How to Love Your Neighbour(101)
“She loves it. The internship is going to give her a solid foundation but she’s as excited as I am for us to go into business together.”
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered. He touched the magazine with one finger. “Aren’t you curious?”
“Of course. I just, I don’t know. I’m being silly. Let’s read it.”
HH
HOME AND HEART
It’s what’s inside that counts
HOW A HOUSE BECOMES A HOME; PART 3 OF 3
Story and interview by Emily Swanson
Photographs by Jack Stein
The photo spread that preceded the article was gorgeous. Noah’s home—their home now—before and after the changes. She stared at the glossy photos of the media room, the upstairs bath with the overhead rain-shower faucets. All the little details that they’d chosen together.
Noah came to her side, his hip pressed to her body. She ran her hand over the first page of their article, in awe.
“You have to read the whole thing this time,” he said.
“You, too,” she said, glancing at him.
“I already did. While you were getting ready.”
She smiled, turning back to the magazine. She read the description of their home, how it started, little notes Emily had included in the margins, which made it such a fun article.
“Be right back,” Noah said.
She got lost in the magazine, remembering every minute that the pictures shared. They couldn’t possibly show how much happened behind the scenes. It looked so easy. No one would know, from the captions or words, that she’d lost her heart, found it again during the process.
Emily Swanson (ES): What is the biggest reward of taking on a renovation slash restoration like this?
Grace Travis (GT): Seeing it come together. The end product. Knowing all the hard work was worth it.
Noah Jansen (NJ): I agree. That and looking back to see how far you’ve come. It feels surreal.
Grace heard Noah come back into the kitchen, but her gaze caught on an unexpected photo of her and Noah looking at each other. Laughter and love clearly shone in both of their gazes. What struck her right in the heart was that she remembered the moment. It was before she’d even realized she’d fallen so hard.
She ran her fingers over the glossy photo, got lost in the rest of the article. As she read to the end, the tone changed, confusing her because she didn’t remember all the questions.
ES: Noah, you’ve done so many projects. What makes this one different?
NJ: That’s easy. Grace. I came to California to figure myself out. What I found was the love of my life. The woman who taught me that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you’re standing, but who’s standing next to you.
ES: So, you and Grace fell in love during this project. That’s so romantic.
Grace’s breathing grew heavy. Emily hadn’t asked this in the last interview. Grace picked up the magazine, pulled it closer to her face.
NJ: It is. This house is like us in so many ways. It took time to see what we could become but the more effort we put into each other, the stronger our foundation will be.
ES: So, what does the future hold for you two?
NJ: Anything she wants. But one thing I know is that I plan to make a lot of promises and keep them all.
Grace felt Noah at her side again. She turned her head toward him, the magazine clutched in her fingers. Her smile softened when she saw the bouquet of flowers in his grasp. “I can’t believe you said all of this. To the whole world. When did you do this?”
She set the magazine down, noticed him glance at it.
“I called Emily a couple weeks ago and asked for the add-ins.”
“You’ve basically told them there’ll be a white wedding with all the trimmings.” Was she hyperventilating?
Noah tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What’s the matter, Gracie? Don’t you want all the trimmings?”
She exhaled, her heartbeat slowing to normal. “Honestly? I just want you.”
“You already have me. I want it all with you. When you’re ready, I’m going to ask you to marry me at a castle in the middle of the happiest place on earth.”
She laughed nervously. “What? In Disneyland? How will you know when I’m ready?” She reached for the flowers to stop her hands from shaking. He gave them to her but stayed close. How would she know? She wanted to marry him, wanted everything for them, but they were just starting out. They were both forging new paths in their careers, getting used to living with each other.
Like he could see the gears turning in her head, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Turn the page.”
Grace looked back at the magazine, set the flowers carefully on the countertop, and used her index finger to flip the page. There, nestled in the crease, was an envelope. She took it out, opened the fold, and saw two all-day passes to Disneyland.
She held them up, unable to contain her laughter or excitement. “Tickets?”
He pulled her in close. “Whenever you’re ready, Grace. You’re in control. You’re everything I want. I have no problem waiting but I wanted you to have the promise of something with this magazine. It’s our beginning in more ways than one.”
Wrapping her arms around him, she held tight. “So, what if I said I wanted to go right now, today?”