“It’s a great little apartment below,” Kyle said.
“Can I see it?”Bella asked.
“Sure.”
Ronnie led them downstairs, then outside and showed them the separate entrance that led down to the lowest floor, which contained the garage alongside a perfect little apartment with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette area, and a small living space.
“Wow.We could live down here, Mom.”
“Mmm, but this place already has your room, remember?”Kyle said, before shooting Gen a glance.“Maybe your mom might like to stay here if you’re visiting, and she wants to check on me to make sure I’m doing the right thing.”
No, that wasn’t what she wanted, but apparently that’s what he did.She nodded.Blinked back tears.
“It’s only ten minutes to the hospital,” he added, like an afterthought.
“Great.”
“Well, if you’ve seen enough on this level I’d suggest we go back to the main floor with that amazing view,” Ronnie said.“Is that okay with everyone?”
“Sure,” Gen mumbled.
This was the perfect house for Kyle.She shouldn’t be jealous.She should be happy for him, and for Bella, who obviously would love to visit him here.
She joined the others on the deck with its views across the water to Bellevue’s high-rises.She bet this place even got to see the lakeside fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Kyle and Ronnie were talking, while Bella was running laps of the deck and down to the garden below, a yard big enough to hold a dog.And probably Betsy the Cat.Everything was perfect.For Kyle, anyway.And for Bella, who looked like she couldn’t wait to step into her fairy-tale dreams.
And she was happy for them both.Shewas.She just wished she could join them here too.And not in the basement.
“Gen?”
She jumped.Fluttered a hand at her chest.“You startled me.”
Kyle smiled.“So, what do you think?”
She pushed out her cheeks in a smile as big as anything Ronnie might give.“It’s great!It’s perfect for you.And Bella would obviously love to move here right away.”
He chuckled.“She likes it, doesn’t she?”
“So much.She’ll definitely find it hard to come back to normal life after staying with you here.”
“Hmm.Well, see, that’s the thing.There are good schools nearby.Great high schools, too, with excellent college scores, and one of them is for academically gifted kids.”
“Really?”
He nodded.“So, what do you think about her moving in with me here?”
She blinked, even as her heart screamed.
* * *
He watchedas her eyes widened, and maybe it was bad of him to tease, but he’d been praying about this moment, about how to finally nudge this standoff into the relationship he wanted it to be.And so when he’d prayed this morning, and felt a heavenlyYes, he’d called, she’d answered, and he’d met them here.
Now all she needed to do was say yes.
Gen’s lips pressed together and she pivoted away to face the view.But he could tell she wasn’t really looking at the panoramic vista, but rather was facing the reality of what his suggestion meant.
Of them moving away from that dumpster of a house.Possibly moving away from Minnie, although this place did have room for her too.
