by C. A. Rene
“The garage is filled with old cars.” My aunt retorts.
“Classics!” He screams as he’s going back out to grab more bags.
Finally, I look around me and let it seep in. The foyer floor is marble with a large oak staircase in the center leading up to the second level. To the right is a large oak door, it’s closed so I have no idea what’s behind there. To the left is a hallway also clad in marble.
“I’ll give you a tour.” My aunt smiles.
She leads me to the large oak door on the right first. It’s stained the same colour as the stairs, a dark wine, and the moulding is intricate with swirls and leafy designs. The large brass handle looks like something out of the 1800’s. She opens the door and leads me into an office. There’s a large oak desk in the center stained the same wine colour and in-wall bookcases filled with folders and binders all around.
She walks behind the desk and pushes slightly on the bookcase directly behind it. The bookcase swings out to reveal a large screen displaying multiple camera views.
“This is your uncles office, he procures old cars, fixes them up and sells them to the highest bidder. Mostly men, mind you, who want to look decades younger in some hot rod.” She looks at me over her shoulder and winks. “This screen is the main hub for our security cameras. You will also have this connected to your phone.”
That’s some real cool techie shit. Right now, I’m just nodding along. Speechless.
We exit the office and head straight ahead to the hallway that was on the left when we first came in. My aunt's red soled shoes are clicking along the marble. We come to a large opening on our right. It’s a huge family room with three full sized black leather couches and what looks like a one hundred-at least-inch TV. We head in there.
“This is the den.” The den?! This was about the size of our kitchen, family room and dining room combined.
The champagne coloured carpet is plush and my toes automatically curl into it. One wall is red brick with a large fireplace in the center, and the other walls are painted a light grey with the couch cushions and throw blanket matching. The TV is wall mounted and there’s a stand underneath housing every type of console you can think of. I think there’s also a Sega in there.
“Cars aren’t the only old thing he’s into.” My aunt says with adoration.
I turn to see a large patio door backing out into a huge backyard. My aunt heads to it and unlocks the latch. Now the patio door in my old house was one that ran on a track and slid to the side to open. But this door, this fancy ass nine-foot-tall glass door pushes outward. Next level rich.
“We have our barbecue and sitting area over here.” She says, as she disappears around the side. I quickly follow her out there.
The grass is lush and a vibrant green and the back yard is huge. There are what looks to be a vegetable garden and other flower beds scattered around. I follow her along an interlocked stone path towards a sitting area. There are large cushioned seating chairs with a fire pit in the center.
“We have our summer barbecues out here. It’s chilly now being April but by mid to late May it’ll start to be nice.” I nod in response.
She points to what looks like a large industrial incinerator. When she opens the cover, it reveals a grill and what looks like a smoker next to it. She then points over to a large shed.
“We have a fridge over there and more seating inside. We call that your uncle's man cave where him and his friends have their man sessions.”
“That’s pretty sweet.” I say.
“Yeah, he enjoys it. Now if we head over here, it brings you to the pool. But there’s another entrance inside that brings you directly to it. So, let’s head back in.”
Of course, there’s another backyard entrance. We go back in through the big ass fancy doors and head back further down the hallway.
It opens up into the biggest kitchen I have ever seen. All appliances are stainless steel and the fridge is three times bigger than your average, same as the stove. The floors are the same marble and the countertops match. The cabinets are the same oak stained the same wine colour. The table is the same as any other wood piece in this house and it's large and grand. I really like how all the same details bleed throughout the rooms.
“I went to school for culinary. So, I wanted a huge industrial kitchen.” Aunt Debby explains.
“Are you a chef?”
“No, to be honest those few years were a waste. I ended up going back to school for interior design. So, this house design is all me. And many others in this area as well.”
“Oh, that’s cool.”
She turns and heads to a set of double oak doors and opens them, inside is another room with deep cushioned seats and racks. There are three other doors.
She points to the first door on the left, “inside there is the laundry room.” Then she points to the door beside it, “that’s a closet filled with extra towels and bathing suits.”
“Here,” she points to the third door on the right, “is the sauna and hot tub room.”
Yep, speechless again. My gym didn’t even have a sauna in it. We were lucky to get hot water for showers. I nod and keep my thoughts to myself; I do not want to seem ungrateful because I'm not. I know I’m blessed and my life has changed for the better.
She opens another identical backyard door as the last one and we step out onto more interlocking. In the center is a beautiful pool with a fountain.
“We just had it opened for the summer.”
“It’s really beautiful.” I breathe.
She points across to another shed, “all the pool deck furniture is in there along with pool games and floaters.”
I nod yet again and we turn back around to go back into the house. I won’t lie I am feeling overwhelmed and I haven’t even finished seeing the first floor.
She shows me the few powder rooms, a formal sitting room and the formal dining room. Then we come to another set of double doors.
“This is mine and Scott’s room. We had two masters for this house. I’ve just always wanted to be on the main floor.”
The room is stunning, it has its own sitting area and a huge walk-in with a vanity. I’m amazed by how much clothing and how many shoes this woman has. Then she shows me her huge bathroom with the claw foot tub, everything just screams wealth.
