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My heartbeat sped up. “Show me.”
7.
***Memphis***
Therosesformedamaze halfway through the walk from the main house to the guest house. There was a path around it, but walking through led to a fountain and a bench in the middle of the maze. The scent was heavenly and I would’ve happily gotten lost for hours in the rows of deep red roses.
The rest of the path to the guest house was just as stunning as the start, with flowers leading the way. I could’ve stopped and picked out all the different kinds if Sophie hadn’t been so eager to show me the guest house. I wanted to sit down on the plush grass and get my hands dirty working in the flower beds. It was too beautiful to not want to touch. My mind raced with excitement, reality still too far away to sink in. Seeing the magic of the flowers made everything feel even more surreal.
“And this is the guest house.” Sophie put her hands on my shoulders and turned me away from the flowers. “It’s private and all yours.”
Tears filled my eyes and spilled over when I laid eyes on the house. Tall, slightly narrow, with one sharp gable and wooden shingles, it could’ve been from a fairytale. Ivy covered the lighter brick and wooden shutters that framed arched windows. A white-picket fence surrounded a small front yard that was filled with lemon trees and wildflowers. Ferns and wild herbs grew freely in groups around a pebbled path leading up to a small front porch. The front door was painted bright green and there were planters on either side of the door filled with more flowers. A princess could’ve strolled out and I wouldn’t have been surprised.
“Isn’t it so beautiful?” Sophie’s voice was full of wonder. “I’m jealous of you for getting to live here. It’s a dream.”
I could feel a lightness tugging at me, calling me closer. The house felt alive with possibilities and adventure, and most important, it felt like it wanted me. I grabbed Sophie’s hands and tried not to embarrass myself as I bounced in place. “Let’s go in. I need to see inside!”
She squeezed my hands and laughed easily before reaching up to wipe my tears. “You’re even more of a mess than I was when I first saw this place.”
“I was a little terrified it was going to be a smaller version of the main house, so seeing it be this slice of heaven on earth is such a relief.” I followed Sophie through the small gate and up the pebbled path to get to the porch. “This isn’t a slice of heaven. This is the whole thing. Do you smell that? Citrus and floral and even something piney. Can I leave the windows open to sleep? I never want to stop smelling this.”
She pulled a large key out of her pocket and held it out to me. “A real skeleton key.”
I let out a squeal of delight before I could stop myself and took it from her. Inserting the heavy key and turning the lock, I pushed open the door and gasped again. Sophie inched her way around me and went in, talking all the while, but I was stuck at the threshold, wondering how I’d ever gotten so lucky.
“Do whatever you want. Leave the door open, for all I care. The property is the safest you’ll find. No one will bother you here. There’s a stray cat that comes and goes, but it doesn’t come near anyone typically. I put down food for him and he eats when he wants to. I can’t imagine any other animals coming near the house. It’s cooler at night, but you’ll regret not cooling off the house at night as soon as the sun starts rising. Talk about heat stroke.”
Large, white-washed wood slats made up the walls and ceilings, with the knots still present in the wood. Artwork hung everywhere, framed in raw wood frames that matched the wide oak planks on the floor. There were windows everywhere, looking out at the flowerbeds and beautiful nature beyond. Thick, luxurious curtains hung to the floor and were kept back with strings of gemstones mounted to the wall. The house was open on the main floor, except for a small back corner that I assumed was a bathroom. The kitchen was light and bright, with a vintage teal fridge and beautiful farmhouse sink. The furniture was plush and slightly worn, begging to be loved again. Colorful rugs decorated the floor everywhere, except in front of the small pot-bellied stove. Houseplants hung all over, sat everywhere else. Books were stacked all around just as abundantly, spilling over from the floor to ceiling bookshelf between the kitchen and living room.
It was the most beautiful home I’d ever seen. It felt so full of love and intention that it dripped with it. Everywhere my eyes landed, there was another story waiting to be told. Magic slept in the gaps between the oak floor planks, I was sure.
“The bathroom is in there. The bedroom is upstairs. You’re going to love it.” Sophie waved to get my attention and pointed at the ceiling. “Lofted.”
I hurried back to where she was and sure enough, the ceiling over the kitchen was twice as tall as the living room. A loft space was separated by a raw wood railing, covered in flowering ivy. I looked back at Sophie and had to take a few deep breaths. I was overwhelmed. The house was worth more than the twelve million. Selfishly, I felt like I would’ve had a hard time choosing the money for my family over the house for myself, if it came down to that.
“The stairs are hidden in the nook just before the bathroom. Upstairs, the square footage is used for a closet. Go on.” She motioned me through the doorway next to us and laughed at my shocked expression. “Go on, Memphis. You’re going to regret every second you didn’t know that bedroom as your own.”
I took the narrow stairs up and found a large closet on my left and the biggest bed I’d ever seen on my right. It sat in the middle of the room with a canopy around the thick bedding and lush pillows. I’d never had a canopied bed, but I’d always dreamed of it. In whites and creams, the bedding begged to be slept in. It looked like a cloud. Behind the bed, I had huge views down into the backyard and beyond. I could see a pond and more flowers, even what looked like a swing.
The rug underfoot felt like a marshmallow as I crossed over to the other side of the room, where a dresser sat with a few more books neatly stacked on top. I glanced at myself for a beat in the large mirror over the dresser, but I couldn’t face myself, not when I was lying to be in such an amazing home.
“Let me show you the backyard, Memphis, and then I’ll leave you to explore on your own.” Sophie called up to me, cutting my self-incrimination short. “If you want, I’ll even have dinner brought here tonight. I’m sure this is a lot of change for one day. You can unpack and settle in before everything gets busier around here.”
I nodded absently as I pushed open the double doors out onto the back patio and sighed wistfully. A round metal table with two chairs sat in the middle of the space, a space made private by wild vines, flowers, and fruit trees. A small pond existed in the fray several yards from the table, but the tinkling of the fountain was ever present. As I walked deeper, I found little touches of someone’s heart and fell in love with the house all over again. A forgotten fairy garden, metal butterflies, painted rocks too faded to read, and a tree swing in the back corner that was so tucked away that it felt like a secret to even see it.
“Well. What do you think?”
I looked back at Sophie with both hands clasped to my chest. “I think I’m the luckiest woman in the world. I’m going to spend all my time reading on this swing.”
“Enjoy this place. It deserves love.” She took a long look around. “I’ll have dinner brought up around six-thirty. Do you have any dietary needs?”
I shook my head. “No, none. Thank you, Sophie. I appreciate the tour.”
“Just call up to the main house if you need anything. Every number you could ever need is listed next to the phone. Don’t be shy.” She squeezed my hand once more. “See you around, Memphis.”
I watched her leave and then rushed to sit in the swing. It held my weight just fine and after testing it for a moment, I felt comfortable enough to kick off and let the swing rock me back and forth while I stared up at the canopy of trees overhead. Magic. I’d somehow stumbled into a storybook.
8.
