“Awe, Eileen. Why’d you have to go and ask that?”
“Because the Miller’s sold. Because this house has been too big for you for over ten years. Because…”
“All right, all right,” he said, holding out his hands in surrender. “But I love this house. This is the house we brought you and your sister both home from the hospital. You learned to ride your bike in front of this house. You learned to swim …”
“I know. I love this house, too. But maybe it’s time to give it up for some other family to love. Another baby to be brought home to it. Another kid to learn to swim.”
“When I retire… Well, I’ll think about it.”
I just nodded. Him thinking about it was at least progress from his usual flat ‘no’.
We both swam back and forth as the sun went down. I decided to head in once my fingers and toes were ridged and pruney. I got out, wrapped my towel around myself, and headed into the house and up the stairs. I went in my room, turned the light on and peeled my swimsuit off. I grabbed my robe and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and for a quick shower to rinse of the pool, then was back in my room to pull on a nightgown. When I turned out my light and glanced out the window, I saw the curtain to Todd’s old room twitch closed and gently sway.
I crawled into bed and picked up my phone to plug it in, then looked at my recent texts for one to a number I didn’t recognize and sent a message to it.
Eileen: Enjoy the show?
Scott: You have fantastic tits. I couldn’t help myself.
Eileen: Are you still in the corner bedroom?
Scott: It’s my office now. But yes. Why?
Eileen: I thought you’d like to know I lost my virginity in that room.
Scott: Mmm. Really? Do you want me to see if I can find it?
Eileen: Nah. I don’t really miss it.
Scott: Good to know.
Eileen: I really need to get some sleep.
Scott: Me too, baby. Goodnight.
Eileen: Night.
***
I slept late the next morning and woke up to the delicious smells of fresh-brewed coffee and bacon, the two best smells ever created. I pulled on some shorts and an old t-shirt and made my way to the kitchen to investigate and found dad at the table, drinking coffee and reading the Sunday paper.
“Do you realize you may be the last person in the city who actually gets the paper version of the paper,” I teased him as I poured myself a cup of coffee and doctored it to the appropriate color with some half ‘n’ half.
“There are more of us… whaddayacall’em…? Luddites… than you think,” he responded, looking at me over his reading glasses.
“There’s pancakes and bacon staying warm under that towel,” he inclined his head toward the stove.
“Thank you, daddy,” I said as I piled my plate high and carried it to the table. I was just shoveling a second fork-full of carbohydrate-laden goodness into my mouth when the doorbell rang. My dad and I exchanged glances and he shrugged before getting up and heading to the front door. I took the opportunity to grab myself a second cup of coffee and devour more of my breakfast.
I was nearly finished with my plate when dad walked back into the kitchen, neighbor Scott following behind him