Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Effie was understandably confused. “But that house is big enough for all of us.”
“That’s true, but Chloe’s mom needs it quiet. She’s not doing well, and she needs some peace. You and I wouldn’t be able to be our usual loud selves there.”
“I can be quiet,” she pleaded.
Leaning my elbows against the table, I chuckled. “I think we both know that’s not true, baby. Even when you whisper, you’re loud. We need to give Chloe and her mom some space, okay? I need you to accept that.”
“Okay.” She sulked.
“There’s something else I never told you that makes it kind of special that we can let Chloe and her mom stay at our house for a while,” I added.
“What?”
“I was gonna surprise you with this news after we moved in, but the house we bought? It’s actually the very same house where Chloe grew up.”
Effie gasped. “It is?”
“Yes.” Chloe nodded. “Your dad saw that the people who bought it from my parents put it up for sale, and he grabbed it before anyone else could. And guess what the best part is?”
Effie leaned in. “What?”
“Your room, the pretty one with the pink and white stripes on the wall?”
“Yeah?”
“That was actually my old bedroom!”
“No way! I’m gonna get to sleep in your bedroom?”
“Well, it’s your bedroom now.” Chloe reached out to ruffle Effie’s hair. “I was thinking that while I’m there temporarily with my mom, you could visit, and we can get it ready for you.”
“You mean like decorate it together?”
“Yup.” Chloe clasped her hands together. “How does that sound?”
“Amazing!” Effie bounced in her seat.
I smiled. “See? So it’s not all bad news.”
Effie turned to Chloe. “What room are you gonna sleep in when you stay with your mom?”
“Well, the only two rooms that have beds right now are the big bedroom where my mom will stay and the bedroom that used to be your dad’s when he was younger. So, I’ll stay in that room.”
“Who did the big bedroom belong to when you lived there?”
“That was my parents’ room. So, my mom will have the big room since it might spark some memories. Plus, she needs space to accommodate her helper.”
Effie was so cute as she processed all of the information we’d just thrown at her. “I’m even more excited now,” she finally said.
I grinned. “Why is that, baby?”
“Because I’ll get to pretend I’m Chloe when I move in.”
Chloe and I shared a smile.
“You’re gonna love living there, Effie,” Chloe told her. “The cottonwood tree outside your bedroom is so beautiful and blooms in the spring. And I know how much you love to look for rabbits in the yard. I remember lots of rabbits there when I was younger. Your dad is putting in that swing set, too. It’s gonna be so much fun.”
“And a trampoline.” Effie beamed.
“Well, I’ll stay out of the workers’ way so they can work on the yard and get everything ready for you when Mom and I move out.”
“But how do you know you won’t be there with your mom forever?”
Chloe turned to me and smiled sadly. “Because I can’t be here forever. I’ll have to go back to Chicago at some point, and I don’t think my mom is—”
She stopped herself and looked to me. It was hard to give Effie an explanation without getting into the subject of death. Chloe probably wasn’t sure how much Effie knew about that.
I reached across the table for Effie’s hand. “Because we don’t know how much longer Chloe’s mom will be here with us, honey. There’s a chance she might go to heaven. But we have no way of knowing when it will happen.”
Effie nodded sadly.
Once my daughter went to take a shower and get ready for bed, my mind returned to the challenge note Chloe had left me earlier.
“You want to break open a bottle of wine tonight?” she asked.
“I would love to, yeah.”
“Meet you in the living room at eight forty-five?”
“Sounds like a plan.” I slapped her playfully on the ass with the dish rag I’d been holding.
It was like she knew I’d need wine to loosen up a bit. It’d been difficult keeping my hands off her over the past week. We couldn’t lose control with Effie in the house, so it’d been easier not to start anything at all. We’d only had sex once, when I was able to come home during my lunch break. The other days, I’d either had work obligations or Chloe had web meetings.
I still didn’t know where things were going with us or how it was going to end. In my heart of hearts, I wanted her here with me forever, but I didn’t know how I could ask her to give everything up and take that risk.
I opened a bottle of wine and went into the living room about ten minutes early. So far as I could tell, Effie was asleep. I poured two glasses of red and bounced my legs anxiously as I waited for Chloe.