Chapter 72: The Makeover Home Edition
"Are you sure it's okay I come?" Rosa hesitantly inquires to Eddie as Jamie throws a couple of bags into the trunk of the Chevelle.
"Of course it's okay." Eddie immediately replies "It will just save us from having to constantly call you when she asks us to do crazy things like climb a tree!" she laughs.
…..
"Oh my goodness." Rosa breathes out in awe from the backseat as she gets her first real look at Jamie and Eddie's house.
"Oh. My. God." Eddie breathes out in complete shock as she takes in the well manicured landscaping and repainted fence and house.
"Well geez." Jamie breathes out in amazement as he simply stops the car in the driveway to stare at what almost looks like a completely different house to him. "Did I pull into the right driveway?"
"You… you did." Eddie admits in awe as she opens her door to get out as Jamie does the same. They move their seats so Rosa and Mia can get out but neither can stop glancing back at the house.
"This looks nothing like it did the last time I was here." Mia points out.
Suddenly the front door opens and Henry and Sean come outside "WELL?" Sean hopefully prompts as they walk down the steps towards them.
Eddie opens her mouth to speak but she can't seem to find the right words so she just reaches out and pulls Sean into a big, big hug squeezing him tight in appreciation.
"I'm in awe." Jamie admits.
Henry smiles and chuckles "You haven't seen anything yet."
"YOUHOO!" A female voice from down the street suddenly calls.
Everyone turns to look to see a woman pushing a stroller hurrying towards them.
"Oh here she comes." Henry chuckles.
"And she is?" Eddie prompts.
"Your neighbor, Mrs. Marshawitz." Sean explains "Remember we said some of your neighbors want to hire me? She's at the top of the list. Asks me every time she sees I'm here."
"Why don't you just say yes then?" Rosa questions "Work is work."
"Sean, Henry!" Mrs. Marshawitz greets as she walks up and stops but the second she does, the baby in her stroller starts to cry. "Okay, okay." She soothes as the woman starts pushing the stroller back and forth trying to calm the baby "We'll keep going in a minute I promise. Sorry." She apologizes "Sometimes the only thing that keeps him quiet is the rolling of the stroller."
But it doesn't work and the baby keeps crying. "Come on!" the woman pleads "Just give me 2 minutes please!"
Without even really thinking about it, Rosa steps forward "May I?" She inquires as she gestures to the baby.
The woman looks a bit sideways at her.
"It's okay." Henry promises Mrs. Marshawitz "This is Rosa and her daughter Mia." He introduces.
"Hi!" Mia greets with a sweeping semi circle arch wave of her hand.
"Rosa runs a daycare service in the city." Henry helpfully tacks on as reassurance.
The woman eyes Rosa another second then gestures for her to go ahead.
She watches Rosa pick her son up and begin to walk around soothing him. In a few moments he quiets down to a whimper and then silence.
The woman's mouth falls open "How did you do that?" She demands "Nevermind, I don't care. Do you want a job? I need a nanny." She flat out and very seriously states.
Rosa looks over at her in surprise "Um…" She laughs.
Used to getting her way the woman adds "Whatever your rate is, I'll double it."
"As flattered as I am." Rosa dismissively laughs "I'm just here for the day."
"I'll triple it." The woman counters like its nothing.
Rosa looks at the woman like she's nuts "You don't even know me…" She slowly states.
"I know my kid and you're the first person to be able to do that and if Henry vouches for you good enough for me. Look just name your rate okay? Here's my card." She adds as she pulls one out of the pocket of her baby stroller "I officially go back to work in one week and need a you to look after him."
"Um…" Rosa hesitates as she looks around at everyone wondering what to do when Marshawitz's phone rings. She pulls it out and looks at it "Ugh, hang on I have to take this." She states as she steps away to answer her phone "Marshawitz what have we got?" She demands into the device.
"What just happened?" Rosa laughs in confused awe as she faces everyone.
"You just got a job offer from the richest woman on the block." Henry explains "I say ask for $300 a day."
"What?" Rosa laughs "That's insane! I can't take on a nanny job out here!"
"Why not?" Henry questions.
"Because I live an hour away and already have three kids that I take care of!"
"But its not enough." Eddie slowly reasons out "Right?"
Rosa turns to look at Eddie.
"She said she'd triple your rate." Henry points out "Maybe we should go higher then $300…"
Rosa turns to look at Henry – completely speechless – then turns to look at Jamie seeking his level headed voice of reason that this is indeed the craziest of all ideas but all she gets from him is a non comital shrug.
Suddenly Marshawitz walks back to the group "Sorry about that."
Eddie steps towards her, plasters a smile on her face and offers her hand out "Hi I'm Eddie, this is my husband Jamie, we are actually the owners of this house."
"Oh you do exist!" The woman laughs "I was beginning to think Henry was pulling my leg!"
"No we're real." Eddie insists with a laugh.
Suddenly Marshawitz notices Eddie's pregnant belly – "Oh geez is she your nanny? Am I trying to poach her?"
"Ah no, not our Nanny." Eddie laughs "She's family."
"Great!" Marshawitz quips before turning her attention back to Rosa "So is that a yes?" She pushes.
Rosa just continues to stare at her dumbfounded.
Marshawitz's cellphone rings again. She whips it out and answers it "I said I'd call you in 5 minutes when I was back in front of my computer – it hasn't even been 2!" she chides as she gestures for Rosa to return her son to the stroller.
