Marceline Anne raced upstairs and stripped out of her church clothes. After church, her family used to go to brunch but after her mother died, her father barely went to church so it was just her and her siblings.
She and her sister had gone to a buffet before coming home. She now chose clothes to wear out with Jeanette. She of course went with jeans but she grabbed a tank top, a band tee, arm sleeves, a thin sweater and a thicker one.
She never used to get cold but she became anemic after getting sick and though it flip-flopped, she still got cold way more than before. So she wore plenty of layers.
After dressing (and keeping on her tights and adding two pairs of socks), she put on her outside gear and opened the front door.
Mercedes Catherine stopped her from leaving. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"With Mrs. Chang." She reminded her.
"Where are you two going?"
"Around."
"You're just spending time with your new mother-in-law?"
"She's not my mother-in-law yet. She might never be."
Mercedes Catherine sighed. "Well don't stay out too late. I want to tell you all about my date with Michael."
"What else would you have left to say?! You talked all through brunch about it!"
Mercedes Catherine pouted.
"Ugh!" Marceline Anne rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll be back."
Mercedes Catherine forced a hug on her before going somewhere else in the house.
Marceline Anne was put out by it but left quickly. She went to her car and got inside. Since she was wearing so many layers, she wasn't cold. So she didn't turn on the heat.
She drove around the corner and stopped in front of the Chang household. She got out and went to ring the doorbell.
Malcolm answered. He tried to pull her closer to kiss her but she kept hitting him. "What have I done now?"
"You know why I'm mad."
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have called or texted as soon as I got home but I didn't." He would die before he told her he'd done it on purpose. "I'm sorry."
She eyed him darkly. She would die before she told him she'd been worried sick about him. "Whatever."
"Kiss?" He pulled her close.
She licked his bottom lip. "No."
He swooped down to kiss her anyway. Fire burned the both of them and they felt like they were drowning in liquid flames. It was the best intimacy they'd ever had with someone else.
Jeanette showed up a minute later, smiling widely at the passion they shared. She wiped her face and cleared her throat.
They broke apart, beet red.
"Are you ready?" Jeanette's eyes danced.
Marceline Anne nodded.
"Did you walk over here?"
She shook her head and cleared her throat before hooking a thumb at Travis. "I drove."
"Whose car is that?"
"Mine."
"Wow. It's beautiful. Green is such a lovely color."
"Not orange." Marceline Anne eyed her fiancé.
He scowled as his mother giggled. "Not orange."
"Let's go before it gets dark."
Jeanette kissed his cheek before shutting the door on him. She could hear him sputter, "Mom!" but ignored it. "Let's go!"
M-
Mercedes Catherine blinked awake. Her nap had been filled with visions of Michael and herself. She'd dreamt they got married and had kids. Family picnics and game nights. All the things she wished still happened in her own family.
She briefly wondered if she was trying to replace her family with him. She couldn't answer it honestly so she cast it from her mind.
She sat up and reached for her phone. She texted Santana to see if she had a free moment to talk.
Santana responded promptly.
So Mercedes Catherine called her. She shifted to get more comfortable as the phone rang twice.
"What have you been doing all day?" Santana demanded.
"Hi, Tana." Mercedes Catherine giggled.
"Hi, Wheezy." Mercedes Catherine could hear her eye-roll. "What have you been doing all day?"
"After church, Marcy and I went to eat then I came home to take a nap. I just got up."
Santana was quiet a moment. "Where did Patti go?"
"She went out with Mrs. Chang."
"Chang's mom?"
"You know Michael has a first name…" Mercedes Catherine drawled.
"So?" Mercedes Catherine could tell she didn't care. "I've just been here at home."
"But you love Sundays with your family. You go to Mass with your parents and Gomez then you come home and help your mom cook brunch. Then as you make food for dinner, you and Gomez dance to Latin music with your mom and dad." Mercedes Catherine had been to Santana's house on a Sunday. "It's amazing. I love your traditions."
