"Hello?" Pt. 2

July 12th 2016

"Can we compromise on one thing?"

"Hello, Daniel. I'm fine, thanks for asking. And how are you?"

"Hello, sarcastic Sophie. I'm also fine, thank you for asking. Now, about this compromise."

"What about it?"

"It's the kitchen."

"The kitchen?"

"At the new house."

"What about the kitchen at the new house?"

"You know how my style is supposedly ultra modern and yours is cosy? What about the kitchen? Will it be modern with all the mod-cons or will it be old fashioned and cosy?"

"Cosy. With all the mod-cons."

"But you're a great chef. Don't you want a professional looking kitchen?"

"I'm a great cook, not a chef. This will be our home, Daniel, where we raise our kids. I don't want them running around an industrial looking space. I want it to be a family home with a nice, warm, inviting kitchen."

"Want to hear what I think?"

"That depends on what you're thinking."

"Our London place is going to be our city base. But, you do realise that we'll have the estate in Aylesbury, too. That'll be our weekend place where our kids can run around, learn to ride a bike, learn to fish... whatever. So, I'm thinking that we have a modern kitchen in London and then re-do the one in the country so that it's cosy."

"Your grandmother will have a fit if we rip out her kitchen."

"She's hardly ever in there. Plus, she'll be dead soon."

"What the fuck would possess you to say such a thing?! Take it back!"

"She's ancient."

"Daniel, take it back!"

"Fine. I take it back."

"Good. Jesus, that was a terrible thing to say."

"It is my house now, you know. Even if Connie did disagree with our plans to rip out the kitchen, she won't have much of a say."

"Daniel, look... I'm trying to keep calm but it's proving to be harder than it seems. Just because the house is technically yours, it doesn't mean you can go in and assert your authority. Connie won't let you win that easily, you know, and you're completely bonkers to think that she will."

"In that case, we'll move into one of the other houses on the estate. There's a really nice place just down the lane that's in dire need of a facelift."

"Ok, bucko, hold up just a moment."

"Why?"

"Why a sudden interest in houses?"

"Because we're planning the rest of our lives. I have to take an interest."

"In that case, go on Pinterest and pin some ideas onto a board."

"What?"

"You can't go making solid plans until I'm back, so just come up with ideas until then."

"..."

"Daniel? What aren't you telling me?"

"Hm?"

"You're keeping something from me."

"Am I?"

"Oh, you most definitely are."