It was late 2023 when a home for sale caught my attention.
Intrigued, I phoned Jenna, the realtor, and asked to see the place.
After a thorough assessment of my finances by a lender, Jenna met me at the two-story house on the same day.
As we conversed, I took in the house’s beauty. A calm expression washed over me, even though the weather was frosty and bleak. I jingled coins in my pocket, a tell-tale sign that I had a lot riding on my decision.
I rocked on my heels and turned my head to survey the spacious yard with immaculate cut grass. “Not bad,” I said, with words formed through vapors.
Jenna shot me a warm smile and tucked her long, red bangs behind her ear. “Wonderful,” she said as though she, too, had a lot riding on my decision to purchase the home.
“What do you think?” I said. “Of the home, what do you think?”
“Me?” Jenna’s eyes shot wide like she hadn’t been asked her opinion in a long time.
I nodded and shrugged. “Would you live here? The neighborhood, the schools, all safe, right?”
“I’d love to live here,” Jenna said, her eyes dialed back to reality. “I couldn’t afford to live here, though.”
“The place has two living rooms,” she said, raising two fingers. “Would you like to see the inside.”
“I can see everything I need to see from here,” I replied, my gaze fixed on the property.
“But—”
“The floor, made of dark wood, stretches evenly through the house.”
Jenna gave me an impressed expression. “Did your research, didn’t you?”
Brick by brick, I traced memories made
in the empty home.
Jenna had a cardigan over her shoulders
with sleeves that stretched past her pale wrists.
Her long black boots crunched over fresh snow.
She moved ahead to point out the pavilion.
“Over—”
“The back bedroom has an enormous closet,” I said, looking through her.
“I’m sorry?” Jenna arched a brow.
“A good place for a first kiss would be in that closet.”
“Nathan?” She held her hand over her heart.
“I heard your folks lost the home.”
Jenna twisted around to cast her gaze across the street.
“Yes, my folks still live there.”
“I haven’t seen you since, since…” Jenna paused.
“Since your mom caught us kissing in the closet,” I said, flooded with memories.
“That was in the sixth grade.”
“Our parents kept us apart,” Jenna said. “I thought about you all the time.”
“Even when I was in love, I had you on my mind,” I said, my heart racing.
“Do you want to go into the closet and finish what we started?” Jenna bit her bottom lips and pulled me with her finger, motioning to approach her.