Marco
Elm had been a trooper in sitting with me during work all day. He was six months pregnant and was always feeling tired and I could tell he was longing for some much deserved alone time. Elm wasn't the most sociable of people and seemed to be really trying to be grateful for all the love and attention his family was giving him. He knew that they needed to be around him. It was about more than him being pregnant but I could see he was slowly going insane with all the coddling and constant cycle of familial attention. Even his mother's aunts had been video calling him once they found out about the baby.
I was happy to have him with me at work even though we barely got to talk to each other throughout the day. I thought I loved what I was doing in the military but working more on the civilian side was a hundred times better. I was making good money just for translating statements or looking through research and my opinion was almost always taken into consideration due to my experience. Also, I was excelling in grad school so far and could tell that if I really worked hard I might end up towards the top of the class after dusting off some of the cobwebs. I had never been so happy in my life and I would only get happier if Elm liked my surprise.
"Baby it's two thirty I'm ready to go," Elm reminded me. I was getting off early to take Elm to the surprise I had for him. He asked questions the whole way to my job and I refused to answer them even when he gave me head in an attempt to coax the answer out of me.
"Alright Honey put your bag together and let me send this file in and we can go," I said and he started moving around the office gathering his computer and chargers. His stomach hadn't grown too much larger but he was definitely showing more. I shook my focus off of Elm and turned in my report to the on-shift supervisor then logged off of everything and proceeded to grab my bookbag. Elm was waiting by the door so I walked over and grabbed his hand and we walked into the main office.
"Hey Tafferty, have a nice weekend. Bye Elm, stay safe," my coworker Janet said with a smile. She was a sweet older lady who was almost the exact image one would picture when thinking about a soccer mom. From the bob hairstyle to the tan slacks and ruffly hem sweater. She would bring homemade vegan cookies for Elm so I could take them home. She like almost everyone else thought Elm was trans and pregnant mainly because Elm didn't want to be looked at like an experiment even though the like we were pushing didn't stop the stares.
"Bye Janet," we both said at the same time and continued walking out of the building saying hello and goodbye to the people that passed. We made it to my car and Elm got into the front seat ready to put his learners permit to use. He wanted to be able to drive our kids around when they got here so I and John worked with him for hours teaching him how to drive. He wasn't half bad for someone with no prior experience. He buckled up and pulled out of the parking lot and drove just under the speed limit to the interstate via my directions.
"So it's been a year since you have been back now, and I was thinking about how much you have been through and how far we have come and I decided to do something big I hope that you like it," I said to him as we got off the exit to Cupertino.
"What is the surprise that you are going to show me? You know that I hate surprises," Elm stated annoyed at me.
"You might like this one, wait till we get there," I said.
"Fine," he said and followed my directions as we went up and down hills and passed commercial areas all the way till I got him to our new address. I went home shopping one day alone just before Christmas and found a house that I couldn't resist. The owners had just put it on the market and I saw a lovely couple inside doing a serious walkthrough. I fell in love with everything about the house and could see me and Elm raising a family here so I put an offer down. I went into a savings account I started when I joined the Air force. It had close to four hundred thousand built up through the money I put into it twice a month and the interest earned as well as being lucky with investments I had made. Of course, I had to pay a tax on the money but it was still enough to cover a large portion of the house on my own. Then used the VA loan to cover the extra few hundred thousand along with the money accumulated in the mutual fund I kept to buy furniture. I only hoped that Elm liked it and I didn't waste all my money. It would suck to have put in all the work I put in only for it to be in vain.
"Where are we," he asked as he shifted the car into park.
"So just before Christmas I bought us this house," I said to him gauging his reaction.
"What? How" he asked shocked.
"Well I came here one day saw it and put in an offer, I had to cash out a few of my financial plans and our mortgage is affordable just thirteen hundred a month and I can cover that with my pension," I answered him nervously.
"Oh okay, well talk about that later but I want to see this house," he said getting out of the car looking at every detail.
It was a beautiful two-story Spanish-esque designed home with large windows and a three-car garage I even negotiating to keep the basketball hoop. I got out of the car and helped Elm who was waddling a little under due to the uneven weight he was carrying. I pulled the new keys out of my pocket and handed one to him. I opened the door and he took in a breath which was a good sign.
"It's beautiful, there's no way you designed this," he said walking farther into the house into the open space living room and kitchen/ dining room area.
