Submerged(Bound Together Book 1)(97)
“If you’re ready, we’ll head upstairs and get a look at the rest of the property,” Charles says as we make our way over to the stairs. Carly has yet to say anything, and Natalia is being surprisingly docile. For a fifteen month old, I’m surprised as shit at how well behaved she’s being right now.
We make our way up the two sets of stairs and we’re in the upper level. A small sitting area is directly to the right. A large picture window overlooking the front takes up much of the front wall. There’s just enough space here for a couch, chair, and television, or maybe a kids play area.
“The previous owner used this for a seating room. You could make it into whatever you wanted. Over here is the kitchen and dining room. Custom oak cabinets and granite countertops were installed when it was built seven years ago. The stainless steel appliances are top of the line, and as I mentioned, everything stays with the house.” Carly checks out the entire room thoroughly. She walks around and opens just about every cabinet, including one that stores bottles of wine and wine glasses. I can practically feel the excitement radiating from her body. She even opens up the fridge and dishwasher.
She makes eye contact with me just then and her eyes are sparkling like diamonds, and the smile spread across her beautiful face matches. I’m a lucky son of a bitch.
Heading over to the sliding glass doors in the dining room, Carly reaches for the venetian blinds that are closed. “Oh, let’s hold off on seeing the backyard and deck for last, shall we?” Charles states, directing our attention towards the rest of the house. My heart is beating double-time as I will my breathing to slow. I sound like an out of shape football player trying to run my first fifty of the season.
“This way to the bedrooms,” Charles says, leading us out of the kitchen. Rich hardwood flooring extends from the small living area all the way down the hallway.
The first door is a large bathroom. This room decorated with a splash of color in a deep blue and light green. The shower and tub unit is tile and the vanity clearly a custom design with matching backsplash.
“Over here is the first of three bedrooms. Both of the smaller rooms are still twelve by thirteen and have decent sized walk-in closets.”
After Carly and I both check over the first room, Natalia decides that now is the time to get down. She wiggles enough that I go ahead and oblige her. She stands up instantly and walks towards the closet. Giving the door a tug, she walks inside and plops down on the floor of the empty space. The smile she awards us is breathtaking. “I think she’s already picked her room,” Carly says with a laugh.
Carly scoops up Nat as we head towards the master bedroom. As we step inside, I link my fingers with hers again. I want to feel the excitement through her as she sees this space.
We step inside the master bedroom. The room is large with its own en suite bathroom complete with custom everything. There’s a garden tub as well as a shower stall with rich hues of brown and cream. The carpeting is plush, the walls are a rich copper color, and the master bathroom rivals the size of my kitchen and living room combined in my old apartment.
What gets my attention now is her audible gasp when she looks out the sliding glass doors. This master bedroom comes with its own private balcony. The sun is bright in the sky, which enables us to get our first real glimpse at the backyard. There’s an ornate pond in one corner along with plenty of open space between that and a gated in-ground pool. I can already picture where I’ll put the swing set that I’ll insist on building myself.
Charles releases the latch to open the sliding glass doors, granting us access to our personal deck overlooking the backyard. It’s not big by any means, but there’s enough room for a couple of chairs. I can picture her and I lounging around after the kids go to bed at night. Kids, yes, because there will be more. As soon as humanly possible.
From our vantage point on the little deck, we can see the large screened-in room off the back of the kitchen. This is the part that I can’t wait to show her. This is where I take over.
“If you guys don’t have any questions for me, I’m going to step out front and let you both look around. If you need me, just holler,” Charles says as he extends his hand to both of us. After polite handshakes, he exits the master bedroom and disappears.
Suddenly, I’m a sweaty mess. My palms are clammy and my pits are suddenly so moist, I’m afraid I forgot to put deodorant on this morning. The nerves that I’m feeling when I share my big news isn’t about wondering how she’s going to take it, but about wanting to make sure it goes seamlessly. Perfectly. A lot of different factors played into today’s surprise.