Poem: "A Place That Makes You Happy"
Nov. 24th, 2021 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the December 1, 2020 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from jake67jake., bairnsidhe, and ng_moonmoth. It also fills the "Yule" square in my 12-1-20 card for the Winter Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "A Celebration and a Consolation," so read that first or this won't make much sense.
"A Place That Makes You Happy"
[Monday, January 11, 2016]
Keira's dad had continued
to act like That Guy, until
everyone wished they could
afford a teleporter to dump him
at one of those counseling offices.
On the bright side, her mom had
found a decent place on the cheap,
since landlords were happy to rent
anything they could in the off-season.
Further conversations had settled that
they'd be pooling four adult incomes
to place a bid when they found a house.
"It's only Social Security, but you're
welcome to what I have, dears,"
said Bernice. "Portside cost
a mint, and I never liked it there.
Besides, what else do I need?
Let me spend it on my babies."
"Not a baby, Mama," Donne said,
but Bernice clearly disagreed.
"With a little luck, my lawyer
will manage to soak Curt for
a good chunk of alimony,"
Keira's mom added. "I can
chip in from my paycheck for
monthly payments, but I'd like
to put my house equity into
cutting down the mortgage."
"That would help immensely,"
Keira said. "Thanks, Mom."
House-hunting turned out
considerably harder than
they had expected, though.
There weren't a lot of
really big houses in
the area to begin with,
and almost nothing over
four bedrooms except
for vacation rentals.
"I guess we could look
at former guest houses,"
Keira said, unenthused.
"No," Donne said. "I don't
want to wind up buying
someone else's problems.
You know how tourists
treat those places."
"Yeah," Keira said. "I
just don't know what else
to do. We've gone from
a household of eight
to ten people, Donne."
"It will all work out in the end,"
Brandon assured them. "Looking
for a new home is a lot of work,
but it’s important to remember
that, ultimately, this needs to be
a place that makes you happy."
"Well said, thank you," Keira agreed.
"Do you have any suggestions?"
"If you're not too attached to
your current neighborhood,
try widening the search more,"
said Brandon. "It's a thought."
"We're not attached," Keira said.
"Our families are spread out
all over the whole area."
"Then check out some of
the neighborhoods in my part
of town," said Brandon. "I know
some properties opened recently."
"Sure, why not," said Keira.
"At least we can see new streets."
"Brandon, don't you live somewhere
out near Arcadian Shores?" Dorcas said.
"Yeah, I do," said Brandon. "I rent
a garage apartment from an old lady
who doesn't drive anymore. So I drive
her around whenever she needs it, and
that's my rent on the bottom floor."
"Kate lives in Arcadian Shores,"
said Dorcas. "Let's take a look."
Sadly, they found nothing in
that neighborhood, but they
refused to give up hope.
[Tuesday, February 16, 2016]
Brandon bounded into the house.
"You'll never guess what I found,"
he caroled, waving a newspaper.
"Okay, I'll bite," said Donne.
"What did you find, Brandon?"
"A house with four bedrooms in
the main part, one in the basement,
as well as a two-bedroom in-laws wing,"
Brandon said, snapping the paper open.
"Wow, that looks amazing," Keira said.
Donne took one look and said, "I'll go
start getting everyone ready for a drive."
She headed off in pursuit of the kids.
"How on Earth did something that big
hit the market in Iris Hills?" Keira said.
"Most of the homes around Chapin Pond
are a lot smaller than that behemoth."
"Believe it or not, Clan Aspen just
outgrew the place," Brandon said.
"They married with the Pans."
"Oh. My gods. That is like
three dozen people!" Keira said.
"Closer to four dozen," said Brandon.
"Word is they've given up on finding
standard housing inside city limits.
They're looking for either a place
out in the country or something
like a former tourist lodge."
"I'm glad that I don't have
their house-hunting problems,"
Keira said. "Ours are bad enough."
"That's about what it would take
to house that many people,"
Donne said, shaking her head.
"I'm glad I don't do their laundry."
"They have a troop for that, if
I remember right, or at least
the Pans did," said Keira.
"They use dedicated teams
to handle household chores,
based on people's skills."
"They might as well call it
an intentional community,
because that's what they're
going to need to house everyone,"
Donne said, returning with a girl
on each hip. "The mind boggles."
