Page 80 of Swept Away

She laughs.

“No, no. We had him for over eighteen years. So, no.”

My eyes linger on him as I remember Mason’s quest for a young woman about my age, and then my neighbor’s story aboutthis house and family. About the older woman, who I suspect is her mother.

Can it be the woman from Arizona?

Sandy?

I stretch my hand out.

“I’m Gemma. I live across the street, as you very well know,” I say with humor.

Her hands connect with mine.

“I’m Issa. My mother and I live in New York. She just moved from Arizona.”

My ears perk up.

“We came here,” she says, pointing to the house behind it, “to sell this property. Let us know if you know anyone interested in purchasing a house like this.”

She doesn’t take pride in the property––I can tell––not that there’s something bad about that.

People have mixed memories of the places they spend their lives in. Not all memories are good.

Sometimes it's a big relief to get rid of a place that stirs up horrible memories.

“For sure, I will. What makes you want to sell it? It’s not a bad place to live in. You can raise a family here,” I say, flicking my chin toward the house while waiting for her reaction.

She turns her head in that direction as if trying to see what I’m seeing in that building.

It’s not a bad place.

The building has obviously been well-maintained.

She slides her hands to her hips.

“Well, to be honest, I wanted to sell it since I could remember. I never liked it. But it’s my mother’s, so it was up to her. I finally convinced her to put it on the market.”

“What tipped the scale?” I ask casually, hoping to find out more about her and her family.

She shrugs.

“Nothing in particular. She just got tired of me always nagging her. She always said she wanted this place for me and my family, and finally had to accept the reality. I’ll never move here. I love New York. Plus, there is no big family to speak of.”

I’m about to ask about her kids when she drops the next sentence.

“It’s only my husband and I, and we don’t have any kids, so truly, there’s no point in holding onto this property.”

I suddenly fall silent and go back to my conversation with Mason.

“So you’ve never had any kids?” I murmur.

I sound weird, and she notices but doesn’t seem bothered by my comment.

“No. Why are you asking?”

A smile clings to her lips.