The Children Are Laughing Again

6

"That's strange," he mused and turned back to Judith. She was looking at him confused.
Just then they heard the front door opening and Jason coming back into the house. He saw them in the room and came towards them.
"This door-" Mark began.
"Yes, the only one in the house that's locked." He smiled and pulled a bunch of keys our of his pocket. "Nothing to worry about, it's just an old study that I haven't gotten around to fixing up yet. It's needs a floor put down and some paint. I have tools in here so I keep it locked" The key turned in the lock and he pushed the door open.
Jason stepped in and Mark followed, Judith stood at the door but didnt enter.
The room was indeed as he had described it, and even though this was an old house, mark could see where the improvements had already been made.
"What's the smell?" Judith asked, raising the back of her forearm to her nose.
Both of them looked at her confused, there was no smell. It was as fresh as the rest of the house.
"Smell?" Jason asked.
"Yeah... It's like an old musty smell, very... very thick."
"I don't smell anything honey."
She turned away from the doorframe and back into the other room. Mark stared after her as she made her way to the window. He thought he heard her say something but wasn't sure.
"So... How do you guys like it?" Jason asked.
"We love it. Judith especially."
"That's good. Always good to move into a place you like. Some people just take what's available and they are never happy."
Mark nodded his head. "So how much to rent it? Cal never gave us the finer details."
"Six hundred a month, and a months rent up front as deposit."
Mark drew in a small hiss of breath in anguish. "Can you do any better than that?"
Jason pulled a face as if to say not really and then thought about it. Mark let him, the dance had begun and he knew exactly what he was doing.
"I could do five-seventy." Jason replied.
Now it was Mark's turn to pull a face, he grimaced slightly and took a few steps toward Judith. He stopped at the doorframe.
"Honestly Jason, I was hoping it'd be closer to five hundred. I've just started a new job and Judith is out of work at the minute. That just might be a little over our price range."
Jason didn't say anything, it was his turn to be quiet.
"Can you do any better?" Mark looked him straight in the eye.
"Well look, since you are good friends with Cal, and no doubt he told ya to keep bargaining me down. I can do five-forty, but no better."
"You sure?" Mark chanced, and smiled.
Jason laughed, "Positive! What you say?"
"Okay, you have a deal." Mark reached out his hand and Jason shook it.
"Great!" I can have the keys for you next Friday. I want to get in here finished and have everything done before I hand over the keys."
"Sure, that sounds good." Mark turned to find Judith gone from the other room. He frowned and walked away from Jason, leaving him standing in the room.
"Judith?" he called as he entered the hallway and not seeing her. No reply came.
"Judith?" he called again, wondering where she'd gone to.
"In the kitchen." Came a reply just as he was about to call again, louder this time.
Mark made his way down the hall and found her standing in deep thought.
"I'm just visualising where everything is going to go." She smiled up at him. "Did you get it all sorted?"
"Yup." He smiled back, "And lower than what I was expecting," he whispered giddly as he moved toward her and lifted her up into a hug. She laughed and he squeezed her a little tighter.
"I think we're going to be very happy here," she said, looking down at him.
"Me too, honey. Me too."

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