"Hey, whatever makes them happy,"
Brandon said. "Aster has been with them
for decades, and how many nonbinaries
find a permanent family like that?
Let alone aromantic asexual ones."
"Good point," Keira said, then
snagged the boys as they ran by.
"Okay, everyone get ready to go."
They piled out of the van into
a corner lot that held a huge house
shaped sort of like an L. Part of it
was up a shallow slope, but the rest
had a higher foundation to keep it all
level without needing interior steps.
It was pale gray with a darker roof,
and the double-sized lawn was edged
in tall trees whose bare branches
held a promise of spring green.
The children ran squealing in circles.
"Oh, my goodness," Dorcas said.
"Look at all those porches!"
"The side unit has a screened porch
in front and a covered porch in back,"
said Brandon. "The main unit has
a wraparound covered porch. They're
connected by another screened porch."
"No lanai? No outdoor kitchen,
either?" Dorcas said mournfully.
"No, but the porches cover
half again as much floorspace
as your old place. I measured,"
Brandon said. "It's a gain."
"Besides, the lanai isn't
screened," Keira pointed out.
"Here you won't get eaten alive
while trying to water your plants."
Dorcas raised and sold herbs and
houseplants as a side business,
which she planned to expand after
she retired from pastoral counseling.
"I wouldn't be able to keep as many
of them, though," said Dorcas.
"Mom, don't be silly," Keira said.
"You can have both screened porches,
and we don't mind if you want to hang
plants all over the wraparound porch."
"Not the whole porch," Donne said.
"I'm not giving up my barbecue."
"See, there's the outdoor kitchen,"
Keira said brightly. "I'm sure that
the two of you can figure out how
you would like to arrange that."
"That's negotiable," Dorcas agreed.
"Shall we take a look inside now?"
They chivvied the children toward
the front door, and then Brandon
unlocked it with the house key that
he had gotten from Pan Aspen.
Inside, the great room was huge,
and through the arch at its far end,
Keira could see the dining room and
a glimpse of the breakfast nook.
"Stairs up and stairs down?"
Donne said, frowning. "That's
a lot of space Mama can't go."
"I suppose we could put in
chair lifts ..." Keira said as she
peeled the boys off the stairs.
"Those aren't cheap, though,
and neither is this house,"
Donne said. "That might
not be a feasible purchase."
Bernice made a scolding noise
like a squirrel. "I do not need
to visit every room of your house!
I'd have my own perfectly good wing,
not to mention the whole main floor."
"Hey, nothing says that a house
has to be all done when you turn
the key," Brandon said, waving
his hands. "You could just plan
to make upgrades later on."
"See now, that's a lovely plan,"
Bernice said. "Let's do that."
As they walked toward
the side wing, everyone
oohed and aahed over
the big kitchen island and
laundry room with a mud sink.
Amazingly, the great room in
the in-laws suite was even bigger
than the one in the main part, and
the kitchen was almost as big.
"That is a lot of cabinets,"
Dorcas said in a covetous tone.
"The counters are all high, though,"
Bernice said. "That ad mentioned
a low counter, but I don't see it."
"I found it," Donne said. She grabbed
a handle to pull out a wooden board.
"Oh, that's not much of a workspace,"
Bernice fretted, measuring it by hand.
"No shit," Donne said. "That's pathetic.
Okay, if we buy this place, I'm getting
you an accessible kitchen island."
"The design may not have expected
enthusiastic cooks to live here,"
Keira pointed out. "Sometimes
retired people are tired of cooking,
and new adults don't always know
how to manage a whole kitchen yet."
"Screw that," Donne said. "I'm not
putting my mama in a crappy kitchen."
"This is a great kitchen and I love it,"
Dorcas said. "It's about the same size
as my old one, and I like this layout
better. It only needs one extra thing
to suit Bernice, so let's call it good."
"Agreed," Bernice said. "I like it,
as long as we get that island.
This one is much better than
the kitchenette in my cottage."
From there, they explored
the rest of the unit. The laundry
had front-opening machines,
and the common bath had a tub.
The second bedroom was pretty simple,
but the master had a boxed ceiling.
Its ensuite included a big roll-in shower.
"Eee-hee-hee," Bernice said, pointing.
"I could do a three-sixty in there!"
