The snow had melted, but the wind still carried a harsh chill and the trees had barely begun to bud. Despite the cold, Bridget and Emery were walking down from their house to see what progress the work crew was making on Rukiya’s new place. Bridget explained that they had to build a foundation first, since Rukiya wanted a “proper” front porch and back deck.
As Emery soon discovered, that apparently meant that her house was (so far) little more than a hole in the ground with some random giant blocks of concrete.
“Um…” Emery hesitated before asking her mother, “Why didn’t she just start with a cabin like you did? She can’t live in this… for a while…”
Bridget looked unsure about the project as well, but she didn’t reply. The pair walked by the house, surveying the scene, looking for their friend. Suddenly, she was rushing up to them.
“Hey!” Rukiya greeted them cheerfully. “Isn’t this great? It’s finally going up!”
Bridget smiled, but her doubt was clear on her face. Emery didn’t bother trying to hide her concern.
“It’s exciting,” Bridget said uneasily. “But… Rukiya… don’t they usually frame out the foundation and then pour the concrete in?”
Rukiya laughed softly. “I couldn’t decide between pillar-and-beam or a strip foundation, I read something about flooding and the soil affecting the stability of your foundation… I think the builder was starting to get tired of my indecision,” Rukyia admitted. “So we’re doing pillars, then framing out the rest. The pillars go deeper than the rest of the foundation to add stability, so I don’t have to worry.”
Bridget smiled and seemed to accept this answer, but Emery was still a bit confused. She didn’t understand why a concrete slab with a cabin on top would be risky. She couldn’t remember any issues with flooding in Appaloosa Plains. She made a mental note to ask Matthew if he’d read about any natural disasters when he was researching the history of the area for his books.
Rukiya stayed at the boarding house while the crew continued to work on building her new place. She’d taken to jogging to and from work at the Tevellyns’ and stopping by her lot on the way. Every now and then, Emery would use it as an excuse to spend some extra time with Rukiya, and they’d jog down together.
Later that spring, the foundation was done. They’d even piled stones around the outside to make it look nicer. Rukiya and Emery jogged down to the site to see where the walls would be going up. The workers had marked where they’d be going based on the plans, but wanted to make sure Rukiya still liked the layout before they started building them. When they arrived, one worker was securing the last of the front steps’ boards, while the other two were marking the final “wall”.
It felt much more real for Emery now: that Rukiya was building a house there; that she would be their neighbor for the foreseeable future. It was exciting to see where things would go and hear Rukiya happily rambling about where the shower and sink should go in her soon-to-be bathroom.
Shaun didn’t visit until early fall. He and Rukiya had both been busy working all summer, and in his opinion, there wouldn’t be much for him to see until the walls were up. He noted the green work truck as he pulled up to the house and parked his sedan on the grass. He’d have to wait to have any private time with his girlfriend until they were back at the boarding house.
Rukiya came down the front steps, greeting him after a stretch and yawn. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “I’m tired. Things have been so busy. It’s great to see you, though.”
“I hear ya,” he replied nonchalantly.
Rukiya smiled as he brought her in for a ‘hello’ hug and kiss, then invited him in for the tour.
“Open concept living, dining and kitchen area,” she announced as if reading from a real estate listing. “Powder room there, glass doors out to the back deck and yard… kitchen at the front, along there…”
“Then through here,” she continued, looking back at him with a bright smile. “I’m thinking our art studio – for painting, your photography, or maybe an office?”
When Shaun didn’t respond, she turned to him expectantly. His face was expressionless, causing her smile to falter.
“Hey,” she said softly, walking towards him. “Look, I know it’s not done, but with a coat of paint and—”
“It’s not that,” Shaun interrupted and gently took her hands in his. “I think it’s great. I’m just not sure I want to move out here, I don’t want you to plan the place around me. It’s your house.”
“Like I said, I can use it for my art, too,” Rukiya brushed off his concerns. “But I do want you to love the house.”
“Alright,” Shaun gave her a half-hearted smile and nod. “Let’s see the rest then.”
Rukiya’s eyes lit up again when she resumed the tour. They continued through the studio into the main bathroom, which also connected to the bedroom, then back into the main living space.
“It’s a really fluid layout,” Shaun noted. “And lots of windows. You’ll have beautiful views of the trees changing colors every year.”
“Look!” Rukiya pointed out the glass doors toward the backyard. “Wild horses!”
He joined her at the door and put his arm around her as they looked out and watched three horses trot past. Rukiya loved moments like these. She’d certainly never have a view like this in the city – the gold and orange trees, wild horses galloping through her backyard… it felt surreal.
As the end of the growing season approached, Rukiya’s mind was on the garden she’d be starting the following year. Rukiya often had questions for Bridget when she came down to see the build’s progress, but this time, they were about the land rather than the house.
Bridget gave her some advice on what to plant first and reassured her that she could take as many seeds from their garden as she wanted at the end of the season. When they arrived at the house, they did their usual walk-through. Only one contractor would be there for the next couple weeks while the tiling and floors were being done, since those were his specialty. He was working on the bathroom when they arrived. Rukiya greeted him and reminded him she was only a phone call away if he needed anything while he worked.
Then they headed out to the back deck, which didn’t have any stairs yet. Rukiya showed Bridget the area where she planned to set up her garden and Bridget agreed that the location would work just fine. As Bridget expected, though, Rukiya had several follow-up questions about whether certain crops would get enough light, if they’d be too close to the deck or a nearby tree, and other concerns. Bridget could only hope she reassured her friend enough to stave off her worrying for awhile.
