AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Entering the master bedroom, he saw the movers had already placed his bed, dresser, and nightstand in their respective spots. The room had a cozy feel, with a large window letting in plenty of natural light. Luke dropped his bag on the bed and collapsed onto the mattress. Despite the long drive, he was still buzzing with excitement from the move.
Looking around the room, he wondered why anyone would ever want to give up such a beautiful home. The previous owners must have poured their hearts and souls into it. Luke was grateful to be the one to carry on its legacy.
Luke walked down the hallway, his steps echoing through the house. As he approached Jeremiah’s room, he noticed the door was slightly cracked. He pushed it open and saw his son unpacking his things.
“I’m going to order a pizza we can split for dinner,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “Want anything special on it?”
“Mushrooms,” Jeremiah called back, without looking up.
Luke bit his bottom lip. He hated mushrooms, and Jeremiah knew it. “Okay, maybe I’ll get two then.”
He continued down the stairs, taking in the details of the house as he went. As he entered the kitchen, he rifled through the packet the realtor had left him, searching for the brochure on local restaurants. The kitchen was spacious and modern, with gleaming stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops. A slight sense of guilt came over him for ordering pizza instead cooking a meal in the wonderful kitchen he had at his disposal. He’d surely cook another time, he told himself, just not today.
Luke was grateful to find a menu for Gino’s Pizza. He dialed the number, placed an order for delivery, and then turned his attention to the daunting task of unpacking the mountain of boxes that the movers had dumped unceremoniously in the living room.
He rummaged through the boxes and came across one that contained some pictures. He picked up a framed picture of his son Jeremiah when he was just five years old. Looking around for a place to put it, he spotted the fireplace mantel.
As he walked over, picture in hand, he couldn’t help but admire the intricate carvings on the wood. And that’s when he saw it—something etched into the corner of the mantel. He leaned in for a closer look and saw the initials “A + L” enclosed in a heart. Curious, he wondered who A and L could have been and what their story was.
He smiled as he put the picture down next to it. The carving reminded him of Kate, and how he had gotten her name tattooed on his left pec the night of their graduation from high school.
She had laughed when she first saw it and told him he was crazy, but he couldn’t help it. He had been in love with her ever since middle school. They didn’t get together until their junior year, when Kate finally broke down and said yes to being his date to the homecoming dance. They had been through a lot together, including a long-distance relationship when he went to Harvard and she was at NYU, or when his father died and he felt like he had lost everything.
The ache in Luke’s heart was a constant reminder of what he had lost. He longed to feel the warmth of her smile, the sound of her laughter echoing in his ears, and her carefree spirit. Sometimes he would listen to a voicemail she had left for him while he was away on business, cherishing every word she spoke. He knew deep down that he had made mistakes, that he had taken their love for granted. If only he could turn back time, he told himself, he would do things differently.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Luke glanced out the side window before turning to call up the stairs, “Jeremiah, pizza’s here!”
Chapter 5
Emma
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Emma looked up from her desk and over at the front door. She had gotten caught up in doing some bookkeeping for Barking Orders and hadn’t been watching the time. She closed her laptop and stood up, doing a quick scan of the room to make sure everything looked tidy. After deeming it good enough, she walked over to the door and opened it finding Kara with a few shopping bags in her hands and a houseplant.
“Happy housewarming!” Kara said, her voice brimming with excitement as she handed Emma the plant.
Emma took the plant and stepped back to let her in. “Oh Kara, you didn’t have to get me anything! But I appreciate it. This is beautiful.”
“It’s a succulent,” Kara said. “It doesn’t need a lot of water and it loves the sun.”
“Perfect.” Emma placed the plant in the window next to the door. “This room gets a flood of sun during the day.”
Emma walked back over and gave Kara a hug. “Thanks for coming. I’ve been looking forward to this night ever since you called.”
Kara smiled. “I brought the ice cream, with a few other vegan goodies.”
She set the bags on the coffee table and settled onto the couch. “Now, grab some spoons and we’ll find something good and funny to watch.”
Emma smiled. “There’s just a few more receipts to reconcile. It won’t take too long.”
Kara waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, you don’t have to bother with boring paperwork now, Emma! It’s well past quitting time, and you’ve been working hard lately. It’s time to indulge and relax!”
Emma chuckled. “Alright. I guess it can wait until morning. Let me grab those spoons.”
Once they were seated on the couch, Riley lounged at her feet, eying the ice cream on the table. Emma picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
“You know what’s funny? I haven’t actually watched anything since I moved in. I guess I’ve just been too busy with unpacking and baking everything for Barking Orders. I haven’t had much time to sit and take some time to myself.”
