Chapter 519: Mrs. Ivanova's Cottage
Monday, February 20th, Afternoon
The rental car wasn't great, but it would do. One thing he could say was the streets were clean, and the trees were well kept. It had been a while since he had been in this city on the Atlantic Coast. It was twenty-two years exactly before his first visit, the one time he came here with Jocelyn to meet her family for the first time. A few months ago was his last, and that was the last time he had been here, before now.
Damian Gannon took a glance at the passenger seat. His fifteen-year-old daughter, Jordan, sat there with her nose in her smartphone. Such as teenagers do now, Damian reflected. So close but so distant, Damian hardly knew his daughter, being away while she was growing up. Displacing her from town to town as she just started to settle in. Jocelyn had kept the household and Jordan on some sort of even footing. He missed Jocelyn.
"This sucks," Jordan said.
"Life sucks," Damian said, looking at the street signs.
"Are we lost?" Jordan asked.
"No, we're not lost," Damian said.
"You're just saying that," Jordan said.
"No," Damian replied.
"Why do we have to move here?" Why couldn't we stay in Texas? I like Texas," Jordan said.
"You like Texas?" Damian asked.
"It was better than Kansas," Jordan said, "Not as good as Colorado, but that's not the point. Why do we have to move here?"
"Well, your Momma's family is from here, and she wanted you to get to know them," Damian said.
Jordan shook her head, "So we're moving here so I can get to know strangers?" she asked.
"Among other reasons," Damian said.
"I've met them," Jordan said.
"Few times, but it's what your Momma wanted," Damian said, reiterating that the primary reason was to reinforce self.
Jordan sighed, "Why couldn't we move closer to Grandpa William and Grandma Danielle? At least they're fun," Jordan said.
"How do you know your Momma's family isn't fun? You only met them a few times?" Damian asked.
"Well, maybe because I've only met them a few times," Jordan said.
"So far," Damian said, "and you'll get a chance to get to know them better."
"Yeah, right," Jordan said.
"You will; you have a cousin your age that lives here," Damian said.
Jordan sighed, "I know about Cousin Joce," she said, "Doesn't it seem odd that her name is like Momma's?"
"Your Uncle Porter and your Momma were close when they were younger," Damian said.
"So, you would have named me Porter if I was a boy?" Jordan asked.
"No, your Momma didn't like the name Porter," Damian said and looked at the house, "Well, this is the place."
He pulled the rental car over and parked. They got out and walked towards the cottage. Damian was just shy of six feet tall and was stoutly built. Jordan was only a few inches shorter than Damian, both were black-haired, and Damian had blue eyes; Jordan's eyes were best described as grey.
The Realtor walked over to them, "Mister Gannon?" she asked.
"Yes, and this is my daughter, Jordan," Damian said.
"Well, welcome to Tree Hill; this is the house you expressed interest in," The Realtor said.
"It looks like the one from online," Damian said.
"Well, I'd like to apologize for the weather; it's been a weird winter," The Realtor said.
"It's okay," Damian said.
"So, where are you moving from?" The Realtor asked.
"Texas," Jordan said.
"Texas?" The Realtor asked.
Damian nodded, "Yes, El Paso," he said.
"So, why move all the way here?" The Realtor asked.
"We have family local," Damian said.
"My Uncle lives near here," Jordan said.
The Realtor nodded, "That's nice," she said, "So, would Mrs. Gannon join us?"
Damian shook his head, "No, there's no Mrs. Gannon," he said.
"Another Mister Gannon?" The Realtor asked.
Damian shook his head, "No, I'm a widower," he said.
Jordan nodded, "My Momma died in a car accident a few months ago," she said.
"On! I'm so sorry," The Realtor said, "So, the cottage is a two-bedroom, two full bathrooms, a great room, a dining room, and a kitchen. The school district is good, and you won't be far from the center of town where there is shopping."
Damian nodded, "Sounds good; let's take a look inside," he said.
"Follow me," The Realtor said and led Damian and Jordan into the house, "This is the Great Room; as you can see, it's an open concept, there's a working fireplace, and it opens up to the Dining Room," The Realtor said in the empty Great Room which took up most of the first floor, which the Great Room part vaulted up to the second floor, then she leads them to the Dining Room of the house where the Small Kitchen was also located, "This is the kitchen, with a Breakfast Bar and the French Doors lead out to the backyard. The previous owner had a small garden," The Realtor looked them over, "Any questions so far?"
