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“Yeah,” he nods. “And hopefully we can get down here for a weekend sometime soon, too. What does your schedule look like for the next couple of weeks?”
We chat about his next gig and my roster of meetings as we wind our way through town. The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day with very little traffic.
“Hey, Ragnar?”
“Yes?”
“Not to insult your sense of direction, but this isn’t the way we usually leave town,” Bradford says.
I smile. “I was wondering when you’d notice.”
“What’s going on?” Bradford says, his expression a mix of confused and amused. “Should I be worried?”
“Not at all,” I say. “I just have a surprise for you. Consider it a wedding gift for us both.”
“Okay, but I have to warn you, I don’t have a good poker face. If I don’t like the surprise, you’ll be able to tell right away.”
“I think you’ll like this,” I say confidently. I turn off of the main road, down a narrow lane lined with stately trees. Then I pull into the driveway of a large house.
“Come on,” I say as I get out.
“Who lives here?” Bradford asks. “Whoever it is has impeccable taste in landscaping,” he adds, taking in the neatly trimmed bushes and flowering magnolia trees.
I pull a key out of my pocket and hand it to him. “We do.”
“What?” he gasps.
“This is the surprise!” I say, giddy with excitement. “I bought this house for us.”
“Ragnar,” Bradford says. “This is too much!”
“No, it’s exactly right,” I insist as I unlock the front door.
We walk into the double-height foyer, the marble floor shiny and smooth. A wide staircase curves down from the second floor, the dark-wood banister polished and gleaming.
Bradford spins around in a slow circle. “This is incredible.”
“And it’s only the foyer,” I grin. “Come on!”
We walk through the huge den, with a fireplace at one end, and into the kitchen, which features a double oven and six-burner stove. The refrigerator has a clear-glass door, and the deep sink is right near a large window that fills the room with light.
There’s also a dining room and an office on the first floor, both of which are empty and waiting for us to fill them with furniture and artwork. Bradford pauses in the dining room and looks up.
“That is seriously impressive,” he says of the large, wrought-iron chandelier. “It looks like a piece of art!”
“I’m really glad you like it,” I say with relief. “That’s the only thing that I’ve bought for the house. I thought that we’d choose all of the furniture and décor and everything else we need together.”
Bradford looks at me, his expression serious. “Ragnar, this is the most thoughtful, and generous, gift that anyone has ever given me. I don’t know how I can ever give you anything even half as meaningful.”
I put my arms around him. “You’re my husband. We’re not keeping score. And living here with you, that’s my gift to myself.”
Bradford kisses me. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. Let’s go upstairs,” I say, grabbing his hand and walking back to the foyer. “The best part’s up there!”
“What can be better than all of this?” Bradford asks as we hurry up the staircase, our footsteps echoing in the empty house.
“There are three good-sized bedrooms,” I say as he opens the first door. “I thought that we could make one into a guest room.”