"Ride me, ride me!" chanted Agate.
"Please don't, Mama," said Donne.
"I'm sure it's not meant for that."
Bernice had been a wild thing in
her youth, and so had her husband.
It sure showed in the grandkids, too.
A smartphone rang, and Dorcas
answered it. Then she frowned.
"Screw you, Curt!" Dorcas snapped.
"We're not even supposed to talk
to each other until the hearing."
Then she hung up on him.
"What was that all about,
Mom?" Keira said, worried.
"You father wanted to rag on me
about living in sin," Dorcas said,
rolling her eyes. "For Pete's sake,
you two are married, and there
isn't even a man under the roof!"
Then she sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn't
have said that around the kids."
"Did you get the recording?"
Brandon asked quietly.
"Yes, yes I did," Dorcas said.
"I'm sure my lawyer will appreciate
that, even if I didn't. She says that
Curt's treatment of Keira's family
constitutes religious discrimination,
so we may have a case for abuse."
"Well, good," said Keira. "I don't
like the way he's been treating you
lately, either. If your lawyer can
wring him dry, so much the better."
"Come on, let's go see the rest
of this place," Dorcas said as she
headed back toward the main part.
Bernice wheeled ahead of them.
"Well, here's the kiddie wing. Who
wants to pick rooms?" she said brightly.
"Me, me!" shrieked the younger four,
swarming ahead. The older girls
tried and failed to look more dignified.
"Shall we check out our master suite?"
Donne asked Keira in a leading tone.
"Sure, I'm curious," said Keira.
The bedroom was large, and
they had a walk-through closet.
"This is just barely big enough
for a nursery, if we have more kids,"
Keira said, measuring it with her eyes.
"Are you kidding me?" Donne said.
"No, we still have embryos and
eggs on ice at the fertility clinic,"
Keira said. "It's a thought."
"You're nuts," Donne said,
but she made her own measure.
"Yeah, put a bunk crib in one half
and the baby furniture in the other."
She stepped through the door.
"This master bathroom is smaller,
and there's no tub," Keira said as
she followed her wife into the room.
Donne put her chin on Keira's shoulder.
"Yeah, but this shower is bigger
and it has a seat," she purred.
"I withdraw the objection,"
Keira said, knees wobbling.
Donne chuckled in her ear,
then pulled away. "Come on,
you, get your mind out of
the shower and let's go
rejoin the rest of the group."
When they did so, they learned
that Adam and Clayton wanted
the room across from the bathroom,
Rose and Violet would take the one
with the sliding doors to the porch,
leaving Ruby and Agate in the corner.
Keira looked at Donne, who nodded.
"That works for us," Keira told them,
and all of the kids cheered.
"Upstairs is just one big room,"
Donne said. "Shall we go down?"
She and Keira investigated
the basement, leaving the kids
to enthuse over "their" rooms.
It included a large rec room with
virtual windows and a wine cellar.
The home theater was huge and
even had its own kitchenette.
There was a full bathroom
tucked into an odd nook,
plus a spare bedroom.
"Oh, this would make
a great art studio,"
Keira said, twirling.
"Unless you want it?"
"Nah, the garage has
a big storage room on
one side. That and one of
the three car spaces will be
enough for my workshop,"
Donne assured her.
"That should work,"
Keira said. "A small car
and a putt-putt should
fit into one space, leaving
the last for the family van."
When they went back upstairs,
they discovered that everyone
except Brandon had gone out
to explore the yard further.
He ushered them outside too.
"I'll miss the sabal palmettos,"
Dorcas said as she looked around.
The trees all seemed deciduous.
"I'll buy you a membership to
the botanical garden," said Keira.
"It doesn't have a swimming pool,
either," Dorcas pointed out.
"Not in the back yard, but there's
a whole community center over
in the neighborhood park,"
Brandon said. "It's nice."
"You sure came prepared,"
Keira murmured to Brandon.
"I know your mom," he said.
"Besides, Kate's family lives in
Arcadian shores," Keira said.
"You could be a lot closer to
your other grandkids, Mom."
Keira had two younger brothers
and two sisters, but so far Kevin
and Christina hadn't married,
while Carlin and his family
lived over in Charleston.
That left Keira and Kate as
the only two with kids here in
Myrtle Beach, so having them
in the same area instead of
spread out would help a lot.
