Chapter 29 Damon – Property hopscotch
I like this place, And willingly could waste my time in it.
As You Like It, William Shakespeare
A year after that
Cordy and I had been together nearly three years, and our living situation was getting a bit frustrating.
For the past six months, I'd encouraged her to move in with me, or for me to move in with her, but she was reluctant.
I understood why. She'd put everything on the line for Harrison, and he'd ripped her apart.
Not just with the cheating, but with the house, her first real investment and the place she wanted to call home.
In the end, Peggy made our decision for us.
Reg had passed away a few months earlier and Peggy had decided to move into a retirement village with Margaret Thompson.
Their houses were large and required a great deal of upkeep, and it all became too much for them.
Margaret's house was a complete knock-down job, but Peggy's had a strong structure and was just in need of some cosmetic work.
Cordy and I loved doing up our houses, and the idea of a new challenge was very appealing.
We discussed finances, and ultimately, the only way we could do it would be to sell one of our homes, live together, and buy Peggy's place.
We decided to sell mine, given that it would be very convenient to live next door to the house we were working on.
So, here we were, living together. It had been a month and life hadn't changed that much.
We basically spent all our time together anyway, but now we were official.
We had a joint asset (well, two joint assets) and I loved that.
Peggy's house was a four-bedroom home, so we'd decided that when we finished it, we'd move into that and sell our current house.
It was like property hopscotch, but Peggy's house was the jewel in the street's crown, so it was the final destination for us.
At least, it would be the jewel once we finished our renovations.
When I moved in, Miranda moved out. She said it was time, and she'd been seeing my Cameron for a while now and I think they wanted their privacy.
It was kind of awkward walking in on your best mate making out with your girlfriend's sister on the sofa.
It was best for all of us to have our own space.
No one took over Peggy's role with Neighborhood Watch.
Now that Margaret, Peggy. and Reg were all gone, there was no official watchdog, and what a shock, the neighborhood didn't tumble into sin and bedlam.
I often thought about marriage and children, especially now that Cordelia was excited about having a four-bedroom house.
She agreed in vague terms that she wanted that in her future, but for now, she was enjoying her job and her very busy life.
My lumber yard was going well, and my body was still holding up. Hey, I wasn't that old yet; nearly 30 wasn't old, but I was grateful that I had a career I could retain even as I aged.
“I think we should go with this flooring,” Cordelia suggested, pushing her phone in my face.
“Hmm, maybe a bit darker?” I suggested. We were a terrific team and Peggy's would be our first real joint project. I'd helped Cordelia with her house, but she'd chosen everything. The end product would be a merging of our tastes, which were quite similar anyway.
Nettie was curled up on the floor. Theodore had whacked her in the face earlier, so she was having a sulk like the sensitive girl she was.