“There’s also a master upstairs. I’m hoping that’s what you choose.” I follow her back to the staircase and we go up. There are four doors up here.
She points to the right, “that’s the second master, we’ll save that for last.” Again, I nod, I’m starting to feel like that bird sipping water thingy, you know what I’m talking about.
We turn to the left and we open two of the doors which are plain bedrooms, considering the rest of the house but still outstanding for me. Each has its own bathroom, naturally as my aunt put it. The final door on the left opens to a set of ascending stairs.
“There is a loft space up there. It’s large and has some beautiful views. Plus, it’s completely soundproof. It’s empty because we really couldn’t think of what to do with it. I wanted it to be a playroom eventually.” She sighs.
“It could still be one day.” I say slightly awkward. I’m not good with emotional displays.
“It’s yours now. You can make your own space or TV room. A place you can be with your friends.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“You’re ours, Ember. This is all yours as well.”
I feel the shock and she pulls me in for a hug.
“Come on let’s check out the last room.” She grabs my hand and tugs me to the last and only door to the right of the stairs.
She opens the door and again-for like the millionth time-my jaw drops. This room also has a sitting area, it’s a smaller scale than my aunt’s room but still large. There’s a two-seater sofa in a champagne colour and it’s antique style with oak wood detail. There is also a chase in a dark wine colour.
The carpet is plush and pure white like baby lamp fl
eece. Beside the chase is a fireplace with a white marble top that matches the one in the kitchen. The curtains are the same wine colour and look like velvet. The bed is a king sized with the same wine-coloured blankets and a white fleece throw at the bottom.
“You wouldn’t have to keep this theme in here. We could redo it.”
I barely register her words because this room is amazing. Even the wall with the bed is painted the wine colour as accent. Everything ties together perfectly.
“Come check out the closet and bathroom.” She says, standing in a doorway.
She leads me into a closet first. It’s so large I have no idea how I will ever fill it up. There are custom shelves on each wall and one wall has an open empty space in the center. She sees me looking at it curiously.
“That’s for a vanity, we’ll pick one out and have it shipped.” She closes the door and I turn to her. Why did she close us in here?
“This is the mirror.” She presses on the door and it unfolds into a three-way mirror. Well fuck, that’s just crazy. “Now you can see every angle of your outfit.”
We go into the bathroom next and it’s basically like hers. It has a claw foot tub as well and the shower has so many different heads with a digital pad for music set up and heat settings.
“Your iPhone will have an iTunes account. You can sync the music both in here and in your bedroom.”
“I’ve never seen this much let alone have it for myself. This room is great.” I say hesitantly.
“I’m so glad.” She sniffles. “Let’s head downstairs and get some food in you, I could hear your stomach the whole time.”
“I’m starving.” I shrug.
We trek it back to the kitchen, trust me trek is the appropriate word. When we enter, I smell something so amazing my stomach makes a vicious ripping sound and my mouth starts to water.
“That smells amazing!” I gush.
“Cinnabon.” My aunt says with a sigh.
“I figured I’d grab some grub for my two favourite ladies.” My uncle says, with a wink.
We dig into the ooey gooey cinnamon rolls and I can honestly say I’ve never had anything so good.
“I have a meeting in town today with a potential client.” My uncle says around a mouthful of ooey gooey. “He’s some local rapper looking for a few specific cars. You wanna come with?”
“Me?” I squeak.
“Yeah, I could drop you at the mall or the gym.”
“There’s a gym?” My eyes widen, “do they teach classes?”
“Well, my good friend Andrew is the owner and I know for a fact they do yoga and some light aerobics. I haven’t seen any MMA though.” He replies, “if it’s something you want to do maybe we could talk to him. I wouldn’t want you to give it up, but there can’t be anymore fights. I almost had a heart attack watching that last one.”
He’s suggesting I teach. I never really thought of that, he’s right it would keep me up with what I love and I could make some money as well. I refuse to mooch anymore than I have to.
“We are in no way saying you have to get a job.” My aunt stresses, “this could be a hobby.”
“I’d love to check it out.” I say enthusiastically.
“Great, we leave in ten.”
I quickly freshen up and meet my uncle in the foyer. He has on what I would assume is a custom-made suit.
“You look fly, Unc.”
“Debby! You hear that?” She hums in response from the kitchen, “I’m fly!”
I follow him out through the front door chuckling, his humour is contagious. We cut right and head for the garage.
“Oh! Are we going to church?” I ask with mock awe.
“Yes honey, we need to baptize you.” He deadpans, “do you have a license?”
“I do.” I nod, “it’s a great form of ID. Not that I used it much.”
“You’re gonna use it today!” He says in a mock preacher’s voice. I’m chuckling again.
He opens the side door and we walk in. This garage might have seven doors but there are fourteen cars in here, four-fucking-teen!
“Walk around see what calls to you.” He says.
What calls to me? I snort out loud. Am I getting a wand for Hogwarts?
“Why did you snort? Don’t you know that’s unladylike?”
“I snorted because I felt like I was receiving my wand. And do I look ladylike to you?”
He full out laughs, “just pick a car, Miss Potter.”
