Fat Girls Return

33. Mixed Emotions

Elle's P.O.V

Once we hit the calmer streets close to Elizabeth's house, she rolls the top of her convertible down. The warm sunlight envelopes us like a hug and we sing along to a few more songs before we reach the McMansion the Wexler's apparently get to call home.

"Wow," I breathe, lifting my sunglasses up to fully take in my surroundings as we pull in to a brick-paved semi-circle driveway.

Lush, green grass blankets the wide yard, a burnt-orange stone path interrupting the green as it leads to the backyard. The house is clearly inspired by a Spanish colonial design, with white-slate walls leading up to an amber terracotta roof. Two huge planters sit on either side of the garage doors, holding beautiful leafy-green hedges.

Elizabeth chuckles as I gape, "Yeah, took me a while to get used to it, too."

I smile, "You have a beautiful house, Ms. Wexler."

Elizabeth frowns playfully, pointing a finger at me. "If I ever hear you call me anything but 'Beth' or 'Elizabeth' again, you lose pool privileges."

"You have a pool?!" I exclaim, climbing out of the car excitedly. Rosie and Elizabeth laugh, sliding out after me.

"It's California," Rosie winks, "You gotta have a pool."

I blush after my sudden outburst, smiling when Elizabeth offers to give us a tour.

"I'll make Collin carry your bags up later," she winks, closing the top of her convertible before we head to the side of the house. "He's at his last basketball game of the year right now so he can't object."

Rosie tries to hide her anger at the mention of Collin but I notice the way her jaw tenses as she fights the urge to scowl.

Elizabeth continues with a teasing chuckle, blissfully unaware of her niece's seething rage stewing beneath the surface of her perky demeanor, "Since you're so interested in the pool, we'll start the tour there."

Once Elizabeth leads us around the corner of the house, a cerulean-blue pool appears in the back yard, the same burnt orange stone surrounding the edges. Four cream loungers with blue stripes line the far side of the pool, a diving board and ladder sit on the left, while the right side descends from the surface to the shallow water with multicolored, stone stairs. Potted plants dot the lounging area along with a shaded bar and grill station.

We walk through a pair of sliding glass doors to enter the house, my mouth still gaping as I take in the open floor plan. The living room area is directly across from the back entrance, a blue couch and two armchairs centered around an elegant glass coffee table and flatscreen TV. Painted canvases and a variety of resistance bands are neatly lined up on the floor beside us, along with an array of other hobby-related equipment. Elizabeth gestures to different areas as she gives us the tour and explains a few basic things along the way.

"This area here is kind of a catch-all," she chuckles, referring to the wide variety of miscellaneous belongings that surround the back entrance. "That right there is obviously the living room. And over here," she continues, leading us past the couch to a gorgeous kitchen with stainless steel appliances, an island counter, and a multi-colored tile backsplash that makes me catch my breath. "Is the kitchen." She finishes, smiling proudly as she notices my awestruck expression.

"I love the tile," I breathe.

Rosie nods beside me, "Wow, you've changed some things since I've been here. This is gorgeous, Beth!"

Elizabeth beams, "Thanks, girls."

Elizabeth tells us to act like this is our home, insisting that we use anything our hearts desire no matter the time. "Our family chef is great about restocking the fridge and cupboards, so eat whatever you want," she says casually - as if every family has their own chef.