Damian shook his head, "No," he said.
"No," Jordan said.
The Realtor nodded and led them down a small hallway. She opened one door.
"This is the Utility Room with hook-ups for a washer and drier, and it also leads out to the deck and the backyard," she said, and closed that door and opened another one, "This is the Downstairs Full Bath, pretty straight forward, bathtub/shower combo, and such," she closed the door and opened the third door, "This is the Small Bedroom, the bi-folding doors lead to the closet, I think this would be perfect for you Jordan."
Jordan shrugged, "Maybe," she said.
Damian just nodded.
"Any questions so far?" The Realtor asked.
"No," Damian said.
Jordan shook her head this time, "No," she said.
"Okay, moving on to the second floor," The Realtor said and closed the bedroom door.
The Realtor led them upstairs and showed them the Loft Space, "This is the Loft, which would make a great home office or TV Room. In a pinch, it can serve as another bedroom," she said and opened the one door in the Loft. She led them into the Master Bedroom, "This is the Master Bedroom, it's just a fair bit bigger than the Downstairs Bedroom, but the real selling point in the Master Bathroom, with the shower stall and the Jacuzzi Bath, there is also a walk-in closet off the Mater Bath," she finished.
Damian nodded, and Jordan looked around the bathroom.
"It's a nice room, isn't it?" The Realtor asked.
Jordan nodded, "Yes, it is," she said.
Damian nodded, "Yes, it is," he said.
"Any questions?" The Realtor asked.
Jordan shook her head.
"No," Damian said.
The tour ended, and they ended up on the porch. The Realtor looked at Damian, "What do you think?" she asked.
"I'll keep it in mind," Damian said and guided Jordan back towards the street. As they walked down the walk, Damian looked over to see a tall redhead walking down the neighboring front walk. He noticed she was dressed fashionably, but something told him she was all business.
Damian nodded and showed Jordan to their rental car. They had other appointments to make today.
Jordan looked over to her dad, "So, you were checking out the redhead, weren't you, Dad?" she asked.
"What? No, I wasn't," Damian said.
"Dad, you don't have to lie to me; she looked beautiful," Jordan said, "I wonder where she was going with those bags?"
"A trip?" Damian asked.
"They were briefcases and a portfolio case, Dad," Jordan said.
"Then to work, Jordan," Damian said.
"Still, she was rather attractive," Jordan said.
Damian sighed, "Well, it ain't going to happen," he said.
"Dad, what's wrong with it happening?" Jordan asked.
"You're Momma, for one," Damian said, "Anyways, you didn't want to move here; you wanted to stay in El Paso."
"I do, but you don't have to be a monk, either," Jordan said.
"I'm not a monk; I'm a dad raising a fifteen-year-old daughter," Damian said.
Jordan reached for her phone, "You can have a life," she said.
"What about your, Momma?" Damian asked.
Jordan sighed, "I miss Momma, but Dad, let's face it, you need help, and Momma was that help, and well, it could help you move on," she said.
"What are you talking about?" Damian asked.
"Someone said to get over someone, get under someone else," Jordan said.
"Jordan Elizabeth Gannon," Damian said, "One, where did you hear that? Two, it's none of your business, and three, why do you want me to move on so soon from your Momma?"
"Dad, it's what Momma would have wanted," Jordan said, "You know she was practical like that."
"I don't want to talk about it," Damian said, "Especially with my fifteen-year-old daughter."
"You never do," Jordan said.
"So, what do you think of the place?" Damian asked.
"Nice subject changed, Dad," Jordan said.
"Stay on subject," Damian said.
"So, we're back to the redhead?" Jordan asked.
"No, the cottage," Damian said.
"Oh, well, it's not base housing," Jordan said, "It's a nice house; I couldn't believe that master bath."
Damian chuckled, "Don't plan on moving on just yet; we have other places to look at," he said.
"I know, Dad, but this one has the redhead," Jordan said.
"Enough with that, let's get ready for the next house," Damian said.
"Okay, Dad, but I didn't think another redhead would be there," Jordan said.
Damian just rolled his eyes, started the rental car, and drove off to their next appointment.
