When Brooke Lynn was 10, her father moved them to New York for business. They bought a house. It was nice. But it was a house, and not a home. When Brooke Lynn was 15, her mother moved them back to Canada because she left her father. She was able to afford a small apartment, and Brooke had to share with her sister. It was nice, but it was an apartment, and not a home.
All Brooke wanted was a home, so when she was 33 years old, and she had finally been named one of the top lawyers at her firm, she bought a house. She made it a home.
//
Vanessa lived in the same house from the time she was five until the time she left for college. It was a cute little house, three bedrooms, enough for Vanessa, her parents, and brother. Her father spent most of her early years making the house perfect for his wife. It was their dream home after all. Her mom would see something perfect in a magazine and he would do his best to make it happen for her, basking in the smiles and praises of love and admiration she threw his way.
Vanessa's dad died when she was a freshman in college. It ripped her heart in two. It broke her even more when she saw what losing the love of her life did to her mother. Her mother made her promise to stay in school and finish her degree though.
Halfway through Vanessa's sophomore year of college, her mother was having a hard time with the house and made the decision to sell it. Vanessa was devastated. Her childhood home, the house where all her memories were made, it was all gone.
"Momma, I'll move in with you, I'll get a job, I'll help!"
"Mija, no, you have to finish college. It'll be okay. I'll be okay."
Her mother couldn't even find an affordable place in the same town so she had to move a few towns over. Vanessa never even got to say goodbye, and she felt silly because it was just a house.
//
The day Brooke's house was officially hers was the happiest day of her life. She couldn’t wait to decorate. Images of white curtains and throw pillows filled her dreams. The house was perfect. It was three bedrooms, and Brooke could just tell it used to be a family home. There were tiny handprints in the cement steps leading up to the front porch with a small 1996 carved below them. Brooke smiles at the thought of getting to add to it with maybe little handprints from her own little ones someday. There are big shade trees in the backyard that Brooke knows will be perfect for sitting under on cool summer nights. The kitchen is open and airy, and she can’t wait to fill it with the smells of baking cookies and cakes. The first thing Brooke did was get a cat. Well, two cats actually. Henry and Apollo. The shelter said they were brothers and she couldn’t take one without the other! So she got them both, and her house was starting to feel like a home.
//
Vanessa was 28 when her mom passed away. She was sick, and she was ready to be with Vanessa's dad. It was time, so Vanessa held her hand, and her brother helped her other hand, and they surrounded her with love as she left them. It broke their hearts but they vowed they'd get each other through it. Vanessa thought back to the perfect little house where she spent most of her life.
The day of the funeral came and Vanessa dressed in one of her favorite dresses, which happened to be her mother's favorite as well. Vanessa and her brother stood tall through hugs and tears and the comforting words of loved ones.
The funeral was a blur for Vanessa. It was words and tears. Afterwards, they sat at the church, it was in their old neighborhood, and the memories came flooding back. Vanessa needed to clear her head.
"I'm going to go for a walk." She said to her brother.
He nodded and squeezed her shoulder.
Her walk ended up being longer than intended. She walked to her childhood home.
//
Brooke had owned her home for six months when, one Saturday afternoon, she sat in her living room reading a book. It had been a mostly quiet day until something caught her eye. A pretty tan girl pacing up and down the sidewalk in front of her house, pausing a few seconds to look at the house, but then continuing to pace. Brooke got up from her couch and went to the window to get a better look. The girl looked distraught. She was very pretty. She had long dark curly hair, and she was wearing a knee length black wrap dress. As she paced, she was clearly talking to herself. Brooke considered if she should ask the girl if she needed help. Maybe she’s lost? Brooke bit the inside of her lip. Was she concerned because the girl was pretty or was she concerned because she was genuinely concerned? Brooke decided it didn’t matter, she’s going to help the girl. She opened the door and stepped out onto the front porch. The girl looked up at the porch, startled, her wide doe eyes shocked.
