We walked side by side, gently bumping arms as we made it to the front door. I put my key in the lock and twisted it. Here goes nothing.
The smell hit me first—damp wood, insulation, and something sour clinging to the air like a warning.
Walking through the lower level of the house, everything seemed to be intact. No warped drywall or wet furniture.
“See, it isn't bad at all, Harp! A few candles and this place would be in tip-top shape.” Wren smiled and rested a hand on my arm, right above my elbow.
But walking through the house felt like mourning something still breathing. She had no idea what was waiting for us. I walked up the stairs first with her right on my heels. I got to the top step and let out a loud groan.
The ceiling in the hallway had caved in entirely. Plastic tarps hung where drywall used to be. The carpet in the hallway had been half ripped out, probably to see how bad the flooring was underneath.
Most of my clothes had been spared, tucked in drawers or safe beneath sealed bins that I had thrown them into when I found the leak. The dresser that rested on the carpet in my room was trash. It was real wood, and it soaked up quite a bit of water.
I asked Wren to start hanging up clothes so we could get thedresser empty, and I took off to check on the guest rooms and bathroom.
The way my guest rooms were set up, the dresser was on the farthest wall from the door, the only damage was to the carpet. The bathroom was tiled so nothing was damaged.
As Wren worked on putting my clothes away, I grabbed some cleaning items and a mop and quickly tidied up the bathroom.
I made a mental note of everything that needed to be done. The roof needed to be redone, the upstairs hallway ceiling was fucked, most of the drywall upstairs was trash, and all the carpet had to be replaced. Honestly, the floor may even need to be redone. Yeah, my bank account wasfuuuucckkkeeedd.
We finished our tasks and headed down the stairs.
“So… that was significantly worse than what I was expecting,” Wren muttered.
“I told you. Nothing I can do about it now. Just have to wait for Tucker to tell me the price.” I shrugged. I tried to play it off as if it didn’t bother me much, but I wanted to punch a hole in the undamaged drywall. I wanted to light the place on fire. I wanted to bury myself alive so I didn’t have to be a responsible adult. I feel like I’d make a better worm than I do a person.
“Harp, I know this is hard right now, but it’ll be okay. And just think, once you get a new roof, this won’t happen again! Also, you get to see Tucker again. That’s always a plus.” She gave me a slight smile, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
We got back into my car and put our seat belts on. “Thank you for coming with me, Wrennie. I don’t think I could’ve come back alone. And yeah, at least I get to see Tucker again.”
“I am always here for you, Harpie.”
* **
As I pulled into the driveway, right before five o’clock at night, I received a text from Tuck with a quote.
Hot Cowboy Contractor: Evenin’ Harper. My buddy and I were at your place this afternoon. The damage is pretty extensive.
Me: Ugh. Just got back from looking at it again. Thanks for putting up the tarps. What am I looking at?
Hot Cowboy Contractor: Of course, anything to help. I should have things set and done in about five to eight weeks. We will redo the entire roof first to prevent further leaks and damage. Then we will rip up all of the carpet upstairs, including on the staircase. I’m so sorry, but the flooring upstairs will most likely need to be redone, too. We’ll assess that more when all the carpet is up. The ceiling and walls in the hallway can’t be saved. We have to rip out all the drywall and insulation and redo it. I know it’s a lot, Harper. With all the work we previously did on it, it kind of feels like my home, too. I want you to know that I will make everything better than it was.
Me: Fuck. That’s a lot of work. Thank you for helping me out. I appreciate you more than I can express. How much do you think it’ll end up being?
It was more work than I thought, but with how much Tucker and his team had done fixing up the house for me already, I knew it was in his wheelhouse.
Hot Cowboy Contractor: $30,000. I am so sorry. I know we have talked about finances before, but this is the best I can do for you. I am happy to do a payment plan if need be.
I saw the estimate, and my fingers went cold.
Me: I appreciate it a lot. I can definitely do a down payment and plan. Do you want to talk over drinks? We can sort things out together
Hot Cowboy Contractor: I’d love that. I have a late night tonight. Can I pick you up around ten?
Me: That’s perfect! I’m staying at thirteen Sawyers CT.
Hot Cowboy Contractor: I’ll be there. See you in a few hours.
