Motel 6 // n.h

[67] House Hunters

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Avery Holmes

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It had now been a week since we first arrived in Ireland.

Everything had been smooth sailing. We'd wake up in the morning to a nice pancake breakfast and the days were usually spent just hanging out with his family or our little family. In the evening, it was usually Derby and card games, and then at night Niall would read me different listings of houses he found online.

"... and three bedrooms, too. Maybe we should get four, though, or is that too much?" He asked, biting his lip as he looked at his laptop screen. We were lying between the sheets with the morning sun peeking it's way through the window.

"What would we even use those rooms for?" I asked.

"A room for us, a room for Aimee, a playroom for Aimee, and then... I don't know." He sighed as he tried to comb down his hair that was sticking up in all directions. "The one I'm looking at now has a nice yard, too. How do you feel about a puppy?"

I laughed and tangled our legs together. It wasn't even ten in the morning and we were planning out or whole future when all I really wanted at this time was a coffee. This was exactly what Ni had been doing last night at eleven when I was trying to get some sleep.

"Don't stress over these things." I said. "When the right house comes along, it'll come along. We've only been here for a week." He nodded and rubbed his temples before pecking me on the lips quickly and slumping out of bed.

I put on some sweatpants and then a robe over my pajamas before cracking my knuckles. The bed that Aimee usually slept in was unmade and unoccupied. She usually woke up before us and went downstairs to watch t.v. She had even found the channel for Arthur and would watch it until Theo came around.

I had met Theo's mom, Denise, a few times. She was a very nice woman who worked in an office. A few times now she had stopped by to have coffee with us girls or dinner with the whole family, but usually it was just Greg who came by with Theo because he worked with construction and hadn't had any upcoming projects during the past few days.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Maura smiled as she embraced me. "Aimee and I were just having a little breakfast."

"Thank you." I said appreciatively. "It works well that you two get up around the same time. I haven't slept this well in years." It was true, ever since Aimee was born I was always up early. But since that was the time Maura woke up, she offered to watch over Aimee.

"So... how's the house hunting going?" She asked as I sat down at the kitchen island. I shrugged and gave Aimee a good morning kiss as she was preoccupied by Cheerios. "Any luck?"

"Niall's interested in a few houses. We've had a couple arguments about paying for it all... I don't know." I mumbled. "I guess I haven't really been into it as much because I feel so bad. I've offered to contribute to paying for this house and he won't let me help him at all."

Maura smiled and took a bite of her cereal.

"He doesn't really need the help, deal. You're dating a teenage millionaire. If you put yourself in his place, wouldn't you feel bad for making your girlfriend split the profits with you when you can pay for it all in a heartbeat?"

"But then I feel guilty, too." I confessed. "I feel like I'm using him for money. Of course I'd never do that, but I just feel that way and I want it to stop." I groaned. "This is all too much too early."