Page 8 of More Than A Fixer-Upper
“It’s a good way to find out if we like the town and its people,” Drew shrugs. He’s already reading through my paperwork. He’ll tell me if something doesn’t sit right.
We pull into the driveway, and my heart beats faster. Instead of turning left toward the cottage, I head to the main bed and breakfast. I want to walk into this new life. I shut off the car and step out. The kids follow.
“If you want to head to the cottage, go ahead. I want to look around, make a list, and start cleaning. It’s August I’d love to be open by Thanksgiving.”
“Cleaning doesn’t sound fun, but I’m here to help, Mom,” Drew says. I chuckle. Winnie stays glued to her phone.
I unlock the door and walk in. The air smells musky. I don’t know how long it’s been closed up.
“I’m opening the windows to air it out,” I say, needing to do something. Drew goes looking for light switches. I cough as I push open the curtains dust flies everywhere. The windows look relatively new, so at least they won’t need replacing.
I turn to face the room, hand pressed to my heart. Drop cloths cover the furniture, and everything is coated in dust.
“I had to go to the kitchen to find the breaker. They shut off everything except the furnace and hot water tank,” Drew says.
“We need to make sure the pipes didn’t burst,” he adds, tapping something into his phone. “The appliances look new, but I don’t know much about them.”
“I don’t either. Mr. Marks might know when the upgrades were done.” I dig around for a pen in my pocket, but Drew laughs and shows me his phone he’s already started a list.
To-do List:
Check the pipes
Ask Mr. Marks about appliance purchases
Get cleaning supplies
Ask Mr. Marks about upgrades
“What else should I add?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I say, eyes stinging as the overwhelm creeps in. I sigh. “Let’s start at the desk and work through the first floor,then the other four.” Drew nods and reworks the list to include each floor and room. I smile at him.
“We need a separate list for cleaning supplies too.” He types again.
“Thanks for helping,” I say. His smile lights up his whole face. I’d be lost without my kids.
The door opens. Winnie walks in with Mr. Marks behind her.
“Did you get them enrolled?” he asks, walking over.
“Yes, we did. Linda was lovely,” I say.
