Expect the unexpected
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House hunting is dominating Rob and Celia’s life right now. Rob is disappointed at the asking price for Celia’s mother’s house, which will provide their down payment, but Celia is realistic that they may have to move again before their not-yet-born child needs a school district.
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Rob and Celia shared one of the few quiet dinners they could have alone now that Celia’s mother lived with them, just tacos at the kitchen table, but Celia had lit a candle and they were cozy in their warm apartment. Mom was working the late shift at her retail job and neither Rob nor Celia had evening responsibilities tonight. For Rob, that meant no Starbucks duty, since he planned to keep the second job until right before the baby was born, and for Celia it meant no private piano lessons on top of her daytime teaching job.
“I know Mom’s house sold for less than you wanted,” Celia said.
“A lot less, actually,” Rob said. “We’re going to have at least ten thousand less than I wanted.”
“As I have said, I don’t mind moving again,” Celia said. “It’s a lovely dream, to move into the house we’ll spend the rest of our lives in now. But it’s OK if we move again.”
“I don’t want to move again,” Rob said, continuing to push his point.
He kept pushing until Celia said, “Rob, I think you’re tired. You’re working too much. The only thing that keeps you going is the belief that in six months you will have climbed this huge buy-a-house mountain once and for all. Then you can sleep.”
Rob thought about that as he built himself another taco. Maybe there was something to that. Two months ago, all thoughts of home buying remained years in the future. Now, with Celia unexpectedly pregnant and their decision to try to meet as many needs as possible by buying a house with Celia’s mom, maybe Rob was trying to make too many things happen all at once. He sighed, disliking the option to buy cheap now and trade up in five years.
“But who knows where the market will be in five years?” he said. “There may never be a better time to buy up than now.”
“I don’t need a fancy house,” Celia said.
“Neither do I, but we do need one that we don’t strangle your mother in because she’s constantly underfoot.” A light bulb went off for Rob. “Wait – I wonder if my dad might be willing to lend us a little more for the down payment.”
“I don’t know,” Celia said. “You have two sisters in college right now”—
Just then, they heard front door lock unlatch and front door open.
“Mom’s home early,” Rob said.
“Uh oh,” Celia said. “I hope this doesn’t mean”—
Just then Celia’s mother walked into the kitchen. She looked dejected and tired.
“It was just a holiday job,” Mom said. “I was laid off today, with about ten others.” She dropped her face into her hands in despair.
What happens next?
