Page 20 of Catch Me When I Fall

My gut twisted.

“We were ready to start our lives here,” she said with a smile, looking up at the house, memories coming to her. “Everything changed when we found out I was pregnant with twins.”

My brows went up. “Oh?”

She laughed. “Exactly. In the end, there wasn’t enough space for four of us and we put it up for sale. Now, three years later, the house is still empty.” She turned to me. “It’s yours if you want it.”

My mouth dropped open. “You—you barely know me and you want me to buy your house?”

“My husband is very good at reading people, Carrie, and frankly, so am I. You came here to start over, and we want to help you do that.”

I eyed her. “What’s the catch?”

Sarah shook her head, shrugging. “No catch. Just go inside and take a look around,” she said, holding out the keys to me.

I gently plucked the keys from her fingers, and as I turned to head up the concrete steps, she added, “It also comes furnished.”

I whirled on her, eyes wide. “What?” I breathed.

She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to hide her smile of excitement. “There’s a king bed, a sectional, a breakfast table, and a dresser. It isn’t much, but it will get you started. Starting over can be expensive.”

I nodded, clutching the strap of my backpack tighter. We’d driven separately, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the bag in the car—even if it was only for a few minutes. I was in a town full of strangers, and though everyone I’d come across so far was nice, I knew better than to let my guard down. “That sounds lovely, Sarah. Thank you.”

Once I was on the porch, I took in the bright red door, and honestly, I didn’t mind the color. For once, I didn’t get flashbacks to that dreadful day over a year ago. For once, my heart didn’t stop beating at the sight of it.

I took this as a sign, put the key in the knob, and opened the door.

I sucked in a breath at the painting directly in front of me of a sunset, the pinks, purples, and oranges blending together over the endless dark blue water. While it was stunning, that wasn’t what took my breath away. It was the seagulls. At least a hundred of them were scattered all over the pink sky, their silhouettes adding texture and depth. Some were big, some were small, and I loved every single one.

They were free.

And finally, so was I.

Tears filled my eyes as my heart jumped into my throat before I stepped inside and took in the living space. The ceiling was slanted, but the skylight above made the room seem even bigger. The sand-colored sectional was placed in the far corner of the room, a few pillows in various shades of blue scattered along it. Across from it was the kitchen, nestled into the corner in an L shape. The cabinets were older, painted a fresh cream color, with black handles, the appliances stainless steel. I ventured further in to the living area before stepping into the kitchen to find a door on the other side of the fridge. Taking a peek through the small window in the door, I smiled when my eyes landed on a breakfast table sitting in the middle of a screened-in deck. In the distance, I could see the river over the hills of colorful homes and bright green trees.

“I feel like I’m in a dream,” I whispered, backing away from the door.

As I left the kitchen, I trailed my finger across the smooth surface of the countertop, contentment washing over me. My footsteps were soft on the wooden floors as I made my way back through the living room, turning down a short hallway with a bathroom on the left, a laundry closet at the end of the hall, and a small bedroom on the right. It was empty—which meant the master was upstairs.

The last thing I expected was to find that the entire second level of the home was the master bedroom, with windows on every single wall, the bathroom to the left with a small sink and a precious claw-foot tub. A real smile spread across my face at the sight, and when I went back into the bedroom, I took everything in.

The bed was underneath a large rectangle window, the view of the river warming my heart. The dresser was across from the bed, leaving a huge open space in front of the largest window. The longer I stared, the more I pictured myself lounging on the window seat, lost in a book. I turned, envisioning bookshelves opposite of the reading nook.

The king bed was stripped, leaving the bare mattress, but I could easily go into town to purchase some bedding, dishes, and other household essentials.

I did a slow spin, taking everything in before backing up and taking a seat on the edge of the mattress.

It was so soft.

I hadn’t slept in a soft bed since—

Broken glass splintered my throat as the image of Robert came into my head, his laughter echoing in my ears. A heavy, dark cloud slithered above me, ready to weigh me down.

“No,” I declared, gripping the sides of the mattress as I bowed my head. “I will not be a prisoner in my sadness. I will not bend to the will of my pain.”

I closed my eyes and took three, calculated, controlled deep breaths.

When I was done, my dead husband was nothing but a memory, a closed chapter of my life.

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