When I saw three missed calls from my mother within a span of 15 minutes, I knew something was up.
“Hi, Mommy,” I panted, holding a screaming baby in one hand and several bags of groceries in the other. “I’m just getting home from work followed by the supermarket. What’s so urgent?”
“Call me back as soon as you have a quiet minute,” my mother replied, excitement in her voice.
I dumped the bags on the floor and placed the baby in the highchair with some Cheerios. There was blessed silence. Taking a sack of potatoes to the sink, I began to peel them as I dialed my mother’s number.
“Hello, zeeskeit!” she said warmly. “How was your day?”
“My day is just starting!” I said. “The kids will be home in a few minutes.”
My mother laughed. “I have some exciting news for you. You know how Tatty and I have been talking for months about moving to Lakewood to be near the kids? Well, it’s actually going to happen.”
“What?” I practically shrieked. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly that! We finally found a house we like,” she explained, “a beautiful house with a pool.”
“That’s amazing! It would be awesome having you in town!”
“And that’s not all,” she continued. “The house next door is also for sale.”
I held my breath.
“Tatty and I want to help you buy it. It would be wonderful having you right next door.”
I stopped peeling. “I can’t believe it.”
“It would be a win-win situation for both of us.”
“It sure would. Are you sure I’m not dreaming?” I looked around at my small apartment. Living in my own house near my parents sounded too good to be true.
“Chesky and Mindy already own their own homes. Levi has only two kids, so he can still manage in a basement. You’re the only one who really needs larger quarters ASAP. And I’d love to be able to help you out more often; with six kids under the age of eight, I’m sure you can use all the help you can get,” my mother said.
“I’m going to talk to Moishy as soon as he gets home!” I told her, mentally rearranging the furniture in my new digs. “I’m sure he’ll be just as thrilled as I am.”
“Don’t you even want to know where it is?” my mother asked.
I laughed. “That’s only a minor detail. What more could I ask for than living in my own house near my parents?”
“Well, in case you change your mind, I’m texting you the info. You can check out all the details online. I think Zillow has pictures of both houses.”
“Okay, great. I can’t wait to tell Moishy. He is not going to believe this.”
I pounced on my husband as soon as he walked through the door. “Guess who’s buying a house?” I beamed at him.
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