Page 56 of Expecting an Argument
I rushed to the nearest wall and spread my hands across the thick wallpaper, admiring the dusty pink peonies arranged in a perfect repeating fan pattern. “Ugh, it was so difficult to find a pattern that considered the natural influence in the early Art Deco era and didn’t go too geometric. Thank God this worked out.”
Beau’s boots made the floor creak behind me as he stepped over. “You really like pink, huh?”
I whipped around and pointed to the green glass in the window. “Pink goes well with green!”
He gave me a tight-lipped smile and nodded. “Noted.”
“And the pink paper helps pull the red tones from the purple parts of the glass, too,” Ashley said. “Ties the whole room together.”
“I thought rugs did that,” Tyson said as he walked in. He wore a set of overalls that perfectly matched Ashley’s, down to the embroidered “Ash & Ty” on the front. They must have justfinished filming a segment for their channel.
I couldn’t help but notice Beau stiffen as soon as Tyson entered the foyer.
Tyson pulled a notebook out of the embroidered pocket of his overalls and flipped to a page with dozens of numbers. “Just double-checked the measurements in the kitchen. The cabinets should fit just fine.”
Ashley’s face lit up. “Even in that weird corner where the chimney used to be?”
Tyson nodded and gave her the same smile that secured him a toothpaste sponsorship. “It’s all perfect.”
Ashley jumped up and kissed Tyson on the cheek. “God, you’re such a math genius. I’m going to give youfivemore babies.”
Beau swallowed tensely, but only I noticed.
Ashley took her arms off Tyson and turned to me. “Liv, come check out the kitchen with me!” She fluttered her hands at Tyson and Beau. “You two…talk about man stuff.”
Beau handed me my green cup before Ashley grabbed my arm and led me into the next room. I tossed Beau a brief pitying look, but left him behind to admire the rest of the house.
“This used to be the parlor,” Ashley explained as she led me into a room that was painted an antique ecru. “It’ll be tight, but this will be a great space for wedding ceremonies.”
Though the walls were neutral, Ashley had left the fireplace lined with small green mosaic tiles perfectly intact. Above the shining wood mantle was the iconic portrait of Miss Kaye herself. Even in black and white she exuded success as she posed, draped in furs and dripping with pearls.
It was her “I survived the Great Depression” photo, and even one of those old-fashioned cameras had captured the triumph shining in her eyes.
The kitchen was less finished than the other rooms.The upper cabinets were missing and the industrial-grade appliances still had the factory labels on them, but the lower cabinets were sporting freshly-installed quartz counters.
Ashley sighed and laid her upper body onto the white stone, spreading her arms across the slightly dusty surface. “Tyson tried to convince me to use butcher block for the countertops, but a certainsomebody’sdonation allowed me to splurge a little.”
I laughed. “You’re certainly welcome. Anything to make this place shine like it should.”
Ashley sat on the edge of the counter and her eyes softened. “How are you feeling?”
I shrugged. “I’m surviving. Every day is different, but I feel worse when I remember what I used to be able to do…like working or tying my shoes.”
I took a sip from my water and glanced down at my slip-on shoes with rubber grips. I had fallenone timeand Beau freaked out and bought me ugly nursing home shoes. I never wore anything else.
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “It’s all temporary, babe. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck.”
I nodded. “My pregnancy journal is really helping me cope. Beau’s mom had been right on that one.”
“Speaking of which…” Her green eyes flitted to the doorway. “So…?”
I sighed and leaned on the counter, not caring that I was getting dust on my elbows. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?” Ashley asked before she dropped her voice. “You’ve lived with him for three months, you’re already having kids with him, you just told me you’re fucking again, and youdon’t knowif you’re in a relationship with him or not?”
“Because I don’t want to be in a relationship,” I answered. “I never have!”
“Why not?” Ashley started counting out her points on her fingers. “He’s set for life financially, he’s healthy, he’s the father of your kids, he makes you comeevery time,he isn’t mean to you—”
