Page 47 of We're One

After the sun dips below the horizon, Zach stands, keeping me in his arms. He walks inside the cabin, and together we fall onto the bed. We won’t be getting much sleep tonight.

Chapter Twenty

Sia

I thought leaving Seaville and coming back to the city would ruin the magic Zach and I found in our blissful two days in paradise. I was wrong. We’ve been back for a month now and I’ve been at his house more than at my own place, including sleeping over. I keep waiting for our perfect bubble to pop at any minute, but it hasn’t. Things feel natural with Zach; they feel right. I’m happier than I’ve ever been before. It scares me, but I push these fears aside because there’s nothing I can do about the future. I can, however, live in the moment, and this moment is wonderful.

Zach was in the city all morning while I was at the house putting finishing touches on most of the rooms. He didn’t want any involvement in the final accents, which I love. That’s my favorite part of decorating: a bright throw pillow here, a detailed lamp in the corner, uniquely framed pictures, light placement. The things that make an ordinary room into a showstopper.

I hear the front door open and smile as I come around the corner. I meet Zach in the hallway, and my heart still thunders when he immediately steps up and pulls me into his arms, his head descending as he gives me a breathtaking kiss.

“I’ve missed you,” he says when he pulls back. I laugh. I do a lot of that these days.

“You’ve only been gone for six hours.”

“That’s a lifetime,” he says. I shake my head. There’s no way I’m admitting to him I’ve missed him as well. We’re in such dangerous territory at this point in our relationship that I’ve gone long past every warning sign and I’m hanging off the edge of the cliff. I can’t be upset about it, though.

“Are you ready for a walkaround?” He’s loved all of the decorations, but the finishing touches are really where it’s at.

“More than ready. Lead the way,” he says, taking my hand as we tour the enormous house. As we step through the different areas I smile at each one. This began as a project, but it now feels like a home. It did before, of course, but it didn’t have any wow factor other than the sheer size. If you’re looking at nothing but size, there are incredible buildings all around the country that no one wants to live in because they require too much work.

I don’t understand how people let these homes degrade so much. That’s not the case with this home. It’s solid and well-maintained. It only needed to be made beautiful again. But many homes never get needed repairs and eventually they fall to the ground. Someone lovingly built these homes, so it’s very sad to see them destroyed. I think we live in a country of abundance, and people simply move on to bigger and better things, letting anything in the past disintegrate. It also might be that things are now made with subpar materials, making them unfixable when things start going wrong.

“Okay, this might be my favorite room of the house,” I tell Zach as we step into the library. He stops as he looks around the large room with a fireplace along the back wall with two comfortable chairs in front and a bright table. The walls are lined with bookcases, with the books organized by category and color. Lamps are in each corner, and a small bar is in the corner.

“This is fantastic, Sia,” he says as he walks around the room. “I might have to start working in here instead of the den.”

“If I lived in this house, this would be the most used room. It’s comforting and bright, but at night it can be soft and soothing. I’ve taken multiple pictures to showcase this room on my website.”

“You’ve transformed it. I don’t think I’ve done more than walk by the door for most of my life, and now I don’t want to leave. I couldn’t have picked a better person to make this home come alive.” I’m beaming as he says this, though trying to keep my feet on the ground.

“Well, I don’t want to go either, but there’s more to see,” I tell him with a laugh. I’m always a little bummed to leave the library. It’s so warm and inviting. I’d love to curl up on one of the recliners with a great book and glass, or bottle, of wine, and simply lose myself in a story. But we do have much more to see.

We walk down the hall. “This is my favorite guest room,” I tell him, opening the door to reveal a beautifully decorated room done in soft pastel colors with antique white furniture and bright accent pillows and lamps.

“I guess I need to find some guests to come and stay,” he says with a laugh. “It would be a shame not to use this room.”

“I’m so glad you like things so far. People make guest rooms fancy, and nothing is wrong with that, but I like comfort more than pizazz. It’s always hard to be away from home, so if you make a visit enjoyable, your guests will want to come back again and again.”

He laughs. “Well, maybe we don’t want them to stay too long.”

“If they stay too long, you can always turn off the hot water. That will drive them away fast.”

He shakes his head. “I might have to do that to my brothers just for fun,” he says with a wink.

We leave the room and move down the hallway, then turn a corner, and step into the kitchen. He’s seen this room every day, so there’s not much more to show, but I’ve hung some brightly colored towels, added a set of canisters, and installed a gorgeous spice rack.

“I need to bring Nikki here to cook a meal. She’ll die over this kitchen.”

“She’s welcome anytime. I love home-cooked meals. My cook has been on vacation for two months visiting his family in South America. I can’t wait for him to get back. His mom broke her hip, so he’s been there taking care of her.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful he was able to do that.”

“Yes, I told him I can do takeout so he can take all the time he needs and still have a job when he comes back. He worked for Gramps for years.” I smile as I imagine cooking in this space. I wish I loved cooking even ten percent as much as Nikki. Maybe it will happen if I ever live in a home like this with such a fantastic kitchen.

“These appliances are all top-of-the-line and have warranties, but you shouldn’t need to have repairs. I make sure to order the ones that will make life easier for my clients. Someday when I have my own house, I’m definitely getting one of these ovens. They aren’t cheap, but they cook beautifully.”

“Very nice,” he says, making me laugh. He doesn’t really care about this room, as he doesn’t cook. He does appreciate the beauty of the makeover, though. I love the stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, and bright white cabinets with sage green walls. It’s my second favorite room of the house even if I’m not a cook. The kitchen is where most families meet up and discuss their days. I remember it well, sitting at the table talking to my mother as she prepared a beautiful dinner. We spent far more time in the kitchen than the living room.

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