Chapter 37- Cleo's POV

Sitting on the edge of my bathtub, my feet planted firmly on the rug, I stretch my arms. Then I pick Isla up from where she had been crawling around on the bathmat and lower both her and myself into the warm water. After exactly ten seconds, the two of us change. Isla giggles and moves her tail around, splashing me. "Hey," I laugh, turning her to face me.

Still smiling, Isla hits the water with her hands. I sputter as some of it hits me in the face. "Oh," I say, "now you're in for it." Quickly, I put my lips against Isla's tummy and give her a raspberry. She squeals with laughter.

"Hey," Lewis says, knocking on the door.

"Come in!" I respond, and he does.

"Woah," laughs Lewis, "what's going on in here?"

"Somebody likes splashing her Mama," I say, mock-glaring at Isla. She smiles and lifts up her arms, a signal that she wants Lewis to hold her.

"No," Lewis says, "I can't pick you up, yet, baby, it's bathtime."

Isla pushes her arms up more persistently.

"Come on, sweetie," I say, grabbing some baby shampoo and squirting some onto her head.

Isla screams, apparently not wanting to have a bath right now. She squirms to get away from me, her face red and wet from tears. "Isla," I say, sternly. "Stop that this second."

Contrary to my direction, Isla continues to wail, her cried getting louder by the second. Lewis tries to help, but his coming near just makes her angrier. From the apartment next door, we hear our neighbor shout, "Keep it down in there!"

I roll my eyes at Lewis. "We need to settle on a house, and soon," I say.

"Well, speaking of that …" Lewis trails off and grins sheepishly at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Get Isla dry," he responds, "and I'll show you."

Lewis leaves the bathroom and I quickly finish washing Isla and then lift her over the side of the bathtub and towel-her until she turns human again. Finally happy, my baby begins to crawl around the fuzzy rug and chews on her teething ring.

I drain the tub and then dry myself off with the hairdryer. Once I change, I get up and put on a blue tanktop and a pair of jean shorts, swiftly pulling my hair into a ponytail and rubbing lotion on my legs. "Lewis!" I call, walking out of the steamy bathroom with Isla in my arms.

"I'm in the kitchen!" he responds, and I go.

"What's up?" I ask upon entering.

"Well, you were talking about closing in on a house. So the other day, I was driving around town to go the store when I passed a home for sale that was having an open house that day. I stopped in, and, well … it seemed perfect. Affordable, not too small, has a nursery. I really think it could be the one."

I beam, really excited. I've been looking forward to buying a house for our family for a while now. "Can we go see it?" I ask Lewis.

"Now?" he asks. I grin.

"Why not?" I reply, "I'm excited. We can call Emma to babysit."

Lewis raises his eyebrows. "I don't know if they're showing right now," he says.

"Call the realtor. You got their number, right?"

Lewis nods and reaches in his pocket to pull out his phone, dialing the number.

I go to get Isla dressed while he's on the phone.

"Wouldn't you like to have your own house?" I coo to her, pulling a purple short sleeve over her head and then putting a white pair of leggings on her chubby legs. "A big backyard, a nice bedroom, a kitchen."

I hear Lewis approaching. "Yes … okay … well thank you so much … okay, bye."

"Good news?" I ask.

Lewis nods. "The realtor- Areesha- has agreed to show us the house in half an hour."

I beam. "Great, I'll call Em."

A couple of minutes later, I dial Emma's number. She picks up after a few rings.

"Hello?" she says from the other side.

"Hey, Em. Lewis and I are going to a house showing. Could you watch Isla?"

"I'm so sorry, Cleo, but I'm actually busy today."

"That's no problem," I say, unfazed. "What are you up to?"

"I have a date."

"Byron again?"

I that can tell Emma is smiling as she responds, "Yeah."

"Awesome. Well have fun."

"Thanks, Cleo. Bye."

"Bye." I hang up the phone.

"Lewis, Emma can't babysit." I call. Lewis comes into the room and frowns.

"Should we call Bella?" he asks.

"She has enough on her hands with Percy and Sophie," I roll my eyes at the girl's name, still unhappy that she's back in our lives. "Rikki?"

Lewis looks unsure. "I don't know if she'd be the best babysitter."

I shrug. "Let's give her a shot. She really has matured."

Agreeing, Lewis nods. I call the curly-headed blonde's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rikki. Lewis and I are going to check out a house. Can you watch Isla while we're gone? It wouldn't be for more than a couple of hours."

"I don't know, Cleo … I've never babysat before," Rikki responds unsurely.

"Rikki, you're a grown woman. I'm sure you can handle our one-year-old for a few hours."

I hear her sigh on the other end. "Fine," Rikki replies. "But I'm coming to your place. I'm not having spit up on my furniture."

"Great," I say happily. "Come over in a minute."

I hang up with Rikki and then, after she arrives, Lewis and I get in our car.

A short drive later, Lewis pulls over in front of a small, blue house. The door is painted green and the front yard has flowers blooming everywhere.

"Here we are!" Lewis says. I grin at him and then get out.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. McCartney," says a woman approaching us. She is short, with wild brown curls. Her deeply tanned skin and smiling eyes make me like her immediately. "I'm Areesha."

After a long while of touring the house, I know this is the one. It's perfect in every way.