Awakened

14

Aaron weaved through the traffic, looking for the house. The GPS announced that the house would be coming up on the right.

"So it must be right outside of town," Harper noticed. Aaron nodded. He knew Harper enjoyed the expansive land that came alongside his parent's house, so he was not sure what she would think of the small home right on the outskirts of his hometown. It was quaint and cute, but was definitely a starter home in that it was a fixer upper.

They pulled up to the home, both admiring it from the street. Harper and Aaron got out of the car and waited for Jacob to get the paperwork together for their tour of the home. The small house was white with paint-chipped shutters beside the windows. The windows were all normal-sized windows, but the front door was painted a bright red. Harper chuckled, pointing out that the door was the only thing that seemed like fresh paint, and made a joke about how they would need to do some renovations to the outside of the home to increase the value for resale. Aaron smiled. Of course Harper would be thinking about the resale value of the home they haven't closed on or even considered yet.

The house was a simple one-story house with what appeared to be an attic-space. Jacob came up beside the couple, inviting them to walk up the sidewalk to the home. There was a small, lightly tended garden on each side of the steps leading up to the door. Aaron imagined Harper on her hands and knees, dirt on her clothing and elbow deep in beautiful flowers. There was no garage, which was disheartening for Aaron. He would have preferred not having to park on the street, and to have some storage space - especially given the size of their move. Aaron remembered he has an apartment in New York still, although he had practically moved in with Harper, and she does as well. Aaron made note of that, and followed Jacob and Harper through the door.

The inside was a simple layout. The floor plan was open, with the living room, dining room, and kitchen all visible from the front door. Harper was not a fan of open floor plans, but for the price of the home they could perhaps renovate the inside to close up the spaces a little. Harper walked around the space, checking for any signs of discontentment in Aaron's face. He smiled, walking behind her. They followed Jacob through the living room to a hallway, where he pointed out the bathroom, master bedroom, and guest room - all strikingly normal. Jacob showed the attic space to them, which was large enough that if they wanted to add another space they likely could. Jacob, taking a unique approach to selling homes, let the couple know that he would be waiting outside, and that if they had any questions about the space to come get him. He said he wanted to give them a chance to look around the home and talk explicitly together.

"This is not my decision and does not involve me at all, so I want to make sure you're having the talks you need," Jacob affirmed. Aaron and Harper both appreciated the space from the agent. When he left, Harper turned towards Aaron.

"Well, it's a house," she said, summarizing its averageness into simple terms.

"You're right in that," he said in response. He had been more impressed by the pictures online, and was not very keen on the home itself.

"I think we just need to see all three and then talk about them afterwards," Harper said, having difficulty determining a solid answer.

"Okay, love," Aaron said, taking his own pictures of the space.

They walked out of the home, and Jacob led them to the next home. It was on Gray Street, and was a more modern home. Aaron and Harper both agreed that it didn't feel right, and that they didn't wish to tour the home, as it was in a part of town Aaron disliked and the style didn't match their expectations. Jacob smiled, saying that he saved the best for last. This one was on Magnolia Street, the same road as his parents.

They got in the car and rode out to the home. Aaron and Harper were both tired, and hoped that some progress would come from the experience. House hunting was hard.

They pulled down the driveway and up to the home. Harper's jaw dropped and Aaron smiled. He knew this would be the place.

The front side of the home was spectacular. There was a wrap-around porch and a large front door, overwhelmingly welcoming. There were lots of windows, encouraging the natural light and air that Aaron knew Harper missed while living in the city. The front yard had flowerbeds already established all around the wrap around porch, with breaks for the steps. Harper walked up the steps, attempting to take into account every single detail. She looked around the wrap-around porch, looking at Aaron and smiling.

"We could totally have a swing on this porch!" Harper squealed. Aaron smiled, knowing that the fresh air would be good for them.

They walked into the home, into a breathtaking entryway. There was a set of stairs immediately in front of them, with a chandelier provide exquisite lighting. The couple walked to the left and saw a large dining room, perfect for fitting Aaron's family. Harper ran her hand alongside the wall of the room, looking up admiringly at the intricate crown molding. They walked to the other side of a wall and saw a kitchen, with updated appliances, a large island, and amazing windows - a set of three floor to ceiling windows and two smaller windows, one on each side. Harper loved the extra light it would provide - and had always believed that the kitchen was the heart of the home. She looked outside of the windows and saw an awning, likely built to provide some shade on the back porch area, which she could see clearly from the kitchen. Harper envisioned herself watching children play in the backyard from the window and porch, then followed Aaron into the living room. There was a large living room space, with a chimney. There was a large bay window towards the backyard. Aaron knew he would be building a reading nook for Harper, as he loved seeing her sitting in the window reading. They walked around the corner and saw a screened in sun room, a pleasant addition to the social spaces as seen on the bottom floor. They peered into the bathroom, then walked up the beautiful staircase to see the two bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs.

They saw the guest bedroom, which was seemingly normal in proportion to the rest of the home, and the bathroom. They walked into the master bedroom, and Harper audibly gasped. The room was large, with a walk in closet. Aaron knew that would be helpful. They looked to the other side of the room. The ceiling came to a point, as there was an eave in the center of the room where the roof came to meet in a point. There were two square decorative windows right beside each other, followed by a set of french doors directly below it. The doors were set back enough that a balcony had been able to be built. The balcony was flush with the wall of the room, and had two windows on either side of the door. Harper walked out, admiring the craftsmanship and design of the home. Jacob showed himself out, leaving the couple in the master bedroom.

"There's no way we can afford this," Harper said, turning to look at Aaron with one hand on the railing of the balcony.

"But there is," Aaron said. He had been wondering when would be the best time to tell her of his good news, and this seemed as good a time as ever.

"What do you mean?" Harper said, looking towards Aaron suspiciously.

"I got a call from a casting director. I'm going to be in a TV show," Aaron said, smiling.

"That is amazing news!" Harper said, hugging Aaron, but clearly not understanding how that made this amazing house affordable.

"With the pay I'll be making from just season one, we don't have to worry about this home," Aaron said, recognizing that he did not call it a house.

"Aaron, are we seriously doing this?" Harper said, overwhelmed, but excited. Aaron smiled, walking out on the balcony and smiling down at Jacob.

"Where do we sign?" Aaron said, pulling out a wad of cash for the downpayment. Aaron had been saving up for almost 2 years.
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My explanation sucked so here is this:
https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/ae31d7640f47beb3_5284-w500-h666-b0-p0--victorian-exterior.jpg