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By the time I arrive at the chapel, June’s already inside, and all the lights seem to be on. She didn’t wait outside for me, but then again, I didn’t really expect her to.
We may have a truce, but June is who she is, and I like her that way.
I jog up the steps, taking two at a time, and knock on the door before pushing it open and popping my head inside.
“You in here?”
“Yep.” Her answer echoes in the mostly empty space. June’s voice is rich, and it has a hint of rasp that’s always been a pleasure to listen to.
That is, when she’s not yelling at me.
“I have an extra tape measure in case we need it.” I close the door behind me, and walk farther inside to see June squatting, a roll of blue tape in her hand. The top she’s wearing is low cut, giving me an excellent view of her cleavage, but I’m smart enough not to mention it. She might injure me. “What are you doing?”
“I’m marking the space for the walls.”
“Didn’t you have plans drawn up for this?”
She scowls at me and blows her hair out of her eyes. “Of course,I have plans. I can’t have anything approved through the city without them. But I want to get a better look in real life, not just on paper.”
“Okay, let me help.”
For about an hour, we go back and forth between the drawings and laying down long strips of blue tape so she can see where walls will be.
“This building is bigger than it looks,” I say after the last piece of tape is down. “From the outside, it looks tiny, but it’s spacious in here.”
“Yeah, I’m wondering if I should add a small third bedroom or office in that corner at the front of the building, since I’m repurposing the old office.” She points to the far end of the room and to the left of the front doors. “It would take some square footage away from the living space, but I would gain an extra room.”
“Didn’t you plan to use the second bedroom as your office anyway?”
“Yeah.” She tugs on her lower lip, thinking it over. “But what if I have guests? I mean, I never do, but what if that changes? Adding that extra room is also great for resale value.”
“Do you plan to sell?”
“Well, no, but five years from now, that might change. It’s already been pointed out that this place isn’t exactly a great house for kids.”
That has me stopping in my tracks, and I just stare at her as all the blood leaves my face. “Are youpregnant?”
“Huh?” She turns to me and quickly shakes her head. “No! No, I’m definitelynotpregnant. They just meant that if, down the road, I ever wanted to have them, this isn’t a great place for that.”
“Why not?” I tilt my head, wondering what exactly makes this place unacceptable for kids.
“Well, for starters, there’s a cemetery in the backyard. That’s not really an ideal place to put a swing set, you know?”
“There’s a park one block down.”
“Okay, well, there’s no garage here, so that means there’s not much storage space.”
“You said you have an entire basement downstairs.”
“An unfinished basement.”
“Okay, so you finish it and use it for storage. What else?”
“Two bedrooms,” she says. “Or two bedrooms and an office. It’s a small place, Apollo, but it’s perfect for one person or a couple—not a family.”
“I’ll concede that it may not be great for a growing family, but you’re not pregnant right now.” I look around, thinking it over. “The ceilings are really high in here. If you ever wanted to, you could add a loft or a small second floor for more bedrooms or that office space.”
“Exactly. I asked them, why live off what-ifs? Why can’t I live my life for today and then sell this place if I ever outgrow it?”
