Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

Ryder parked the car a short distance away so I could see the entire House and take it all in. It looked like if had weathered years of storms and neglect.

My heart started pounding as we approached. A white screen door stood in front of the wooden front door. As I got out of the car and started walking toward it, I noticed brushes and various tools scattered on one side of the porch.

The bushes had been trimmed back, and fresh flowers were planted the flower beds. No doubt Penelope had been out here working in the midday sun. There was even a decent-sized tree with small baby swing hanging from one of its branches. The swing was stained from accumulated rainwater and years of neglect, but knowing my mother had hung it there for Logan and me to use someday felt heartwarming.

Logan and Penelope didn't speak, just watched as I wandered around observing everything carefully. Trash bags were filled with scraped paint and cobweb- covered rags, and there was a distinct smell of bleach in the air. Next to the trash bags were moldy cushions. Looking at the porch, they must have replaced the moldy ghes with new ones. What caught my attention was that Penelope had chosen fabric almost identical to what my mother had originally selected.

Penelope's thoughtfulness made me feel both grateful and sad. She was trying to maintain my mother's taste, to keep the feeling of this place intact. This attention to detail showed she truly wanted to honor my mother's memory rather than simply remodeling according to her own preferences.

If I had any tears left to cry, I probably would have broken down right there. Instead, I was mechanically processing these emotions.

As I climbed the steps, Logan opened the front door for me. Penelope had already gone inside and was standing in the living room.

To my left was a closet, with the wall extending past where a TV hung mounted on the wall. The living room opened up to my right. It was a fairly spacious living room with two dark gray sofas positioned opposite each other, and two matching black recliners directly facing the television. A glass coffee table sat between the sofas. A gray and white rug was spread between the two sofas but didn't extend to the recliners. The hardwood floors looked original, with narrow planks.

Everything showed signs of use but was still in good condition. My first impression was warmth. This was the kind of house where you could walk in and put your feet up on the couch without worrying about anyone getting upset. Pictures hung on the walls. I recognized my mother's parents from other photos Dad had shown us. Since Mom was an only child, I assumed those older baby pictures were of her. Photos in gold frames sat on the mantelpiece, which I guessed were of Mom growing up. One was of her at about nine months old, then one of her around five or six years old. Next was her high school prom photo, and finally one of her and Dad with her pregnant belly. They looked so in love.

"I kept everything exactly as I found it. I wanted you to see it before we make any changes," Penelope said, pulling my attention away from the photos..

"If there's anything you want to take with you, just tell me," Logan said, walking up beside me. He picked up the photo I'd been looking at and held it in his hands. "I won't throw anything away, but I'll put it somewhere safe."

"You're right. This is exactly how I imagined it would be," I said softly, looking around. The longer I looked, the more details I noticed. The white ceiling fan had gold trim designs. The curtains were pure white sheer material covering wooden blinds. Even the faded white paint on the walls desperately needed a fresh coat.

"The kitchen's this way, and there's a small bathroom down the hall, Penelope said, emerging from the kitchen. The doorway was wider than a traditional doorway but still just a doorway. The kitchen had an L-shaped layout with cabinets lined along the left wall, right after another doorway leading to the hallway. A large island sat in the middle with three bar stools, and a sn positioned against the right wall.

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Don't Poke the Lunanoveldrama