"Why couldn't I put all of this together," I asked fake offended.
"Because you're such a boy," he said to me.
"Fine I got Josephson's sister to do it for me, she's an interior designer," I said walking into the bright room. The living area was nice and cozy with a nice large television on the wall and a large comfortable couch. The dining area was a decorated with contemporary bucket lighting and a large craftsman wooden table with white metal chairs on top of a paint swatch rug. That had a matching one I the office that was just diagnosed to a door that led to the garage. The kitchen was small and modern and white which I knew Elm liked.
"She did a great job, I love it. It's spacious but cozy and had nice bright lights and is nicely renovated. It looks totally different than I thought it would look from the outside. " he said looking around and touching everything he even crouched down to feel the wood floors. I had to help him up but he was smiling at me and pecked my cheek.
"How about I show you the pool, it's not a big backyard or pool but I like it, it's more traditional but you said you wanted a pool so I got you one," I said
"A POOL," he shouted a little more excited than he normally would be since his emotions were up and down a lot.
"Yeah come on," I said leaning him outside to the backyard that held the small pool with a basketball hoop and a hot tub.
"A wet bar," he said randomly then smiled at me," I love it but we are going to need a fence for the pool area."
"Yeah I know I'll get one soon, they are kinda expensive," I said to him.
"How about we go and see our room," I added.
"Before we do, how exactly can you afford all of this," he asked me skeptically.
"I had some stocks and the VA loan plus my retirement savings account, also my pension plan," I said.
"How much exactly, I just want to know," he asked leaning on me since his feet probably hurt.
"In total, the house and the furniture ran me about seven hundred thousand plus the loan which paid for the part of the house I couldn't cover. I made a few good investments with Dominoes pizza when I was younger and I put my money in a really good savings plan and never touched it. Trust me we are good, I'm in debt a little but I have a good job and you make a good income so we are going to be just fine, now let's go see our bedroom," I told him then swept him off his feet as a distraction and as a way to quickly walk back into the house and up the stairs past the closed bedrooms that were for later and to our door.
"It's so nice," he said as I sat him on the bed that had a white black and yellow bedspread. The room was simple and clean which was my own personal style but it also had hard lines which Elm loved.
"Yeah, you once told me that you wanted to see the world ass brightly as I do, well life is looking up so I wanted you to go to bed in a room that reflected that," I said. I didn't think he knew I heard him talk about not liking sunny days on the train but he was thinking and whispering at the same time
"You heard that," he blushed.
"Yeah, and it's been a goal of mine to get you to see sunny days just like I have seen them. Now let's see the boys room we can break in the end later," I said and lifted him p to carry him to what was to be Maddox's room.
"Why separate rooms," Elm asked.
"I don't want them to be those creepy multiple kids that have to do everything together I want them to be individuals same as you, remember," I said to him.
"Hmmm, the name thing. I remember," he said as I snagged to open the door with him in my arms.
"Aww, this is cute, look at the little car and the alligator. I love it," Elm said using baby speech which made me laugh. The room had line work cars on the wallpaper and was decorated with typical boy things like stuffed cars and even an alligator I saw at the store one day.
"Alright next room is Ozias's," I said since Elm was getting heavy in my arms and I didn't want to drop him
"Awww, it's all cute and kinda vintage," Elm said. It was decorated with wood and little with furry accent pieces along with wallpaper that had woodland creatures.
"Perfect you like it, next room," I said trying to position him subtly as we walked to Calloway's room.
"I love it, baby," Elm said as we entered. It was the simplest of them all only having white furniture with silver reflective circles on the wallpaper.
"You really did a good job with everything or well Josephson's sister in law did a good job, now take me to the guestroom and back to the bed so you can put my fat ass down," he said laughing.
"Alright Honey," I said embarrassed that he noticed me straining. I walked to the last room that I just copied from the last residents.
"A game room, what about the guest. We need a space for guest to sleep if I ever make friends. We have to add a bed." he asked.
"Honey please let me keep it," I asked.
"Fine for now," he said looking at me with a side eye. I smiled and carried him back to the room then placed him on the bed.
"I hope you really like it and you aren't just saying it because I sunk myself in debt," I said laying beside him and palming his belly.
"Our debt, you sunk us both into debt. I love the house baby I promise you," he said.
"I'm glad you like it then," I said and started rubbing his stomach softly until I heard the sounds of him snoring. I smiled looking down at him as he slept in our new home.