Plus of course, Donne had
three older brothers and
two sisters, all but one of
whom had children, and
the oldest had grandkids.
They were scattered around
too, but gathered often, and
it would be good to have
a house big enough to host.
"All right, this place does
have its charm," Dorcas said.
"I love it," said Bernice. "It's
beautiful, it's big enough, and
those trees will cast shade
in summer while giving us
some much-needed privacy."
"Mama, that was once,"
Donne wailed, "and
we were newlyweds."
Bernice had stumbled over
them necking in her yard,
and she never let them
hear the end of it, but it
was affectionate teasing.
"I agree that this place is
great, though," said Keira.
"We should totally buy it,"
Violet said. "All the others
we've looked at have sucked."
"Yeah, remember the one that
smelled like cat pee?" Adam said,
and Donne shushed him.
Brandon's phone chirped at him.
He checked his messages. "Oh hey,"
he said. "Pan Aspen found a place."
"No way," Keira said. "Where?"
"Lakewood Campground Resort
got sued for repeated discrimination
against QUILTBAG folks, remember?
Seems it went bankrupt," Brandon said.
"Pan Aspen plans to buy it, living in part
while renting others as resort property
for new QUILTBAG customers."
Keira cracked up laughing.
"Sweet, sweet revenge,"
she said. "We should
spread the word for them."
"We should vacation there,"
Rose said, bouncing on her toes.
"I know it's right here in town, but
the resort has all kinds of great stuff."
"Well, Pan Aspen didn't buy everything,"
Brandon said. "They focused on housing
and some smaller amenities. Myrtle Beach
bought the golf course, amphitheater, and
some other parts that used to be Lakewood."
"Also, we need to concentrate on buying
our new house," Donne said. "We may not
be able to afford family vacations for a while."
"So, are we decided?" Keira said. "This
is our new home? All in favor, raise a hand."
Arms went up, waving like the trees that
went most of the way around the yard.
"Home it is," Keira said happily.
"Home is the nicest word there is,"
Donne said, and kissed her.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character (Clan Aspen, the Pans), setting (new Kallistos home, new Pan Aspen Camp), and content notes will appear separately.
jake67jake., bairnsidhe, and ng_moonmoth. It also fills the "Yule" square in my 12-1-20 card for the Winter Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series. It follows "A Celebration and a Consolation," so read that first or this won't make much sense."A Place That Makes You Happy"
[Monday, January 11, 2016]
Keira's dad had continued
to act like That Guy, until
everyone wished they could
afford a teleporter to dump him
at one of those counseling offices.
On the bright side, her mom had
found a decent place on the cheap,
since landlords were happy to rent
anything they could in the off-season.
Further conversations had settled that
they'd be pooling four adult incomes
to place a bid when they found a house.
"It's only Social Security, but you're
welcome to what I have, dears,"
said Bernice. "Portside cost
a mint, and I never liked it there.
Besides, what else do I need?
Let me spend it on my babies."
"Not a baby, Mama," Donne said,
but Bernice clearly disagreed.
"With a little luck, my lawyer
will manage to soak Curt for
a good chunk of alimony,"
Keira's mom added. "I can
chip in from my paycheck for
monthly payments, but I'd like
to put my house equity into
cutting down the mortgage."
"That would help immensely,"
Keira said. "Thanks, Mom."
House-hunting turned out
considerably harder than
they had expected, though.
There weren't a lot of
really big houses in
the area to begin with,
and almost nothing over
four bedrooms except
for vacation rentals.
"I guess we could look
at former guest houses,"
Keira said, unenthused.
"No," Donne said. "I don't
want to wind up buying
someone else's problems.
You know how tourists
treat those places."
"Yeah," Keira said. "I
just don't know what else
to do. We've gone from
a household of eight
to ten people, Donne."
"It will all work out in the end,"
Brandon assured them. "Looking
for a new home is a lot of work,
but it’s important to remember
that, ultimately, this needs to be
a place that makes you happy."
"Well said, thank you," Keira agreed.
"Do you have any suggestions?"
"If you're not too attached to
your current neighborhood,
try widening the search more,"
said Brandon. "It's a thought."
"We're not attached," Keira said.
"Our families are spread out
all over the whole area."
"Then check out some of
the neighborhoods in my part
of town," said Brandon. "I know
some properties opened recently."
