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He has a son? I don’t have time to ask any more questions before he opens a door at the far end of the hall. “And this is yours.”
I step past him into the room. My old bedroom could fit in this one three times. It’s that massive. “We’ll give you time to get settled. Dinner will be served in an hour.” Maxwell says, leading Mom away.
I turn back to my new bedroom. Along the far wall is a bed fit for a queen. And I mean that. It’s large with gauzy curtains held back by hooks.
The headboard is a soft gray with tufts and buttons that give off a brief glimmer when the light hits them. The walls are painted a darker shade of gray with yellow and purple accents all over. There’s a little sitting area with bookshelves, a desk made of dark wood with a brand-new laptop sitting on top, and an extensive wardrobe made of dark wood in the corner.
I walk to the windows and look out. My room faces the back of the house. There’s a large yard with a path that leads to the forest beyond. A garage of some sort sits off to the left. I wonder what’s kept there.
Off to the right, there’s a gravel drive that leads to a small cottage. If I look straight down, I can just make out the edge of a swimming pool. There's some sort of waterfall feature on one end.
I walk back through my room and into the bathroom where I find more of that soft gray color on the walls. The vanity is dark wood, matching the theme of the bedroom. The shower is of the walk-in variety made from the same slate that makes up the exterior of the house.
There’s a bench that stretches across one side, but what truly calls to me is the bathtub. It’s large enough for three people and I do a little happy dance when I envision the bubble baths I’ll be indulging in. Sitting on the ledge is a plethora of bath salts and oils that I know would be relaxing.
I don’t have time for that now, but a shower sounds divine. I waste no time stripping off my travel clothes and hopping in. It takes a minute to figure out the space-age contraption that gets the water working, but it’s worth it when the hot water cascades down over me.
My muscles that were coiled tight from the drive, loosen immediately and I release a moan. The water is perfect. There’s already shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel in bottles attached to the wall and I’ve never been too picky, so I use them.
As I squirt shampoo into my hand, the smell of coconut and pineapple hits my senses. I inhale deeply as I lather my hair. After finishing in the shower, I grab what must be the fluffiest towel I’ve ever wrapped around my body.
It’s warm! That’s when I noticed the heating rack where the towel was hanging. Damn. I could get used to this. I wrap another smaller towel around my hair and step out of the bathroom.
Rummaging through my bag, I find a pair of my cutoff shorts and a black cutoff band tee that belonged to James. Of course, it wasn’t a cutoff when he owned it. After his death, I stole all of his old shirts and hoodies and made them my own.
I feel close to him when I wear them. I slide my feet into a pair of flip-flops. No need to dress up, right?
As I blow dry my hair, noting the fact that my hair has grown out to a point where the dye I used last is almost nonexistent, I sigh. I’ll have to find a salon soon. I moisturize my face and brush my teeth before looking at the time on my phone.
Ten minutes to spare. Ten whole minutes before I'm sitting down playing family with strangers. It will probably take me that long to find the dining room.
It doesn’t take as long as I expected before I stand in the dining room. I’m the first one here, though the table is set beautifully. A sound has me spinning around as a woman who looks like she stepped out of Grandmas R’ Us. She's not short but she’s also not tall. She has white hair, and she’s curvy. She’s also beautiful.
“Oh. You must be Adelya.” She says. “I’m Leitha. It’s so lovely to meet you.”
She wears a black apron around her hips, and in her hands is a basket of bread. “I’m the chef and the head of staff. If there’s anything you need, let me know. Do you have any allergies, dear?”
I shake my head, “Uh. Not that I’m aware of.”
“And what are your favorite foods?”
I shake my head again. “I’m not picky.”
Leitha laughs, “Well, aren’t you a breath of fresh air? If you decide you have any favorites, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Ok. Thank you.” I don’t know what else to say.
“Sit. Sit.” She ushers me into a chair. “Water, juice, soda?”
“Dr. Pepper if you have it.” I say, hopefully.
“I’ll see what I can do.” She winks at me. “The others should be here any moment. Dinner is at six every evening. Breakfast is usually ready at seven, though we don’t stand on ceremony with that meal. If you’re eating on campus that’s fine as well.” She explains.
“I don’t usually cook lunch unless it's requested but the kitchen and pantry are liberally stocked with everything you could need. If you can’t find it, just ask.” She continues with a soft smile.
She continues to speak until Mom and Maxwell enter and take seats at the table. She tells Maxwell she’ll be serving the food momentarily, finds out what they’ll be drinking, and leaves. Sitting here feels weird. I see a decanter of ice water sitting on a counter and get up to get a glass.
“Adelya, what are you wearing?” My mom asks, sounding scandalized.
