𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨
﹥━━━━━━━━━━﹤

Just as I start to wonder where Jabari is, there's a banging at the front door.

I roll my eyes, going to open it, having to nudge Duke's big ass out of my way.

"You're late." I tell him with no emotion.

J strolls inside, flicking his wrist at me. "Dealing with Jasmine ass. I'm here now. You ready?"

"Very." I tell him, edging a yawn.

It's super early, but that's when I prefer to fly.

"Thanks again for watching the house." I say to JB, dapping him up.

When I look at my brother I notice he's missing the usual light that brightens his face. "You sure everything's okay with you and Jas?" I pause to ask but don't want to pry.

Jabari sits down with a heavy grunt and hangs his head. "Nothing you need to worry about— married shit." He shrugs it off.

Seeing the time, I change the subject rather than ask what he's going through.

"I'll be back in two days," I remind Jabari as my final timer goes off. "call me if you need anything, but try not to need anything."

"Love you, man." Jabari proclaims, catching me off guard. I'm not taken aback because I don't love him, it's just that we rarely say it out loud.

My need to be there for Jabari outweighs the rush I'm facing to catch my flight. I drop my bags and circle back to face him. "Look, if you need me right now, we can try to see if there's an extra ticket; I don't mind you coming with me-"

"Nah, nah," he stands up to turn down the offer to my face. "this is huge for you. I'll be alright."

"You sure?" I emphasize, stalking towards the door.

Jabari nods his head and starts twisting the short starter locs that cover it. "As hell. Now go before you miss yo' flight."

✕

The distance in time from roughly New York to Tennessee is one I could do often. That's why I'm not upset in the decision to leave our friends behind. At only almost two hours, they'll have no problems commuting if and when they want to visit.
Even for my parents, from Denver to Nashville is about two hours and thirty-five minutes. Piece of cake, right? Although, I fear it's such easy air travel that they'll pop up more frequently than invited. 

Man. I pause to breathe in the fresh air. It's not as clean as Penshaw's, but the Tennessee air quality has been deemed "generally acceptable" which is a step up than the pollution that spikes in the air in Port Ember.

I'll admit I was on the fence about moving to "the volunteer state" but it's full of vibrant culture and I'm slowly starting to like country music.

The exciting influx of newcomers is what drew me here. There's an unparalleled enthusiasm in the life-long residents as well as the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed new residents that keeps this city alive. That, and the bar scene. It's like everyone drinks here and they all do it at some hole-in-the-wall bar. It's a party city through and through.

Every time I've landed here, I feel reinvigorated. See, I'm even using new, big, fancy words.

The diversity, the food, the bars, the hospitality - it's unmatched.

There's a general thinking that people go to New York with ambition, but this is the real place where people come to follow their dreams. Namely, musicians. It's no rarity to see a body in a band tee, either. I've even struck up a few conversations, making some fast friends by breaking the ice, wondering about their musical interests.

Voted the sixth strongest job market, as well as one of the best US food cities, the move was a no-brainer.

Speaking of fast friends: I slap hands with Donny Miller who's acting as my Uber driver like he did the last few times I came to visit. I didn't ask him to pick me up, he just looks out for me like that. Plus he likes to show off his fancy electric car that I'm thankful is not owned by Russell Brown's company, Pyro.

"Don," I greet him with a thankful grin.

He snatches off the aviator glasses to reveal his dark blue eyes squinting under the morning sun.

"Boss man!" He sniggers, pulling me into his flabby chest.

"I thought we were gonna do something about this dad-bod?" I give him a hard time.

"As long as I'm a dad, I'll have this gut." He jokes back.

We hug like we've known each other for ages, but it feels like it. I knew when I met Donny at the airport before my lone trip to Penshaw last year, that he may be someone useful being that he's an engineer.
The more Morgan kept mentioning how she wants to move to Tennessee, I knew Don was someone I had to connect with immediately. All it took was a phone call. Nine months later, here we are.

