"I know it's a little dated, but everything works. You can decorate how you want. I can cover any nail holes you make when you leave," Kerrie explained, hanging back at the door to keep from crowding the small space.
It was a bit dated. The beige tiled floor and golden oak looked right out of the 90s. All that was missing was a small basket on the vanity full of maroon and powder blue decorative soaps in the shape of hearts and seashells. However, everything was clean and appeared to be of good quality, and that counted high on Bette's list of important things. Right under getting the hell away from her mother. "Could I paint?"
Kerrie hesitated, then shrugged. "I'd prefer you didn't paint anything that's wood. The walls are okay, but not the cabinets. We like the wood, right, Kenny?"
"Yeah, I like it," he agreed quickly, nodding.
"That seems reasonable," Bette said and turned to follow Kerrie across the short hall.
"This is the bedroom."
It was small—smaller than her room at her mother's. Plain white walls and a short, half-sized window looked out at ground level into the neighbor's side yard. It allowed some natural light. "The closet is small, but you're more than welcome to store some stuff in the laundry area."
"Laundry area?"
"Here," Kenny instructed Bette to follow him. His gait was a little unsteady, but Kerrie didn't seem worried about it, so Bette assumed it was normal for him. He showed her the door at the end of the hall. It had its own outer lock.
He opened it, and Bette walked through. Inside was a cement brick-lined basement with stairs, a washer and dryer, and boxes. Odds and ends of things stacked on a long row of shelves that went from the cement floor to the exposed beams of the ceiling. She turned to find Kenny and Kerrie behind her. "Is this your part of the basement?"
Nodding, Kerrie pointed to the stairs. "Yeah, that door leads to our first floor. Both your door and ours are lockable from our respective sides. I'm usually the only one that comes down here for laundry, but if needed, Mabel occasionally throws a load in."
"And Mabel is?"
"The woman that was here when we arrived. Kenny's caretaker during the day. She stays with him while I'm at work."
"We watch Wheel of Fortune and SpongeBob."
"Kenny likes the lady models on Wheel of Fortune, don't you, Kenny?" teased Kerrie.
Her brother laughed, shifting from foot to foot and rubbed his head. His cheeks reddened. "Yeah, and we have lunch. Then we watch Mabel's soaps and have hot chocolate. Sometimes, we sit on the front porch when it's not hot."
"Your sister doesn't like the heat either," mused Bette, smirking at Kerrie.
Kerrie met her smirk with a grin. "Like brother, like sister."
They went back into the kitchen and stood around the little island. Bette looked back over the room. She wanted the unit but needed to know the most important factor. "How much is rent?"
"$800. That includes water, electricity, and trash pickup. You'd have to pay for your own internet and cable if you wanted those. I take care of the lawn."
"$800? That seems so affordable compared to the prices I've been seeing on the internet. Especially with utilities included."
Kerrie shrugged. "I'd rather rent a little cheaper to entice good renters to stay. I use the rent to beef up Kenny's trust. I'm not trying to be greedy, though."
Bette took a deep breath, feeling a little nervous about her next question. "Could I break the deposit up into three installments over the next three months?"
Kerrie nodded without hesitation. "Sounds reasonable to me."
Bette turned around again, biting her lip. She could manage the rent for sure on her salary, and if she didn't have to put all the deposit upfront, then she could buy some necessities. Starting over wasn't cheap. She was already trying to imagine the space decorated and how it would look when she got her stuff out of storage. The small amount of things she was allowed to keep. She wouldn't fret over that now, though. For the moment, she would appreciate finally having a place to call her own.
Turning back around, Bette smiled at the twins. "I'll take it."
Chapter 16
"So, where is this place again?" Zoe asked as she peeked into a box. They were at Bette's storage locker, where the meager amount of belongings she walked away with was stored. It had been months since she had been by and was surprised by the things she forgot she had.
"Nixon Lane. A street over from Walgreens. It's a charming little neighborhood."
Zoe put her hand over her eyes as she squinted against the sun that was already warming the morning. "But I thought you said you'd have to wait to find something."