"Yeah, we're the Brady's."
"You know you can say Cosby's. Just because Bill Cosby committed horrible acts doesn't mean his whole career is tarnished. The Cosby's were a great family."
"Fine." There was a smirk to Santana's tone. "We're the freakin Cosby's."
"Yay."
"What are you about to do now?"
Mercedes Catherine took a deep breath. "I don't know. I want to wait for Marcy so we can do our rituals but I don't know if she'll be back anytime soon."
"Call her home."
"No, I don't want to interrupt her fun with Malcolm's mom."
"Is he with her?"
"I don't think so. When she told me about it, she said it was just her and Mrs. Chang."
"What do you think of her? Their mom?"
"She seems nice but really quiet."
"I just bet."
"Tana!"
"Isn't that what white men like in Asian women? Obedience?"
Mercedes Catherine snorted with laughter. "Stop that, Tana!"
"I don't think Abrams likes me."
"He shouldn't!"
Santana gasped. "Wheezy!"
"You were really mean to him! I don't know why he put up with you all night. At least you were better on the drive home."
Santana humphed. At the end of the night, Artie had turned on an old school RandB station and begun singing along. He had a great rich voice that appealed to the girls, who had sung along with him after a few songs.
"You want to know if Michael had told me what Artie thinks of you."
"I do not. I don't care what he thinks about me."
"Okay, Tana." Mercedes Catherine knew better than to believe that.
Santana made a rude noise. "Want me to come over until Patti comes back?"
Mercedes Catherine thought it over. "I don't want to separate you from your family."
"Well come over here."
"What about Mrs. Gonzales? She's in this house all alone all the time."
"We don't spend time with our maid."
A flat look crossed Mercedes Catherine's face. "Mrs. Gonzales is like family. Besides didn't your family get a white maid for cultural reasons?"
"You're D-A-M-N right."
"You know your parents can spell, right? They know you're cursing."
"Shut up."
Mercedes Catherine laughed. "I win! But yeah, I'm going to spend some time with Mrs. Gonzales and then when Marcy gets home, I'll finish my night with her."
"I'll see you tomorrow. Want me to pick you up or are you going to pick me up?"
"You don't have to keep picking me up. You keep missing class to take me to the hospital when I have my rounds. Remember that emergency I had when that Timms kid got a high fever and I had to go in? You missed an important exam."
"I don't care about all that."
"You're a great friend."
"I know. But you're one, too. I love you."
"Aww! I love you, too Tana! See you tomorrow. You can pick me up. We'll go for coffee."
"Awesome. Bye."
"Bye." Mercedes Catherine hung up. She got out of bed and went downstairs. She went over the house looking for their housekeeper/cook.
She found her in the kitchen. "Hi, Mrs. Gonzales."
"Hola, Señorita Mercy." The older woman nodded.
"Are you making dinner?"
"Sí. Your sister has been very stressed so I will make one of her favorite meals."
"That's so sweet of you, Mrs. Gonzales." Mercedes Catherine sat down at the counter.
Mrs. Gonzales nodded. "Is it not time for you to complete your rituals?"
"I'm waiting on Marcy." Mercedes Catherine sighed. "I wonder what she's doing right now."
M-
"That was a bust." Marceline Anne muttered.
"That was not a good house." Jeanette agreed as she buckled up.
"I say one more house. I'm tired and I'm angry."
"I'm sorry. I didn't think about how tough it'd be for you."
"It's not your fault. I'm just irritable right now. I'm not in a good mood."
"Why not?"
Marceline Anne looked at her briefly before watching where she was driving. "I'm naturally in a bad mood most of the time."
Jeanette smiled until she realized Marceline Anne wasn't joking. "Oh. How does Malcolm deal with that?"
"I don't know. I don't think he's realized that this is my default."
Jeanette frowned. "He has such terrible moods sometimes. He has such… I don't know what to call it. It's inside him."
