Chapter 28
Nerves filled her as she parked her new car outside the address Kyle had given her.
She didn’t know why she was here, but had a sneaking suspicion, one that filled her with anticipation.
Because it might finally mean he saw her again as more than just the mother of his child. But first things first.
“Okay, sweet pea,”—since when had she started calling Bella by Kyle’s pet name?—“are you ready?”
“So ready!” Bella announced. “But Mom, what are we doing here?”
“We’re looking at a house Kyle is thinking of moving to instead of his apartment.”
Because, as he’d said when he’d discussed this with her, he wanted space for Bella to stay if she wanted. Which meant more room, and someplace safer where she could go outside without worrying about homeless people on the streets below. And yes, Gen appreciated all of that.
But for him to want to move to a place filled with remodeled three-story family-sized homes like this? The man must have cash to burn.
Kyle’s car was here, so he must already be inside with the realtor.
“Let’s go! But Mom,” Bella added in a lower voice, “the places here look really expensive. And double the size of our place.”
Try at least quadruple. She was fairly certain their current butter-box of a house would fit in what looked like this place’s double garage.
They walked up the garden path, lined either side with flowering bushes, before a series of steps led up to the front door, positioned on the middle floor.
The house was an older style, obviously newly painted with fresh trims that suggested it had joined the legion of other houses nearby that were recently remodeled.
Its close proximity to the lake—just one property back—and hillside position suggested there’d be some nice views inside. Kyle’s place looked amazing.
The glass front door was propped open, and a murmur of voices drifted to her. “Hello?”
“Mom, it looks like a princess house,” Bella whispered as they lingered at the front entryway.
She nodded. A dark-stained wooden staircase led immediately up on the right, contrasting to the white hall and lighter timber floors.
From this position she could look down the hall, which led to a kitchen that already looked three thousand times lovelier than hers, and a glass-paned back door that led to a treed yard.
The style was minimalist, the colors giving a subtle Japanese vibe, like the nearby Japanese gardens they’d visited last week, which had long been one of her preferred aesthetics.
Kyle hadn’t chosen this place because he remembered her saying that, had he?
Heels clicked, then Kyle appeared, followed by a glamorous young woman, who must be the realtor. Kyle smiled when he saw them, opening his arms wide as Bella ran to him.
“Hi Daddy!”
“Hi sweet pea.” He kissed her cheek, then drew close to Gen. “Hi.”
For a second she thought she’d finally know again what his lips on hers felt like, but he only brushed a kiss on her cheek then stepped away, leaving her disappointed.
“Ronnie, this is Gen and our daughter, Bella.” He said those last words with such pride.
“Hi ladies. I’m Ronnie.” The realtor flashed her wide white smile at them then batted her eyelashes at Kyle, who grinned at her.
Gen’s heart twisted as something green shaded her vision for a moment. Honestly. Couldn’t the man tell those horse-sized lashes were fake?
Kyle pivoted to Gen. “What do you think so far?”
“It’s like a princess house, Dad,” Bella declared.
Gen nodded. I think I’m jealous. I want your attention. Not for you to give it to a super perky skinny model wannabe who has obviously never birthed a human.
He shifted beside Gen again, and slid a hand behind her back, the nearness forcing her to inhale his scent. Oh, why was it so hard to think?
“Gen?”
“It looks great.”
“Great!” Ronnie beamed. “Well, come down the hall like so, and look, if you come through here, you can see the uninterrupted views of Lake Washington. Isn’t that amazing?”
Gen’s jaw sagged. Amazing didn’t begin to cover it. The living room’s classic Art Deco-esque fireplace was positioned on an angled wall between two windows, the larger of which led to a deck that yes, featured a view of the lake, and even Mount Rainier in the distance. “It’s like a dream.”
“It’s pretty nice, huh?” Kyle said.
She nodded. It was like her perfect house.
Big enough for three, the combined living-dining room had obviously been two rooms once upon a time, but opening it up, giving it space like this, and allowing the kitchen to make the most of those views too, well, it was stunning.
Big but not too big. Perfectly proportioned.
Perfectly decorated. A million times removed from the dump she currently called home.
The kitchen itself was really nice, sleek, but with heritage nods in the tall shaker cabinetry and the cream and black styling. The island allowed for three cream stools.
“Okay, have we seen enough on this level?” Ronnie asked.
