Page 39 of Wrong Number, Right Lion

Deciding that it was my house that would be sold was a no-brainer. Not only was Arlo’s larger, but it was the reason the two of us found each other in the first place. Not to mention the countless hours I’d spent fixing it up. In so many ways it was mine as much as it was his. This wasn’t a case of me moving into “his house” so much as me finally moving home.

Getting my house ready to sell—and then actually selling it—those ended up being a far bigger challenge. When I first bought my place, you had to be at the house on the day it was listed to even have a shot at being able to buy it. That wasn’t the case anymore. The market wasn’t rock bottom, but it wasn’t nearly as great for the seller as it had been back then.

At least I had summers off, making the timing perfect. I could deal with all the details while my mate worked. He was doing so well with his pregnancy. The beginning was rough, between the stomach issues and the exhaustion, but as soon as he passed the first trimester, he was filled with energy and felt amazing. If he was still struggling, we’d have waited to sell so I could be therewith him, but all indicators were that this was the ideal time to get everything figured out.

Packing up and selling things we didn’t need had been a piece of cake. The local social media market page was active, and the second I listed a piece of furniture, someone wanted it. I hadn’t been attached to many pieces in my place, most of them picked up at a yard sale or second-hand store at one time or another. And the few I did love, they were already at the other house. Same with the household goods. No one needed two sets of pots and pans or dishes. Purging proved to be easy, and moving what was left to the new house didn’t even require a rental truck.

But actually getting the house ready to hit the market? That was rough. When the realtor came in, she made a running list of items that might be a no-go for buyers, including my pale blue walls and my gray carpet. Apparently white walls and beige floors were all the rage. Give me personality any day. The repairs and upgrades she suggested to light fixtures and faucets and the like, those I agreed with. Thank goodness it was all in my wheelhouse.

I spent countless days and nights fixing up every little thing the realtor said would make a difference. Did I believe that the color of the walls was going to be what made someone buy—or not buy—my house? No. But I also wasn’t the expert, so I did it. I did it all.

Finally, it was ready, and it was such a relief.

My realtor scheduled an open house for the first weekend, listing it with the note that bids would be open for a week. She acted like this was a done deal, like everybody was going to want it. At the time I believed her, but I soon realized it was a marketing ploy.

The day of the open house came and went without a single participant. I couldn’t blame it all on the house, though. A huge storm came through that morning, and anyone who had been out driving would have been out of their mind. It wasn’t quite as bad as the one that brought my mate and me together, but it wasn’t far from it. No trees came down, but we still had a house that hadn’t sold. She assured it would all work out, but as the days dragged on, I wasn’t so sure.

Money-wise, it was fine. We could afford what we were doing. But I wanted to do more than just afford it. I wanted to be able to fill the nursery with all the beautiful things my mate wanted. I longed not to have this weight on my back, waiting, wondering if something would go wrong—a break-in, a tree falling on it, the market tanking.

And then, just as I was about to give up, I got the call.

We had an offer.

I honestly didn’t care how good it was or wasn’t—I was ready to be done with the entire process. Thankfully, it was decent, the process went off without a hitch, and now… now it was time to officially say goodbye to the place that had once been home and close.

“Hey, you okay?” Arlo wove his fingers with mine as we walked up to the law office for the final paperwork.

“Yeah. Nothing but fine.” Only it kind of wasn’t. I stopped walking, my mate deserving an honest answer. “It’s just… I guess… I don’t know. Never mind.” I shook my head, pushing the feeling away.

“It’s a lot.” He leaned into my side.

“Yeah. I didn’t realize how much.” I’d been so sure it was no big deal. And in the long run, it wasn’t, but for right now, it sure felt that way.

“It’s kind of like with Princess.”

I turned to him, confused.

“I wasn’t ready to let the tree go, so I made sure I had a new one.”

I’d thought it ridiculously adorable at the time, but framed like this, I saw how much deeper it ran.

“Can’t exactly plant a new house.” I let out a long breath, shoring myself up before going inside.

“No, you can’t. But I bet if we asked the new owners, they’d let us thin out some of the lilies. We could put them outside the window.”

It was amazing how he always knew just the right thing to make me feel better. I wasn’t particularly attached to those flowers, but they were a part of home. They greeted me every day when they bloomed, and their greenery was my first indicator of spring each year.

“How did I get such a smart mate?” I kissed his cheek.

“Smart mate? I thought I was your sexy mate.” He stuck out his bottom lip in a faux pout

“That too.” I settled my hand on his rounded belly. “And even more so now than when I met you.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head—just like he did every time he didn’t quite believe how attractive I found him carrying my pup. I’d made it my mission to remind him every chance I got.

The closing was easy. The new couple who bought the house were getting ready to start a family of their own, and they were more than happy to let us take some of the lilies. We were in there less than an hour before walking out with a nice check.

It was nice to have the chunk of change to put in the bank. We’d figure out a better way to invest what we didn’t use, but for the meanwhile, it would work. But the bank was for another time, the new owners allowing us to come right over to grab the plants as they walked through their home for the first time as owners.

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