The Big Bang

by Linda Joffe Hull

She hurried up the front steps and clicked open the lock box.

  Closing her eyes, she took a congested, but Chi-restoring, inhale and exhale and willed these buyers to be appreciative of the artistic value inherent in a basement mural of Paris.

  And velvet wall accents.

  And black bath fixtures.

  She stationed herself to best blur the adjacent scene before the hybrid Tahoe with temporary tags approached the driveway. A big, new SUV signaled either hefty car payments or readily available cash, but it wouldn’t matter which if the wife got out, scrunched her nose, and inquired politely about the neighbors.

  The passenger window slid down and, to Laney’s relief, the wife waved warmly.

  Laney waved back and proffered a practiced smile.

  The husband exited the driver’s side. Forty, plus or minus, and five foot seven give or take, with dark hair, prominent nose, and a mid-priced suit, he fell firmly into the borderline handsome category.

  His loafers squeaked with possibility as he ambled up the walk.

  A house with “dramatic appointments” would surely provide any swagger he lacked.

  Laney slunk down so as not to eclipse him with her almost six feet and offered her hand. “Laney Estridge, Mountain Realty.”

  “Tim Trautman.”

  His handshake bore a promising overfirmness.

  “I’m Theresa.” The wife waddled toward them in crisp maternity slacks and a floral print top that was more A Pea in the Pod than Target, but her tennis bracelet sparkled with the flat light of cubic zirconium. “We were so excited to find your listing.”

  “I’m delighted you came by,” Laney said with a measured calm to mask a blossoming sense of too-good-to-be-true.

  Theresa looked past her toward the carpeting.

  Laney pointed at the greenbelt to the north and away from the foaming eyesore. “Just behind those houses, beside the open space, a state-of-the-art play structure’s slated to go in soon.”

  Or, would be, once Frank Griffin quashed Will Pierce-Cohn’s ridiculous anti-playground jihad.

  “A block over?” Theresa’s voice rose by an octave.

  “We’re so excited to finally have a place for our little ones in this corner of the development.”

  “You live nearby?”

  “Next cul-de-sac.”

  Theresa looked hopefully at Tim.

  “Meg Pierce-Cohn lives on our block, too.”

  “The state rep?” Tim asked.

  Laney nodded.

  Theresa’s nose twitched like an enthusiastic rabbit as she turned toward the front door. “What model is it? It looks like a Red Robin.”

  “Close, it’s a Blue Jay.” The endorphin rush melted the lump that had threatened to close her throat. “A full step up from the Robin.”

  “A friend of mine has this house in a Henderson Homes development in Northglenn.” Theresa tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s called a Shiraz there, but it’s the exact same floor plan.”

  “The Blue Jay has the same great layout, only it’s larger.” Laney paused. “And this particular home is beyond upgraded.” Her voice echoed as she entered the oversized foyer, which made up the only significant difference between the two models—that and a main floor laundry room.

  “I can feel the difference.” Theresa spread her arms out.

  “Kind of pricey, though,” Tim said.

  “It’s negotiable,” Laney said. With an imminent job transfer and a McMansion set for closing outside of Dallas, her sellers needed the proceeds from the sale almost as badly as she did. Talking them into a slightly lower price wasn’t out of the question, particularly since the husband had already expressed interest in additional advice in the form of a hand job. “But new Blue Jay models, with no upgrades other than a stone façade, are going for $15,000 more in the MM Collection.”

  “That’s what I told Tim,” Theresa said. “I never thought something would pop up in this part of the development near our price point.”

  Laney’s heart skipped a delighted beat.

  Theresa eyed the gold drapes Laney had the owners tie back to obscure some hairline cracks fanning out like crow’s feet on either side of the bay window. “Of course, we’d need to factor in some sort of redecorating budget before we could possibly write a bid.”

  “Just got our current house how we want it.” Tim ducked into the living room.

  “Tim’s a little hesitant to leave Eagle’s Nest Vista,” Theresa whispered. “He’s president-elect of our homeowner’s board.”

