“I’m glad.”
Dropping my hand, I lean back on the couch and close my eyes. “I’m sorry I can’t give you the answers you want yet, but I feel like I’m running on empty right now. Once we’re all moved into the house and back to some kind of normal, I think it’ll be better.”
“I’ve waited for all these years, Mum, a little bit longer won’t hurt.”
I open my eyes and smile at my son. “I love you, Noah.”
“Love you too.”
“Put your feet up and I’ll cook dinner. When do we get the keys to the house?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
He grins. “I can’t wait.”
My heart swells. The new house will feel more like home than the last one. We’ll make it our own.
Whatever it takes.
Two days later, I jangle the keys in front of my kids. “Who wants to go in first?”
Jason screeches. “Me!”
I laugh. “Come on, then. Don’t go out to the back deck. I need to get it rebuilt.”
Part of it is blocked off because the wood has rotten through. I’m not sure I trust the rest of it. There are steps leading up to the side of the deck near the ranch slider, and they’re quite new, but the decking isn’t.
The sun streams into the entranceway, and I step into my new home. My house.
All that history has been left behind, and I hope the people who bought our old place fill it with the love and laughter it should have had.
This is our future.
“This is ours?” Kiera asks.
“All ours, baby.” I stroke her hair.
She beams a brilliant smile at me. “This is cool. Can we get phones now, too?”
I laugh. “We’ll see. Can we just get moved in first?”
“When does all our stuff arrive?” Bailey asks.
“I called the moving company and scheduled it for tomorrow. So we’ll stay tonight in the Airbnb and come over here in the morning so we can get everything where it needs to be.” I wave my hands in the direction of the rest of the house. “Now, go. Go and take a look.”
Bailey, Kiera, and Jason all take off for the stairs. They laugh as they run up, the two older girls giving way to my son.
“Happy?” Noah asks from behind me.
I turn. “You have no idea.”
He gives my shoulder a squeeze. “I hope you worked out which room is whose otherwise they’ll start arguing.”
I chuckle. “Good point.”
Shaking my head, I make my way up the stairs. There’s clearly debate going on among the girls while Jason goes from room to room.
“So, I have some ideas.” I interrupt. I point at the corner room. “That one is mine because it has an ensuite.”
