“I told you there might be mice,” he said defensively. “Also, it’s not a colony. It’s a nest.”
“It’s infested, Mason!” I yelled.
I heard him sigh, and if he’d been in front of me, I might’ve smacked him. But it really wasn’t his problem to solve. He had warned me, after all.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Hope. It’s an old place…”
“Mason, I have nowhere else to go,” I said, a hiccuping sob escaping me while I failed to fight back tears.
“Okay, okay. I’ll call an exterminator. Don’t panic. We’ll figure it out.”
“The whole house needs to be torn down,” the exterminator told me.
I stared at the cabin as he dropped the news, the littleshack blurring as tears welled in my eyes. This was not happening.
“You really can’t get rid of them?” I asked.
“It would take months, and it would cost a lot of money. They’ve already gotten into the walls and destroyed a lot of the structure. It won’t meet code unless you rebuild it. My professional advice is to start over and rebuild, or find another place to live. If you stay here as is, you’ll definitely get sick.”
A few tears slipped down my cheeks as I looked at the adorable cabin I’d spent the past few weeks fixing up.
But I wasn’t foolish enough to stay in a place infested with mice. I didn’t want to get sick, and if I could afford to rent a place now, I needed to be practical.
With a slight sniffle, I wiped my cheeks and told myself to stop being such a baby.
“Thank you. I appreciate you coming out.”
The exterminator gave me an apologetic look, had me sign some paperwork, and drove off. I stood in the driveway for several minutes afterward, trying to decide what to do.
I’d have to sleep in the Honda that night. There was no way I was spending my most recent paycheck on a hotel for one night. Until I could find a rental, I’d have to make do.
I took a deep breath and went back inside, working as quickly as possible. I gathered clothes, toiletries, and food from the pantry and fridge. I took down all my books, carefully checking my “babies” for any signs of nibbles. Then I grabbed my laptop and phone charger and stuffed everything into the back of the car.
When I was done, a few more tears escaped. I wassentimental like that and hated that all my effort had been a waste.
I laid out the seats and decided to park in the driveway for the night. I’d worry about finding a new place in the morning. As I gathered pillows and blankets and tried to make a makeshift bed in the backseat, my phone pinged. Mason’s name flashed across the screen.
MASON: What did the exterminator say?
HOPE: He said it needs to be torn down.
MASON: I’m so sorry, Hope. I had a feeling it needed to be rebuilt. I got the land and cabin for a steal. I figured I’d tear it down and build a new one someday.
HOPE: It’s okay. Thanks for letting me stay in it while it lasted.
MASON: Do you need help finding a new place? Or are you going back to Riverside?
HOPE: I’m not going back to Riverside. I’ll just have to find somewhere else.
MASON: I know how Mom and Dad can be. I really do care about you, and I don’t want you to give up everything you worked for.
I scoffed, more tears pooling in my eyes, but from pure frustration and anger now. Did Mason really know? He’d somehow been able to say no to my father’s dental legacy and remain in contact with our parents. Mason could dono wrong, even after choosing an entirely different path. He had no idea what pressure had been put on me, and a small part of me resented him for it. If he hadn’t left me alone to tour the country on survival quests, maybe I wouldn’t have been Dad’s punching bag. I barely managed to type a response.
HOPE: I miss you too. I’m sorry, Mason. I just can’t right now.
MASON: I love you. Maybe I’ll see you soon?
HOPE: If you come to Big Bear, I’d love to see you.