Within the month, though, Bridget was back at Rukiya’s. Concerned that the cold of winter was creeping in, Rukiya asked Bridget for help planting a few fruit trees before the ground froze too much for them to take root.
This time there was a lot more progress to be seen. The bathrooms were all but finished – they just needed doors installed, a good cleaning and some décor – and the contractor was working on installing the wood-plank flooring in the main living area. He’d done the kitchen area first so that the counters and sink could be set up and the plumbers could do their work in a matter of days. With a coat of paint, some appliances and furniture, the house would be ready to become a home.
Thanks to the winter’s horrible road conditions, deliveries were delayed and the work crew couldn’t come out to the site. Rukiya was left to do the painting and some of the finishing touches herself, but at least she saved some money. She started in the art studio so that deliveries could be stored there and the furniture wouldn’t be damaged while she worked in the larger rooms.
By the time the weather had warmed, Rukiya was happy with the end results. Now all she had to do was unpack her furniture.
Rukiya wanted to surprise Shaun with a big reveal, so his visits were limited to the boarding house until she had almost everything set up. She’d even planted her first few crops. When she heard the familiar sputtering of his sedan pulling onto her lot, she almost skipped down the front steps to greet him.
“Shaun!” she said gleefully. “Come in, come in! I’m just about done making a salad, but you can take a look around and then I’ll give you the full tour afterwards!”
She planted a kiss on his cheek and rushed back into the house before he could get a word in. He smiled to himself and shook his head as he followed up the steps.
It was interesting to see how different the place looked with proper floors, paint and furniture. The finishes were simple, but homey and inviting. Admittedly, Shaun never would have chosen any of them for himself; he would have expected the light wall color to feel cold and bland, and he’d never been a fan of white wood furniture. But although their tastes were different, he had to admit Rukiya’s design choices made the place feel surprisingly warm and comforting despite its cool color palate.
Knowing Rukiya would give him the “full tour” later – which he hoped was a euphemism – he took a seat while she finished making dinner.
When she served him a plate, he thanked her earnestly. “You didn’t have to make dinner,” he added.
“I know, but I thought it would be nice, and I’m really hungry,” Rukiya laughed.
They kept their dinner conversation light, although Rukiya wasn’t subtle about her ongoing desire for Shaun to move in with her. Shaun remained hesitant, blaming concerns about money and his career. He wanted to keep seeing her, but he didn’t think he’d be happy if he lived out there – it felt like the middle of nowhere. It was okay to visit, but he much preferred the liveliness of the city.
After their meal, Rukiya guided him into the “art studio.” Shaun felt a small pang of regret for letting her believe that he was deeply interested in photography for all this time. It was far too late to tell her otherwise, now. He wasn’t a paparazzi to fund a passion for photography, he was a paparazzi so he had an excuse to attend all sorts of events and chase juicy gossip. He’d hoped Rukiya’s attention towards the photography aspect would fade and they could bond over their desires to pursue news stories rather than art. On one of their first dates, Rukiya had admitted she used to dream about being a famous news anchor. He remembered how beautifully she lit up when he’d encouraged her to pursue that dream. Instead, for some reason, she doubled-down on her move to Appaloosa Plains.
“Don’t mind the boxes and things still in there, I’m just about done unpacking everything and then I can store those or throw them out as needed… It’s small, but it’s a perfect room for an art studio or office, if you wanted to run a photography business…” Rukiya was saying.
Shaun’s attention returned to her as she entered the bathroom, suddenly she looked concerned.
“Worried you missed a spot?” he asked jokingly.
“Yes, actually,” she laughed nervously.
“Don’t worry, I’m not that interested in whether your bathroom is spotlessly clean. In fact, I’m far too interested in what’s behind door number two to notice,” Shaun smirked.
He walked past a cabinet of towels, linens, spare soaps and shampoos to open the bathroom’s other door. Like in the art studio, she’d chosen a lively green for the walls of the bedroom. The duvet had a delicate pink floral pattern. ‘Fitting,’ he smirked to himself.
“Can I congratulate you on your new house?” he asked coyly. “We do need to test out your new bed.”
Rukiya giggled and followed him into the room, closing the door behind her. He quickly began to kiss her neck and undress her. Overcome, she began unbuttoning his shirt, and they made their way into the bed.
Shaun had to drive back to the city early the next morning. He assured Rukiya that she could sleep in, but she decided to get up at the same time so she could say goodbye and work in the garden while it was cool outside.
Before he left, Shaun took Rukiya’s hands. “This was nice,” he said softly. “I like your new place.”
“We could make it our new place, if you want,” she offered hopefully.
Shaun instinctively began to back away, but stopped himself and made sure to keep hold of one of her hands.
“Look, Rukiya, I like you. I want to keep seeing you,” he said calmly. “But my work is in the city – my life is in the city.”
“I know,” she replied softly. “But we could build a new life here, together.”
“I’m just not ready for that.”
“Well where do you see this relationship going?”
“Rukiya, not now, okay? I have to go,” Shaun sighed.
He leaned forward to give her a goodbye kiss, but she turned her head.
“Shaun—”
He kissed her cheek instead. “It’s a bigger conversation, okay? I’ll call you later.”
Rukiya watched silently as Shaun headed out the door, down to his car, and turned on the engine. She sighed, closed the door and went back in. Where did she see this relationship going?
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