I carried folded blankets upstairs while her mother discussed turning one of my bedrooms into a meditation room.
Ryan asked if the detached carriage house had separate utilities because it might be perfect for guests or maybe a side hustle.
My father watched me closely and, once, when nobody else was listening, he whispered, “Jenna, don’t make this ugly.”
I almost laughed.
They were dragging furniture across my floors, claiming my rooms, and building a future on my deed, but I was the one who might make it ugly.
Kelsey kept talking.
She said the neighborhood would finally help Ryan network with better people.
She said the kitchen would be amazing for content.
She said, “Maybe I would be inspired to stop hiding in small spaces and small goals.”
I smiled again.
“Maybe.”
Then Ryan went looking for the Wi-Fi router.
He opened the pantry, the laundry cabinet, and finally the drawer beside the kitchen island.