"Sure, why not," said Keira.
"At least we can see new streets."
"Brandon, don't you live somewhere
out near Arcadian Shores?" Dorcas said.
"Yeah, I do," said Brandon. "I rent
a garage apartment from an old lady
who doesn't drive anymore. So I drive
her around whenever she needs it, and
that's my rent on the bottom floor."
"Kate lives in Arcadian Shores,"
said Dorcas. "Let's take a look."
Sadly, they found nothing in
that neighborhood, but they
refused to give up hope.
[Tuesday, February 16, 2016]
Brandon bounded into the house.
"You'll never guess what I found,"
he caroled, waving a newspaper.
"Okay, I'll bite," said Donne.
"What did you find, Brandon?"
"A house with four bedrooms in
the main part, one in the basement,
as well as a two-bedroom in-laws wing,"
Brandon said, snapping the paper open.
"Wow, that looks amazing," Keira said.
Donne took one look and said, "I'll go
start getting everyone ready for a drive."
She headed off in pursuit of the kids.
"How on Earth did something that big
hit the market in Iris Hills?" Keira said.
"Most of the homes around Chapin Pond
are a lot smaller than that behemoth."
"Believe it or not, Clan Aspen just
outgrew the place," Brandon said.
"They married with the Pans."
"Oh. My gods. That is like
three dozen people!" Keira said.
"Closer to four dozen," said Brandon.
"Word is they've given up on finding
standard housing inside city limits.
They're looking for either a place
out in the country or something
like a former tourist lodge."
"I'm glad that I don't have
their house-hunting problems,"
Keira said. "Ours are bad enough."
"That's about what it would take
to house that many people,"
Donne said, shaking her head.
"I'm glad I don't do their laundry."
"They have a troop for that, if
I remember right, or at least
the Pans did," said Keira.
"They use dedicated teams
to handle household chores,
based on people's skills."
"They might as well call it
an intentional community,
because that's what they're
going to need to house everyone,"
Donne said, returning with a girl
on each hip. "The mind boggles."
"Hey, whatever makes them happy,"
Brandon said. "Aster has been with them
for decades, and how many nonbinaries
find a permanent family like that?
Let alone aromantic asexual ones."
"Good point," Keira said, then
snagged the boys as they ran by.
"Okay, everyone get ready to go."
They piled out of the van into
a corner lot that held a huge house
shaped sort of like an L. Part of it
was up a shallow slope, but the rest
had a higher foundation to keep it all
level without needing interior steps.
It was pale gray with a darker roof,
and the double-sized lawn was edged
in tall trees whose bare branches
held a promise of spring green.
The children ran squealing in circles.
"Oh, my goodness," Dorcas said.
"Look at all those porches!"
"The side unit has a screened porch
in front and a covered porch in back,"
said Brandon. "The main unit has
a wraparound covered porch. They're
connected by another screened porch."
"No lanai? No outdoor kitchen,
either?" Dorcas said mournfully.
"No, but the porches cover
half again as much floorspace
as your old place. I measured,"
Brandon said. "It's a gain."
"Besides, the lanai isn't
screened," Keira pointed out.
"Here you won't get eaten alive
while trying to water your plants."
Dorcas raised and sold herbs and
houseplants as a side business,
which she planned to expand after
she retired from pastoral counseling.
"I wouldn't be able to keep as many
of them, though," said Dorcas.
"Mom, don't be silly," Keira said.
"You can have both screened porches,
and we don't mind if you want to hang
plants all over the wraparound porch."
"Not the whole porch," Donne said.
"I'm not giving up my barbecue."
"See, there's the outdoor kitchen,"
Keira said brightly. "I'm sure that
the two of you can figure out how
you would like to arrange that."
"That's negotiable," Dorcas agreed.
"Shall we take a look inside now?"
They chivvied the children toward
the front door, and then Brandon
unlocked it with the house key that
he had gotten from Pan Aspen.
Inside, the great room was huge,
and through the arch at its far end,
Keira could see the dining room and
a glimpse of the breakfast nook.
"Stairs up and stairs down?"
Donne said, frowning. "That's
a lot of space Mama can't go."
"I suppose we could put in
chair lifts ..." Keira said as she
peeled the boys off the stairs.
