Page 96 of The First Cut
At just short of 4000 square feet, the house is plenty big enough for the three of us and our growing family.
“How many bedrooms are there?”
“Five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Top floor has the main attic room. The first floor has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. There’s another bedroom and bathroom in the basement.”
“Didn’t just one person live here before?”
“Yeah.” It’s one of those moments when you realize there were signs if people had bothered to look for them.
She wanders across the large open space, past the huge fireplace, and sits down on the large sectional sofa that faces it.
“You’ll need a TV for up there. I’ve never known anyone without a TV before.”
“We’ll get one.”
She gets back to her feet and walks over to the dining area, eyeing the six-seater table and chairs before walking over to the kitchen. I look around at the quartz countertops and the large island and hope Lola likes it.
“There’s a gym and laundry room in the basement, too, but I’m guessing you’d rather see your room?”
She nods as I take the lead and head upstairs. I walk straight down the hallway to the third door on the left before swinging it open.
She walks in, stopping right in the center of the room with a gasp. “Holy shit, is this really mine?”
“Don’t say shit, and of course it is. What would I do with a purple room?”
She looks over her shoulder at me and frowns. “I don’t know, relax? Purple is very calming.”
“Purple makes me think of grapes, and then I get hungry.”
“You’re right. I really should throw rocks at dumb boys.”
“Alright, smartass, tell me you like it at least.”
She shrugs, but she doesn’t hide the smirk playing on her lips. “It’s alright.”
“That’s teenage speak for awesome, right? Fuck, I feel old.”
“You are old.”
“Thanks, kid.”
“Just keeping it real.”
I watch her as she moves around the room, trailing her fingers over the black and purple bedding that covers the large double bed. There’s a white wooden dresser on the far wall with a matching desk beside it, and a little farther along is a walk-in closet I’m sure she and Lola will have fun filling. There’s a Jack-and-Jill bathroom separating this room from the next, but as that room is empty, she’ll have the bathroom to herself. On the wall to my left is a large ornate bookcase already filled with books and trinkets.
“Where did all these books come from?
“People wanted to pitch in, but nobody knew what you liked, apart from books. Now, nobody seems to come back from anywhere without one. At this rate, you’ll have too many.”
She strokes her fingers down the spine of one. “There's no such thing as too many books, just not enough bookcases.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I drawl as I walk over to her. “And here’s the best part.” I push the bookcase so it slides across the floor, revealing a secret passage.
“Holy crap, that’s so freaking cool.” She pokes her head in to investigate.
I slide my hand along the wall and flip the switch for the lights. “I don’t think anyone but the former president knew these tunnels were here, but Chris found them on the blueprints. The lighting needs updating, but the wiring is sound, and the tunnels run all through the house.”
She turns to look at me, her eyes bright with excitement. “It’s likeThe Secret Gardenmeets Narnia.”
