"I don't care. You're an adult; you should have a car. It's not safe not to have the means to get around."
"Fine. But if we split up, I'm not keeping it."
His hands white-knuckle the steering wheel. "I swear to fuck, if you say that again, I'm spanking you."
We don't talk for the rest of the drive, and I have to bite my tongue practically in half when we pull into the driveway of a huge, two-story brick house. Sandra, the Realtor, is already there and comes out to meet us as we approach the front door. I don't say much because I am simply in awe as she hands us each a laminated piece of paper detailing the house and then gives us a tour. Five bathrooms, six bedrooms, and a huge in-ground pool are some of the highlights that jump out at me. I don't even know how to swim.
"Six bedrooms?" I ask. "Are we going to hire people to come live with us?"
Talon and Sandra both laugh. "Oh, Talon, she's adorable!" Sandra says, as if I'm a child. "Honey, you can never have enough bedrooms!"
"Um, yeah, you can. There's only two of us. And a tiny cat."
Talon puts his arm around me. "Think ahead, babe. Kids, guest rooms for family. I have a big family."
"Kids?" I repeat. How many kids is he thinking I'm having?
"Yeah. I was thinking two. So they each get their own room, plus our room, that's three bedrooms right there."
"And then three more extras?"
"Excuse us for a second," he says to Sandra and gently pulls me to the side. "Baby, it's okay if you don't like it," he whispers, turning me to face him, his hands on my shoulders.
"This place is like a hotel. It's too big."
"Then you don't like it?"
I shake my head. "No. It doesn't feel homey or cozy at all. It’s so big and…dismal."
He looks around at all the tile floors and stark-white walls. "It is kinda cold and too contemporary, huh?"
"Yes. It feels like a hospital or an office building to me."
"You're right. Even your cool decorating skills aren't gonna make this place feel like home."
He guides me back over to Sandra. "We don't like it," he says. "It has no character. We want something cozier. And more in the woods."
"I like trees," I add, happy that Talon is on board with where I want to live. If I have to live in a place like this, I'll never feel like I belong here.