The Charm Bracelet

Happy

I awoke up to the sun enveloping the room making it feel like I was living in a glass house. It took me a while to realize I had fallen asleep and stayed in the position all night. I was confused, I had seemed to forget where I was as if the flight was a dream. Oslo was nine hours ahead of Oregon time. This was going to take time to adjust to. I showered and threw on the warmest clothes I could find. A dark brown flannel shirt, gray sweats, and a fuzzy pair of socks. My first thought was to see mom, I could only imagine what her room looked like.

 Upon opening the bedroom door, the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg hit me. A sudden sound of plates was heard from downstairs, I peaked around the corner to see the sun dancing through the house. To my right at the end of the hallway was a large wooden door. It looked intimidating. To my left was the staircase. The lights were dimmed, yet not needed due to the sun. I tiptoed down the stairs, I heard a bit of laughter. I noticed the large front living room with two couches and two upholstered chairs in a french country theme. A clear chandelier hung above in the center. There were two large bookcases filled with books and trinkets. The large weathered coffee table held an impressive vase of white roses that could be smelled as soon as you entered the room. The house felt like a showroom, staged and too perfect. Perhaps something you would see on the cover of an interior design magazine. I was led to the sound of a conversation taking place. The floors were a saddle colored wood that the chandelier prisms shined. My mother was seated on the barstools assigned to the large kitchen island. In front of her a man dressed in black pants and a white chef jacket. They both heard me and looked up.

"Morning dear!" She got up from the stool greeting me with a hug and a smile.

She introduced me to Lucindo, the chef. We now had a personal driver, and a chef!

"It is nice to meet you Sara" he said with his soft accent as he held out his hand. Lucindo was a tall man with curly brown shoulder length hair, deep set brown eyes and a perfect smile. He reminded me of an actor on a soap opera.

"I am making French toast, I hope you will enjoy it." He said smiling. That explains the warm sweet smell. Lucindo then ushered us to the table to take a seat. In front of the table was a bay window looking to the courtyard. A silver shimmer could be seen in the distance, a view of a lake, and small green slopes. This is was unreal. I really did feel like a princess living in a castle. 

"Katherine I will make a cup of coffee as requested, Sara?" He took the towel off his shoulder to brush his hands.

"Juice, please" Once Lucindo was out of ear shot mom leaned forward.

"Isn't this place amazing?" She gushed trying to keep her composure professional.

I looked around in just as much disbelief flashing a smirk.

"Maybe ....it won't be as bad as I thought" this sent mom to a low squeal.  After a moment Lucindo carried in a white small mug and a glass of orange juice.

"Here you are ladies, " he rushed back to the kitchen. I turned to mom.

"Have you met him yet?" I said, referring to Mr. Luxington.

"No, he is very busy. I don't know how much we will really see of him." She took a sip of her coffee, steam ascending the mug. Her hair slightly frizzy pulled behind her ears. I was okay with the idea of having the house to ourselves, however I wondered exactly what he did for a living in order to afford this house. I had more questions than answers. I took a sip of the juice, it was fresh and tangy.

 Apparently Mr. Luxington left a note with Lucindo, he gave us a week to unpack and settle in. There wasn't much for us to unpack and one week sounded like overkill, but it might be nice to not do anything. Maybe Mr. Griffith could show us around. Lucindo broke the silence and came in with two large white plates as he sat them down in front of us. That sweet cinnamon smell filled the room once again. Two thick french toasts with sprinkled powdered sugar and a side of fresh fruit.

"Enjoy ladies" He did a slight bow and grinned before leaving us alone once again.

After breakfast we decided to take Mr. Luxingtons advice and unpack. Mom showed me her room, it was just as breathtaking as the rest of the house. Exposed dark beams across the ceiling, three floor lamps spaced delicately throughout the room spreading light evenly. A persian rug, similar to mine placed in front of the bed except hers was a myriad of colors, copper, navy blue and details of soft yellow. A large nightstand that looked more like a dresser next to the bed had a stack of small books that my mother must have unpacked when we first got here. She made sure to put the photo album on the dresser opened to see, next to it a small wooden picture frame of a photo of me and Aunt Lori during the holidays. We were both in ugly Christmas sweaters. 

I helped her put away her clothing. Her closet, like mine, was a spacious walk-in located in the bathroom. It featured plenty of compartments for shoes and purses. There was even an additional dresser inside. Despite all this space, neither of us could imagine ever filling the entire closet with what we had.

"You know it gets so cold here, we will have to try to get more winter clothes," Mom suggested, handing me a red sweater to place on a hanger. The thought of shopping sounded thrilling, especially in a different country. We hung clothing until our arms felt heavy. Mom was dazzled by the room and its details. The view from her room threw me off—I hadn't realized how far it was from mine. The backyard looked distorted from this angle. We talked about how the holidays would be different this year, and there was a hint of sadness in her voice when she realized Aunt Lori wasn't going to be there. I curled up in an English armchair placed in front of the window.

""It's okay, Mom, we can visit in the summer," I reminded her, slightly fidgeting with my fingers. I remembered the note Aunt Cathy had given me.

"I know," she replied, a slight smile emerging. She walked over and leaned down to hug me from behind. I held on to her tightly.

"You don't regret this do you?" I asked.

" Oh, no! I am excited for us." She lifted her head looking at me, hovering.

"I haven't felt like this in awhile...happy" she added. 

"Good" she hugged me even tighter.

Almost two weeks ago, we were in Oregon, facing eviction within a month. Now, we were living in a mansion! It didn't make any sense, but seeing my mom happy made me think it was worth it. Still, I wondered, who exactly was this Mr. Luxington?