Like the other times Donny's played chauffeur, he's pointing out landmarks and waving to some high-spirited locals along the way. Some people wave, others just stare.

"Eh, not everyone here is friendly, you'll learn that," he says, driving with one arm hanging out of the window. "but it shouldn't be hard with you, charmer."

I shake my head, looking away from the trio of starry-eyed, blonde-haired girls in the car to the right of me as we're stopped at a red light.

"I'm still happily engaged." I remind my business partner.

Don bites his lip, turning up the music before pulling off at the green traffic light.

A red Corvette, though, pulls off in front of Donny's white electric Kia SUV, making him honk the horn violently for the third time already.

"What's with the bad drivers? I thought I left New York for that." I make Donny laugh.

He cuts the music back down and releases his frustrations through a hard exhalation. "This traffic can give you a headache. It's always near-accidents, though, I've never actually been in one; people just drive aggressive."

It's like blinkers are optional here. Don't get me started on the interstate system, having to take it daily is like an everyday game of chance you're playing with your life - will you make it home safely? You never know. Dangerous. Impressive, but dangerous.

I've already weighed the pros and cons to the city a hundred times, and still made my mind up to call this place home. Morgan looked more into the aesthetics: what the job scene looks like, and public school education, but she failed to realize this isn't the place she'll want to "stop and smell the roses" because with the abundance of pollen-producing trees, her allergies will leave her with stuffy noses and red eyes. Poor baby.

Lack of state income tax, strong healthcare system, growing economy, the city's warm climate, and affordable cost of living all outweigh some allergies, though. Morgan will love it here.

Onto other things she'll love... Donny pulls up to the construction site.

It's a bittersweet moment seeing something that was once a dream in my head at night, turn into some scribbling on paper, and now a fully realized home right in front of me.

Growing up, I always thought my sketches were just a hobby, something I dabbled with because I was decent at it, so my parents said. I wanted to play professional basketball, if not, own something in life, rarely having to lift a finger.
My parents only wanted me to go to college for the experience and to get a degree - any of them.
But I am so fucking glad I listened to Grandma Lena and pursued architecture.

This right here makes it all worth it.

Donny parks and encourages me to get out, following me to the build.

"Ho-ly fucking shit." I exhale in disbelief.

I stop at the front door and take in the large scale of the modern farmhouse.

"I didn't think it'd ever be done." I put my hands on my head, trying to hold back tears. Happy tears of course. Didn't know I was ever so emotional, especially to shed tears of joy.

This is unreal, I think in my head.

"That's all you." Donny says, slapping my shoulder.

I can't... breathe? I don't know what to say so I say nothing.

The guys all appear from the back of the house in casual work tees and jeans, applauding me when it's me who should be giving them a hand.

Andy Adams curtsies to me. He's always the crazy one, doing the most, but that's why he's so loved. Andy, being my age, is the younger brother of Nick - Yara's husband. Small world, I know, but they're from Tennessee originally.
When I told The Adams' I was moving here, they connected me with Andy. He lost the job he's held since graduating high school after a stumbling into work drunk for the last time.
So, when I talked to Andy on the phone before my first visit to Tennessee to meet the team, I set him up with Donny. Conveniently enough, Donny already had known Andy from around the city. That's not surprising considering Andy is named the troublemaker of Easton Hills. He's a handful, for sure, but when you tell him that, his response is, "that's why you have two hands."

After Andy, Calvin, Elijah, and Nia appear.
Calvin and Elijah Aragon are the sons of Nia (pronounced Ny-uh) Aragon, who took over the architecture firm after her husband, Mikey, died. Their business is great, a quaint, family-oriented, black-owned company in the heart of Nashville. They've always done well for themselves, and made a name here as one of the best designers and builders around. I've seen their work all over, from their model homes being shown on the Aragon's realtor's pages — the realtors including Elijah's girlfriend, Sloane, and Calvin's wife, Andrea— to listings online and those house tours on YouTube that Morgan always watches.

