The week after Baxter's confrontation Faith often found herself reconsidering her decision to stay in Somewhere, but every time she thought about leaving, it made her heart ache. So, after ten days, she did something crazy; she pulled out the business card Sandy had given her for real estate agents Doris and Dave McGovern and made an appointment.
On a cloudless Tuesday she drove to their office that was two streets off Main, and tried to appear businesslike, even though stepping out of her comfort zone had her heart thumping. She entered their office and a receptionist greeted her warmly, "Hello. Can I help you?"
"Yes. I have an appointment with Mr. and Mrs. McGovern. My name is Faith Bennison."
The young woman with wavy, shoulder-length hair that matched her flawless black complexion, smiled warmly. She was as beautiful as any contestant in a beauty pageant.
The receptionist said, "Welcome Faith. My name is Malana. I'll let the McGoverns know you're here. Can I get you some coffee, orange juice, soda, water?"
"Nothing, but thank you." Faith sat on the sofa across from the reception counter while Malana picked up the phone to announce her arrival. Glancing at the coffee table, she was pleasantly surprised to see the same tabletop picture book that had brought her to Somewhere. She smiled, picked it up, and turned to page ninety-two. Is this a sign that I should move here permanently? She heard a door open and footsteps in the hallway. Malana glanced up, smiled at her, and went back to typing. A moment later a large-boned black woman entered the waiting room with her hand extended. "Hello Ms. Bennison, or is it Mrs.?
Faith shook the woman's hand and replied, "It's Mrs., although I'm a widow. Please call me Faith."
The woman gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm Doris McGovern, but call me Doris. My husband, Dave, got called out on an emergency and he'll meet up with us later. Come on back to my office so we can get acquainted."
Faith immediately liked Doris. She was just as friendly as Sandy had claimed. She followed the real estate agent down the hallway past four closed doors, two on each side, to a door at the end facing the hallway. Upon entering Doris' office, Faith was again impressed. It was light and airy, with pale yellow walls, aqua chairs, and several paintings reflecting the beauty of Somewhere. A long table behind the desk was placed under the only window in the room and held several framed photographs. Beyond the window an enclosed patio of profusely flowering hanging plants added charm and color to the setting.
Doris reached for a photograph. "This is me and my husband on our thirty-eighth wedding anniversary, which was two years ago." She handed it to Faith.
In the picture Doris and a shorter man with fair skin and red hair, stood with their arms around each others' waists. Faith said, "It's a wonderful photo," and added uncharacteristically, "My husband and I would have been married eleven years in March." She noted sympathy in the other woman's eyes and said hastily, "The reason I'm here is because Sandy Gutierrez referred you, and I'm considering a permanent move to Somewhere."
Doris replaced the picture, motioned for Faith to sit, and then sat behind her desk. "I've lived in Somewhere since my marriage to Dave, who was born here." She smiled. "We met at a protest march in D.C. and it was love at first sight. My first day in Somewhere, I also fell in love with the town, and neither of us would leave for all the money in the world. So I can understand your desire to possibly relocate." She typed into her laptop. "I'll pull up all the listings in Somewhere. If you see anything of interest, I'd be happy to take you there. As a matter of fact, I'm yours for the day and lunch is on me." She pointed to a flat screen on her wall. "We just installed this monitor six months ago and it's great for showcasing properties." She then asked Faith about her preferred areas and preferences in a home.
Almost an hour later the women were saying goodbye to Malana and headed out the door. After they entered a Cadillac Escalade in the front parking lot, Doris said, "Malana is my granddaughter and she always spends summers with us. She lives in Denver and she'll be a senior this fall at the University of Colorado. Since childhood she's said, "Nana, I want to be just like you and Papa. I want to sell houses and live in Somewhere. Of course, we thought she would grow out of it, but she never has. Her mother and father insisted she attend the university, so she reached a compromise with them. She agreed to get a degree in business administration and then explore the job market, but if she still wanted to become a real estate broker after three years they would have to abide by her decision. And we said that if she chose that route, we'd teach her everything we know. So, I guess in four years we'll know her verdict."
Doris had talked nonstop and now she put the car in gear and drove out of the parking lot to enter street traffic. Since Faith had requested viewing houses on Hope Hill, she drove to a cross street and turned right, heading uphill. Their first stop was on Haven Drive, two-thirds of the way to the top. The home was a lovely two bedroom yellow cottage with white shutters and trim. The front of the house faced away from the ocean, but Doris said the view from the backyard was stunning. After walking through the twelve hundred square foot home that had been repainted inside and out and refurbished with maple cabinets and butcher block countertops, they stepped outside through the living room slider and onto the back terrace. The view was indeed stunning and similar to the one at Sandy's house. Faith walked across the yard to the fence that separated it from a home at a lower elevation.
Doris joined her and explained, "Since the homes are built on a hill, many of them are not as private as some people like. They were built back in the 1950s when city planning was more lax, and that's why your back yard abuts the one behind it."
Faith looked at the backyard of the other house that was strewn with children's toys and watched two boys playing in the dirt. Her heart wrenched and she blinked back tears. Her boy had loved playing in the dirt with his trucks. A large mixed breed dog happily circled and barked at the children. The dog saw her and ran to the fence, jumping against it. The boys turned and also ran to the fence. The younger one said, "Are you gonna be our neighbor?"
Faith swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm not sure. I'm looking at several houses today."
Doris said, "Hello, Darren and Dirk."
The older boy said, "Hi, Mrs. McGovern."
The younger one asked, "Is Mr. McGovern with you?"
"No. He had business to take care of." She indicated Faith with a wave. "This is Mrs. Bennison."
The first boy said, "I'm Darren," pointed to the other child, "and he's my little brother Dirk." The dog barked. "And that's Dog."
Faith smiled. "His name is Dog?"
"Yep," Dirk said. "It's kinda a joke 'cause Dog is a dog."
Faith's smile widened. "I think it's a great joke."
Both boys grinned.
Doris asked, "Is your mother home?"
"No. We got a sitter. Mom got called to work early."
Doris chatted with the children for a minute longer and then said, "We better be on our way. I have more houses to show Mrs. Bennison."
"Okay, but I hope you buy this one," said Darren and ran back to the dirt pile with Dirk. Dog jumped against the fence, barked, and then joined them.
While Doris was locking up the house, she said, "The boys' mother is a waitress at Mama Pink's Diner."
"Really? Maybe I've met her. What's her name?"
"Taylor Jones. She usually works the dinner shift so she can be home with her boys most of the day."
"I don't think I've met her."
"Then let's have lunch there and I'll introduce you."