  “Our HOB president, Frank Griffin, lives across the street from me,” Laney said. “I’ll be glad to put in a good word about Tim.”

  “That would be great.” Theresa rubbed her belly. “Tim has to face the fact that with three kids already, we’ve outgrown anything available in our neighborhood.”

  “When are you due?”

  “Early June.” Theresa ran her fingers along the gold-foiled, lavender faux-finish wall.

  “The walls are hand-done.” Laney touched Theresa, but carefully so as not to depress the substantial padding on her upper arm while she up-sold the existing décor. She looked into the mirror above the gold cherub sculpture. Tim seemed to have no aversion to the bordello red living room. “The artist lives over on Melody Mountain Court and gives a great break to Ranchers.”

  “Ranchers, huh?” Tim raised an eyebrow and opened the coat closet.

  “We’re a very friendly community.” She headed down the hallway to unveil the first male-oriented weapon in her arsenal. “You have to see the study, Tim. The owners added triple insulation so you’ll be assured quiet even when the baby is running up and down the outer hall.”

  “Babies.” Tim ducked into the cherry study, the one room devoid of the wife’s garish touch.

  “Twins?” Laney asked.

  Theresa glanced at the oriental runner running up the curved stairway. “A double surprise.”

  “Been there.” She patted Theresa.

  “You have twins, too?”

  “Seems like everyone does these days.” Laney smiled. “Mine are identical girls.”

  Theresa’s eyes sparkled with a potential play-date radar gleam.

  “They started high school this year.”

  Theresa’s enthusiasm only seemed to grow. “Our Lauren is in ninth grade, too.” I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about switching schools when we—”

  Tim edged past them. “If we…”

  Laney grasped Theresa’s hand and led her toward the back of the house with a practiced realtor run that looked like a strut. Other than the odd husband with an unnatural interest in fashion magazines and interior décor, they were all the same—Tim was headed for the backyard.

  She deposited Theresa in the kitchen by the commercial-style refrigerator and reached him just before he opened the sliding door that didn’t quite run on its tracks. With an effortless looking shove that sent a shock through her shoulder, she lifted the panel. “The deck is new.”

  There was no need to disclose that the original had sunk.

  “Hmm.” He didn’t stop to examine the new redwood, scan the yard, or take a single step toward the oversized hot tub. Tim Trautman’s full attention was focused on the kitchen window of the house on the other side of the back fence.

  More accurately, the neighbor inside.

  Wearing a sheer babydoll top and matching panties, Hope Jordan was too caught up in her baking to notice the blinds were cracked.

  She bent over to retrieve a tray from her lower oven.

  “Who’s that?” Tim asked.

  There was no need to turn around and check on Theresa’s whereabouts. Before she even heard the rustle of the blinds, she could feel the poor, bloated thing behind her.

  Fuck. The last thing she needed was blond, stunning Hope Jordan prancing around with the windows open in her get-me-pregnant frillies. Her Playboy Bunny body was enough to make the most secure of wives reconsider the value of a property in such close proximit
y.

  “Hope Jordan.” Laney shook her head. “Her husband’s been coming home for ovulation day lunch for almost a year.” She waited a beat. “With any luck, it won’t be too long before your twins will have a set of playmates.”

  An hour-long second passed until Theresa appeared on the deck, rubbing what was presumably her naturally bountiful womb. “Tim, did you see the painted vines above the cabinets?”

  His eyes lingered on Hope until she moved out of sight.

  “Look, honey.” Theresa grasped Tim’s hand. She pointed to the ivy pattern stenciled along the wall as though the fake flowers had actually grown and spread out across the trellis painted above the cabinetry.

  Tim gave a cursory glance at one of the wicker baskets filled with plastic greenery. “Let’s check out the bedrooms.”

  ***

  Hope removed the chocolate dipped strawberries from the refrigerator and arranged them in a semicircle around a wedge of Brie. Grabbing the platter and a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, she left the kitchen and walked into the great room. She set the silver trays on the hearth beside the sweating ice bucket in which a split of Dom Perignon, her last splurge until after Birth Day, was chilling.

