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She looked up at his earnest face. “I’ve been saving up to buy my own place. I don’t have much, but I’d like to contribute to whatever changes we make.”
“Okay, but the ranch is doing better than ever. I’ve got money to do it if you want to save yours for something else. Or just as an emergency fund.”
“I may have to use some of it to pay for repairs here.” She’d already received an email about the repairs to the front door. There was a small hole in the wall where she’d been slammed into it and broken the picture frame. The floors were scuffed and scarred from the broken glass and figurines. Who knew what else she’d find as she cleaned up the rest of her place today.
“Focus on the future. Name the one thing you wish you could change at the house to make it feel more like yours.”
She scrunched her lips. “Don’t you think your father will be upset if we change what your mom loved? He sees her in that place. I don’t want to take that away from him. He’ll resent me if I do.”
Max closed the distance between them. “And you’d live with all the stuff that’s hers and makes you feel like you’re a guest to spare his feelings?”
“Yes.” Because she wouldn’t want someone coming in and erasing the things that reminded her of Max if she lost him.
“My mom lives inside all of us. We don’t need the paint on the walls to remember her or all the good timeswe had in that house. It’s not the things, sweetheart, it’s the feelings and memories we have of her that matter.” He kissed her softly. “And Dad wants to update the house.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” Max tapped her chin with his finger. “Come on, sweetheart, there’s got to be something you hate about the house.”
She gave in and spilled the beans on what she didn’t like. “It’s not just the paint color in the kitchen. The whole thing needs a remodel. I think we should paint the upper cabinets white and redo the dark wood stain on the lowers with something lighter. New countertops. Something that looks like marble, but is more durable.”
Max grinned. “Sounds good to me. What about the floor?”
“What do you think?” She wanted to give him a chance to voice his opinion and choices.
“The linoleum has to go. Maybe hardwood. Or a tile that will set off the wood cabinets.”
She squished her lips. “I guess it will depend on our budget.”
“We don’t want to skimp on the kitchen. There are hardwood floors everywhere else, so maybe we’ll pick tile. But I want large tiles. Less grout lines.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
He smiled back. “Okay.”
“Should we run this all past your dad?”
“We will, but I’m telling you, he’ll love it, because he wants us to make that place ours.”
She let that settle. “Then we better get me packed up and moved in.”
Max squeezed her hand. “Feel better?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Because I have some plans for the upstairs rooms. It involves us picking a crib.”
A burst of excitement shot through her. “Will we need it right away? Or is it for later?” She’d wanted to be a mother for a long time. She loved kids. That’s why she went into teaching.
“Soon. Ish. We still have a few things to do before we put a baby in the crib, but I don’t want to wait too long. If you’re on board with that.”
“I am. I just need to have my IUD removed, and maybe give my body a couple months to get back on cycle.”
“I’ll leave that to you to decide when you’re ready.”
“Now,” she said without question. “You’re a great uncle. You’ll be an amazing father. We planned on starting early and it feels like we’re behind.”
“Okay. If that’s what you want, I’m in.”
