Dillion Harper Open House ((hot)) ✦

Dillion smiled her realtor-smile, the one that didn't reach her eyes. “That’s character. The house was built in 1923. It’s got opinions.”

The first to arrive was a young couple, Paul and Brenda. They moved in perfect, synchronized disappointment. Paul tapped the drywall. Brenda opened a cabinet and sighed as if it had personally insulted her mother. dillion harper open house

The For Sale sign on Dillion Harper’s front lawn wasn’t just rusted; it looked defeated. The word “SOLD” had been scratched out three times, each attempt a little more desperate than the last. Dillion herself was now leaning against the porch railing, watching a silver minivan crawl to a stop at her curb. Dillion smiled her realtor-smile, the one that didn't

Dillion looked around. The bay window. The crooked stairwell. The stain on the ceiling that looked vaguely like a seahorse. She had grown up in this house. She had learned to ride a bike on the sidewalk out front. She had hidden in the basement closet during a tornado, her dad’s arm wrapped around her, telling her stories until the wind stopped. It’s got opinions

The older woman walked out, leaving Dillion alone. The front door clicked shut. The house settled, a soft groan in the floorboards—not a complaint, Dillion realized. A question.

“It’s not waiting,” Dillion whispered. “It’s holding its breath.”