  With the flip of a switch, she had a roaring fire and the perfect picnic à deux.

  As she lay on the Karastan area rug awaiting the sound of Jim’s car, she checked her watch again. Twenty minutes had passed since he’d called to say he’d be leaving soon.

  Nine months since they’d started trying to get pregnant.

  Just to be sure the timing was still ideal, she grabbed the thermometer she’d set next to the ice bucket, placed the metal bulb under her tongue, closed her eyes, and visualized the bold red plus that had eluded her so far.

  The tick of the grandfather clock in the entry hall echoed and faded into the vaulted ceiling. Even with rooms full of handpicked furniture, rugs, wallpaper, and window treatments, their semi-custom still felt like a model.

  It took the scattered mess of baby gear to make a house into a home.

  She pulled the thermometer from her mouth and let her gaze settle at the hash mark where the silver line ended.

  Elevated.

  She picked up the phone and dialed Jim’s office number once again.

  “You’ve reached the office of Jim Jordan. He is unavailable to answer your call. Please leave a message and…”

  She pressed the off button, set the phone down, and readjusted a strap that had slipped down her shoulder. Jim would die if he knew so little lace and silk cost almost $200, but if Will Pierce-Cohn’s ashen face was any indication, the combination of lingerie and fertility drugs were sure-fire. Under normal circumstances she’d be horrified by the thought of him sneaking a peek from behind his petition, but his dumbfounded awe only made her more certain of the effect of the lingerie on the enthusiasm of Jim.

  And his potent, but so far unsuccessful, little swimmers.

  She popped the cork, poured herself some champagne, and settled into throw pillows where she’d spend thirty post-coital minutes with her legs in the air to ensure the sperm couldn’t miss her ripe, awaiting egg.

  The garage door finally rolled open.

  She ran her fingers through her hair, assumed a Ms. February pose complete with licked lips, and checked her reflection in the fireplace doors. “In here, honey,” she said over the clink of his keys in the bowl on the hall table. As he rounded the corner, she filled his glass. “I made us a picnic.”

  As he reached for the Dom and emptied the glass, his pants, already unzipped, dropped to the floor. Without a comment on the spread, much less hers, he dropped to his knees and tugged at the crotch of her panties. “I have to be back at the office in fifteen minutes.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  With a nostalgic Main Street filled with retail shops, restaurants, and services, there’s no place you’ll ever need to

  be but home—

  From the Melody Mountain Ranch sales brochure.

  Hope dabbed her eyes with a handful of crinkled exam table paper and looked out the window overlooking the parking lot of the Melody Valley Medical Plaza.

  “Any hot flashes, headaches, mood disorders, or visual problems since starting the Clomid?” the doctor asked.

  Hope shook her head.

  “Other side effects?”

  “Besides feeling like a total failure?”

  The doctor’s kind smile made the ache all the worse. “Patience can be the toughest side effect of all.”

  How much more patient could she be?

  She and Jim had been together since college when a girl she didn’t know appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her by the hand, and walked her across the quad where he stood with a group of buddies. The two of you are too beautiful together not to belong together, the girl had said. Jim smiled his killer smile and they’d pretty much been that one couple from that moment on. She wanted to start trying for a baby right after the wedding, but he wanted to wait until he had his MBA, got a job, and rose to a family safe level of career security at his consulting firm. She’d never once complained, in fact enjoyed their double-income-no-kids lifestyle in their tiny Washington Park bungalow, even if they were in Denver and not an interior design mecca like NY or L.A. Finally, he agreed to put a deposit down on a family home. She spent a year watching the house take shape amid the rolling hills of Melody Mountain Ranch and then another decorating the perfect space in the ideal kid neighborhood waiting for Jim’s travel schedule to die down enough to start filling it with children. She hadn’t grown her business much beyond holiday decor, flowerbed design, and the occasional room redo so she could slip seamlessly into the role of mother. In fact, she’d spent the better part of yet another year patiently trying every guaranteed how-to pregnancy hint.

  And still, nothing.

  “I always thought I’d have three children by now.”

