I pulled into the driveway, looking up at the house in front of us.
“We’re home,” I said once more, this time speaking quietly to myself.
The house was beautiful—a two-story red brick bungalow style with white ornamentation, a spacious porch, and a big stone staircase leading to the gorgeous double front doors. There was a two-car garage, and a large front lawn big enough for Mads to run around and play.
I couldn’t believe the house was mine. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d ever live in a place like this, much less a neighborhood like this. We’d been lucky, so very lucky. The place wasn’t big like some of the mansions on the street, but I didn’t care. All that mattered to me was that Maddie was going to grow up in a lovely home and go to a damn good school.
I turned off the car, taking another moment to look the place up and down. My heart leaped with joy, and I couldn’t wait to get started on filling the house with warmth and memories.
“Can I pick out my room?” Maddie asked, her dark eyes flashing with excitement.
“You sure can. The place has four bedrooms, so go ahead and choose. Remember, Mom gets the big one though, parent’s privilege. And I need another one for my home office, so I get the final say, alright?”
“Right!”
Maddie opened the passenger side door and jumped out, heading for the house.
“And don’t forget that you’re helping bring stuff in!” I hollered after her. “Grab one of the duffel bags from the back, please.”
“OK.”
Maddie opened the passenger side back door and pulled out one of the lighter bags filled with clothes. She slung it over her tiny shoulder then hurried across the lawn and up the stairs to the porch. I grabbed a box of miscellaneous stuff that’d been left over in the apartment. The big move had been completed a few days ago, so there’d been nothing else to do but clean up the apartment and pack up the last of our stuff.
Today was the day we’d officially be moved in. There was still the matter of putting Maddie’s Ikea bed together in her new room, but after a long, stressful moving process, I was more than ready to relax in our new home.
As I carried the box up the stairs, I spotted a moving car out of the corner of my eye. I looked over to see a big, black Land Rover pulling into the driveway of the house next to us. Our place was nice, and I was more than happy with it. The house that the car had pulled up to, however, was enormous—three stories made of gray stone, the style reminding me of a British country estate. A big fountain was in the middle of the circular driveway, and from where I stood on the porch, I was able to see a huge, immaculately designed backyard with a large patio and rectangular pool.
I watched as the Land Rover came to a halt in front of the massive set of stairs that led to the front doors. The windows were dark, so I couldn’t quite see who was at the wheel. All I could tell was that the driver was male. The man gave me a friendly wave from inside the car, one I returned, though I felt a little silly at the idea of my new neighbor seeing that I’d been staring.
“Mommy!” Mad’s voice snapped me out of my daze.
I turned to see her standing in front of the doors, trying in vain to open them.
“Hold your horses, little lady,” I said, stepping over and fishing the keys out of my pocket. I took one last glance in the direction of the man, watching as he disappeared up the stairs and out of sight.
Despite barely seeing him, something about the man seemed familiar, like we’d met before. Part of me wanted to go over there and introduce myself.
Worry about that later,I thought as I fished the house keys out of my pocket and slipped them into the lock.Make your first impression when you haven’t been spending the morning cleaning floors.
I unlocked the door and we stepped into the big entryway. In front of us was a beautiful staircase that led up to the second floor. A built-in wooden bench sat just steps away from the entrance, and gorgeous stained-glass windows let in prisms of rainbowed light.
“This is awesome!” Mads threw down her bag and broke out into a run, tearing through the entry room and into the den.
“Hey, kiddo!” I shouted after her, my voice echoing through the mostly empty space. “Be careful!”
“OK!” I could tell by the sound of her voice she’d already made it across most of the first floor.
The entry room branched off in two directions. Straight ahead led to a bathroom on the left, then on to the kitchen. Going right led into an airy and open space that comprised the majority of the first floor. I went that way, stepping into the big den, the white walls bare and the room empty aside from a bit of furniture that we’d brought over from the apartment—a tiny Ikea couch and loveseat, and a TV placed atop the cheap entertainment center I’d bought on Facebook marketplace a few years back.
Lucky for me, whoever had owned the place before us had put in the time and money for a huge renovation, taking down most of the walls, allowing for a giant, open floor plan that I loved.
I’d just been promoted, and my monthly payment for the house was very modest. Over the next few months, I’d be decorating the entire place, putting my own stamp in every room.
For the time being, what little furniture we had would have to do. That meant we’d be doing dinner in front of the TV for a little while. Besides, there were stacks and stacks of boxes all over the place that needed to be unpacked. A lot of space would be freed up once the boxes were gone.
I stepped into the dining room, a smile instantly forming on my face as I imagined a huge table in the center packed with friends and family. I couldn’t wait to have this place in hosting shape—nothing made me happier than the idea of having everyone I loved here under one roof.
I headed into the large kitchen next. The countertops were a gorgeous granite, all the appliances stainless steel. It was a little industrial for my liking, but I could warm it up with various decor and artwork. After spending the last few years packed into a cramped kitchen the size of a sock drawer, the idea of having a space where I could spread out and cook was almost too much to wrap my head around.
