Home H.S

Chapter 44: The Story of Us

We got everything we need right here
And everything we need is enough
Just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms
Do we really need to pay attention to the alarm

Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

Two years later 

"WELL, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY how we met and started our relationship," I say looking at Harry for reassurance while he nods with a subtle smile on his lips.

My eyes move down and focus on the watch on my wrist only to realize I have been speaking for over three hours and poor Harry could only just add a few comments. Our anniversary is tomorrow and we'll celebrate three years together, so I guess by now he is used to me doing all the talking.

Today is my 33rd birthday and, in an unusual way of celebrating it, instead of a cake, I see a recording device placed in front of me on the kitchen table of the house I now call home.

It's interesting how subjective the concept of home can be. Over my 33 years in this world, I've called at least four different places home. The first years of my life it was my mom's house in Uruguay, years later it was the house I bought with Matt in Brooklyn, for a brief period of time Harry's house in L.A was my place in the world and now my home is this country house in Cheshire. Who could have guessed I would call a place across the Atlantic home? I was even scared of leaving my front yard whenever my mom asked me to go to the grocery store down the street. Guess things change when home is a person and not a place.

I fell in love with Cheshire's lush surroundings and historical atmosphere the first time Harry brought me here to meet his parents. The quiet nature of the village and the kindness of its residents were the key factors that finally convinced me that this was a safe haven. But it wasn't until the car accident that I finally decided this was the place where I wanted to live. During those months everything seemed uncertain and strange, I couldn't find peace anywhere.

One day, after fully recovering from my wrist injury, Harry suggested that we traveled to England. Probably in hopes that spending some time with Amy and J would cheer me up; but it was a weekend while visiting his family that gave me the quietness I was so desperately struggling to achieve.

Convincing Harry to move back to his hometown wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, what turned out to be the biggest problem was finding a house we wanted to live in.

Two months of visiting countless properties made us feel like we were trying to find a needle in a haystack; until our realtor mentioned an 18th-century country house that had went on the market that same week. He had his reservations when we insisted on seeing it, mainly because he wasn't sure of the actual status of the house, but we finally booked a visit.

We approached the house through a long tree-lined drive, and I was instantly hitched. Surrounded by 5 acres of extensive lawns, the tallest trees I had seen in a garden before, and an overall feeling of peace and tranquility. The property was spectacular and, as we made our way inside the house through a graveled walkway, we both knew that it was our home.

The picturesque brick and flint house with exterior walls half covered by the greenest ivy, seemed like taken straight out of a Jane Austen book in all its Victorian character. Seven bedrooms, a guest house, a greenhouse, a stable, a large heated swimming pool, an office suite that Harry immediately claimed as his new studio, and a stunning view of the property from the master suite are just a couple of the aspects that make this house breathtaking. It was considerably bigger than what we had originally looked for and it definitely needed some plumbing, painting, and electricity maintenance; but, in all, it was perfect.