The House

I considered it for a long time, but finally concluded that, of course, I had to tell Colleen all about the rooftop kiss. "Why didn't you tell me about Tom and why you two broke up?" I asked.

"I guess I was jealous at first. You know, you always want to put yourself down, but you've got a lot of good qualities that I envy," she admitted.

We were sitting on my sofa in my apartment. I felt ten years older and wiser than I had felt three months ago. Of course, some things never change. I still had moldy food in my refrigerator, strange neighbors, and I lost my cordless phone again, which couldn't be found despite numerous calls to it. It was probably dead in addition to missing in action. At least my locket and ring had been found - thanks to Colleen. When she stopped over, she suggested checking my jacket pockets.

And there I found it. I had taken it off when we went to Colleen's house for a game of basketball.

"I think you'd be a cute couple," she said.

"Nothing has happened yet!"

"But, it could."

"Uh-huh. Oh, Susan has arranged for me to teach a home improvement class for women."

"Great! Just think, you might be teaching in our old high school. Is that weird or what?"

I laughed. "Oh, I gotta show you something! Wanna take a drive?"

"Sure!" she agreed.

We piled into my car, and it was a nice, easy drive to The House. Not the haunted house-but My House.

This house was a gray ranch with black shutters. It was surrounded by a sea of chrysanthemums, growing in colorful mounds. French doors led to a nice-sized deck, and a pool, closed for the season.

"I saw it from the rooftop. Well, not exactly. I saw the flowers. And then I saw the house later on. It isn't for sale just yet. But, ya never know..."

"Want to peek in the windows?" Colleen teased.

"How's your house doing?" I asked.

"Actually, it's for sale."

"Really? Are you going to buy it?" I asked.

"Actually, I did check it out. It's as cute inside as it is from the outside," Colleen remarked. "But even if I don't buy it now, if it's meant for me, it will be for sale again. Things have strange ways of working out. Of course, maybe there's a better one that I haven't seen yet. Life is interesting like that."

"True," I agreed as we wandered along the sidewalk, taking in the view. I told her my plans for the house, should it ever be mine. And she told me the plans for hers.

The apartment didn't seem quite so right for me when I returned.