“Green means good,” Madison observed.
“Green means optimal,” Robbie corrected.
“Thank goodness we have that cleared up,” Esme said.
“There’s something else I wish to discuss,” Robbie said, turning to the next tab in his folder. “And that’s about our housing situation.”
“Um, okay?” Esme said, grimacing.
“Our current apartment is approximately eight hundred and fifty square feet. This accommodates two bedrooms for three people, insufficient workspace for a home office, and zero outdoor space for Trevor. If Grady’s going to be part of this family unit, the current living arrangement is inadequate.”
“Robbie, we can talk about this another time,” Esme said.
“Mother, I mean no disrespect, but there is no better time than the present. I’ve identified six properties currently listed in Willet Cove that meet our requirements. From what I understand, it is a difficult and competitive process to secure a home.” He produced a second spreadsheet. Each listing had a photo, address, square footage, price, and a column labeled “Robbie’s Assessment” with ratings from one to ten.
“You’ve been on Zillow,” Esme said.
“Zillow, Redfin, and two local real estate sites. I cross-referenced for accuracy.” He pointed to the top listing—a shingled coastal home on Driftwood Lane with blue-grayshutters, dormer windows, and a wide front porch. Even in the small photo, you could see wildflowers growing up to the front steps. “This one is my recommendation. Four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and it’s on a quiet lane that dead-ends at the property. The kitchen alone is roughly the size of our entire apartment.”
“That can’t be right,” Esme said.
“Double-height ceilings, a center island, and a wall of windows facing the ocean. I’ve cross-referenced the listing photos with the square footage data. It’s accurate.” He tapped the photo. “The fourth bedroom could serve as a dedicated workspace for my projects, which would free up the kitchen counter you’re so keen on keeping clear of clutter.”
“You’re not getting an office,” Esme said. “You can work in your bedroom.”
Robbie’s eyebrows raised, but he nodded and made a note in the margin. “Very well. Additionally, it has a garden where Mother can finally grow flowers and perhaps vegetables if she wishes. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s a mature apple tree, which serves two purposes. The making of apple pie and the host for a wooden swing for Madison.”
“Yay,” Madison said.
“But the primary reason for my recommendation is the ocean view.” He glanced at me. “I understand this is important to Grady. The property sits above the beach with an unobstructed sight line from the kitchen, the primary bedroom, and the back garden. Given that Grady has oriented his entire life around proximity to the ocean, it seemed prudent to prioritize this feature.”
I looked at the small photo on Robbie’s spreadsheet. A gray-shingled house with a porch and flowers and the ocean behind it. It looked like a place where a family could be happy.
“The asking price is within a reasonable range given the inheritance,” Robbie said. “I’ve prepared a cost analysis factoring in mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and estimated maintenance costs. We could also retain the apartment above the shop as a workspace or potential rental income.”
“You’ve thought of everything,” I said.
“That’s what I do.” He paused. “Third item.”
“There’s more?” Esme asked, sounding tired.
He turned to the final tab. “I have a thought about how I might help Grady with the Harborlight Foundation.”
“You know about that?” I asked.
“Mother informed me about it this morning,” Robbie said, looking at me. “After discovering your association with it, I subsequently researched the foundation through public records. The scope of your operation is limited by your current infrastructure. Specifically, your intake and referral process relies on word of mouth and a single phone line. This is inefficient.”
“It’s the best I could do with the budget at the time,” I said.
“I understand. But as you pointed out earlier to Madison, the budget has changed,” Robbie said. “I can build a secure digital intake system. Encrypted, anonymous, accessible by phone or computer. It would allow women to request help without having to walk into a physical location, which I imagine is a significant barrier for many of them. I can also build a referral network that connects with other organizations in Northern California. Currently you serve approximately one woman per month. With a better system, you could increase that capacity significantly without a proportional increase in cost. Which serves several purposes, the most obvious being the women you help. But it also gives you a way to continue to work through your own trauma surrounding your father’s actions. Mother often tells methat, if I am feeling sad, the best way to assuage it is to do something for someone else. Although I don’t always take her advice, I feel certain that this foundation is the perfect example of exactly that.”
“Robbie,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “On behalf of the foundation, I thank you.”
He nodded briskly. “Good. I’ll have a proposal for you by next weekend. I’ll need an understanding of your privacy protocols.”
“That can be arranged,” I said.
“This is a better use of your time than the compatibility spreadsheet,” Esme said.
