Chapter 2

Karen returned home at the end of the weekend with a list of things she needed to do. She also left a list with him. She had a feeling he really wouldn't do any of them, but she thought it was worth a try.

House looked at the list once and stuffed it in his pocket. When she called him on Tuesday, she asked if he had started anything. He hedged a bit and she realized it wasn't going to happen.

On Wednesday when they spoke, she asked, "Would it be okay if I spent all of next week with you?"

"What about the spawns?"

"Frank is going to take the kids camping. He's been doing that for years. They enjoy it. And I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to get some things taken care of there that I can't do on the weekends."

"Like what?"

"Well, registering the kids for school for one. Finding a bank and doctors, all those sorts of things."

"I can find you doctors. In fact, you'd better let me do that."

"Sure." She hesitated. "Don't you want me there for the week?"

"I didn't say that. I was just wondering what you're gonna do, since I'll be working."

"And that's another thing. I can start looking for a job. I'm going to try to set up some interviews and also sign up with a temp agency."

"Good idea."

"And I can also help you start packing."

"Oh joy!"

"I'll also have dinner for you when you come home from work. Not to mention sex every night."

"There is that."

When she arrived on Friday, he avoided the packing or planning by shuffling her directly into bed. She didn't complain.

But Karen was the type of person who planned and prepared. She did not want to wait until the last minute. So even though he complained that they weren't moving into the house until August 15, when they woke on Saturday, she hussled him out of bed and out of the apartment to do some shopping.

First on her list was the furniture they needed. She wanted a sofa and chair for the living room and a coffee table. That was all. His piano would fill the room and make it elegant. It was a room for she and him to sit while he played with her reading perhaps.

So a floor lamp as well. But she was keeping it simple.

Then there was a dresser for her and also the kitchen table and chairs and maybe the dining room.

They walked into a very nice furniture store and headed for the area where the sofas were. House immediately plopped down on one and put his feet up and lay prone.

"Greg!" Karen admonished him. "Take your feet off that sofa!"

"Why? It's a sofa. I need to see if it'll be comfortable enough to take a nap on."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm hoping you don't decide to nap on our new sofa, but if you do, I'm hoping you'll take your shoes off."

"Okay." He said and reached down to untie his shoes.

"Not here!" she said and reached down to pull him up. "Please, keep your shoes on and let's just look around to see what we like. Do you have any preferences when it comes to sofas?"

"Of course I do."

Karen smiled, glad that he was interested in the furniture. "Great. What did you have in mind?"

"Something comfortable enough to have sex on."

She gave him an open-mouthed stare, then just shook her head and walked away.

"What?" he said, as he followed her. "Isn't that the most important reason to get a sofa?"

"No." She kept walking, ignoring his comments as she browsed the sofas. She sat on several and glared at him so that he wouldn't lay down on any of them.

He grumbled and finally found a leather recliner to relax in. "I'll be here. Let me know when you find something."

She just shook her head again and continued walking around the store. There were several nice ones, but nothing that caught her eye, until she saw it. It was simple and modern, with a brown upholstered frame, white seat cushions and pillows in shades of rust and brown for the back. There was also a swivel chair that matched. It was precisely what she was looking for.

She went to get House and found him dozing in the recliner. She shook him gently and led him to the pieces she'd found.

He sat on the sofa. Then he pulled out the pillows from the back and sat again.

"Sit here and let me put this pillow under your ass. It might work."

"Greg." The one word said it all and he shrugged.

"If it's what you want, I don't care."

"I just think, it has very bold colors. With the large white room and just this sofa and chair and your piano, it would be very striking."

"Karen, I don't care if it's purple with pink polka dots. Well, maybe I would, but it doesn't matter. If you like it, it's fine."

"You don't think it's too much money?"

He glanced at the price tag. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't out of range for quality furniture.

"No problem."

She bit her lip. "I could pay for some of it. Once I get a job at least."

"Karen, I told you before, I don't expect you to pay for stuff. At least not now."

She nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you, Greg."

"You can show your appreciation later."

They found a salesclerk and ordered the furniture. When she was finished at the furniture store, she asked him where IKEA was.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I love IKEA and Frank hated it, so I could never buy any furniture there, though I did have some kitchen stuff and gadgets. They have great tables and chairs and stuff."

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. I just want to get this done and go home."

"Oh, and they have great Swedish Meatballs in their café."

"Food?" House was interested now. "A furniture store that has food?"

"It's not just a furniture store. They have so much stuff. And a really nice café with really good food."

He drove them to the store's location. The big bright block letters announcing IKEA were hard to miss.

Karen decided that feeding him first might be the best idea. They went to the café, grabbed trays and got in line. A few minutes later, they were seated with plates of Swedish Meatballs, glasses of iced tea and slices of almond cake in front of them.

House enjoyed the food and was more amenable to her shopping. However, the names of the furniture – the Swedish names amused him.

"Durski merski bork- bork-bork." He said with a grin.

She glanced at him. "Okay, I have kids so of course I know the Swedish Chef. But how do you?"

"Hey, do you think I never saw the Muppets? They're cool."

She just smiled. But by the time he'd said the line every time she read the name of a table or chairs, she wasn't smiling any longer.

"You have officially worn out that joke. Can you please stop?"

The evil grin he gave her told her that no way was he stopping.

She selected a kitchen table – very modern with steel legs and birch colored top and four chairs to go with it – birch veneer with chrome frame.

She also found a dining table in brown/black and six upholstered dining chairs with a black and white floral pattern on them.

She selected a dresser that wouldn't clash with his furniture and finally a royal blue sofa bed for the loft area between the kids' bedrooms. She pictured it as a place where they could be with their friends and maybe have sleepovers. Since they would have to make new friends in Princeton, she wanted to make a nice space for that. Also, if any of their old friends came to spend a weekend, their was room.

She knew they needed to get some accessories and other things, but that could wait. She ordered everything she wanted and arranged to pick it up after they moved in.

"Can we go home now?" he asked her.

"Yes."

"Halleluiah!"