The realtor shook our hands before we shook the hands of a very nice-looking man. He had a head of white hair and a professional suit on. There were wrinkles and liver spots on his hands. He looked like what I pictured someone’s grandfather to look like after everyone was ready for church. We all sat down in front of the realtor, and she presented the official paperwork to Mr. Castle.
The realtor went through and explained everything before Mr. Castle signed. I was clutching my hands at my sides, trying not to lose my cool. The realtor slid the paperwork over to Lindy and me and explained a few things, like our rights and the amount of money agreed upon for the property. We signed and initialed where we needed to, and then the realtor walked everything over to her fax machine.
“I’m sending all of this to your respective banks,” the realtor said. “Once this paperwork is processed, a check will be cut for Mr. Castle, and the two of you will see the loan amount pop up as an account on your end. If the three of you want to sit here, we can wait for your banks to fax me over proof of the transfer of ownership as well as the payment confirmation.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said.
“All I have is time,” Mr. Castle said.
Everything took about an hour to accomplish, but when Lindy and I left, we had everything we needed to prove that the warehouse was now ours. We got out to Lindy’s car, and I threw my arms around her, and we jumped up and down as tears brewed behind my eyes. We had done it. We finally had our building to create our own business, and I had a place I could move into and call my own. I was finally done with my mother. I was finally going to have a place to call home.
Lindy and I swayed with our arms around one another in the middle of the fucking parking lot.
“I can’t believe we did it,” I said breathlessly.
“I say we go over to the building and take a look at it,” Lindy said.
“Actually, I want to go home and start packing,” I said.
“You want to pack now?” she asked, giggling.
“Yes. I want to load my car down with my shit so that I don’t ever have to go back to that house. That’s what I want. To pack. And then we can go take a look at the place,” I said.
“Fine by me. Want me to help?”
“This is actually something I’d rather do on my own if you don’t mind.”
“But if your mother finds you packing, it might kick shit up,” she said.
“Then I’ll call you. But for some reason, I feel like this is something I need to do on my own.”
“I can’t say I understand it, but I’ve got your back. I’ll go and get some lunch at that place up the road and if your mother starts anything, call me. I’ll only be a couple of minutes away.”
“I love you, Lindy.”
“Love you, too, Emma.”
She dropped me off at my house, but there were five bikes in the driveway impeding her ability to park. My jaw dropped as I saw the brothers standing on my mother’s porch, their bodies seemingly intact. I turned my gaze toward Lindy, and she grinned at me, unlocking the door so I could get out.
“All the fucking details,” she said.
“Shut up,” I said, giggling.
I got out of the car and she quickly pulled away. I dashed up to the porch but stopped just shy of the brothers. My eyes scanned all of them, looking for blood or bruises or any other visible signs of injury. But they all seemed to be just fine.
“We knocked, but no one answered,” Adam said.
“Good. That means my mother’s probably not here,” I said. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Last night you couldn’t get in touch with us quick enough, and now you’re wondering why we’re here?” Tanner asked.
“Sorry. I mean, would you guys like to come in?” I asked.
“We’d love to,” Adam said.
I unlocked the house and ushered them into the foyer. I shut the door behind us and led them into the kitchen. We all sat down at the table as their eyes darted between one another, and I got the feeling there was something they wanted to tell me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.