I step away from everyone to look them at each of them. Wow. Here I have it, my own little team. This feels good. It feels right.
Donny, the engineer. Me, the designer. Elijah, Andy, and Calvin, the contractors. It takes a village, really.

I turn to give a special thanks to Donny. His role was focusing on the more technical/structural side of things and overseeing every phase of construction work.

Turning the applause on my team, they each take a bow, making me laugh.

"Welcome to your new home, Chris!" Nia's strong voice speaks.

"Thank you, thank you." I say humbly over all of the welcoming words that follow Nia's.

"It's truly stunning." Donny praises. "I haven't seen anything quite like it."

"Wait 'til you see the inside." Andy says, tossing me the keys.

"Boy, didn't I tell you to let me give him the keys?" Nia snaps at Andy.

The group just laughs off his antics and leads me inside.

Calvin and Elijah stand on both sides of my body, grinning at me, making me more anxious to take a tour.

A gasp passes my mouth the second I cross the threshold.

I instantly backpedal, stepping outside to gather my thoughts.

After a minute, I go back in and almost jump through the roof with excitement. The house isn't even staged, yet.

"Let's goooo!" Is all I can say, riling up the guys who were just as anxious as I was to see the place, to see my candid reaction.

"Is it exactly how you thought it would be?" Asks Nia, standing in the foyer.

"It's all that and then some." I brag. "Damn, I really did that, huh?"

They laugh at me.

"Yes, you did. Congratulations, Chris." Nia's motherly tone makes me want to give her a hug.

She's done so much for me, and there's so much more to come, I can't thank her enough.

"Well, let's not all crowd him," Calvin baritones. "Give the man some time to take it all in."

His younger brother, Elijah, pushes my head in. "I still say you should get a in-ground pool."

"Eli!" His mother speaks to him like he's a kid again, making Elijah jump and follow everyone outside.

Footsteps trickle towards the main entrance but I don't hear the door yet shut.

I turn slightly and see Nia at the door still.

"Thank you, Nia, for everything." I say with a toothy smile.

She presents me with a woven basket full of house-warming goods.

A smirk pulls up her thick, mauve-painted lips. "You have a lot to think about, I still want that answer over dinner." There's a sparkle in her black-brown orbs.

She pushes the basket into my chest and sways towards the door, the grey strands of her flat-ironed bob haircut bouncing with every movement.

"On you, right?" I shout after the businesswoman makes her exit.

✕

"Cheers!" Andy's voice trumps everyone else's in the fine dining establishment.

I raise my glass like everyone else.

"To Chris!" He proposes.

"TO CHRIS!" Each guest at the long VIP table exclaims.

I down the champagne in a single gulp, my third of the night. It's nothing, just some bubbles to wash down the steak and lobster we've just feasted on.

"Speech, speech, speech!" Andy and the guys start to chant for me to say a few words.

"If I may..." Nia says at the head of the table.

She stands, smoothing down her black evening dress.

"I want to thank everyone here for all playing their roles. It's been a very long nine months, but you've each made every second count. First, I want to give a warm welcome to a newcomer of the Aragon family: Lucy, our intern. Welcome aboard, we're happy to have you. Secondly, our YouTube channel has just hit three-hundred-thousand subscribers, thanks to Andrea and Sloane." Mrs.Aragon heads the speech.

She holds for applause and then goes on. "I know that with the showing of our latest project, that number will only skyrocket. Chris, we want to thank you for trusting us to build and showcase your dream home. Of course we couldn't have done it without you. Here's to you for joining the Aragon family."

Elijah and Andy, on both sides of me, poke and nudge me to get some emotion out of me but I've been trying to hold it in all night.

"Speech, speech, speech!" They cheer again, this time more loudly in my ear.

"Alright, alright," I chuckle as I stand. I clear my throat and look around the table. Tonight, there are some familiar faces, and some not so familiar, yet - clients, and close friends of Nia's/Aragon's.

