“Is this what you wanted to talk about tonight?”
Cecilia nodded. “Yes. This is a two-bedroom condo for lease not far from here. Just on the other side of the high school. It’s in a nice area. Has some nice amenities. And they have yearly leases that aren’t going to break the bank.”
“Twelve hundred a month? That’s pretty reasonable.”
“I thought so myself. It’s two-bedroom, two-bathroom, with a shared kitchen and living space. Open concept. Around fifteen hundred square feet. And, it’s got a pool with a deck as well as a gym and a yoga room.”
I grinned. “And you’ll love that yoga room.”
I kept scrolling through the pictures and was amazed at the quality of the place. The building itself was only six or seven years old. The pool looked outstanding. There were tennis courts. A playground for kids. A pool, as well as an indoor hot tub. I couldn’t believe a place like this in California only went for twelve hundred a month. I kept looking for the catch. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Why is this apartment so cheap?”
Cecilia smiled. “I’m glad you asked. Apparently, we aren’t the only two people your father has pissed off. I got to chatting with the front desk manager as I was calling around to places the other day, and it turns out your father’s gotten into a pretty decent spat with the man who runs it.”
I sighed. “Of course.”
“I didn’t ask for details. All I said was that I was looking for a place to stay. He asked if Howard was coming with me. I said ‘no’. And I guess he read between the lines. The apartment dropped seven hundred bucks on the spot, making it affordable for me.”
I handed her phone back. “Well, I’m really happy you’ve found a place. It really is nice. It suits you.”
She took her phone. “The bathrooms are ensuite, too. So, ultimate privacy.”
“That’s nice.”
“And they’re big. About the same size. So, no one’s sacrificing room size because one of them is a ‘master’ or anything like that.”
“Sounds like you’ll really enjoy the place.”
She smiled. “I do. I’m going to look at it Monday. I have a scheduled tour at four-thirty in the afternoon.”
“You deserve this, Cecilia. You really do. Just make sure this front desk manager isn’t giving you this kind of a deal because he’s into you. I’d hate for you to get caught up in that kind of scenario.”
“I promise, he’s not. He and his husband have been proudly married for six years.”
I barked with laughter. “All right. Good. Well, then make sure you check the appliances. Make sure they all work so you aren’t liable for damage you didn’t incur.”
“Well, you could check them out for me. If you're worried about that kind of thing.”
I shrugged. “I don’t mind going with you after school.”
“You're really not getting this, are you?”
I paused. “Getting what?”
She settled her hand on my knee. “I don’t want you to just come look at this place with me, Clinton. I want you to move in with me.”
“Wait, what?”
“I want you to come with me.”
“You do?’
“Yes. This is what I wanted to talk to you about. You might have to help me with some things. Depending on how selling off this stuff goes, I might need help with food and stuff. But, yes. I want you to move into the second bedroom. I want you to have a place to go that at least remotely feels
like home.”
I blinked. “Are you being serious right now?”