“Hallie, come on. You’re going to scare him off,” Wren says in a chiding voice to her best friend, because she’s not just Adam’s girlfriend, but Hallie’s best friend and Jesse’s little sister.
The town is close-knit, if not a little too close-knit.
“What? It’s true! You declared him one of us, so he might as well understand the consequences of that now,” Hallie argues.
I sigh, but decide ignoring them might be the better option and make my way up the path without saying another word. As I do, I take note of projects that need to be done. Unfortunately, they’re everywhere I look. The siding looks okay, but it needs a fresh coat of paint. The front door is a plain, generic slab that’s seen better days, though it will suffice until I get around to replacing it with something more appealing. The front garden beds are completely trashed, with two half-dead bushes on the left and nothing but weeds and a few broken pavers on the right, which I assume were intended as a border. Internally, I sigh, knowing I’ll have to hire out landscaping. While I grew up in a family of contractors who taught me how to fix up just about anything, I didn’t seem to inherit a green thumb.
But the rest? The rest I can do. In fact, the rest I’m suddenly itching to do, despite the fact that I haven’t picked up a hammer in years for much more than hanging the occasional frame. For the first time in a while, I feel the urge to get my hands dirty.
The key slips into the lock with no resistance, turning smoothly even though the door sticks just a bit as I open it and step into the empty entryway. The crew of intruders follows behind me, though I pay them no mind as I look around my new home. It’s mostly empty, with a few pieces left behind, though considering I brought very little here, I’m grateful for that. There’s a heavy dining room table and chairs I’m interested in stripping and refinishing, an old, beat-up coffee table that will work until I replace it, and a decent-looking dresser in the primary bedroom.
My dad would have seen nothing but potential within the walls, and right now, it’s like I’m seeing it through his eyes. The bones are solid, though the floors need refinishing. The walls are in good shape, with just a few pieces of drywall that need patching, though every wall without gaudy wallpaper needs repainting. The ceilings have a few cosmetic cracks, which I know from my dad are from the old house settling over time, but nothing is outside my skill set.
“The inside’s not much better,” Hallie murmurs.
“Jesus, Hallie, stop it,” Jesse says, but I ignore them as I continue moving through the house and into the sunken living room, until I reach a set of sliding glass doors. They stick and will probably need replacing, especially since the style is dated, but when I step out onto the pavers, I take a deep breath, relief moving through me.
More than anything, this is why I bought the place.
The outdoors hasn’t been something I’ve enjoyed much in the past ten years, but as I take in a deep breath of fresh air, itfeels like a new start, filling my lungs and sending relief buzzing through my veins.
“Okay, the inside is questionable, but this…this makes it worth it,” Wren breathes, and I couldn’t agree more. The entire property is lined by trees except for a large grassy plot behind the house. Privacy, nature, and a sense of peace remind me of my childhood, when things were simpler and easier.
To my left is a set of stairs to a deck, the door to which is through the dining room and is intended for an outdoor eating space, but it needs a ton of work.
“My God, that deck is gorgeous,” Hallie says from behind me, as she steps out onto the patio. “And those trees! Imagine it in the fall! All the trees changing? It’s going to be so pretty.” The trees lining my property are a mix of evergreens and deciduous trees, making it the best of both worlds. A lush green in the spring and summer, and in the fall, I’ll have a gorgeous burst of color. In the winter, with the evergreen trees, it won’t be completely barren and will maintain my privacy.
Hallie takes a step towards the deck, but before she gets far, I reach over, grabbing her elbow to stop her. “Don’t go up there,” I say, shaking my head and letting go of her elbow. “It’s old, and a bunch of the boards are rotting. It’s not safe.” Her eyes go wide, and she looks over at the deck. “It’s one of my first projects. I don’t think it can really bear weight at all right now.”
Jesse moves over, taking the two semi-decent steps carefully before toeing the third and watching a chunk crumble off. “Yeah, this thing is fucked,” he says, as if I don’t know.
“It’s about a third of the boards, so it’s salvageable. Just need to rip them out, then replace them. Thankfully, the supporting ones seem to be solid. I can start tearing the bad ones out tomorrow, then I’ll just replace the missing ones.”
“How are you planning to get them here?” Jesse asks, still inspecting the deck.
“Not sure. My car isn’t exactly built for it. I was thinking I’ll probably have to rent something.” I haven’t needed anything other than small, sporty cars to navigate the city in years, but I know I’ll have to replace it or get a second vehicle sometime before winter.
“I have a truck,” Jesse says. “I could head down to the store with you, grab what you need, lug it back.” Instantly, I shake my head, declining his offer.
“No, no, that’s not necessary.”
“I’m free on Monday,” Jesse says, ignoring my rejection. “Madden’ll help too. With the three of us, we’d get it done quick. Last summer, Mom had us build a deck on her place, so we’re pretty well-versed in it.”
Relief moves through me, knowing I have plans on Monday.
“I won’t be around on Monday. I’ve got a meeting in the city. But thanks for the offer.” My plan right now is to do as much cleaning as I can today before driving back home to my condo to wrap up any loose ends. Monday, I have one last meeting in the city, and after that, I’ll be headed here to meet the furniture delivery. I ordered just enough to make the place livable while I clean and renovate it: a bed, a mattress, and a couch.
Up until just now, I was annoyed that I couldn’t line up my meetings and the delivery so I could move in right away, but right now I’m actually relieved.
That is, until Jesse speaks again.
“I can move some things around. Thursday good?” I shake my head.
“Really, I appreciate it, but I can’t?—”
“I actually insist we do,” Madden says with a grin. “Because mom is trying to wrangle us into weeding her flower beds, and if we’re helping you, she can’t hold it against us.” I look to Adam, hoping he’s going to help, but he just shrugs.
I came here to escape.
