a first responder incentive program. Firefighters, EMTs, teachers,” Levi explained, turning to face Xander now. “They get first pick and a serious discount—up to fifty percent off—in developing zones like this.”
“Oh, yeah, yeah.” Xander ran his hand down his beard. “Ihaveheard about that.”
“The catch, though, is you gotta live there at least three years. But for someone looking to put down roots…” Levi shrugged with a smile. “It’s a solid deal.”
Xander nodded, his eyes returning to the card again before pocketing it. “Okay, aight. Thanks, man. I’ll check it out.”
“Hebettercheck it out,” Jamal joked beside him, slapping a hand to his shoulder and squeezing it. “Fifty percent off? Let me get a pen and sign up my damn self.”
Both Xander and Levi laughed.
After Levi walked with Xander and Jamal to the department SUV, thanking everyone for coming out to assist, the guys were back on the road and headed to Brooklyn.
As the crew struck up conversations during the ride back home, Xander stayed quiet, busy on his phone, pulling up Greene Gardens’ housing site. His eyes were locked on the village, the homes, the possibilities… on the life he wanted to build.
For the first time in a long time, Xander let himself imagine staying still.
In that instance, everything just seemed… clear.
3 months after that…
October arrived quietly, bringing with it the eighth month of Rylee’s pregnancy, and more nights with Xander sleeping under the brownstone’s roof.
Xander took the steps down to the main floor of the brownstone, his eyes moving around the area, peering through the opening in the living room to see it empty.
He was half-hoping Rylee would be relaxing on the couch instead of where he already knew she was.
He scoffed, shaking his head.
She was officially in her eighth month of pregnancy and still burning the midnight oil in the basement.
Things had changed a lot since she discovered she was pregnant. Most of those changes between her and Xander. She went from telling Xander not to pop up at the brownstone to giving him a key.
“Snoop,” he said into the phone. “I’m here. Where you at?”
Xander was outside of the brownstone and had been knocking and ringing the bell for a good three minutes.
“I’m in the house.”
“You didn’t hear me ringing?” he asked next.
“I did,” she sighed, sounding less like herself.
It was her second month of pregnancy, and it seemed her morning sickness wasn’t just in the mornings anymore.
“I had my face in the toilet so, you know…”
He cringed. “Aw, babe.”
“Get the key from the rock in the bush,” she told him, heaving on the other end of the phone. “And keep it.”
So yeah, Xander had gotten a key to the brownstone, which to him was a major moment in time… and it was.
He went from having a key to spending more and more time at the brownstone. Stepping in to take the kids to school on his days off. Making dinner when Rylee was too sick to leave the bed.
