Ghosted (gxgxgxg)

Chapter 5

It took a bit over a month, but the house was finally close to being finished when the calendar flipped to the beginning of October. The master bath turned out just as they wanted, with a walk in shower and dual showerheads for their inevitable joint showers that allowed plenty of room for extracurricular activities. The guest bath had a redone tub that would be perfect for giving kids' baths, since they expected to have children at some point in their future, and yet was still beautiful for whichever guests may stay over in the meantime. Throughout the house the crown moldings and baseboards had been replaced, and a fresh coat of a light grey paint was on all the walls. It was the perfect start to their new life, and they were ready to have a few people over for a little housewarming party. There was still a bit work to be done, like sealing the cracks in the cellar to prevent water leaks, since they were so close to the shore, and going through the attic to make better storage, but the house was pretty close to being done. Speaking of the attic, Talia had seen a bunch of boxes up there covered in a tarp when she did her original examination but hadn't taken the time to go through them. Hopefully, that would be something to do later.

Elise's parents, Remy and Nadine, as well as Talia's folks, Kasey and Marcos, had come over early to help set up and cook for the little get together. And now the friendly neighbors that they'd grown closer to since the party were arriving. It was just a short walk, so Frida and her mom Alexa got there at about the same time as Vince and Tom, and Mollie and Logan. Alexa had been nice enough to bring a fresh batch of churros, while both other couples brought bottles of wine. Kasey had learned a lot of Mexican cooking from her mother in law and was soon happily chatting with Alexa about different seasonings for dishes that they enjoyed making while relaxing in the kitchen.

It was a nice night.

"Marcos, you're the owner of the Martin Family construction company?" Tom asked, having seen his work truck out front parked next to the one that Talia always had there.

"I am, yep. Until Talia decides she wants to take over and let me retire!" he replied with a gruff laugh.

"Dad, you know I hate all that paperwork crap. I just want to build things!" Talia complained.

"With your truck here, you could get a lot of business. This house is looking like a free advertisement, and after the winter storms almost everyone in town needs repairs. You could do well here every year," Tom pointed out while munching on one of the delicious churros.

Talia saw her father nodding along with that idea. "I like that. You should drive the truck around town here a bit. Let people see it," he suggested to her.

"Hell, I know any of us will use you whenever we have issues now that we've seen the inside of this place!" Mollie piped up.

Elise was thrilled to hear all the compliments about Talia's hard work, knowing that she had put in countless hours to make everything in the house look beautiful. She stood behind the shorter girl and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her neck and whispering in her ear. "See, it isn't just me that thinks this place is amazing. You did such a wonderful job!"

Talia leaned back into Elise, enjoying the warmth of her embrace and turned her head a little to kiss her temple. "It was all for you. You're my inspiration."

"And you created the perfect house for us and our family."

"Our family huh?" Talia teased.

"Yes. Our family. We're pretty stable now, right? There is no reason for us to not start planning for the future," Elise noted as she nibbled Talia's ear.