THE HOUSE ETHAN COLE BUILT FOR TWO
Chapter 17
By spring, the house looked different.
The porch had been repaired.
The fence stood straight.
The kitchen had new shelves.
The yellow bedroom had pictures covering one wall.
Lily had planted flowers in the backyard.
Some grew.
Some didn’t.
She blamed Ethan.
He accepted responsibility despite having no idea what he had done wrong.
A small wooden sign appeared beside the front door.
Lily had painted it herself.
The letters were uneven.
It said:
HOME
Ethan stood looking at it.
Walter came up behind him.
“She made that?”
“Yeah.”
Walter nodded.
“Good sign.”
Ethan smiled.
“You think so?”
“Definitely.”
Walter looked toward the house.
“How much did it cost you?”
Ethan frowned.
“What?”
“The house.”
Ethan thought about it.
“Almost everything.”
Walter nodded.
“And was it worth it?”
Ethan looked through the window.
Lily was inside, laughing at something on television.
Her yellow bedroom was visible upstairs.
Her drawings were on the refrigerator.
Her shoes were beside the door.
Ethan smiled.
“Yeah.”
Walter nodded.
“Then you spent your money well.”