"Thank you all for having me, I'm happy to be here, and I seriously couldn't have done this with you. Aragon's made this process so easy and stress-minimal. After talking to Nia some more and getting to know the company, it was impossible to turn down the offer. I look forward to working with y'all and getting to know everyone a bit more. This is a great team already, I'm just here to add to that. Um, yeah... as some of you may or may not know, it's been a rough couple of years for me, but since this build, I've slowly been getting back to myself and what I love which is designing houses..." I laugh there and space out momentarily.

My eyes pan to Calvin and his wife, Andrea. Next, Elijah and Sloane. Then, Lucy and Andy flirting.

I swallow hard. "I did all of this for my fiancé, who I can't wait for you all to meet. Sloane, Andrea, thanks for reaching out to her and her mother for the social media advice - I know that'll work out great. Uh, yeah, I'm just grateful for y'all."

"Look, we got him saying 'y'all' already!" Sloane cracks up at my vocabulary. I'm sure I've said it before, it's just more organic now, since being around the southerners.

"Horseback riding tomorrow." Nia winks at me, only joking.

I take my seat and indulge in one more glass of champagne before calling it a night.

✕

"Chris?" Morgan's voice wakes me up after minutes of the phone ringing in my ear.

"Morgan," I monotone. "baby, I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Are you okay, it's late?"

I roll over in bed and situate myself so I can conduct a proper conversation but it's hard because I am drunk. Remind me to never underestimate champagne and overeating my limit again. Those four flutes are kicking my ass.

"I-I just wanted to hear you voice." My words slur so I know my cover is blown.

"I know I snuck this Android in here to talk to you, but I have to practice some restraint."

"I know," I burp. "I'm sorry. I just— I just wanted to hear your voice."

"You're drunk, Chris." She says it like it's a bad thing.

"I am, but for good reason!"

"What's the reason?" Her tone perks up at the mention of some fortunate news.

I have to lie, though, as I literally make myself comfortable in a bed that is not ours.

Since the house won't be staged for another couple of weeks, I sleep over at Andy's. He lives alone in a studio apartment about twenty-five minutes from my new home.

I've planned in my head a million ways to show Morgan the new house, but none of the ideas stick. Everyone's suggested grand gestures, but I think I'll just fly her out here and go "ta-da." Either way, it's still a surprise.

"I got a new job," I can tell her that much without being deceptive. "at a small firm with this nice family. You'll love them, they're great."

"Aw, yeah? Tell me more." The way she lights up at my news makes me smile from ear to ear.

That's something I've always loved about Morgan, the way she genuinely cares about others' good news. She's always wanted the best for me and done everything in her power to get me in a position I'm more than comfortable in. It's like she makes it her job or momentary mission to find solutions to others' problems.

When my phone lights up with the notification that it's on twenty percent battery life, I catch a glimpse of the time.

1:52 AM

Not only do I need to be up early tomorrow to prepare for the open house, but as a part of Morgan's schedule and overall health, I decide to hang up so she can get her eight hours of sleep, too.

"See you in another month?" I talk as my eyelids come to a close.

Morgan yawns. "Not a day sooner." She finds humor even when sleepy.

I yawn, too, tired. "I love you."

"I love you, too. So much. Good night."

"Good night, Morgan..." my voice trails off.

"Chris," Morgan's voice talks lowly in my ear. I'm no longer holding the phone, it's just stuck to the side of my face as I lay on top of the air mattress. This is reminiscent of my college party days, so drunk I couldn't move, hardly functioning.

"Yeah?" I croak.

"Hang up the phone."

I laugh through my nose. "I can't."

"Me either," she says. "I'm so tired, I can't even open my eyes."

"We don't have to hang up."

"Aww, we can fall asleep on the phone together?"

"If you didn't have a shitty ass Android we could FaceTime." I make Morgan giggle.

"Shut up," she mumbles. "they keep my real phone locked away. I don't really miss it, though. You're the only person I really need to talk to, and here we are."

"Here we are..." my words start to come out slower by the syllable.