R is for Retro

“Let’s stop by that open house on the way home. I’ve always wanted to see inside that house,” she said as they stopped at a light.

He groaned. “I know you love it, but you know it’s outside our budget. There’s no way that we could afford a house in that neighborhood.”

“Think of it as dream fodder. I know we have to have a starter home, but I still want to see it. Please?”

He turned the signal on and headed into the neighborhood. He had known that she would want to see it as soon as she mentioned that it was for sale. They had seen it on one of their first dates. It sat across from the park and she had fallen in love with it.

The realtor opened the door to them and welcomed them inside. “This is a perfect property for a young couple. The owner is going to an assisted living place and she’s been so picky about the people coming through. I swear she knows exactly who she will and won’t sell to.” She looked exasperated. “I wish she hadn’t insisted on staying here during the open house.”

“The owner is here?” she almost squealed. “That’s so amazing. I would love to meet her.”

They walked into a kitchen that looked like it hadn’t changed since the 1950s. The cabinets were old but obviously had been well taken care of. The appliances were a pinkish tone and at the table sat an older woman. She quickly sized them up and smiled. “Please come sit by me and tell me why you wanted to see the place.”

June sat next to her and exclaimed, “This house is across the street from the park where we had our first date. I fell in love with it. It’s been six years since then, but I’ve always dreamed of living here.”

The old woman’s face lit up. “Your first date was in that park? Our children used to go there all the time when they were little. Can I show you around?”

“Of course!” For the next hour, the woman walked them around the house and yard, pointing out places that sparked memories. It hadn’t been updated in decades, but it was obvious how much she cared about keeping maintenance done.

June sat down with her in the kitchen after the tour. “Your house is as perfect as I imagined. I’m sure it is out of our price range, though, because we are just looking for our first place. This neighborhood is more than we can afford.”

The woman took her hand and smiled. “How about if we negotiate? I don’t ‘need’ any particular amount of money for this place. My husband left me with more than I need and that includes paying for my next home. My kids are well taken care of as well. I would rather take what you can spend and know the house is going to be filled with love.” She called to the realtor.

“Can you please work with these two and figure out what is reasonable for them to buy this for? They are looking for a starter house and I don’t want them strapped for cash. They are the ones I want to buy my home.”

June was crying and hugging her husband. “You love it too?”

He put his arms around her. “It’s perfect. It’s better than we could have imagined.”

The old woman watched them and smiled. “So maybe you’ll get busy after you move in here and make some babies? “

June turned red and looked at her. “Well, I mean, we do want kids.”

“You don’t think I got to be this age and am a prude, do you? How do you think we ended up with 4 kids? The practicing is the most fun part.”

Marcus put his arms around June. “Oh I’m all in favor of plenty of practice.”

“Good. Now after we get the paperwork figured out, I have one request. Will you visit me and show me what you do with the place? And, of course, anything that comes out of that ‘practice,'” she winked at them. “Charlie would approve.”