Chapter 13

Bright and early Monday morning, Melissa pulled into the driveway of her three-bedroom house.

“Well, Suzy. We’re here.” She hit end on the GPS dashboard and stepped out of the car to survey her surroundings.

The modern cottage house featured white tapered column beams and an inviting covered front porch. The light sky blue exterior walls were accented by bright white trim along the roofline, windows, and garage door. The large dormer window on the upper story provided light to the perfect space for a home office.

Melissa could see herself sitting on the front porch, swinging in the rocking loveseat, sipping a glass of ice cold lemonade.

This felt like home.

She’d done three video chat viewings with her realtor before deciding to purchase the home. She’d known it was the right house the moment she saw the photos online. However, buying a house without seeing it in person seemed risky.

She was glad she’d taken the risk.

Melissa turned to see the moving truck coming up the street.

They were right on time.

It was time to settle in as Berryhill’s newest resident.

***

“Hi, mom. The move went great. I’m standing here surrounded by boxes.” Melissa smiled into the phone as she unpacked dishes and put them on the shelf.

“Did you lock all the doors? Do you have enough food? Is the water running with good pressure?” Melanie fired off questions before Melissa could answer.

“Relax, mom,” Melissa said with a laugh. “Everything...