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The memories soon fade. Everything looks so strange now. Where all our furniture once stood, there is nothing but construction equipment. Soon they will tear apart all that is left of my childhood.
I start to feel like Alice in Wonderland as I walk around the house. Like this is all just some horrible dream, or I wandered into an alternate dimension. I wish that one of those was the reason for my visit rather than face the truth.
This home, much like my parent's marriage, is about to be ripped apart. I don't think I can handle it, but I have no choice in the matter, like so many other things in my life. I walk from the dining room to the kitchen. My footsteps making tiny echoes on the floor. Thank goodness no one is around to hear that.
I stop in the middle of the kitchen and just stare at the oven. I can still picture my mother standing there cooking dinner. I hear the distant echoes of my father watching TV in the living room. Reaching out, I place my palm on one of the walls. Why did it all have to end this way? I sigh. I guess some things just weren't meant to last.
Oddly, I can still hear the sound of my footsteps. Then it takes me a second to realize they are not mine. My heart hammers in my chest as I whirl around. A man holding a baseball bat is behind me. I clutch my hands to my chest and start to scream.
“Whoa! No, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you,” the man says as he lowers the bat, though he still holds it in his hand. “I honestly don't even know why I picked it up. Now I feel kind of stupid for doing so,” he admits.
As he is moving the bat around, the stranger loses his grip on it and drops it. The bat lands on his foot causing him to wince and yelp in pain. It looks quite comical. The bat gives a metallic clink as it rolls to the ground. The sound only adds to the humor of the situation.
I can't hold in my laughter.
The stranger looks up at me. He looks a little embarrassed but laughs along with me. The tension is suddenly broken between us, and I forget my fear. It doesn't take me long to figure out that this man is the new owner. Makes sense, considering how late the hour is.
“Sorry about intruding. My name is Mia. You bought this house from my parents,” I explain, introducing myself.
As he leans down to pick up the bat, I can't help but notice how sexy he is for an older man. The stranger’s hair isn’t wholly salt and pepper, but the brown is accompanied by a bit of silver around his ears. His square jaw is clean-shaven, leading to broad, muscular shoulders. If I had to guess his age, I’d say maybe forty.
The owner sets the bat on the counter then turns to look at me. I could get lost in his deep brown eyes. He has a rugged masculinity about him that makes me feel really girly.
“Well, it's nice to meet you, Mia. I'm Isaac. I'm flipping this house,” he explains.
After shaking hands, we both look nervously around the room. Well, this is an unexpected surprise. I was so sure that I wouldn't run into anyone by showing up at night.
“If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here so late?” Isaac asks, almost reading my mind.
I glance at him. I can tell that he is curious and not trying to reprimand me or anything, so I decide to be honest with him.
I sigh as I lean against the kitchen counter. “To tell you the truth, I wanted to spend the night here for old time’s sake. I know my parents might not be in love with each other anymore, but I still love this house,” I explain passionately. I hope he can see things from my perspective.
Isaac nods. “Well, I do understand what you are saying, and this is a lovely house,” he admits looking around. I am about to jump up and down with relief, but what he says next shocks me. “However, there is no electricity here. I turned it off because we are scheduled to start demolition tomorrow.”
“That's fine. Electricity is no big deal,” I reply, wanting to be left alone already.
“There is no water either,” he informs me.
Now I feel disheartened. No water? What am I going to do?
I don't want my feelings to show on my face. This is just not going the way I had planned. I mentally review my options, and there really are none. I have little to no money, so I can't stay anywhere. I suppose I could call one of my friends, but I don't really want to see them. I wanted to be alone, that's why I took this trip. This night can't possibly get any worse than it is right now.
