Chapter 73: Life Changing Decisions
Rosa looks at Jamie and Eddie dumbfounded "You're right." She slowly admits "That… that is a crazy idea. I mean, I… I can't just pick up and move… can I?" She ponders "I mean what about Mia and school? And Elena, Ben and Sammy? I can't just dump them as clients…"
"Maria and Elena will be fine." Eddie dismisses causing Jamie to turn his head to look at her in surprise at her declaration.
"I… I need some time to think about this." Rosa states "I mean we'd need to set some ground rules or something - I'm not looking for charity."
"And it wouldn't be." Jamie chimes in "It's like Eddie said. We can't afford to live in this house by ourselves but if we combine our resources…"
Rosa blows out a breath of air in response as she ponders the idea.
"And we… we'd come up with some kind of agreement or something…" Jamie adds "Something that lays everything out so there are no misunderstandings about what is expected from either side."
Rosa nods as she ponders that too… "It... it would solve a lot of my financial problems
..."
Just then the back door opens and Henry enters "I don't think she's coming out of that tree." He snickers.
Rosa can't help but huff out a laugh and shake her head in awe "She might not have too." She admits in disbelief.
Henry raises an eyebrow at her.
Rosa plasters a smile on her face "So can a party of two fit up in that house?"
"Absolutely!" Henry boasts in pride "It's very spacious!"
"Okay then." Rosa sighs as she looks at Jamie and Eddie but starts for the door "I'll be in the tree having a chat with my daughter."
Jamie and Eddie nod in understanding "We'll be here." Jamie replies as they watch Rosa walk out the door.
Henry shifts his attention to his grandson and granddaughter in law "So!" He quips "What do you think?"
"Honestly Henry..." Eddie sighs as she moves to hug him "I love it. All of it. The landscaping, the bedroom, the treehouse – you even fixed the pantry door!"
"Good!" Henry accepts "So you'll live here now?"
Eddie pulls back to stare at her grandfather in law in shock while Jamie just starts to laugh in realization.
"What?" Henry defends "You think we built that treehouse for some other schmuck's kids to move in here and use it?"
"And that's why you insisted Mia come along." Jamie deduces.
"Damn straight!" Henry proudly boasts "That young girl's reaction was my ace in the hole! Come on, how could you not live here now knowing that treehouse would be my new great grandchild's dream?"
Jamie shakes his head "We're trying Pop." he admits as Eddie nervously looks out the kitchen window towards the treehouse and as she does she can't help but smile as from that vantage point she has a clear view of the masterpiece it is.
"It really is amazing Henry." Eddie quietly admits as she starts to imagine watching her own child climb the ladder and use it as their own personal little get away.
…..
Jamie and Eddie sit in the living room waiting – Jamie in a camping chair and Eddie in a real chair that Henry had the foresight to have brought over for her. They hear the back door open and a moment later Mia comes running into the room. She stops short at seeing Jamie and Eddie.
They look at her and she looks at them.
She looks she's about to explode with a million thoughts and questions but she says nothing, instead she waits for her Mother to walk in and stand next to her.
"Mia and I talked it over..." Rosa begins "…and provided we can work out the details and Mrs. Marshawitz was serious about her job offer AND I can find suitable placements for Elena, Ben and Sammy…"
"YES!" Mia finally bursts out "IT'S A YEEEESSSSSSSSS!" She cries as she runs over and hugs Jamie tight then moves to hug Eddie although with much more care "Can I pick which room I want?"
"Mia." Rosa immediately warns.
"Right sorry." Mia apologizes as she tries to tone down her excitement "You all have um details to work out first…"
"Yes, thank you." Rosa accepts.
"Well I'll let you do that." Mia relents "In the meantime…" She begins as she slowly starts backing up towards the staircase to the second floor "I'll just… be upstairs… PICKING MY ROOM!" She cries in glee before running up the stairs before anyone can stop her.
Rosa sighs and shakes her head as she watches her go "Well if this was any other situation she likely would have just killed any negotiating power I might have had."
Jamie and Eddie laugh.
"Well luckily its not." Jamie states "Because I'm pretty sure we are all on the same side on this one."
"Definitely." Eddie agrees.
"So can she really choose any room upstairs?" Rosa inquires "Besides the master bedroom of course."
"Well I'm thinking you should probably pick first." Jamie counters.
"Personally, I'll worry about bedrooms later." Rosa rejects "If we are going to do this, we have a lot of other much more pressing details to work out first."
"True." Jamie admits "And no time like the present to get started so pull up a chair Rosa. Let's figure this out."
…..
Henry is upstairs puttering around in the master bedroom when he swears he hears running in the hall.
And more running.
And more running.
He moves out to investigate to see Mia bolting from room to room to room to room over and over and over again.
"Sweet Jesus girl!" Henry lightly admonishes with a chuckle "What on earth are you doing?"
"I'm trying to decide which room I want!" She excitedly exclaims in passing as she just keeps running back and forth between rooms, up and down the hall, in and out. In and out.
"You're what?" Henry laughs.
"We're moving in!" Mia answers as she breezes past Henry to enter a room yet again "All of us! Me, Mom, Uncle Jamie, Aunt Eddie, Reagan and the new baby! I think I want this one." She decides before running out again and into another room "No wait - maybe this one. Ugh I can't decide!"
A wide grin appears on Henry's face "You don't say…" He muses as he starts for the stairs. He descends them and walks into the living room to see Jamie, Eddie and Rosa all with their heads together trying to figure things out. "Well, well, well." He interrupts "I heard some very interesting news from a young lady upstairs. It better be true…" He warns "…otherwise just know you are playing with breaking a frail old man's heart!"