"Those aren't cheap, though,
and neither is this house,"
Donne said. "That might
not be a feasible purchase."
Bernice made a scolding noise
like a squirrel. "I do not need
to visit every room of your house!
I'd have my own perfectly good wing,
not to mention the whole main floor."
"Hey, nothing says that a house
has to be all done when you turn
the key," Brandon said, waving
his hands. "You could just plan
to make upgrades later on."
"See now, that's a lovely plan,"
Bernice said. "Let's do that."
As they walked toward
the side wing, everyone
oohed and aahed over
the big kitchen island and
laundry room with a mud sink.
Amazingly, the great room in
the in-laws suite was even bigger
than the one in the main part, and
the kitchen was almost as big.
"That is a lot of cabinets,"
Dorcas said in a covetous tone.
"The counters are all high, though,"
Bernice said. "That ad mentioned
a low counter, but I don't see it."
"I found it," Donne said. She grabbed
a handle to pull out a wooden board.
"Oh, that's not much of a workspace,"
Bernice fretted, measuring it by hand.
"No shit," Donne said. "That's pathetic.
Okay, if we buy this place, I'm getting
you an accessible kitchen island."
"The design may not have expected
enthusiastic cooks to live here,"
Keira pointed out. "Sometimes
retired people are tired of cooking,
and new adults don't always know
how to manage a whole kitchen yet."
"Screw that," Donne said. "I'm not
putting my mama in a crappy kitchen."
"This is a great kitchen and I love it,"
Dorcas said. "It's about the same size
as my old one, and I like this layout
better. It only needs one extra thing
to suit Bernice, so let's call it good."
"Agreed," Bernice said. "I like it,
as long as we get that island.
This one is much better than
the kitchenette in my cottage."
From there, they explored
the rest of the unit. The laundry
had front-opening machines,
and the common bath had a tub.
The second bedroom was pretty simple,
but the master had a boxed ceiling.
Its ensuite included a big roll-in shower.
"Eee-hee-hee," Bernice said, pointing.
"I could do a three-sixty in there!"
"Ride me, ride me!" chanted Agate.
"Please don't, Mama," said Donne.
"I'm sure it's not meant for that."
Bernice had been a wild thing in
her youth, and so had her husband.
It sure showed in the grandkids, too.
A smartphone rang, and Dorcas
answered it. Then she frowned.
"Screw you, Curt!" Dorcas snapped.
"We're not even supposed to talk
to each other until the hearing."
Then she hung up on him.
"What was that all about,
Mom?" Keira said, worried.
"You father wanted to rag on me
about living in sin," Dorcas said,
rolling her eyes. "For Pete's sake,
you two are married, and there
isn't even a man under the roof!"
Then she sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn't
have said that around the kids."
"Did you get the recording?"
Brandon asked quietly.
"Yes, yes I did," Dorcas said.
"I'm sure my lawyer will appreciate
that, even if I didn't. She says that
Curt's treatment of Keira's family
constitutes religious discrimination,
so we may have a case for abuse."
"Well, good," said Keira. "I don't
like the way he's been treating you
lately, either. If your lawyer can
wring him dry, so much the better."
"Come on, let's go see the rest
of this place," Dorcas said as she
headed back toward the main part.
Bernice wheeled ahead of them.
"Well, here's the kiddie wing. Who
wants to pick rooms?" she said brightly.
"Me, me!" shrieked the younger four,
swarming ahead. The older girls
tried and failed to look more dignified.
"Shall we check out our master suite?"
Donne asked Keira in a leading tone.
"Sure, I'm curious," said Keira.
The bedroom was large, and
they had a walk-through closet.
"This is just barely big enough
for a nursery, if we have more kids,"
Keira said, measuring it with her eyes.
"Are you kidding me?" Donne said.
"No, we still have embryos and
eggs on ice at the fertility clinic,"
Keira said. "It's a thought."
"You're nuts," Donne said,
but she made her own measure.
"Yeah, put a bunk crib in one half
and the baby furniture in the other."
She stepped through the door.
"This master bathroom is smaller,
and there's no tub," Keira said as
she followed her wife into the room.
Donne put her chin on Keira's shoulder.
"Yeah, but this shower is bigger
and it has a seat," she purred.
"I withdraw the objection,"
Keira said, knees wobbling.