"Wildness." Marceline Anne leaned over to whisper before straightening.
"Wildness?" Jeanette was shocked. "You think my son is wild?"
"I know he is. You can see it in his eyes, his movements, hear it in his voice and what he says. He's a lion."
Jeanette's mouth fell open. No one had ever described Malcolm as wild before. Everyone thought he was mild. Was this a good thing? Did he show her something he didn't show the world? "Oh."
"He can't be handled. You have to take him as he is."
"My Malcolm?" Mrs. Chang couldn't believe it.
"He's been playing by everyone's rules his whole life but it's wearing on him. He's going to unleash the beast. Soon." Marceline Anne predicted.
Jeanette frowned as she thought back on her children's childhoods and what she knew of them. "You haven't spent much time with Michael or Madeline, have you?"
"I haven't spent much time with Malcolm."
Jeanette blinked. "You haven't?"
"Nope."
"I thought you two were dating?"
"I've never been on a date."
"Never?"
"No."
"Malcolm never asked you out?! I am furious with him-!"
"Mrs. Chang! He asked me out. I blew him off."
Jeanette looked at her in surprise. "Blew him off?"
"I kissed him then dipped on him."
"Dipped on him? What does that mean?"
"I left him. He asked me out and instead of saying anything, I kissed him. I left him a birthday present as a goodbye and I hadn't seen him since. Until this week."
"How did that happen?"
"Mercy and Michael. I don't know how they met but your sons just showed up on our doorstep."
"You think they forced you and Malcolm together?"
"I know they did. I hadn't talked to him in nearly two months and suddenly he's in our house the day after I tell my sister his name? I was born at night; not last night."
Jeanette was startled into laughing. By the time she pulled herself together, they'd stopped. "Are you marrying my son?"
"We're here." Marceline Anne avoided the question.
Jeanette looked at the house. "Yes."
Marceline Anne turned off the car and got out. She went around the car as Jeanette got out. Both walked up the cleared walkway.
Jeanette knocked on the door. It opened and a tall, slender man smiled out at them. "Are you here for the open house?"
"Yes. We saw your flyer in a yard and decided to come." Jeanette smiled back.
"Well welcome!" He opened the door wide. "There isn't a good many people here so you can look at your leisure."
"Thank you." Jeanette helped Marceline Anne inside.
"Please wipe your feet." He pointed to their boots. "These are all hardwood and marble floors."
"Of course." Both wiped their feet thoroughly.
"Right this way. We're starting in the living room." He urged them to the left. "My name is Kent Bryant. Who might you lovely young ladies be?"
"I'm Mrs. Chang and this is my daughter-in-law." Jeanette liked his manners.
"Aw! Both of you are taken!" He snapped his fingers.
"We're so sorry." Marceline Anne said dryly. "If we'd have known we would meet you some day, we would have stayed single."
He burst out laughing. "I like you!"
Jeanette giggled. Marceline Anne was such a character. She was quickly becoming her new favorite person. "So do I."
"Well, ladies, this is the rest of the group." He introduced them to everyone else. "The Houseleys, the MacGregors and Mrs. Olsen."
"Hello." The pair nodded to the others.
"These are the Changs."
"Hello!" The others smiled.
"Okay, let's start here." Kent went around the room. "There's Ekena Millwork Rose door and window casing, ivory wainscoting, scrollwork crown molding and the trim has been stained. The entire room is 525 sq. ft. One of the features that I truly love are the built-in bookcases."
"Are these the original woodworkings?" Mr. Houseley asked.
"Unfortunately no. The entire home was torn down and rebuilt in 2000."
Mr. Houseley frowned. "Oh. We were interested in an older home."
"I have other listings that may interest you. Would you like to stay on the tour?"
Mr. Houseley conferred with his wife. "We should go but I'll definitely call you to get those other listings from you."
"Please take a cookie on the way out. Shut the door firmly." Kent nodded.
The Houseleys left.
