Page 7 of Saved By Noel
“You’re going to love your new sunroom home, my little baby,” I coo to the variegated rubber tree. I carefully place the ten-inch pot in Madison’s lap in the passenger seat. She rolls her eyes, but she’s used to this by now.
When we pull into my parents’ driveway, my dad and I make quick work of unloading while Madison takes my new plant baby inside. After neatly arranging everything in the garage, I give my dad a hug.
“Thanks again for letting me use your garage. And encouraging me to do this. I’m truly grateful for everything you do for me.”
“You’re welcome, Care-Bear,” Dad says, squeezing me back. “We’re beyond excited for you. I can’t wait to see it in a couple of weeks.”
My mom stuffs us full of chicken pot pie and homemade rolls, her payment to Madison for helping me out today. We sit around the table laughing at Madison’s latest Ivy story involving a Cockatiel loose in the mudroom.
Now that I’ve made all my crucial cabin purchases, I can water the seed of anticipation sprouting in my heart into full-blown excitement.This is happening. I’m really going to have a writing retreat.My thumb absentmindedly twirls my birthstone ring, a gift from Aunt Gloria for my sixteenth birthday. I wish she could be here to see this gift she’s giving me.
I’m just going to have to make the most of this opportunity in her honor.
Chapter seven
Clara
Closing day finally arrives, but it’s already off on the wrong foot.
Although I hired a moving company to transport and unload my furniture, my parents were planning to drive down to Noel for the day to see the cabin and help me unpack. Unfortunately, my mom came down with the flu yesterday. Of course, I insisted my dad stay home to take care of her. Madison is out of town visiting her sister, so that means I’m flying solo for the first major purchase of my adult life. Well, minus that college degree I’m still paying off.
My nerves are buzzing as I make the drive down to Noel. Dawn will meet me there to sign closing papers, but then she has to head straight back to KC for an open house this afternoon. The moving truck is supposed to arrive at the cabin around 11:00 a.m., giving me enough time to sign the papers and hopefully walk through my new “home” for the first time before the chaos of unloading begins.
As I get closer to Noel, I’m slowly immersed in woodsy scenery. I leave the interstate for a smaller highway, whichoccasionally winds along the Deer River. The fall leaves are still hanging on to the trees even in late October, so lovely they bring tears to my eyes. Or maybe it’s the overflowing wellspring of emotions causing that moisture.
I slow down as I enter the city limits of Noel. Although, “city” might be a generous term. The town appears to be tiny, but I do notice the grocery market and small coffee shop right next door as I drive down Main Street. Paint is peeling on many of the buildings, some showing even further signs of neglect. But it also looks to have all the trappings of a tight-knit community. On the bank of the river are several picnic benches and a playground, while a bar and grill advertising “drive-up boat service” connects the edge of Main Street to the river bay.
Dawn’s car is already parked outside the small real estate office, so I park behind her and head inside. Twenty minutes doesn’t seem like nearly enough time to sign away part of your life. Yet that’s all it takes to finish the closing papers and receive the keys to my new cabin. This surreal moment deserves more fanfare than a simple exchange of signatures for keys. But Dawn’s enthusiastic hug will have to suffice.
“I’m so, so sorry I can’t come with you to see the cabin,” she says when we walk out to our cars. “I’ll already need to speed a little to make it back in time for the open house.”
“Please, Dawn, since when do you speed a little? You always speed alot!” I tease. She laughs with me. “Seriously though, thanks for making the trip down here for closing.Andfor finding this place! Words can’t express my gratitude.”
She gives me another quick hug before hopping into her car. I take a moment in mine to stare at the new keys in my hand, smiling to myself. Maybe I was crazy to do this, to buy a house I’ve never seen before. But right now, all I’m experiencing is excitement.
I punch inmynew address and follow the GPS on a winding road to the outskirts of town. The layered cliffside juts out over the road in one section, creating a shaded canopy and dripping spring water on my windshield. I take a left that turns into more of a U-turn onto a steep road leading up to the top of that cliff. The driveway is poorly marked, causing me to drive right past it.To-do item one: new numbers for the mailbox,I mentally note.
Reversing the car, I pull into the drive and follow the beaten path around a wide circle to park in front of the cabin. I scooch as far to the side as possible to leave a wide berth for the moving truck. Hopefully it can make it up that steep incline—I’m extra glad I hired professional movers now.
Body trembling with adrenaline, I walk along the rustic stone pathway to the front porch. The cabin looks just as cozy as it did in the photos, at least from the outside. The full, mature trees give the illusion of total seclusion, although I know I drove past a few neighbors’ houses along the road.
The front door has both a traditional lock and a keypad, so I make another mental note to update the code today. I turn the key in the lock, take a deep breath, and swing the front door open.
Daylight streams through the windows, and I survey the open concept living room to the left and kitchen to the right. The fixtures and hardware in the kitchen are outdated, but with time I can replace them with my style. The hardwood floors give that true log cabin ambiance, while the large stone fireplace adds a homey touch to the living room. I walk behind the central fireplace to the hallway behind, where the sunroom is the first space you see.
Tears fill my eyes again as I step into the room, fully able to appreciate the warmth of the sun flooding through the windows. The fall leaves create a backdrop so picturesque it could be misconstrued as computer-generated.
This is even better than the listing photos.
I continue down the hallway to see the bathroom door on the left, most of the space taken up by a gigantic soaking tub. The previous owners must have been fans of hot baths, a circumstance I’m happy to capitalize on. Beyond the bathroom is the single bedroom, with the perfect amount of space for a queen bed, night stands, and a small dresser.
A massive sigh of relief escapes my lungs. Although the inspection didn’t turn up any structural concerns, it was still a gamble to purchase this place without seeing it in person. But I feel as though I’m holding a royal flush—I can’t even imagine a more perfect writing retreat.
Returning to the sunroom, I open the sliding door and step onto the deck.To-do item three: find some cozy porch furniture.Closing my eyes, I listen to the silence, punctuated only by a pair of cardinals calling to each other. My mouth widens into a grin as I tilt my face to the sun and twirl in a circle, arms held wide.
Thank you, Aunt Gloria. This is better than any dream.
I’m ready to collapse from exhaustion after a long day of directing the movers. Okay, let’s be honest—I carried half the boxes in myself. I couldn’t idly stand by while they were working. I heat a cup of noodles in the microwave and quickly devour it, eager to take a long soak in that giant bathtub.
