Page 14 of Surprise Baby for Mr. Fischer
With the success of this last movie, I’d gotten what I wanted. I was defining my own path and creating a reputation outside of my family’s previous connections. The path I forged was one I could be proud of, not one filled with shame or pain. People knew who I was, and for the first time, it wasn’t just because of my parentage.
My phone vibrated with another call. The number crossing the screen was from Rhode Island. “Hey, Uncle Theo, I have to run. It’s my real estate agent.”
“Okay. Call me when you get to LA, and let me know what day you’ll be here. If you need me, I can send the plane.” In his early twenties, Uncle Theo built a fortune through day trading. By the time he decided to retire from it all, he'd created a sizable nest egg that allowed him to live with all the luxuries.
“Sure. I’ll let you know in a couple of days. Talk later, Uncle Theo.” I switched over to the other call. “Tai, tell me you have good news.”
“Lincoln,” the cheery voice of my realtor, Tai Bacani, filled my ear. She’d been incredible during the whole house hunting process, but each time we thought we’d found the perfect house, something went wrong.
“I havegreatnews! It’s yours!”
“Holy shit, that was fast.”
I could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s a seller’s market, but once we went in over the asking price, they were interested. Telling them you’d pay for the furniture too was genius. It’s what landed us the house.”
The house was being sold by the grandsons of a woman who lived in it for over fifty years. They wanted to get rid of the house and everything in it. During her walk-through, Tai overheard them complaining about having to find time to sell everything. I had the money to sweeten my offer, so I did.
“When do we sign the papers?”
“That depends on you. Once the home inspection is done, we could get you into the house within the next three to four weeks. Have you given any thought as to what you’ll do if they find anything wrong?"
“Unless it's structural, go forward with the purchase.” I had the money to spare if anything were to go wrong with the house.
“Are you sure?”
“Do you think the house is solid and well taken care of?” I knew Tai had done her homework. The homes she showed me were in excellent shape.
“Absolutely. Mrs. Albright kept all the paperwork on repairs and updates she’d done in the house. She was on top of things.” I heard the hesitation in her voice. “Even so, Lincoln—”
“Tai. I know you’re just looking out for me. I appreciate that, but money isn't a problem. I want this to move quickly. It’s almost December, and I’d like to settle in the house before Christmas. I spend the holidays with my uncle, and I’d like the place to be presentable so I can host him this year.” It wasn't logical, but taking this step felt right. Rhode Island was where I wanted to be.
“You got it. I’ll get the paperwork done and talk with your lawyers so we can make sure we’ve dotted our i’s, crossed our t’s, and the purchase is made under your LLC.”
I wanted to whistle a happy tune. The place was mine. “Thank you for everything, Tai. You’ve been a big help.”
“Yeah, well, don’t thank me too soon. You haven’t seen all the furniture you acquired with this place yet.” She gave me a wry chuckle.
I laughed. Surely, she was exaggerating. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. I glanced at the pictures you sent me.”
“Pictures don’t tell you the whole story. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And Lincoln—welcome to Rhode Island.” Tai and I discussed lingering details I had to take care of for the sale before hanging up.
I’d done it. I bought a house in Rhode Island.
Which meant I bought a house in the same state as Harper.
Rhode Island’s so small that residents joke that there’s really two degrees of separation between you and anyone else. Harper had mentioned her family owned an eclectic antique shop. Part of the draw in purchasing the house was knowing I could contact her family’s business for help in getting rid of the antiques. The other was getting a chance to see her again.
I dialed a familiar number, only needing to wait for two rings before the other end picked up.
“Hey, man. What’s going on?” My best friend, Max, asked. Max’s family had lived next door to my uncle. Since we were the only ten-year-olds in the neighborhood, both had a LEGO obsession, and were into the same video games, we became fast friends. Whenever I visited Montana, I always made sure to visit Max, his wife Jess, and their three kids.
“I got it!”
“The house? That’s awesome.” He sounded a little tentative to me.
“But—” I waited for his response, not sure I wanted to hear it.
“Linc, you know I want you to be happy. I just want you to be sure you bought the house for all the right reasons. You only spent the weekend with her.”
