Page 90 of The Challenge

“Take all the time you need. Let me know when you’re ready to go inside. I don’t see any work trucks. They must’ve left for lunch, which is perfect so we can tour it in peace.”

“You know, this is the first time I’ve seen it since I moved out. I hadn’t even driven by the last couple of times I was here.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t think I could handle it, knowing it belonged to someone else.”

“But knowing that I’m the someone else now? How does that make you feel?”

“Certainly better than if it belonged to a stranger.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready to go inside.”

Evan took my hand and led me to the front door. He used his key to open it.

The first thing I noticed upon entering was that the floors had been redone and the paint colors on the walls were different.

As if he’d read my mind, Evan said, “The previous owners repainted this part of the house, and I had the wood floors redone.”

When we entered the dining room, I noticed the table that Evan had supposedly taken from the storage space to donate. “Oh my God. Our table.”

“I couldn’t give that away. This was the table where we used to sit and have our breakfasts together. I needed a table, so I figured I’d keep it. Since I hadn’t told you about the house at the time, I just made it part of the surprise.” He flashed a crooked grin. “So…surprise.”

“What else did you keep?”

“A few chairs. Don’t worry. I’m not trying to recreate the old house. That might be a little creepy.”

I followed him into the kitchen. This was the one room that looked nothing like the original.

“The previous owner actually updated the kitchen first,” Evan explained. “But they used really cheap materials that didn’t hold up. So I installed all new white cabinetry and granite countertops. As you can see from the tools they left out, the workers aren’t completely done, but it’s functional. All of the plumbing is finished. If you end up bringing your mom here, I’ll clean everything up.”

As I looked around, a deep need built within me. It felt like a huge fear of missing out, and it wasn’t about the house or the furniture. It was about Evan inside this house without me and the lingering knowledge that I no longer lived here, that my job was in Chicago, and that technically, even if those two things weren’t true, Evan hadn’t exactly indicated that he wanted a life with me.

Evan interrupted my thoughts. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I breathed. “It’s just overwhelming being back here.”

“You want to leave?”

“No. I want to take my time, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.”

“Can I see the upstairs?”

He gestured toward the stairway. “You take the lead.”

Evan followed me. There were four bedrooms upstairs, and I walked straight into the one that used to be mine. It had a wallpapered accent wall with thick pink and white stripes now.

“Wow. I actually really like the wallpaper they put up in here. It’s girly, perfect for Effie. Is this gonna be her room?”

Evan nodded. “I think she’ll like this one best.”

“Has she seen it yet?”

“She came to visit once before the renovations started,” he said.

The idea of Effie taking over my old room made me happy. I had so many wonderful memories here. This room also provided an amazing view of the beautiful cottonwood tree outside. “She’s going to love looking out this window.”

“You know, I remember soon after I moved in with you guys, getting home from school after practice and seeing you looking out this window. I’d wave. And you’d wave back. You were so cute back then.”