"Any questions for this room?"
Everyone said no.
"Please follow me out and marvel at the white glass paneled French sliding doors that close this room on the way around the grand staircase to the dining room."
They all followed him to the open dining room.
He pointed to the window seat and rich dark paneling. "This room is 500 sq. ft. It'll fit two tables and as many chairs as can fit around them."
"I would paint this room purple." Mrs. MacGregor whispered to her husband.
Marceline Anne looked at Jeanette in horror. "Not my house she's not!"
Jeanette bit back a laugh. "What color would you paint it?"
"Spice."
Jeanette was surprised. "I thought you hated orange?"
"He loves it."
Jeanette smiled. "If it looks this good throughout the whole house, she will not be painting your dining room purple."
Marceline Anne beamed, showing off her even teeth.
Kent led the way out. "This is the hallway to the office."
"Office?" One of the MacGregor kids asked.
"Yes." He smiled down at her. "It's 430 sq. ft and also has built-in bookshelves. It's a bit dark with dark wood paneling but it has a few windows so it's not too dark."
They entered the room and Marceline Anne loved it. She could see herself writing in there.
Jeanette loved it as well. It reminded her of her father's office in Japan.
Both looked at each other with smiles.
"Let's go to the full bath that's down here." Kent showed them next door.
The bathroom was a starling white with a drop-in bathtub, a very opal white toilet and sink with vanity. There was a mirror above the sink and the vanity was large and oak.
"All the bathrooms have toilets that are also bidets and have heated seats. The water pressure is great so the water goes down quickly and also great for the showers." Kent said. "Next is the kitchen/den combo."
They went down the hall and the marble stopped. Carpet began in an oatmeal. The space was large and open feeling. There was some built-in bookshelves but not many. There was a large fireplace and mantle with a black iron grate and pokers.
To the right and up three small brown tiled steps was the kitchen.
The kitchen resembled the office in that it was dark. The many cabinets were black. There were three ovens, two built into a wall, one in the large island. There was a large black fridge that was deep in the wall.
There was plenty of counter space and the porcelain double farmhouse sink was under a window. It was white and sparkled in the waning sun. There were drawers everywhere and plenty of space for everything one would ever need but there was also a door.
"What's this?" A MacGregor kid asked.
"This-" Kent pulled back the accordion door. "Is a pantry."
"It's so big, dear." Mrs. Olsen peeked inside.
"The dishwasher is in the island, the garbage disposal is under the left sink and you can buy any stools you want for the island.
But you also can put a table and chairs in this nook." He pointed to the bay windows.
"What color would you paint this room?" Jeanette asked.
"Cinnamon." Marceline Anne answered at once.
Jeanette made an approving sound. "Red and black goes well together."
"Let me show you the backyard." Kent went back down into the den and went to a sliding door. "It sits on an acre of land so you have room and privacy to do whatever you want."
Privacy was the very right word for Marceline Anne to hear. She wanted this house.
"Let's go next door to the playroom." Kent led the way out. He went back down the hallway then followed the curve to the right. "It doesn't have a door but you could easily put one up."
One of the MacGregor kids, another girl, ran around the room. "It's pink!"
"What do you think?" Jeanette couldn't wait to hear Marceline Anne's thoughts.
But they turned out to be mild. "I think I'd do a lighter pink. Like bubblegum pink. Then also a baby blue, a lavender and a mint green. Butter yellow and white."
"Aww! I love it." Jeanette could see it. "Like the rainbow?"
"Sort of. The ceiling would be butter with white carpeting and each wall would be a solid color with grey stencils. Something cute like animals."
"That's so beautiful."
Kent, who'd overheard, smiled. "This next room is empty but could be used for anything, including another bedroom."
They went next door and it was indeed empty. It had the same woodworking as the rest of the house but seemed a lot barer. It had plenty of windows on only one wall.
Kent led them out and to the laundry room. It held a sink and washer/dryer hookup with carpet. They had to step down two steps to get in. "Let's go upstairs."
