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KAI

W e start looking for our forever home today. Isla and I have been talking about it for months, and now that we know for sure we’re having a baby, it feels even more real. We’ve got our realtor, Linda, meeting us at the first open house, and I can feel the excitement building as we drive there.

The first few houses are nice, but they just don’t feel right. The layout is off, or the neighborhood isn’t quite what we’re looking for. Isla is patient, but I can see the disappointment in her eyes each time we walk away from another place that isn’t “the one.”

Just as we’re about to leave the third open house, Linda pulls out her phone and shows us a listing. “This one is a bit of a drive from here, but it’s in a great neighborhood,” she says. “It’s on Parkside Avenue, a street over from your parents’.”

I look at Isla, and her eyes light up. We both love the idea of being close to family, and Parkside is one of those classic, tree-lined streets that always feels like home. “Let’s go see it,” Isla says, and I can hear the enthusiasm in her voice.

We follow Linda to the house, and as soon as we pull up, I know this is the place.

It’s a beautiful craftsman home, built in 1955, with a huge front porch and a welcoming aura.

The four bedrooms and three bathrooms are perfect for our growing family, and the hardwood floors and original details give it so much character.

I can see it now: Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family here, kids’ birthday parties, everything.

This is definitely it.

But it’s the backyard that really seals the deal for me.

It’s massive, with plenty of room for the kids to play, a garden for Isla to grow all the vegetables her heart desires, and even a big tree with a perfect spot for a future treehouse.

I can already picture our kids running around, laughing, and playing with their friends. It’s everything we’ve been dreaming of.

Isla walks through the house, her eyes wide with wonder. She runs her hands over the vintage details, her face lighting up with each room we enter. When we step out into the backyard, she turns to me, her eyes shining with tears of joy. “Kai, this is it,” she says. “This is our home.”

I pull her into a hug, feeling the same overwhelming sense of happiness and relief. “I know, Princess,” I whisper. “I can feel it too.”

We spend the rest of the afternoon exploring every nook and cranny of the house, imagining where our furniture will go and what colors we’ll paint the walls. Linda gives us all the details about the house and the neighborhood, but honestly, none of it matters. We’ve already made up our minds.

“We want to submit an offer. This is the one.” I turn to Isla and put my hand on her stomach. “This is where we want our baby and future kids to call home.”