Our kids rush out of the car as I round Valencia’s side to help her out. The silk blindfold prevents her from seeing anything. It’s perfect. Her right hand laces with mine and Oscar rushes back to hold the other.
Ah, the perfect chivalrous gentleman in training.
My heart’s never raced this fast or felt this full. For the past six months, I’ve been directing the design of this home through my business with a contracted agent to sell, but with every single detail, I found myself architecturally customizing this house for my family. Our marriage was broken at the time, yet I made the leap and bought this house with the hope that if we were to fall back together…this would be our forever home.
Away from the city.
Away from the panic.
Alone on our little island.
“The suspense is killing me!”
“It’s worth it, Mommy.”
I guide her forward until we reach Slonne. “Okay…you can undo it now.”
The blindfold is stripped with a loud gasp as a shocked Valencia stares up at our new contemporary home. “Oh. My. GOD!”
“Welcome home, baby!”
We step inside onto the white oak floors and soaring ceilings. The theme of white, Pietra gray, sleek black, and brushed gold are consistent through the elegant architectural design. White panel walls and polished rich finishes greet us. Her favorite pieces of artwork illuminate particular walls. Tempered glass pocket walls compliment the open plan style living area and aid our top of the line security alarms. Our home is complete with sophisticated imported Italian furnishings I personally custom designed.
Excluding our master suite, there are five spacious bedrooms and four baths. Aside from our master bath, we have a sophisticated glossy charcoal tiled shower room with a ceiling mounted, brushed gold square rain head, a detachable showerhead, and three body spray jets.
The home is three stories, each level with a full wrap-around balcony to complement the scenic views of Lake Washington and the mountains. The house is elevated and while the east wing leads to a large backyard with evergreen trees and mountain hemlocks, at the west end there is a different type of picturesque scenery with the clear blue water.
It’s there by the expansive dark composite deck that reality really seems to sink in for Valencia.
She looks at me with the biggest grin. “You’re joking, right?”
“This is ours! Coming back together doesn’t only mean starting over again, it means starting off stronger. We even have our own makeshift ocean with Lake Washington for when times get tough. See? The water doesn’t have to represent the pain of the past, it can represent the calm tranquility of our future.”
“I love the sound of that. This home is sensational!”
“Is that a yes?”
“YES!” Slonne and Oscar scream in unison, jumping up and down in pure joy. Their happiness means the world to me. They’re incredibly strong little renditions of us. “PLEASE SAY YES, MOMMY!”
“Yes!” Lencia embraces me and that damn vanilla scent electrifies my body.
“Happy Birthday, baby!”
“Thank you. I cannot believe this is ours! Wow! Thank you so much, Giulio,” she whispers by my lips before sealing her appreciation with a sensual kiss. My already skyrocketing desire ruptures at her single touch. Mommy and Daddy definitely need some alone time, away from our children who watch us intently.
I hope bearing witness to their parents falling back in love will always be something significant for them. I hope this teaches them that love can conquer anything. For now, I want to show Valencia something of her own first.
I crouch down to Oscar and Slonne’s height with a smile. “Hey angels, why don’t you both check out the bedrooms again? They were pretty awesome!”
They disappear in seconds.
I chuckle at their new tendency to get along. The tragedies in these past few weeks have drawn them closer than ever before. The sibling rivalry is still there, but they know that in the end family is most important.
Those gorgeous hazel eyes I love sparkle. “Hmmm, I know all your tactics. What exactly do you have planned, Mr. Giannotti?”
“A celebration of your existence, but first, there is one more room I’d like to show you.” Without warning her, I scoop her into my arms and move through the house. Her sweet laughter is a cure for part of the remaining agony in my chest. The one that’s there for Addilyn.
We’ll find her too.
This house isn’t complete without her.
In our office, there is a door that’s sealed off with a large ceiling to floor wall art. I set Lencia down and her jaw drops when I push on the frame, revealing a secret door.
“Woah…Are you going all Mission Impossible on me now?”
I lead her down the hallway to another secret door. “I’ll leave that up to you to decide.”
“What’s in there?”
I fail to keep a straight face. “Uh…no idea…”
“Yeah, right! You lie, boy. You lie.”
This is what I crave—our laugher. Our happiness. Us.
A beaming Valencia tugs the door open. “Oh my god! You did not!”
“Oh, yes I did!”
It’s an art studio.
A gray marble countertop runs down the center of the room. On the right side, printing machines and drying racks are stationed. Whitewood cabinetry with painting tools inside line the back walls separated with their own specific stations. Easels and canvases can be easily stored inside them too.
What I love most about this studio, apart from the warm lights that give the room that moody ambiance I know she loves while painting, is the floor to ceiling window that looks out to the mesmerizing skies, mountains, and hemlock trees.
We can’t be afraid of windows because of our traumatizing past, so this will be a simple way to learn to adapt and remember the beauty they can give—a mesmerizing view.
I know Valencia hasn’t had the inspiration to return to her love of art between Addilyn and losing her job, but I want her to know that she has the choice to start again
