It wasn’t long after that I was pulling into the steep driveway of my home. I pulled to one side, making space for Derek and looked up at my place through my windshield, trying to see it from his perspective.
It wasn’t anything flashy. Just a one-story place with a plain brick exterior and a front yard that was basically just grass that was doing its best to survive in the ungodly heat of a Texas summer. No trees or bushes, because who had time to tend to landscaping? The white door sat in the shadow of a tiny awning just above two small concrete steps, and without a real porch, the entrance always looked a little squished.
It wasn’t much, but it was mine. The day I bought this place felt just as big as opening the cafe. Like a little gold star on the list of all my adulting accomplishments.
Derek pulled in the driveway as I hopped out of my truck,the shiny blue paint of his car catching every ray of sun like it was trying to make a statement. I gestured for him to roll down his window.
“Make sure you use your parking brake.” I made the motion with my hand for an old-fashioned handbrake, even though most vehicles had button brakes now. “Driveway may not look steep but since the whole neighborhood is on higher ground, it is, and when it rains hard, cars have been known to slide right into the street. Learned that one the fun way.”
Derek blinked, then nodded and pressed the button without a word before hopping out.
Huh. No argument? I’d expected at leastsomepushback. The classic ‘actually, that’s not necessary’ from someone who probably alphabetized their spice rack.
“It’s just better to get into the habit, you know?” I added, still waiting for lawyer logic to kick in.
But Derek just nodded again and opened his back door like we weren’t having the world’s most one-sided flood-prep talk.
“Yeah, I get it. Better safe than sorry,” He responded, all matter-of-factly.
He rummaged around in the backseat for a moment before pulling out a large suitcase and a medium duffle, which was promptly tossed over his shoulder like it weighed nothing. Derek kicked the car door closed behind him, leaving a perfect dirt-print of the sole of his shoe on the side of his pristine paint job.
My brain stuttered.
“That’s it?” I asked, eyebrows nearly in my hairline. “That’s all you brought? You’re moving yourwhole life, man.”
Derek just smiled like he had expected that response. “Packed the essentials. I’ll buy the rest once I get settled.”
He motioned toward the house, so I turned and led theway up the short path feeling entirely out of sorts. This day was not going the way I’d expected at all.
“I underestimated how fast rentals disappear around here—especially in summer,” He began as we walked. “I figured I’d find a short-term place or maybe stay at a bed-and-breakfast. But, everything was booked solid.”
He shrugged, like that kind of oversight didn’t bother him at all. “I thought maybe your dad was going to let me crash at his place for a while, but… here we are.”
And yeah, okay… I was starting to think I’d pegged this guy wrong.
Everything about him screamed structured. Pressed polo, clean car, expensive shoes. He looked like the kind of guy who had his Google Calendar color-coded by the minute so that productivity stayed ‘optimized’. And yet here he was. Bantering like we’d been friends for years, showing up with two bags, andnotspiraling over having zero plans for where he would be living in a brand new town.
Based on looks alone, I knew no one would’ve pegged Derek as a laid-back individual, but this conversation hadmefeeling like I was the high strung one between the two of us.
Derek followed me up the path, and I pushed open the front door, cool air spilling out around us as we stepped inside.
The living room had an open-concept layout which was decorated neatly with a couch, a couple of chairs, and a TV mounted above the brick fireplace. To the left and right of the front door were two short hallways—right led to my room, left to the ‘guest bedroom’ and bathroom. The kitchen was made separated from the living space by a counter toward the back of the room, small but functional. There was a little table tucked off to the right, just under the window that overlooked the backyard.
Modest, sure, but it worked.
I drew in a breath and spread my arms like I was giving atour on a home makeover show. “Welcome to your new place,” I said as I stepped farther in.
“You can drop your bags here for now,” I added, nodding toward the space behind the couch. “Your room’s down that hallway. Bathroom’s there too. If you wanna shower or whatever while I get the room in order, go for it. Towels are in the linen closet.”
Derek smiled, that polite one he seemed to have on standby. “Would you mind if I looked around a bit?”
I shook my head and started toward the hallway. “This is your place now, too. Have at it.”
The actual cleaning didn’t take long. Most of the boxes were random cafe things, old impulse buys, and a frankly obscene number of novelty mugs which all got shoved into a corner of the garage. Laundry that had been in limbo got tossed onto my bed to sort later.
Fresh sheets, a bit of tidying, a little strategic fluffing, and the room looked… decent. Livable.
Derek could put his own touch on things, if he wanted to. And if not, no skin off my back. He wouldn’t be here for long, so it wouldn’t matter either way.
