Antonio & Harlow

12- Ethan rats out Harlow

Harlow sat at the table looking at the pictures and descriptions of each home. She was surprised to see the choices of the homes he wanted her to look at with him and for her to be the one to decide on which one. "Wow Antonio, these are big and so expensive."

"I don't care... I want the best for you," he said, curling his finger under her chin and lifting her face up to look at him. "I have plans for us and I want to include you in on everything I do."

She looked back at the papers in her hand. "What's wrong with the house that you have now?"

He kneeled and looked at her. "Nothing is wrong with this house, I like it, but I want something better, and bigger. I want something I know you helped pick out and something that I know you'll like."

"Antonio, I can't afford any of this."

He laughed, taking the papers out of her hand and set them on the table. "Silly woman. Don't you get it?" he says smiling while looking at her. "You will never have to worry about not being able to afford anything, as long as you're with me. I've got that department handled and if you want, you can quit that job you hate so much. Let me take care of you, move in with me."

She pulled him closer to her. "If I agree to move in with you, you better promise me, you're in this for the long haul. I don't want to take this next step, only for it to backfire on us."

"I have a little secret to tell you... I've already devoted myself to you, and already came to the conclusion that I'm in this for the long haul. Our journey together will only get better from here on out. I see us being married someday, raising lots of beautiful kids and growing old together."

She was trying hard to hold back a smile, only for the smile to come out anyway and leaned forward kissing him on the lips. "Then my answer will be yes, yes I'll move in with you."

A sound of happiness escaped his mouth and pulled her with him down to the ground, kissing her. "Things will only be getting better from now on, I know it," he says, pulling away from her lips.

******

For the next few weeks, while Antonio's airplane was getting worked on, they started looking at homes in the area to buy. There were a couple she liked, but wasn't too sure about them. They were overly big and felt she would get overwhelmed with the cleaning.

There was one more house that he found he wanted to show her, it was big but not as big as the other two she liked. The realtor sent him a link to the pictures of the home and the more he looked through them, the more he liked it and thought it would be the perfect home for them.

On his way home from work, he called Harlow letting her know he was on his way to pick her up. He hoped this was it and that she would like the house. It had everything he was looking for, including a den that he would consider as his office, that way he could work from home as needed.

Ethan happened to be outside working on his car when Antonio pulled into their parents' driveway, honking at him. He leaned his head out the window, calling out to Ethan. "Feel like going with Harlow and I to check out a house?"

Ethan set his tools down and walked over to him. "Where at?"

"Not too far from here, maybe about twenty minutes."

Ethan turned around and looked at his car. He was just about done doing a tune up on his car and looked back at Antonio wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Sure, how much time do you have? I just have one more spark plug to install."

"Well get your ass moving, I'll wait," he urged with a smile.

Ethan quickly walked back to his car and grabbed the last spark plug, trying to hurry before Harlow came out. Harlow came out a few minutes later and stood next to Ethan, watching what he was doing. "You know there are mechanical shops around here, the way Antonio pays you, you can afford it."