Jamie huffs out a laugh "As long as we can work everything out, yes its true."
"Excellent. Excellent." Henry muses "You just made an old man very happy. I don't know how much longer I have on this earth but now I know my great grandchild will know I gave them that house. Oh!" He adds as he suddenly gets a thought "Sean!" He calls "Sean where are you? I have an idea!" He calls as he heads off in search of his other great grandson.
For a moment Jamie, Eddie and Rosa all remain silent as they watch Henry disappear out the door. A moment later Jamie turns to look between Eddie and Rosa "We're making this work." He definitively decides "Whatever it takes."
"Oh absolutely we are." Eddie agrees as she places her hand on her husband's arm and gives it a gently reassuring squeeze knowing how much Henry's grand gesture gift to his yet unborn great grandchild means to her husband.
Suddenly Mia comes running half way down the stair "Did you work it all out yet?" she impatiently questions "Because I picked a room."
"It better not be the master bedroom!" Rosa calls.
"Of course not." Mia rejects "It's the one across from it."
Eddie immediately huffs out a laugh.
"What?" Rosa questions.
"That was my old room." Eddie explains.
Suddenly Jamie gets a thought "Wait…" He breathes out in remembrance "That's the one with your um…" he insinuates as he taps the floor with his foot.
Eddie immediately nods in confirmation.
"With your what?" Rosa questions
Eddie leans over to her "A floor board is loose. I used to lift it and hide things I didn't want my parents to find."
"Oh." Rosa breathes out.
Jamie leans forward "Yeah don't worry, I'll be nailing that shut."
"What are you three whispering about?" Mia questions as she comes the rest of the way down the stairs.
Suddenly Henry and Sean walk back in the room.
"Okay, I wanted to make it a surprise…" Henry begins "…but this one…" He adds as he gestures to Sean "… and I can't agree on a name so we figured since it's your house, we'll let you decide. Do you prefer 'A Little R 'n R Getaway'…"
"Or…" Sean interrupts "The R 'n R Inn?"
"What?" Jamie laughs.
"The name plate for the treehouse." Henry explains.
"R 'n R?" Rosa questions confused.
"Yeah, Reagan Ruiz…" Henry explains "…or Ruiz Reagan." he adds on as he looks at Mia with a grin "What do ya think?"
Eddie's eyes start to dance in amusement. She opens her mouth to speak but Jamie cuts her off
"No." He rejects "We are not naming our child Ruiz Reagan." He flatly states before looking at Rosa "No offense."
Rosa can't help but chuckle "What?" She muses "Not Irish enough for ya?"
"Oh bummer." Eddie laughs in fake disappointment.
"It has to be Reagan Ruiz." Mia suddenly decides.
All eyes turn to her.
"Because…" Mia adds as her eyes turn giddy with excitement "There already is a Reagan Ruiz." she points out "He has 4 paws and a tail!"
"Oh right." Eddie breathes as she turns to look at Jamie in realization "We'll be living with a… cat…"
Jamie turns his head to look at his wife in wonder - he had never once pictured them having a cat before… a dog? Sure. But a cat? No. "Huh." he mutters out at the thought.
"Oh the cat…" Henry also remembers as he turns and snaps his fingers at Sean "That gives me another idea…" He states before looking at Mia "You noodle on the name..."
"Me?" Mia states in a bit of shock.
"Well yeah." Henry confirms "That treehouse is your house. Yours and that one over there." He adds as he points at Eddie's belly "You are going to have to share it." he sternly instructs "I don't want any fighting over this house do you understand me?"
Mia immediately nods her head in understanding "Yes Sir."
"Good." Henry satisfactorily accepts "Because you'll be the oldest so it will be your responsibility to set the example."
Jamie huffs out an amused laugh "Did you tell Danny that too?"
"I didn't." Henry flatly states "Which is why I'm saying it now. So like I said, you noodle on that name and we'll be back." he adds as he turns his great grandson around to lead him out the door but Rosa's next sentence stops him…
"Okay can we all just take a second to breath please." Rosa insists "We taking about picking bedrooms and naming treehouses which is all great but I don't even know if I actually have a job yet. If I don't have that – none of this works."
"You're right." Henry agrees "You should call Heather – that's her first name." He quickly explains "And in fact do you want me to go with you? I make a pretty mean negotiator!"
"He does." Jamie agrees.
"No…" Rosa rejects "I need to do this myself."
Henry shrugs "If you're sure." he relents "But just know…you don't have too." he points out "Not anymore."
Eddie looks at Rosa "Circling wagons." She explains as she makes a circling gestures with her hand "And if you haven't figured it out yet, that includes you now." She tacks on as she lifts her finger and points at Rosa.
Rosa looks at Eddie then lets her eyes drift over to Henry to see him smile and nod his head at her.
Rosa takes a deep breath "Would you mind?" She sheepishly inquires of Henry.
"Hah ah!" Henry eagerly quips in triumph "Now come my dear…" He adds as he gestures for Rosa to come to him "What are our dream requests? Tell me those and together we'll see what we can work out."
Jamie grabs a pen and some paper. He scribbles something on a page then rips the sheet off and hands it to his grandfather. "That's the number you need to reach in order to make us all living here affordable. Anything above that is a bonus."
Henry takes the paper, opens it, looks at it and grins "Understood, now let's go my dear. We have a job to negotiate."
...