  “Hope, there’s nothing medically to suggest you won’t.”

  Tears dripped down her cheeks as fast as she could wipe them away. Despite a negative home pee-on-a-stick test, three actually, she was two days late with both breast sensitivity and, she could swear, slight morning sickness. “I really thought I was pregnant this time.”

  The bleeding started on the drive over.

  “You’ve possibly suffered what’s known as a chemical pregnancy. If so, it bodes even better for your chances of a successful future pregnancy.”

  Question was, how far into the future?

  “You’ve been at this for, what, eight months?”

  “Nine.” The irony only intensified the cramping. “And I’ve tried everything from wild yams to Chinese herbs to cough syrup.”

  The doctor shook his head. “None of the old wives’ tales work as well as relaxing about the whole process.”

  Endless sessions with her therapist, the acupuncturist, and Reverend Frank were supposed to have covered that base. “Jim doesn’t know if he’s willing to go the artificial insemination, much less the in vitro, route, but I’m starting to worry we’ll have to and—”

  “Hope, you’ve only been on fertility meds for one cycle.”

  “One unsuccessful cycle.”

  “Forty to sixty percent of patients conceive on Clomid within six months.” He jotted on his prescription pad, tore off the top sheet, and handed it to her. “A month and a refill.”

  “Meaning you think I’ll be pregnant by the beginning of summer?”

  He patted her knee. “Meaning you’re still a long way off from considering yourself a failure.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Melody Mountain Ranch Rules and Regulations: Section 4. Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall have the powers and duties necessary for the operation and maintenance

  of a first-class community.

  Frank Griffin rapped his gavel on the podium. “Let the April meeting of the Melody Mountain Ranch Homeowner’s Board come to order.”

  As residents found seats and board members filed towa
rd chairs he’d arranged in an arc, a là city council meetings he’d seen on the public access channel, Frank eyed the gold inscription plate on his prized wormwood mallet: Exercise Influence through Higher Power. Presented to Judge Mortimer Callahan for Twenty-Five Years of Devoted Service.

  Of all the yard sale gems Maryellen had found, none felt as divinely inspired as this treasure she’d uncovered for him in a widow’s garage. If not for The Calling, and a dozen successful years in pharmaceutical sales, he’d have made an excellent judge.

  Or so he’d been told.

  The rec center multipurpose room was filled to capacity. Apparently, his Sunday sermon on paths to finding the Lord through community had resonated through the Melody Rancher rank and file. “I want to thank you all for coming this evening.”

  He made eye contact around the room, stopping to smile in the direction of his new neighbor, Tim Trautman. According to Laney Estridge, Trautman’s previous HOB experience made him a good candidate for the next open position.

  Will Pierce-Cohn’s position.

  Even with the comeuppance of his failed presidential bid, P-C took on Covenant Violations chair, as far as Frank could tell, to disrupt the monthly meeting with a heartfelt plea for banning ice cream trucks, reexamining approved air conditioning systems in light of global warming, or whatever pointless issue was stuck in his unemployed, took-his-wife’s-name-with-a-hyphen, Jewish-liberal, househusband craw. He was sure to shit another pointless brick when he found out his current cause célèbre, the mega-playground land, had already been earmarked for a more lofty purpose: The Melody Mountain Community Church.

  Having dreamed of, planned for, and then uprooted his family from Colorado Springs specifically for the spiritual leadership opportunity in South Metro Denver, the mere idea of finally breaking ground on a real live brick and mortar (or stucco for that matter) dream church sent a chill through him more intense than any desire of the flesh.

  Despite P-C’s objections, the plan was a true win-win. After double-digit months of commercial zoning issues on the super-playground land Henderson Homes mandated in the original covenant documents, they would get what they wanted—an amendment that allowed for multiple smaller playgrounds in satellite locations. In return, Henderson Homes agreed to sell the now vacant property to the Melody Mountain Church at a price well under market. The sweetheart deal included builder financing and was sealed with the twenty-three grand in the church building fund as earnest money. Frank even managed to finagle a ninety-day closing to rustle the remaining seventeen thousand he needed from his flock.