“Do you need help?” Brooke called, “are you ok?”
The brunette shook her head and started to walk away, she was clearly upset. Brooke thought she saw her wipe tears away.
“Don’t go, are you ok? Do you need something?”
The brunette stopped and turned.
“No, it’s okay. Really.”
“Are you sure?” Brooke pressed.
The brunette hesitated, she looked at her feet, and brought her hand to her face to wipe more tears away, “I grew up here.” she says.
There was a pain in her voice that Brooke couldn’t quite decipher, but it broke her heart.
“Did you?” Brooke says softly, “it’s a beautiful house, I’ve only lived here a few months. I like it a lot though.”
Brooke took slow, careful steps toward the other girl, like she was going to scare her off at any moment. The brunette just nodded.
“My name is Brooke Lynn, but you can call me Brooke.”
“Vanessa, I’m Vanessa.” the smaller girl says quietly after a few moments.
Brooke gave Vanessa a soft smile, “would you like to come inside?”
Vanessa hesitated for a second but nodded, and followed Brooke up the walkway. They got to the steps and Vanessa looked down. The handprints in the cement from the summer after they moved in. She knelt down and placed her hand next to hers.
“So tiny,” she said, under her breath, “I was five, my brother was seven. We had just moved in here and my dad built this porch.”
A few more tears fell as Vanessa spoke, but she quickly brushed them away. She stood up and continued inside with Brooke. The house looked the same yet different. Brooke hadn’t changed much, the rooms were set up differently but the walls and floors were the same for now. It was comforting to Vanessa. The minor wear and tear on the house though, that was gone. The paint looked touch up, scuff marks were gone.
Vanessa walked around the foyer, Brooke watched her curiously. They painted over the height marks in the archway to the dining room. The hole in the wall where the lamp pole went through it had been patched, but Vanessa could still see the spot. Vanessa giggled at the memory and Brooke looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“One time, when I was 15, my parents went out of town for a trip and left my brother and I home alone. His stupid ass thought it was a good idea to throw a party, el gran muñeco, and a floor lamp got knocked over into the wall. I said we gonna get in trouble and he said no we ain’t, we’ll cover it up, but guess what? It didn’t work and we got in trouble.” Vanessa laughed and Brooke was mesmerized.
Vanessa had a dazzling smile and a charming way with words.
"What happened when you got caught?" Brooke giggled.
"We both got grounded for two months."
Vanessa laughed and it was so contagious that Brooke laughed with her. Vanessa sighs and continues to look around. The dining room looks the same, as does the kitchen. She looks out the windows in the kitchen over the back yard.
"Those trees...we had swings on them. I fell off one when I was 10. Broke my arm."
"I've never broken a bone." Brooke thought out loud.
"Lucky. It hurt like a bitch."
Vanessa wandered back to the living room, "you have a real eye for decoration."
"Thank you, I've always dreamt about what I'd want my house to look like. I never had a place that felt like home," Vanessa detected sadness in Brooke's voice, "you wanna sit?" Brooke gestured to the couch.
Vanessa nodded and the two girls sit across from each other on the couch.
"So what brought you here, Vanessa?"
Vanessa hesitates, sadness fills her eyes, "My mom died. She sold this house after my dad died and I never got to make peace with it. I needed to take a walk today after the funeral and here I am."
"I'm so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you." Vanessa gave a kind smile, "I just needed to see it I think. I thought the memories would help."
"Did they?"
Vanessa thinks for a minute. Is it the memories or is it the weirdly calming presence of the pretty blonde sitting across from her? Her cheeks turn a little red.
"I think so."
Brooke smiles and so does Vanessa.
Vanessa stays for an hour longer. She tells Brooke story after story. They laugh, they cry, and at the end of the chat, they exchange numbers when Vanessa leaves. Vanessa leaves with a new friend in her life and a hope, even just a small one, of something more.
