My eyes sweep the room, and I gasp at the pure opulence before me. Looking at the grandeur, I am not sure I will ever even want to leave. My shoulders slowly leave my ears, knowing that I didn’t walk into a dudgeon of death but rather a modern-day palace.

It is huge. Tall ceilings, polished concrete floors, and vivid white walls with modern chrome, glass, and black fittings throughout. It is like nothing I have ever seen before. Artwork hangs from the walls, and luxurious soft rugs and cushions give a homely feel to what would otherwise seem like an untouched space.

He takes my hand again, the warmth radiating up my arm, and pulls me along the hallway until it opens up to a living room featuring a white leather sofa, grey rugs, a large flatscreen TV, and floor-to-ceiling windows along one side that overlooks an internal courtyard. I spot the kitchen off to the side, with a long breakfast bar, stainless steel appliances, and what I am sure are marble countertops—although I wouldn’t really know, having not ever seen marble in real life before. The kitchen alone looks like it is bigger than my entire trailer where I lived back in Oklahoma. I take a breath in, smelling a delicious aroma of herbs, and I watch a plump older woman, with dark hair, draped in an apron, preparing food. The smell makes my stomach rumble. She lifts her head and gives me a beaming but surprised smile, one which I find myself returning.

There is clearly no time for niceties as the man pulls me through the living space and down another small hallway. He does not let me linger to see the entire place, but rather leads me to some stairs. Following him up, I am breathless for a moment, as when I reach the top, I am met with a bright and airy space, with oversized black, arched framed windows and furnishings of soft cream and charcoal.

Whoever this man is, he is clearly very wealthy, because I didn’t even know places like this actually existed. Sure, I saw them in movies, but you can’t believe everything you see on TV.

We continue down the hallway, passing numerous closed doors until we reach a door at the end, which he opens for us to step inside. Understanding washes over me as I look at the bed in the center of the room, which looks as soft as a cloud, dressed in light grey linens with large pillows and a soft charcoal throw. There is also a large armchair, a closet that looks as big as Lilly’s trailer next door (hers was the biggest in the lot, and we all envied her), and then another open door that leads into a bathroom.