I look around and a red convertible in the back catches my eye. I walk towards it and see it’s a two-door badass mobile.
“This one.” I say running my hand along the hood.
“Ah, that’s Shelby.”
“Shelby?” I ask crinkling my nose.
“Yep. 1967 Mustang.” He goes to a board on the wall and takes a set of keys off. “You’re driving.”
“What? I can’t drive this!” I say already feeling anxious.
“She’s yours now. So, you better learn.”
“Mine?”
“Yeah, you’ll need to be able to get around.” He says rolling his eyes. “Our driver will be preoccupied with other things.” His sarcasm is heavy.
“Ha. Ha. Okay, I’ll drive.”
The drive in this beauty is so smooth but she’s fast. I have to watch my heavy foot because her speed just creeps up and before you know it you’re already at 140 km/hr.
The whole ride consists of my uncle educating me on the car. As he is speaking, I can tell this really is his passion. ‘This girl is a GT500KR’, whatever. ‘She has a V8 engine and can pump out almost 400 horsepower’, again, whatever. I only know that I love the candy apple red and black leather seats. The convertible is a sweet feature, too.
I drop him off at the restaurant where his meeting is and he tells me where to go for the gym. His friend Andrew is expecting me for an impromptu interview, it’s a bright spot in this whole situation to focus on and not on my mother. I feel the exhaustion settling deep in my muscles and I wish I could sleep, but I haven’t been sleeping more than a few hours at a time. The smell of char and ash will always be ingrained in my brain and my subconscious loves to wake me up to it.
I get to the gym and walk into the lobby. I didn’t dress up at all considering where I am, I have on a loose grey tank and sports bra over black yoga pants. I walk up to the girl standing behind the counter, she gives me a slow perusal and cocks an eyebrow. I read her name tag, Shay.
“I’m here to see Andrew.”
“And you are?”
She’s a ray of sunshine.
“Emberlise Craven.”
“Weird name.” She says walking away. Bitch.
She returns to the desk, cocking another brow.
“You have a twitch or something?” I growl.
“He’ll see you now, back there second door to the right.” She smirks.
I walk by her, staring her down with my own brow cocked.
Look bitch, I can do it too.
I hear her chuckle as I make my way down the hallway.
Twenty minutes later, I am leaving with a promise that if Andrew can get at least twenty people to sign up for my class, I can teach in two weeks. Fucking awesome. I walk through the gym to take a look around, it’s really nice. Nicer than what I am used to. There’s a pool, a sauna and even some tanning beds. Not that I need those at all, being blessed with a permanent tan.
I walk by the cardio machines and ellipticals, hate those but need them. Then I get to the free weights where I see the desk girl standing with two delicious bodies. They all have their backs to me but I can see they are fit, tall and thick, the backside anyways.
The one pumping fifty-pound barbells like they’re marshmallows has milk chocolate skin and a close crop cut. Wish I could see his face. The second one doing deadlifts has golden brown dreadlocks hanging to his mid back and his skin is like a creamy coffee. Both are at least six feet tall.
I continue walking my back to them when I hear the chick say, “that�
�s her.”
I leave the gym and walk towards my pretty car. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I know I’m being watched. I look over my shoulder and see a figure of a guy, it’s looks like maybe the one with the dreads. I keep my eyes locked on his face as I get into the car and start it up.
“Ember! Dinner is ready!” I hear my uncle scream from the bottom of the stairs.
I groan as I sit up and wipe the drool off my face. As soon as we got back home I dived into this bed and passed out.
The mattress is like a fucking cloud.
My stomach grumbles and wins the battle, I get my ass off the bed and slowly scuff my feet all the way to the kitchen.
The smell! The aroma of grilled meat wafts to me and my mouth instantly fills with saliva.
“Your uncle made us steaks; I’m just finishing the salad.” My aunt says, setting the table.
“It smells so good. Mom and I had steak once, she broiled it in the oven. It was so good.”
My aunt eyes me with a sadness overwhelming her hazel eyes. I know she feels bad about the privilege she had while my mother and I struggled. No matter how much I tell her it’s not her fault and my mother made her choices, I know she will just have to come to that conclusion on her own.
“I received your school transcripts today, Ember. You are a straight A student.”
“Yeah, I like school. Plus, I knew it was the only way to make a better life for Mom and I.”
“I already sent them off to Precious Blood Academy. I was thinking you could start next Monday. Just give yourself the week to get settled in.”
Precious Blood? The fuck? My aunt told me it’s a Catholic school which is going to be foreign enough to me but with a name like that, it just sounds morbid.
“Okay sounds good.” I nod, just keep chewing and breathing. “Do they have an arts program?”
“Yes, you can choose which art you want to study, visual, vocal, drama or dance.”
“That’s amazing.”
“We want you to have the best opportunities.” My uncle chimes in.
The week passes me by in a blur. I spent most of it clothes shopping with my aunt and overall bonding with my new family. Aunt Debra pulled out some old family photo albums where I got to see my grand parents and mother. We grieved together and ultimately grew closer. I can say with utmost certainty I am the darker version of my mother. In both looks and personality.
