We could’ve bought something smaller, but I had the money and that felt silly. I wanted our forever home, not a just right now home. We looked at condos in the city, and while some of those were larger they were all so cold and impersonal. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but it didn’t feel like us. So we finally decided to get a home. We ended up getting a house in the suburbs on a bigger space of land. I also liked the fact that the house came with a gate. The media likes us for some strange reason. I think it’s because we’re young, and also because Thea commands any room she’s in. People can’t help but be drawn to her. Including me.
But the house isn’t too big, which we both liked. It’s big enough for us to grow into, but not big enough to feel museum-like.
It took us a couple of months of looking to finally find this one. I think our realtor was getting put out with us, but we knew what we wanted and nothing she showed us was it, until this.
We reach the gates, and I push the button on the remote to open it. Thea’s still passed out asleep in the seat beside me, snoring lightly. She doesn’t think she snores, but she does. Luckily, they’re soft cute snores and not loud and obnoxious ones.
The house is two-stories—well technically three, since there’s a basement—with lots of awnings and stonework. We were both drawn to the front porch. It’s small, but has enough space that Thea said she wanted to add some chairs and plants.
I laugh as I pull up the driveway and to the garage. Above the garage, our friends have hung a WELCOME HOME sign. It makes me smile. Thea and I are lucky to have friends like ours—friends that are more like family.
I push another button and open the garage door so I can park my truck inside. It’s a three-car garage so there’s plenty of room for Thea’s Mini Cooper, my truck, and my motorcycle.
I turn the truck off and Thea continues to sleep peacefully. I set our luggage out before I wake her up.
She sits up and blinks around, looking at the unfamiliar garage.
“Where are we?” she asks, squinting her eyes at me as if I’m strange too.
I laugh. “We’re home, sweetheart.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Oh, right.”
She slips out of the truck and I take her hand in mine, tugging her away from the garage door that leads inside.
“What?” She blinks up at me, confusion filling her hazel eyes.
“Let’s go in the front door this time.” I squeeze her hand in mine. “It’s our first real time coming home, I think we should do this right.”
She smiles, her eyes still slightly sleepy. “Okay. Lead the way.”
I grin and guide her out of the garage and onto the path that leads to the front door.
Three steps lead up to the large dark wood front door and we take them slowly. We pause outside the door and just stare.
I feel overcome by an emotion I can’t describe. I think maybe it’s pride—pride in myself that I’ve accomplished this.
“This is our home, Thea.” I squeeze her hand in mine. It feels so small compared to mine.
She jumps up and down in place. “Open it,” she squeals, like the door is a present we’re about to unwrap. I guess, in a way, it is.
I dig in my pocket for the keys and locate the right one to open the door. I slip it inside and twist the doorknob.
The door swings open with a slight squeak of the hinges.
The floors are hardwood and shine like they’ve just been cleaned, which seems impossible with all the tracking that’s probably been done with the movers. It makes me wonder if Nova didn’t clean the place for us.
Thea lets go of my hand and gives me a coy look. “Race ya,” she exclaims, taking off for the stairs to our right.
I tear off up the steps after her. Since I’m tall I’m able to skip a few steps so I catch up to her easily. I bump her hip with mine to slow her down and she laughs uproariously.
“That wasn’t nice!”
“You don’t play fair—so neither do I,” I tell her, reaching the top of the stairs.
We fight to get down the hallway to our room, pushing and shoving like a bunch of little kids, both of us unable to stop laughing.
We push open the doors to our room and race to the bed. I grab her around the waist before she can pass me.