My Husband’s New Home [FICTION]

“But I hate moving.” I frown as my dear husband presents his idea.

“But this new place is so much larger than this one.” He looks around our cozy two bedroom apartment with distaste.

“You called it spacious when you sold me on moving in here.” I cross my arms and plant my feet on the floor.

He grins at me, “But this is more spacious. Imagine what you could do with all that space?”

“Fill it with things to clean?”

“You’re getting it.” He smirks.

“No. No. I am not.” I roll my eyes at him.

“You have to see it, at least. Come on.”

“Fine.” I relent. “I will look at it…”

“And give it a chance?”

“If you say so…”

“Let’s go?” He stands up and reaches for his keys.

I sigh and follow him out the door. He keeps up a constant litany of the advantages of this new apartment on the way there. I begin to think he is trying to distract me as we turn down a street full of questionable buildings. The disturbing accommodations culminate in a train yard with an immense empty warehouse next to it.

“No.” The word leaps from the my lips without thought.

“You said you would give it a chance.”

“You said it was an apartment.”

“I never said it was an apartment. I said it was larger.”

“We can’t live here.”

“Come inside. You’ll change your mind.”

“No.” The more I say it, the more I mean it.

He laughs and pulls into a spot. I shudder as one tire sinks into a pothole. He comes around to open my door, as if he has brought me to a fancy restaurant. He throws it open with a flourish. I step inside.

I instantly close my eyes. It is worse than I anticipated. The ceiling goes on forever to bare metal rafters. The entirety of the space is one huge room.

“Is there even a bathroom?” I ask.

He clears his throat. “Not yet, but that is the beauty of it. We can build what we want.”

“Oh yeah? How would the owner feel about that?”

He grins at me.

I frown at him and wait for him to speak. His failure to respond and the ever widening grin finally get through my thick skull.

“We’re the owners…” My breath catches on the words. “Which means we have no money left, doesn’t it?”

Once more, he doesn’t answer.

~~Remember when your husband annoys you that it could always be worse or better depending on how you feel about huge surprises. This was supposed to be last week’s post, so it looks like I owe you one. Won’t it be a surprise if I remember to post it???”~~