way. “Beau says our houses were owned by sisters who lived in them their whole adult lives until they got old and went into a care facility. They both died last year, and their kids have decided it’s time to sell their properties.”
“That’s sweet and sad at the same time,” I offer.
“I know, right?” Jessica says, “I can just imagine them running back and forth across the street to borrow a cup of sugar or drop their kids off for the night so they could go out on a date with their husbands.” What a lovely image.
Jessica continues, “Just like we can do if you buy this place.” I force myself to swallow and stifle the feelings of excitement. Jessica and I are barely acquainted as adults, but I love feeling hopeful that we might someday be good friends. I need that in my life.
She leads us to the front porch which looks like it’s about to fall apart. Seriously, I’m afraid to step onto it. “Beau marked X’s in duct tape where it’s safe to stand,” she tells us.
We climb up, careful to land on the markings before she points toward the front yard. “Just imagine a swing hanging from the oak tree.” She points to the overgrown shrubs in front of the house. “You’d need to cut those right down so you can see the house better. Then I’d plant flowers on either side of the walkway and when the porch is rebuilt, I’d hang flower boxes over the railing and plant a mixture of bright blooms and creeping ivy to give it an old-fashioned look.”
Jessica paints such a vivid picture that I get sucked right into her vision. Beau pulls up before I can comment though.
“Hey, all,” he calls out as he gets out of his car. He hands me the key before joining us on the porch. “One more body might be all it takes for that thing to crumble. Go on in and I’ll follow behind.”
I don’t walk in right away. Instead, I stand in the open doorway and try to get a feel for the space. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls and there are stains on the wood floors. The musty smell is overwhelming, but none of these things ward off the pervasive feeling that I’ve come home.
Once we’re all inside, Beau says, “It’s three bedrooms and one and half baths, built in nineteen thirty-two. It’s only fourteen hundred square feet, but there’s a full basement that could be finished to add another eight hundred.”
Fourteen hundred square feet is almost twice what I have now. It’s practically a mansion in my eyes. I walk around slowly taking in the charm of the house. There are built-in bookshelves in the living room that flank a wood-burning fireplace. There’s a bay window with a window seat in the dining room and a built-in china cabinet. The kitchen and bathrooms are so hideous I can’t imagine how they could be salvaged, but none of that matters. This house is a jewel.
“How much is it?” I ask Beau.
“It was just reduced to forty-three thousand dollars. But I can probably get it for thirty-nine. It needs a new roof and as you can see everything inside needs to be redone. The good news is that the piping and electric are solid. So is the foundation.”
I look over at Jessica who’s practically foaming at the mouth in anticipation of my reaction. “It’s great, right? Let’s go up and look at the bedrooms.” She practically sprints to the stairs, which are in the entryway.
The bedrooms are tiny, but there appear to be no issues other than cosmetic ones. Jessica explains, “My layout is nearly identical to yours except the wall between the far two bedrooms has been knocked down to make a large master.” She knocks on the wall of the room we’re in and a hollow thumping resonates. “It looks like you can do the same over here if you want. This wall doesn’t appear to be load-bearing.”
Buck walks into the room and says, “You’re never coming to visit me in London now, are you?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Probably not for a couple years. It looks like all of my money might be tied up in renovations.”
Jessica claps her hands together loudly and cheers, “I knew it! I knew this was the perfect house for you!”
Beau peeks his head in and asks, “You want to put in an offer?”
Buck answers before I can. “Shouldn’t she see a few