Donne chuckled in her ear,
then pulled away. "Come on,
you, get your mind out of
the shower and let's go
rejoin the rest of the group."
When they did so, they learned
that Adam and Clayton wanted
the room across from the bathroom,
Rose and Violet would take the one
with the sliding doors to the porch,
leaving Ruby and Agate in the corner.
Keira looked at Donne, who nodded.
"That works for us," Keira told them,
and all of the kids cheered.
"Upstairs is just one big room,"
Donne said. "Shall we go down?"
She and Keira investigated
the basement, leaving the kids
to enthuse over "their" rooms.
It included a large rec room with
virtual windows and a wine cellar.
The home theater was huge and
even had its own kitchenette.
There was a full bathroom
tucked into an odd nook,
plus a spare bedroom.
"Oh, this would make
a great art studio,"
Keira said, twirling.
"Unless you want it?"
"Nah, the garage has
a big storage room on
one side. That and one of
the three car spaces will be
enough for my workshop,"
Donne assured her.
"That should work,"
Keira said. "A small car
and a putt-putt should
fit into one space, leaving
the last for the family van."
When they went back upstairs,
they discovered that everyone
except Brandon had gone out
to explore the yard further.
He ushered them outside too.
"I'll miss the sabal palmettos,"
Dorcas said as she looked around.
The trees all seemed deciduous.
"I'll buy you a membership to
the botanical garden," said Keira.
"It doesn't have a swimming pool,
either," Dorcas pointed out.
"Not in the back yard, but there's
a whole community center over
in the neighborhood park,"
Brandon said. "It's nice."
"You sure came prepared,"
Keira murmured to Brandon.
"I know your mom," he said.
"Besides, Kate's family lives in
Arcadian shores," Keira said.
"You could be a lot closer to
your other grandkids, Mom."
Keira had two younger brothers
and two sisters, but so far Kevin
and Christina hadn't married,
while Carlin and his family
lived over in Charleston.
That left Keira and Kate as
the only two with kids here in
Myrtle Beach, so having them
in the same area instead of
spread out would help a lot.
Plus of course, Donne had
three older brothers and
two sisters, all but one of
whom had children, and
the oldest had grandkids.
They were scattered around
too, but gathered often, and
it would be good to have
a house big enough to host.
"All right, this place does
have its charm," Dorcas said.
"I love it," said Bernice. "It's
beautiful, it's big enough, and
those trees will cast shade
in summer while giving us
some much-needed privacy."
"Mama, that was once,"
Donne wailed, "and
we were newlyweds."
Bernice had stumbled over
them necking in her yard,
and she never let them
hear the end of it, but it
was affectionate teasing.
"I agree that this place is
great, though," said Keira.
"We should totally buy it,"
Violet said. "All the others
we've looked at have sucked."
"Yeah, remember the one that
smelled like cat pee?" Adam said,
and Donne shushed him.
Brandon's phone chirped at him.
He checked his messages. "Oh hey,"
he said. "Pan Aspen found a place."
"No way," Keira said. "Where?"
"Lakewood Campground Resort
got sued for repeated discrimination
against QUILTBAG folks, remember?
Seems it went bankrupt," Brandon said.
"Pan Aspen plans to buy it, living in part
while renting others as resort property
for new QUILTBAG customers."
Keira cracked up laughing.
"Sweet, sweet revenge,"
she said. "We should
spread the word for them."
"We should vacation there,"
Rose said, bouncing on her toes.
"I know it's right here in town, but
the resort has all kinds of great stuff."
"Well, Pan Aspen didn't buy everything,"
Brandon said. "They focused on housing
and some smaller amenities. Myrtle Beach
bought the golf course, amphitheater, and
some other parts that used to be Lakewood."
"Also, we need to concentrate on buying
our new house," Donne said. "We may not
be able to afford family vacations for a while."
"So, are we decided?" Keira said. "This
is our new home? All in favor, raise a hand."
Arms went up, waving like the trees that
went most of the way around the yard.
"Home it is," Keira said happily.
"Home is the nicest word there is,"
Donne said, and kissed her.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its character (Clan Aspen, the Pans), setting (new Kallistos home, new Pan Aspen Camp), and content notes will appear separately.
Re: Love it!
Date: 2021-11-26 02:06 am (UTC)