Adventures In An Alternate Dimension Book 2

Chapter 56 - Sunrooms, Apple Trees, and the Possibility of Forever

Vannessa's POV

The morning light filtering through the sheer curtains woke me with a soft glow. I stretched luxuriously, the king-sized bed all to myself for a glorious hour before Eric inevitably woke up. It was a rare treat – Bella, my ever-reliable mom, had agreed to a weekend of babysitting duty for our two-month-old twins, Caleb and Levi. This meant Eric and I, sleep-deprived zombies for the past eight weeks, could finally snag some uninterrupted "us" time. House hunting, to be precise.

We'd been putting it off for months, the exhaustion of newborn parenthood a constant excuse. But the truth was, the search for our perfect house had become a daunting task. We outgrew our cozy starter home faster than anticipated, and the hunt for something bigger, something with a backyard for the boys to frolic in someday, felt overwhelming.

"Maybe I should call Aunt Ashlynn again," I mumbled, rolling over to check the time on my phone. 7:30 am. A bit early, but the excitement buzzing under my skin wouldn't be contained any longer. Ashlynn, my aunt and Bella's younger sister, was a real estate agent extraordinaire. With her infectious enthusiasm and unmatched knowledge of the West-side market, she was our best bet at navigating this house-hunting labyrinth.

I dialed her number, wincing a little at the early hour. The phone rang once, twice, then her voice, always chipper, filled my ear. "Vannessa! You morning lark! What can I do for you this lovely Friday?"

"Good morning, Ashlynn," I said, a smile tugging at my lips despite myself. "Is this a bad time to talk about houses?"

"Houses? Honey, it's never a bad time to talk houses! Especially not when it comes to my favorite niece and her growing brood."

I chuckled. "That's the thing. Eric and I are finally ready to make a move. We were hoping maybe you could spare some time this weekend to show us a few places?"

"Absolutely! This is fantastic news. Now, tell me everything you're looking for. Dream home specifics, the whole shebang."

We spent the next twenty minutes outlining our desires – a minimum of three bedrooms, a fenced-in yard, a decent amount of storage (because, hello, twins!), and ideally, a neighborhood with good schools for when the boys were older.

"Consider it done," Ashlynn declared with a flourish. "I'll whip up a shortlist based on your criteria and we can hit the ground running this afternoon. How does that sound?"

"Perfect! Thank you so much, Ashlynn. This is a lifesaver."

After hanging up, a wave of relief washed over me. Having Ashlynn on our side made the whole ordeal seem less daunting, more like an exciting adventure. I couldn't wait to tell Eric.

He shuffled into the bedroom, hair a mess and eyes still mostly closed. "Morning, beautiful," he mumbled, planting a sleepy kiss on my forehead.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I chirped, unable to contain my excitement. "Guess what? We have a house-hunting guide!"

Eric's eyes snapped open. "Really? You talked to Aunt Ashlynn already?"

"Yep. She's putting together a shortlist for us to see this afternoon. Isn't that amazing?"

A slow smile spread across his face. "Amazing. Maybe this house-hunting thing won't be so bad after all, with your awesome aunt on the case."

The thought of spending the afternoon with Eric, child-free, house hunting with Ashlynn's expert guidance, filled me with a giddy anticipation I hadn't felt in months. It felt like a tiny sliver of normalcy peeking through the chaos of parenthood, and I couldn't wait to grab it with both hands.

The ferry ride across the Strait of Juan de Fuca had been a welcome respite. Seagulls wheeled above the turquoise water, and a cool breeze ruffled my hair as I stood beside Eric, stealing a glance at his relaxed profile. It had been years since we'd had a chance to simply be together, without the constant demands of twin toddlers.