Trying not to wake Gavin, I threw on a sports bra, a pair of tights, a hoodie, and my running shoes, tying my hair into a ponytail before slipping out of the house for an early morning run. Maybe that would help get my mind away from Beckham.
Thirty minutes turned into an hour, then two. My feet carried me farther than I intended, leading me into a township I only ever passed by in a car. And now, for once, I took the time to really see it.
Slowing to a walk, I noticed a woman, in her late sixties maybe, unlocking the heavy doors of a beautiful historic building. I felt drawn to it, ascending the steps curiously, and as I entered, I noticed it was one of the largest exhibits of historical art in the area. Or rather, that’s what the newspaper framed on the wall by the front desk said.
“Hello, dear,” I heard behind me.
I looked over my shoulder to see the same woman at the front desk, setting up for the day. She seemed very genuine and soft-looking. Her smile was kind, but her eyes seemed tired.
“Did you want to purchase a ticket?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No, thank you, ma’am, just having a look around. This place is beautiful.”
She nodded. “Sure is. My husband and I bought it from the city forty years ago. Been running it ever since.”
“I actually own a few properties like this myself.”
She seemed shocked as she smiled even brighter. “Do you? Well, you know the ins and outs, I’m assuming probably more than I do.” She chuckled.
I shook my head. “I try my best, but I definitely could still learn a thing or two.”
She nodded in agreement. Then, after a pause: “I… was actually thinking of selling the place.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Really?”
She shrugged. “My husband and I used to run it together, but he’s been rather sick lately, and there’s only so much I can do. Our retirement is actually in this building, so… we can’t exactly up and leave.” She paused for a moment and then ferreted something out from beneath the counter. “Take my card. If you think about wanting to own another property, I’ll put you first in line.”
Taking the card, my eyes lit up with the idea of the potential of owning such a historic and beautiful building. “Thank you… Mrs. Whitaker.”
“Please, sweetheart, call me Helen.”
I smiled as I bid her goodbye.
I glanced around once more, this time slower. The tall ceilings, the cracked molding, the way the light spilled through the stained glass—it felt… sacred. Like something worth preserving.
Something I could make my own.
I was practically jumping in excitement as I thought of the potential this place could have—though the excitement was battling the dread inside me.
Gosh, I have no money, but plenty of dreams and debt.
Maybe this is what Gavin was talking about… maybe I do go way over my head at times.
Deciding to pass by Kira’s before going home, I ran my way over and knocked on the door. She opened it in a robe, her hair in a towel, and her toothbrush in her hand.
“Hi, boss lady,” she mumbled through toothpaste, leading me inside.
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Kira… you have to be at work in thirty minutes.”
“And whose fault is that?”
I rolled my eyes as I sat on her couch.
She walked into her bathroom, and I did my best to keep myself busy. I expected her to take at least fifteen minutes to get ready, given the state she’d opened the door in, but she returned after just five, fully dressed with lotion, hair ties, deodorant, perfume, and makeup in hand.
“Kira, you can finish getting ready,” I laughed.
She sat on her other sofa and shook her head, placing everything down. “No. You need help. That is the only reason you’d stop by unannounced in running gear after going on a run at like five AM.”