He led the way out past other empty rooms and up the beautiful winding brown wooden staircase. It was all connected and very sturdy.
Upstairs had a balcony that overlooked the foyer. The upstairs was shaped like downstairs- a circle. They started on the right and were shown a large room with an even bigger closet.
The next five rooms were just like it with two identical bathrooms with spacing bathtubs and large standing showers with glass doors and large vanities under pink sinks.
Kent saved the master for last. It was by far the biggest room. It opened up into a sitting room and had three doors, one of which was French double doors.
The French doors led to a closet that no one could turn down but another door led to the bathroom. It held a standing shower with a waterfall showerhead and controls from a completely immersive shower.
It also had a two sink grain vanity, a giant combination bathtub and sparkling toilet. The oval mirrors above the sinks opened into medicine cabinets.
There was also a large closet with shelves to put towels and supplies and the windows were high up so no one could see inside much.
Kent led them out into the sitting room then into the last room. It was the smallest of the three rooms but it had plenty of windows and a sliding door led to a wraparound balcony.
"Let's check out the basement and garage and on the way, we'll check out all the closets." Kent suggested with a smile, ignoring the large insulated attic.
So they did. The basement was large and finished with rich oatmeal carpeting and a bathroom and the garage was an eight car garage with plenty of room for storage. As for closet space; it was extraordinary.
"Please take a cookie and ask any questions you want. There's also juice and coffee." Kent clasped his hands in front of himself.
Mrs. Olsen declined, saying the house was too big for her so she left. Kent gave her his business card for more listings.
The remaining families asked questions, mostly pertaining to the building. They were all surprised when Marceline Anne asked in-depth, thorough questions.
Kent answered each.
Mr. MacGregor finally asked the million dollar question; how much did it cost?
Kent cleared his throat "2.5 million but it's really a steal."
The MacGregors gaped as Marceline Anne asked "Why?"
"Why is it 2.5-?"
"No. Why is it a steal?" She stared at him steadily.
He gulped. "I'm legally obligated to tell you. Someone died here."
"So?"
They all were stunned at that.
"Mommy!" One of the MacGregor kids cried.
"We're not staying in a haunted house." Mr. MacGregor proclaimed. "Let's go!"
"I have other listings!" Kent tried.
The MacGregors got snacks and while no one was looking, the smallest toddled over to Marceline Anne. She looked down as the little boy clutched her jeans.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Mrs. MacGregor noticed.
"It's no problem." Marceline Anne lifted him. She poked his belly and he fell into giggles. She made faces at him and he almost could not keep his pacifier in.
Mrs. MacGregor took him back. "You're pretty good with kids."
Marceline Anne just inclined her head.
"Well good luck with the haunted house." Mrs. MacGregor whistled and her troop followed her out.
Marceline Anne waited for them to be gone before facing Kent. "How many offers do you have on this house?"
"A few." He evaded.
"Or none because you keep telling people someone died in it and they're all chickenshit."
"Skeptics never stay."
"I'm not a skeptic. I'm a realist. Ghosts don't exist and even if they did, what could they possible do to me? Either they're lame and can't harm me or they kill me and we'd be on an even playing field for me to torment them for the rest of eternity."
He didn't know what to say to that so he looked at Jeanette, who smiled. "When can we move in?"
M-
Mercedes Catherine was getting worried when Marceline Anne blew in. "You're home!"
"Yeah, sorry if you were waiting on me." She sat in a chair in the den. "We saw so many houses but we found the perfect one. We put in an offer but I know the bank is going to accept it."
"The bank owns it?"
"Yeah, it was foreclosed on."
"Did they tell you why?"
"The owners stopped paying the mortgage when they got scared and left."
"Why'd they get scared?"
"Someone died in the house."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"That's fascinating."
"Boring to me." Marceline Anne shrugged. "Have you done anything?"
"Nope."
"Well let's get started."