I get back in the car with Sophia and drive away, never stopping to view the house. “Sorry, Dove. I don’t want to live in a neighborhood that has the possibility of making my mother uneasy.”

“Say no more,” she says, putting in the next address.

“That was bad timing, or good timing, or something.”

“It was uncomfortable is what it was.”

“Yeah. All I could do was try to make her feel better. It’s weird having a sister.”

“Do you feel a connection to her?”

I sigh and shake my head. “As a family member, no. Not yet, but maybe over time. Although, I think both of us going through a similar collapse last night could be something we have in common. I understand how she feels.”

“You’re a good person, Cove,” she takes my hand gives it a soft kiss.

“Isn’t it nice being all sappy and shit?”

“Well fuck, Babe, should we act fucking vulgar again?”

“Fuck yeah,” I laugh and squeeze her thigh. “So how much further to the next house?”

“It’s on the opposite side of Lafayette Park. Is that far enough away from Kaitlyn’s house?”

“As long as I can’t see her home from the one we buy, yes, it’s a good distance. This is such as kick ass area, you know? I’d love to play fetch with our kid in the park.”

“Fetch? You mean, catch? What’s wrong with you? Don’t you know anything about children?”

“Yeah, you throw them a ball and they fetch it and bring it back.”

“You moron. That’s what you do with a dog,” she laughs as she finally realizes I’m joking. “Oh, ha-ha. Very funny. You had me going for a second. Look! It’s so pretty!” she says as she blocks my vision with an aimed finger in the direction of the home.

“Whoa. That’s incredible. It looks like a reno.”

“Yep, the website says it’s been gutted and everything’s brand spankin’ new. Ooh! I love it!”

“We haven’t even been inside, Soph. Today we’re getting an idea of the market, but we’re not buying anything yet.”

“I’m just having some fun, dodo. Can we look in the windows at least? It’s unoccupied.”

“I don’t see why not,” I say, searching for a place to park.

“Hey, the house next to it is for sale too.”

“That one’s definitely out of our price range. Oh, nice, there’s a back alley behind the house. Hell, look at the garage, I bet there’s an apartment above it.”

“A space to hide-out when we’re arguing.”

“No, an in-law suite,” I tease.

“That’s not funny.” She steps out of the car and through a back gate, into the fenced yard. I lock the car and follow close behind, noticing the excited bounce in her step. Now that’s cute. If this is the one she decides she likes, I’ll do everything in my power to acquire it for us.

The animated noises she makes as she peers into the ground floor windows makes me grin. Lots of oohh’s and aahh’s and with good reason. The home has gleaming hardwood floors, a fireplace, and glass countertops in the kitchen... now there’s something you don’t see every day, or ever. I love a home that has a touch of originality. Green glass countertops; cool. It’s a nice house that could turn into a remarkable home with my mother’s touch. A few painted walls to liven up the place and we’d be good to go. I’m not interested in a fixer-upper, and this one should be starred and kept on a short list of possibilities.

We walk up to a second floor deck but the windows are covered with blinds, obscuring our view of what’s most likely a master suite.

“Wow, Cove. Look at the back yard of the house next door. That’s a beaut.”

“No shit,” the words whistle through my teeth. “It’s twice the size and has an in-ground pool with a waterfall, towering pines, and not only an apartment above the garage, but a pool house as well. Damn, those people have a shitload of money. I think we’d be jealous whenever we sat out here and saw our barren yard next to their fortress. They invested a good fifty grand in landscaping. Maybe more. I wonder what they’re asking for that one. Probably double the amount of this property.”

“The haves and the have-nots.”

“The have’s and the have mores,” I correct her. “Come on, let’s keep exploring. Anymore around here?”

“We have one more stop for the day, closer to the Scarlett, but in an average school district.”

“Well then, after you, my lovely wife.” I let her lead as we walk hand in hand back to the car. She comments that I’m simply being nice, letting her step slightly ahead so I can gawk at her ass. I laugh knowing that subconsciously she’s right on.

It’s one of those amazing days where the sun makes one feel optimistic, the air is fresh, and Sophia’s exuberance alleviates all uncertainties and the questions I have about life. I’m starting to get a twinge in my dick thinking about the two of us making love tonight, no, not love, I’m gonna fuck her until she cries out my name in a state of passion for my dick... or Adam Levine’s name, whoever she decides to fantasize about is fine. If I can feel her quiver in my arms at some point I don’t really care who it is.

“Cove, are you listening?”

“Huh?”

“What or who are you thinking about?”

“Adam Levine.”

“Oh yeah?” she smiles. “Is your dick hard?”

“No, but it will be if I don’t get him out of my head,” I joke.

“Try and focus on the road and not your ‘go-to-guy.’ Anyway, I asked if you wanted to invite Haverty and Alyssa out to dinner tonight. He’s worried about you, and we’ve only met her a handful of times. It might be nice, plus, I think we owe him a nice dinner considering everything’s he’s done for us lately. Don’t you?”

I tap the button on my steering wheel and my phone connects to the car’s Bluetooth. There’s a reason why we don’t go out with them very often, they can be embarrassing for one, and they’ve shown-up to five-star restaurants wearing shorts. But, I agree, it might be nice.

“Call Haverty,” I say to the system as Sophia claps her hands in excitement.

Calling, Ha-ver-ty, the computer responds.

“You okay, buddy?” he answers in a split-second, out of breath, with the dogs barking in the background.

“Great. We wanted to know if you and Alyssa can meet us for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, I want to go, but I have to ask my woman, if I can find her.” He tells the dogs to quit yapping and then calls out to Alyssa. There’s silence, as he walks through their place calling her name. “She’s in the shower, hold on.”

“No, Hav. You can call us back and let us know.”

We hear the water running, the curtain open, and a blood-curdling scream as he scares the shit out of her.

“Yeah, she’ll go,” he says with a manly chuckle. “Thanks for giving me a reason to practice my Psycho impersonation.”

“Like you need a reason.”

“True. Where and when should we meet you?”

“The Madison Street Cafe at five.”

“Christ, I can’t afford...”

“It’s on us. Five o’clock.” I hang up before there’s a debate then call and make a reservation for the four of us. Done.

“Yay!” Sophia squeals. “I’m so excited to be around a woman my age. I can’t wait to tell her I’m pregnant!”

I make a mental note to text Haverty so he and Alyssa know to sound surprised when Sophia tells them she’s pregnant. I should’ve asked her if I could reveal her secret, or if it was even a secret. I’ll let her have the joy of spreading the news from here on out.

As we pass the Scarlett and make our way toward another house, I can’t help but notice a car’s been behind us since we left the Lafayette Park area. The front grill screams Chrysler 300. Black, with tinted windows. I’ll be damned if that’s not Marcus, following us around, trying to get a rise out of me. What an ass.

“How much farther?” I ask.

“About five blocks South.”

I take a sharp right and she grips the dash, uttering a string of non-swear words, like the kid from, A Christmas Story.

“Finger-popping-red-heck-toe-bash-son-of-a-peach-pie. What the heck? You trying to give me whiplash or make me puke my lunch?”