39. Emily
emily
“ W hat about this house?” I send Ben the link to the listing for the house I just found.
It’s a little out of our budget and about a few towns from where we currently live, but it’s a brand new lakefront property.
It looks like it’s off of a main street.
I watch Ben’s face as he scrolls through the pictures and looks at the details.
He’s nodding his head as if he’s checking off his requirements in his head.
I know it meets what we’re both looking for in a first-time home.
I chew on my bottom lip nervously, waiting for his response.
We’ve been casually looking at real estate websites for a house.
I’m not too excited about the prospect of moving while being the size of a house, though.
Not to mention that I would be essentially useless and can’t even help move or lift anything.
Plus, we just moved into the apartment less than a year ago, and it’s been home to both of us during a challenging time in our lives.
“Let’s do a drive-by,” Ben finally announces.
“When?”
“Now. Let’s go!”
I try to contain my excitement, but when Ben looks up from his phone and gives me a wide grin, I know he is feeling very optimistic about this being the one.
We tried to find a nice starter home near our apartment, but none of the listings fit what we were looking for.
The ones we found within our budget were much smaller than we needed for a growing family.
Either the house was too small and did not have the basic amenities we both wanted, or there was hardly any land.
We both agreed having a backyard and space for the baby to run around when they grow up was important.
These qualifications meant we had to widen our search to surrounding towns. We also hired a real estate agent to help us. I texted her the listing so she could help us set up a walk-through.
Ben helps me get up off the couch. A few minutes later, we’re in the car and heading to the address listed in a town called Willowbrook. It’s only about a twenty-minute commute from our current location. I’ve never heard of it before, but it looks like a perfect place for a growing family.
When we get closer to the neighborhood, I fidget in my seat with my nose pressed to the window. Despite its proximity to the major highway, the traffic in the area thinned out as we got closer to the center of town. Main Street boasts some mom-and-pop shops, including a bookstore and a coffee shop.
We slowly roll by a small auto shop, and diagonally across the street, we spot the house.
The for sale sign makes it easy to recognize, and we pull into the driveway.
The house is a colonial with black shutters and a two-car garage.
I can see a gleaming lake in the background.
The backyard patio extends right up to the water’s edge.
The home boasts five bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The best part is that it’s not too far out of our budget to make it happen.
Finally, at the end of Main Street, we turn onto a quiet side street. The quiet streets and well-spaced homes provide privacy. The sidewalks look well-maintained, and I smile at the people who wave at us as we drive through the neighborhood. That checks off the “friendly neighbors” on our list.
I can’t believe it’s still available. It seems like such a steal.
Ben grips my hand, and I look over at him with a big smile.
We’ll have to come back another time with the real estate agent for a walk-through, but I know this is “the one.” Ben kisses my hand and places it on his thigh.
He backs out of the driveway, and we drive by the rest of the homes on the street.
I want to pinch myself. This all seems too good to be true. If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up from it. After how the year started, I think I deserve all the good things happening in my life lately.
T hings moved pretty quickly after we did a walk-through of the house a few days after our drive.
I don’t know what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t us closing on the house a few days before Christmas.
We get to pick up our new house keys in a couple of days, and now I have to work on packing what I can handle.
I’m still struggling with pain most days, and it’s always worse at night.
Despite trying to take things easy, I always push myself a little too much.
To be honest, it’s not that hard to cross the line between uncomfortable but tolerable to severe pain and needing to lie in bed for the rest of the day.
It’s frustrating, and I’m so tired of being in pain.
I can’t even begin to imagine what people who experience chronic pain must feel.
I know there are probably pregnant women who have had worse pregnancies than mine, but it’s hard for me to accept that I can’t even take the stairs or leave the house without paying for it later. It’s like my brain and body are at odds with my capabilities.
In a way, it’s a good thing I’m holed up inside the apartment. I’ve been folding and packing away clothes. It feels like I unpacked my bags just yesterday, but in reality, it has been nearly a year in this apartment.
Ben and I have made many wonderful memories together in such a short time. I never thought my life would look like this a year ago.
It’s kind of laughable to think back on the girl I was a year ago. I had my head buried so deep in the sand that I didn’t even pay attention to any of the signs that I was unhappy the entire time. I convinced myself that everything was fine and settled for what life had to offer.
Thoughts of Logan flicker across my mind as I continue to pack, but mostly, I’m glad he ended things the way he did.
I don't know that Ben and I would have moved in together if he had waited any longer.
It feels as if someone had to shake up my life a little in order for all the puzzle pieces to come together.
I wouldn’t change anything for the world.