LJ Idol Season 10, Week 17
“It’s not right”
Martin sighed as Sarah walked through from the living room.
“What’s wrong with this one?”
The house was the twelfth one they had seen, that week.
Over the last three months there had been more house than he could count. None were right. Some were too small, some too large, too close to the station, too far from the station, too new, needs too much work. To close to a school which would be too loud. One too far from good schools which their kids might one day want to go to. They had no kids.
Each house had started to blend into the other, each one with a fault, a flaw. Each one just not right.
The estate agents smile, so wide when they first met now had a strained quality each time. He was the fourth, the first three no longer answered their calls.
“It’s a fixer upper I agree,” he said, the strain in his voice passed on from his smile. “But with some work I think it could be perfect for you. It ticks all the boxes we discussed.”
Martin braced himself as Sarah turned, a look of contemptuous anger on her face. He had seen this look a lot of late. It had surprised him the first time, now all he noted was how the downward turn of her mouth marred her pretty face, how the ice in her voice took her normal melodic tone into something shrill and almost whiny.
Thirty minutes later they found themselves out in the cold, heading back to the car Martin knew they would now need to find another estate agent. As he climbed into the car he felt the slam of Sarah’s door as she continued her tirade. They had to raise their budget, she said. This wasn’t the time to be cheap. It was the location, the areas they were looking at were too rough, it was all about location. Happy she had made her point the conversation turned to his trousers ‘too shabby’ and why couldn’t he have shaved. How could they be taken seriously when they didn’t make an effort.
Sarah had made the effort. Her new red soled shoes and sharp black skirt looked the part, although Martin didn’t understand how she could afford them but had been unable to add anything to the deposit fund. Every penny of their deposit was coming from his savings.
Turning into the street, he parked and headed upstairs listening and agreeing with Sarah when needed. A quiet dinner followed by some work whilst Sarah was on the phone to a friend bemoaning the current state of the property market.
Heading to bed the stray thought came to him that they hadn’t actually spoken to each other at all since they came home. The distance between them at that moment seemed like an ever-growing chasm, too large, too wide, impossible to breach.
Sighing he settled in too sleep, preparing himself to start again in the morning.
They just had to find the right house, after that everything else would fall into place.
~*~
Settling back, Martin lifted his feet onto the foot rest and surveyed the room.
The house was perfect, he had known that the minute they had walked through the door. It was a ten-minute walk from the train station, set inside a small up and coming area that had an almost village like feel. There were good schools nearby, but far enough away that noise and parking wouldn’t be an issue.
The house itself was an older building, lots of charm and character but the previous owner had refurbished it to a fantastic standard. With two bedrooms and a large living space it was perfect and the second room was already a lovely sunny yellow, perfect for a nursery.
He had lasted another six months with Sarah, got through four more estate agents before they had both realised the problems weren’t with the houses. The houses hadn’t been right, because they hadn’t been right. After that things had ended quite amicably. Sarah had kept the flat, he had moved into a room share. He had met his wife through his room mate. The spark immediate and explosive.
Within six months they were married, expecting a baby and looking for a home. He had been almost afraid to contact the estate agents, convinced his name must be on some black list for life. But things had been different this time. This had been the first house they had seen and just like when they had met each other, they had just known.
Martin shifted as his wife sat down next to him, making room, his hand moving over her rounded belly, feeling the tiny soft movements as their baby got comfortable too. Less than four weeks and their perfect home would become their family home.
“Happy?” she asked, her smile soft and wide.
“Couldn’t be happier,” he replied with a smile.
Martin sighed as Sarah walked through from the living room.
“What’s wrong with this one?”
The house was the twelfth one they had seen, that week.
Over the last three months there had been more house than he could count. None were right. Some were too small, some too large, too close to the station, too far from the station, too new, needs too much work. To close to a school which would be too loud. One too far from good schools which their kids might one day want to go to. They had no kids.
Each house had started to blend into the other, each one with a fault, a flaw. Each one just not right.
The estate agents smile, so wide when they first met now had a strained quality each time. He was the fourth, the first three no longer answered their calls.
“It’s a fixer upper I agree,” he said, the strain in his voice passed on from his smile. “But with some work I think it could be perfect for you. It ticks all the boxes we discussed.”
Martin braced himself as Sarah turned, a look of contemptuous anger on her face. He had seen this look a lot of late. It had surprised him the first time, now all he noted was how the downward turn of her mouth marred her pretty face, how the ice in her voice took her normal melodic tone into something shrill and almost whiny.
Thirty minutes later they found themselves out in the cold, heading back to the car Martin knew they would now need to find another estate agent. As he climbed into the car he felt the slam of Sarah’s door as she continued her tirade. They had to raise their budget, she said. This wasn’t the time to be cheap. It was the location, the areas they were looking at were too rough, it was all about location. Happy she had made her point the conversation turned to his trousers ‘too shabby’ and why couldn’t he have shaved. How could they be taken seriously when they didn’t make an effort.
Sarah had made the effort. Her new red soled shoes and sharp black skirt looked the part, although Martin didn’t understand how she could afford them but had been unable to add anything to the deposit fund. Every penny of their deposit was coming from his savings.
Turning into the street, he parked and headed upstairs listening and agreeing with Sarah when needed. A quiet dinner followed by some work whilst Sarah was on the phone to a friend bemoaning the current state of the property market.
Heading to bed the stray thought came to him that they hadn’t actually spoken to each other at all since they came home. The distance between them at that moment seemed like an ever-growing chasm, too large, too wide, impossible to breach.
Sighing he settled in too sleep, preparing himself to start again in the morning.
They just had to find the right house, after that everything else would fall into place.
~*~
Settling back, Martin lifted his feet onto the foot rest and surveyed the room.
The house was perfect, he had known that the minute they had walked through the door. It was a ten-minute walk from the train station, set inside a small up and coming area that had an almost village like feel. There were good schools nearby, but far enough away that noise and parking wouldn’t be an issue.
The house itself was an older building, lots of charm and character but the previous owner had refurbished it to a fantastic standard. With two bedrooms and a large living space it was perfect and the second room was already a lovely sunny yellow, perfect for a nursery.
He had lasted another six months with Sarah, got through four more estate agents before they had both realised the problems weren’t with the houses. The houses hadn’t been right, because they hadn’t been right. After that things had ended quite amicably. Sarah had kept the flat, he had moved into a room share. He had met his wife through his room mate. The spark immediate and explosive.
Within six months they were married, expecting a baby and looking for a home. He had been almost afraid to contact the estate agents, convinced his name must be on some black list for life. But things had been different this time. This had been the first house they had seen and just like when they had met each other, they had just known.
Martin shifted as his wife sat down next to him, making room, his hand moving over her rounded belly, feeling the tiny soft movements as their baby got comfortable too. Less than four weeks and their perfect home would become their family home.
“Happy?” she asked, her smile soft and wide.
“Couldn’t be happier,” he replied with a smile.