Butchered Beasts 1: Darren & EJ

Chapter 8

EJ POV

We got to the house early. Around 12:30 in the afternoon. We called my dad on the way to let him know what time we'd be there. He pulled in right after we did. The kids were excited to see Grandpa. I took him through so he could see the house and make any suggestions he could think of, including adding a bigger window in the stairwell going upstairs, right at the landing.

"You wanna do what, Eleanor June?" He was very clearly stunned at my latest idea. So, I pointed at the small window that went from the base of the floor up a mere three feet, even though the wall goes up at least eight feet tall. It looks dumb.

"It looks dumb."

"I agree. But you do know that's not easy. That could be the biggest pain in the ass thing we do to this house, EJ." I nodded and followed him down the stairs. We walked out to look at the front porch again, that the people who lived here before had closed in. I hated every inch of it. From the astro turf style carpet they put in, to the metal wall, door, and roof they put on it. The whole thing is tacky and gross.

"I want to rip this whole thing off and do something more like...more like the big front porch from our house from Severetts Avenue. Wooden, painted, with a porch swing." I smiled.

"Alright. But how about we screen it in like the back of Grandpa's? We can still keep the front door where it is and maybe update it if you want. One with a bigger window in it?" I nodded, grinning ear to ear!

"Yes! That sounds perfect! Do you want to see what I want to do with the addition?"

"Yeah. What are we doing with the garage?"

"Oh! I liked the second option you sent me. The garage like over at Cropley Road. Two car, with a man door on the side and a loft upstairs for storage. I really don't like the basement here. If I could get rid of It I would."

We got outside to my SUV and pulled the prints out, rolling them out on the hood of my SUV. As we were talking about the plans, Ed Monroe, my stepdad came up and started talking to us about things I'd wanted to do.

"The front porch would be easy to start on, along with the garage and driveway. Those could be started while they wait to give us their decision, if we don't get one today. Because twenty is the smallest we could go on this addition and they have no reason to deny it. We could start with the renovations and then, just have the construction crew start on the addition and the back patio-septic cover." He was pointing at different parts of the prints, and it sounded logical. If I couldn't get approved for the addition, I would see if I could get approved for something else. And I'd get a sleeper couch in the meantime. Or I'd turn the front porch into my bedroom. I'd figure it out.

I always did as the oldest.

As we're talking about the addition and what kind of tub I want for the kids and myself, I hear a car pull up. Dad is pointing out that I could have a bigger tub in both bathrooms or if I want to save space in my bathroom, we might be able to add a guest bathroom between the mudroom and my bathroom. That would be awesome because I don't want to have to share my bathroom with anyone else. Other than the kids. Obviously. Kind of. Not really. I want to keep my stuff all separate from theirs. Which, every mom knows is completely never, in a million years, ever going to happen. Kid stuff is everywhere.

But it's all temporary. Someday I'll want this back. Someday when they're grown up and in their own homes or away at college. I know this. I'm just having a moment. Blinking back the would have been tears, I refocused on what my dad was telling me. I was looking at maybe keeping my big tub and just having a bit smaller of a room to give a nice half bath with two doors, deep in thought when I heard my stepdad coming back, talking about introducing us to the contractor. I grab the pencil and move everything over just a bit to see what it would look like.