BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

“Ted,” Maja said, her voice incredulous. “After everything that we’ve been through?”

“He’s just a kid,” Ted sighed.

“A teenager,” Maja corrected him.

“Listen, I wouldn’t have said this a month ago. But the house is going to be okay—Finch Properties is taking care of it. And there’s going to be insurance money, and restitution. It’s going to come together. What no one has given us is an actual apology—until now. Can we at least think it over?” He looked at Maja. “People make mistakes,” he said with a wry smile. “I guess I hope asking for forgiveness means something.”

Maja read through the letter again. Ted was right, it was a real apology. What would it really cost them to accept it? “Maybe you have a point,” she said. “I don’t know if I can live here if I feel like we’re still angry, and still in conflict, with everyone around us. This could be a start.”

“We give the kid a chance?” Ted asked, and Maja nodded.

“I love you, Maja,” Ted said. “The rest of it, I can do without. But I never want to lose you.”

Maja slipped her hand into his. They were standing in front of the lone glass door that hadn’t been shattered, and Maja could see their reflection in the window, superimposed on the empty house. She’d thought that having a child and building their dream house would make them happy: a perfect life as a series of checked boxes. But now she saw that happiness might be more like the river in front of her; ebbing and flowing, the banks and trees giving way and gaining ground so they didn’t break under forces outside of their control. She knew they would face other challenges and surprises that she couldn’t yet imagine. She was happy here in this moment with Ted, though, and it felt like enough.

It was still drizzling, but the air was warm, and they stepped out onto the deck. They took off their shoes, and walked out together onto the wet grass. The river ran swiftly past the house, full from the rain. Maja rested her head on Ted’s shoulder, and the promise of the baby she carried felt like a real presence between them. Ted seemed to feel it too, and he pulled her closer toward him.

“This is our first night at our new house,” Ted said.

Maja laughed. “It isn’t quite how I imagined it.”

“It’s okay, though, isn’t it?” Ted asked, sounding a little surprised.

“It’s good,” Maja said. “We’re here together.”

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