The Guardian

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"I have some more information regarding resumés and cover letters", said Allyson as Julianna, Aggie and Josie walked into the house. "I searched online today for info to help you."

"That's great", said Julianna. She smiled at her as she took the papers from Allyson's hand. "I started working on it during French. I'll work on it more tonight", she said, "but Seth is picking me up in twenty minutes to go to the paint store, and to show me the room that I'll be staying in when I live in his house."

"He's painting your bedroom for you?" said Josie wistfully.

"Yes, he is", said Julianna. She could hardly keep the grin off her face. "He said that he would paint it whatever colour I wanted."

"Are you ever lucky", said Aggie longingly. "I've never had a bedroom painted whatever colour I wanted. I'm so sick of the colour green."

"I know." Julianna shuddered, and Aggie laughed in solidarity. "I was thinking of a pink bedroom, but I've been reconsidering today. I was instead thinking of a cream bedroom with blue and purple accents."

"That sounds lovely", said Allyson. "Feel free to invite Seth for dinner tonight again. I'd like to get to know him better."

Julianna looked concerned, worried that Allyson was going to retract her approval. "Michael's endorsement wasn't enough for you?"

"Excuse me if I care", said Allyson with a smile to soften her blow.

Julianna was somewhat mollified. "I think he's trying hard to do whatever makes me happy."

"I can see that. I'm just concerned", said Allyson as she frowned.

"I know", said Julianna comfortingly. She understood that good things usually didn't happen for people like her. She could barely trust her good fortune herself. "And I love you for it."

Seth took Julianna to the house first, and showed her the room that she would be staying in. It was larger than any room she had been in before, including rooms that she had shared with other people. She looked around her in amazement. "This is all for me?" she asked.

"Yes. Is there a problem with the room?" asked Seth. He worried that she wouldn't like the house. He had bought the place partly because it was so close to the home that she was living in and partly because he thought she might like it. Now he worried that she didn't, and although he was prepared to move if she would prefer a different house, he had gotten attached to that one.

Julianna looked around her again, astounded at the space, overwhelmed at her good fortune. "No, it's just that there is so much space. I never imagined that I would ever have a room this big before. Are you sure I won't have to share it?"

Seth smiled in relief. "No, you don't have to share it. And this is your bathroom", he said as he led her down the hall. "Before you ask, you won't have to share your bathroom either. I have my own bathroom attached to my bedroom. This is the bathroom for your bedroom as well as the two guest bedrooms."

"How do you afford all this?" said Julianna in amazement as she looked around the house. "I'm sorry. That was a rude question to ask."

"Not at all. The hospital pays well, and I've been a doctor for a couple of years. I also was given some money when my grandfather died, and I saved it, invested it, and put it towards the down payment on this house. I only bought the house a year ago." He had bought the house so that he would be located close to Julianna. Before, he was living with his parents and travelling to and from the area to check on Julianna. It grew inconvenient. He was so much more comfortable living in his own place, monitoring how she was doing from a closer location. He worried less about getting to her in time if she needed help. "I thought I'd like to live on my own, but I find it lonely. I spend as much time at my own house as I do at my parents'. That's why I'm so interested in getting a roommate. My parents are getting tired of me always going home."