Rosa complies and as she stands back up Marshawitz catches her eye "You call me." She seriously tells Rosa "Need you by next week." She adds before turning the stroller and heading down the sidewalk just as quick as she appeared.
Rosa watches her go then turns back to the group "Wow. She's a hoot." She deflects not really wanting to belief what just happened was real.
"She's serious." Henry points out.
Rosa continues her denial "No she's not." She rejects "So let's see this house Mia has been talking non stop about since your call. I want to see how much she's been over exaggerating!"
"Hey!" Mia protests as they all walk up the path to the front door but as they go Rosa can't help but glance in the direction the woman went…
…..
"Now keep an open mind…" Sean prompts as he puts his hand on the master bedroom doorknob.
"About what?" Eddie questions.
"This." Sean adds before opening the door wide.
Eddie's mouth practically falls to the floor when she sees her parent's old room with a fresh coat of paint and a new floor laid down.
The room looked completely different…
"Well?" Henry prompts as everyone walks in the room to look around.
"I'm ah… I'm a bit speechless." Eddie again admits in awe "But this… this wasn't on the list…" She states in confusion as she looks back and forth between Sean and Henry.
"Well we know it wasn't on the list…" Henry begins as Mia makes her way over to the window to look out into the back yard. "But we wanted to give you a chance to see the room in a new light…" He adds as Mia's eyes go wide when they land on her climbing tree…
"Oh my god." Mia breathes out before suddenly turning and bolting out of the room.
Jamie, Eddie and Rosa all turn to watch her leave in confusion.
"WHAT?" Rosa calls after her.
Sean leans over to Henry "You think she noticed?"
Henry chuckles in amusement "Oh yeah. She noticed."
Jamie suspiciously eyes his grandfather and nephew then moves to look out the window himself "Whoa." He breathes out in shock "Is… is that a treehouse?"
"Yup!" Henry proudly boasts.
"What?" Eddie tacks on in surprise as she and Rosa move to look out the window while Jamie just turns and heads for the exit. "Oh wow." Eddie exclaims with wide eyes the second they land on the structure in the tree "Rosa come on!" She prompts as she too turns and heads for the door.
Everyone makes their way down the stairs, through the living room, into the kitchen and out the backdoor.
"THIS IS THE COOLEST THING EVER!" Mia excitedly calls from inside the treehouse "I could live out here in the summer! Like literally LIVE OUT HERE!"
Standing in her backyard looking up at what can only be described as every child's dream treehouse in absolute amazement, Eddie is hit with an epiphany "Jamie." She suddenly states "Can I talk to you a second please? We'll be right back everyone." She promises as she picks up her husband's hand and practically drags him with her back into the house.
"Eddie." He laughs "What are you doing?"
"Jamie, I have a crazy idea." Eddie states as she turns to face him, her eyes wild with wonder "Let's live here."
"What?" Jamie repeats again – this time in shock and surprise.
"Hear me out." Eddie insists "I know we can't afford this place on our own but what if we weren't on our own." She adds "What if Rosa and Mia moved in with us?"
"What?" Jamie repeats yet again.
"Rosa is struggling to keep her head above water back in the city right?"
"Right." Jamie slowly agrees.
"Well she's been here all of 5 minutes and already has a job offer – a great one!" Eddie points out "If we combine our resources it's a win, win for everyone – there is no mortgage or rent – just utilities, taxes and upkeep."
Jamie runs a hand over his face as he ponders the idea.
Silence.
"Come on." Eddie finally prompts seeing the wheels turning in his brain "You know I'm right. We were close with our promotions right? With Rosa's help it would put us over the top! This could work!" she insists.
Jamie simply stares at his wife another moment "You think she'd go for it?" He finally wonders "What about Mia and school?"
"Jamie, Mia just said she wants to live in the treehouse." Eddie points out as her eyes drift over to the pantry door.
"Well it's one thing to say it and another thing to actually have the possibility be real." Jamie counters as Eddie walks over, opens the pantry door and shuts it.
It clicks into place as a normal pantry door should "They fixed the door." She breathes out. "Jamie they even fixed the pantry door! I mean the work they put into this house. I… I know we said it was so it would sell faster but Jamie… everything they've done – I love it!"
Jamie eyes his wife "So you'd be okay with bunking in your parent's old room now?" he curiously inquires.
"Bunking?" Eddie laughs.
Jamie rolls his eyes "You know what I mean."
"I do." Eddie relents "With the new wall color, new flooring, add in our furniture and yeah I think I would be. Besides every house we've looked at I just end up comparing it to this one and none of them have measured up. None of them!"
"I know." Jamie admits "For me too."
A smile appears on Eddie's face at his admission "Really?"
Jamie nods.
"So?" Eddie hopefully prompts "What do you think of my idea then?"
Jamie shrugs "I'm okay with it. Question is would Rosa go for it."
"Only one way to find out." Eddie decides as she heads for the back door and swings it open "ROSA!" She calls.
Rosa turns her head to look back towards the house.
"Could you join Jamie and I for a moment please?" Eddie calls so Rosa heads back towards the house.
"What's up?" She questions as she walks into the kitchen.
"Eddie has a crazy idea." Jamie begins as Eddie eagerly smiles brightly and repeatedly nods her head up and down.
...
