“Okay, sweet pea,”—since when had she started calling Bella by Kyle’s pet name?—“are you ready?”
“So ready!”Bella announced.“But Mom, what are we doing here?”
“We’re looking at a house Kyle is thinking of moving to instead of his apartment.”
Because, as he’d said when he’d discussed this with her, he wanted space for Bella to stay if she wanted.Which meant more room, and someplace safer where she could go outside without worrying about homeless people on the streets below.And yes, Gen appreciated all of that.
But for him to want to move to a place filled with remodeled three-story family-sized homes like this?The man must have cash to burn.
Kyle’s car was here, so he must already be inside with the realtor.
“Let’s go!But Mom,” Bella added in a lower voice, “the places here look really expensive.And double the size of our place.”
Try at least quadruple.She was fairly certain their current butter-box of a house would fit in what looked like this place’s double garage.
They walked up the garden path, lined either side with flowering bushes, before a series of steps led up to the front door, positioned on the middle floor.The house was an older style, obviously newly painted with fresh trims that suggested it had joined the legion of other houses nearby that were recently remodeled.Its close proximity to the lake—just one property back—and hillside position suggested there’d be some nice views inside.Kyle’s place looked amazing.
The glass front door was propped open, and a murmur of voices drifted to her.“Hello?”
“Mom, it looks like a princess house,” Bella whispered as they lingered at the front entryway.
She nodded.A dark-stained wooden staircase led immediately up on the right, contrasting to the white hall and lighter timber floors.From this position she could look down the hall, which led to a kitchen that already looked three thousand times lovelier than hers, and a glass-paned back door that led to a treed yard.The style was minimalist, the colors giving a subtle Japanese vibe, like the nearby Japanese gardens they’d visited last week, which had long been one of her preferred aesthetics.Kyle hadn’t chosen this place because he remembered her saying that, had he?
Heels clicked, then Kyle appeared, followed by a glamorous young woman, who must be the realtor.Kyle smiled when he saw them, opening his arms wide as Bella ran to him.
“Hi Daddy!”
“Hi sweet pea.”He kissed her cheek, then drew close to Gen.“Hi.”
For a second she thought she’d finally know again what his lips on hers felt like, but he only brushed a kiss on her cheek then stepped away, leaving her disappointed.
“Ronnie, this is Gen and our daughter, Bella.”He said those last words with such pride.
“Hi ladies.I’m Ronnie.”The realtor flashed her wide white smile at them then batted her eyelashes at Kyle, who grinned at her.
Gen’s heart twisted as something green shaded her vision for a moment.Honestly.Couldn’t the man tell those horse-sized lashes were fake?
Kyle pivoted to Gen.“What do you think so far?”
“It’s like a princess house, Dad,” Bella declared.
Gen nodded.I think I’m jealous.I want your attention.Not for you to give it to a super perky skinny model wannabe who has obviously never birthed a human.
He shifted beside Gen again, and slid a hand behind her back, the nearness forcing her to inhale his scent.Oh, why was it so hard to think?
“Gen?”
“It looks great.”
“Great!”Ronnie beamed.“Well, come down the hall like so, and look, if you come through here, you can see the uninterrupted views of Lake Washington.Isn’t that amazing?”
Gen’s jaw sagged.Amazing didn’t begin to cover it.The living room’s classic Art Deco-esque fireplace was positioned on an angled wall between two windows, the larger of which led to a deck that yes, featured a view of the lake, and even Mount Rainier in the distance.“It’s like a dream.”
“It’s pretty nice, huh?”Kyle said.
She nodded.It was like her perfect house.Big enough for three, the combined living-dining room had obviously been two rooms once upon a time, but opening it up, giving it space like this, and allowing the kitchen to make the most of those views too, well, it was stunning.Big but not too big.Perfectly proportioned.Perfectly decorated.A million times removed from the dump she currently called home.
The kitchen itself was really nice, sleek, but with heritage nods in the tall shaker cabinetry and the cream and black styling.The island allowed for three cream stools.