“Yep.” It was perfect. Kyle would love it here. And Bella, when she came to visit, would love it too.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
She followed the procession, lingering to take in more of those glorious views from the windows. The trees’ colors were amazing, so she could see how beautiful this would be throughout the seasons.
“How far is it to where you play and train?” she asked Kyle.
“About twenty, twenty-five minutes.”
“An easy commute,” Ronnie said, as they reached the top floor. “Okay. So there’s a powder room here,” she popped open a door. “Now here is the master.”
Okay, Gen was going to be sick.
The king-size bed was perfectly positioned in front of a double window that shared the same amazing view of the lake.
On one side an ensuite bathroom held a shower, a twin sink, private toilet room, and a tub that even had its own window of the view.
She could imagine how wonderful it would be to soak in there after a hard day at work.
How Kyle would enjoy the therapeutic benefits too, after a hard game.
She blinked. No. She needed to take her thoughts captive. She would not imagine Kyle in a bath.
Kyle nudged her. “Like it?”
“Love it.” Her voice was flat. Oh, she wished he could love her again. Could want a future with her again. Could want her and Bella to share this space with him, to be married, to be a proper family.
“And there’s a large walk-in closet here.”
Of course there was.
“And another bedroom here, overlooking the front.” Ronnie gestured to the window. “You can see it has filtered lake views too.”
“What does that mean, Mom?”
“It means you can see the lake, but there are trees in the way.”
“More or less.” Was Ronnie’s grin permanently etched on? “And then we have the family bathroom.”
Another twin sink, shower, and a European-style stacked washer and dryer.
“And another bedroom.” This one was at the back, above the kitchen, with windows to the south and west which would allow lots of natural light in winter. A large closet provided more storage.
“See? It’s even got a room for you, sweet pea.” Kyle ruffled Bella’s hair, which instantly drew her to hug his side.
Gen’s heart caught. Oh, she loved how these two loved each other. It felt like yet another of the many wonderful gifts from God, for her daughter to have formed such a swift bond with her father. God had been so good to them.
“Any thoughts?” Kyle asked Gen.
“It’s great. It suits you.”
He nodded, as if satisfied. “I think it works. I can see us living here.”
Us? Her heart stabbed. He didn’t mean Gen as well, did he?
Oh, she wished he did. She would love to live here, love to be married and share this home with Kyle and Bella. And okay, it’d be tough to leave Mom but it was time she moved out. Got true independence.
But no. No. That was a dream.
“Oh, but that’s not all.” Ronnie’s smile got wider, if that were possible. “There is also an ADU beside the garage on the bottom floor.”
“A what?” Bella asked.
“An accessory dwelling unit,” Ronnie explained.
“It’s a great little apartment below,” Kyle said.
“Can I see it?” Bella asked.
“Sure.”
Ronnie led them downstairs, then outside and showed them the separate entrance that led down to the lowest floor, which contained the garage alongside a perfect little apartment with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette area, and a small living space.
“Wow. We could live down here, Mom.”
“Mmm, but this place already has your room, remember?” Kyle said, before shooting Gen a glance. “Maybe your mom might like to stay here if you’re visiting, and she wants to check on me to make sure I’m doing the right thing.”
No, that wasn’t what she wanted, but apparently that’s what he did. She nodded. Blinked back tears.
“It’s only ten minutes to the hospital,” he added, like an afterthought.
“Great.”
“Well, if you’ve seen enough on this level I’d suggest we go back to the main floor with that amazing view,” Ronnie said. “Is that okay with everyone?”
“Sure,” Gen mumbled.
This was the perfect house for Kyle. She shouldn’t be jealous. She should be happy for him, and for Bella, who obviously would love to visit him here.
She joined the others on the deck with its views across the water to Bellevue’s high-rises. She bet this place even got to see the lakeside fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Kyle and Ronnie were talking, while Bella was running laps of the deck and down to the garden below, a yard big enough to hold a dog. And probably Betsy the Cat. Everything was perfect. For Kyle, anyway. And for Bella, who looked like she couldn’t wait to step into her fairy-tale dreams.
And she was happy for them both. She was. She just wished she could join them here too. And not in the basement.
“Gen?”
She jumped. Fluttered a hand at her chest. “You startled me.”
Kyle smiled. “So, what do you think?”
She pushed out her cheeks in a smile as big as anything Ronnie might give. “It’s great! It’s perfect for you. And Bella would obviously love to move here right away.”
He chuckled. “She likes it, doesn’t she?”