Loving my fake Husband

❀ Amy ❀ The truck rumbled behind me, an oversized shadow on the quiet streets of Willow Creek. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. My stomach tight with knots of nerves and caffeine. This was it, our fresh start, our new home. A place where nobody knew my past. Where nobody knew my parents. And where nobody could judge me for the choice I had made. "I don’t like it," Eva declared from her car seat. Her arms crossed and her lips in a deep pout. I sighed as I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Her dark curls were a tangled mess from the long drive, and her big brown eyes filled with a stubborn determination that I knew all too well. She got that from me. "We haven’t even stepped inside yet," I reasoned as I tried to keep my voice light. "Give it a chance,” "I don’t wanna. I wanna go back home,” she argued, and my heart clenched. We didn’t have a home, at least, not the kind she imagined. The one-bedroom apartment in Harridale City, with its paper-thin walls and bad smell, hadn’t been home. It had been pure survival. But this, this was our fresh start, and I was determined to make it better. "Sweetheart, this is home now. You’ll see," I said as I forced a smile. I pulled into the driveway and parked the car. The house stood before us, a modest, weathered cottage with a wrap-around porch and white shutters that had seen better days. It had charm and potential. It looked like the kind of house that held whispered secrets in its walls, the kind that smelled of old wood and nostalgia. Eva kicked at her seat. "It’s ugly,” she declared, and I took a deep breath as I slowly released the steering wheel. "It might be ugly, but it’s ours and that is what matters," I said. The moving truck pulled in behind us and the driver honked twice before he stepped out. I hurriedly got out of the car and smiled at the man. "Miss Winters, we made good time. Where do you want everything?" "Um…" I hesitated as I looked over at the house. Clearly, the agent hadn’t arrived yet, which meant I didn’t even have the keys. I took a deep breath before I turned to face him. “Why don’t we just take a little break? We have to wait for the agent,” the driver didn’t look impressed, but he nodded regardless. I took out my phone just as I heard a car approach. It pulled up alongside the truck, and I was relieved to see Kathy climb out of the car. “Sorry…sorry!” she exclaimed as she hurried over to me, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. “It’s ok, we just got here,” I said. Kathy and I shook hands, but I was more interested in getting the keys from her – which she eventually handed over. By the time she left, the driver had a system going, and our stuff was being taken inside. Eva eventually unbuckled herself and climbed out of the car with a dramatic huff. "I want to go home,” "Eva, please—" "No! I don’t like it here! I don’t like this house! I don’t want a new school! I want—" "Enough!" I scolded, and my voice cracked like a whip, which surprised even me. Silence stretched between us and then her lower lip trembled. But she held her ground as she glared up at me with watery defiance. Damn it. I softened as I kneeled so that we were at eye level. "Hey. I know this is scary. It’s scary for me, too. But we need this, baby. We need a fresh start. And I promise, I’m going to make this place feel like home," her little fingers twisted in the hem of her shirt. "You promise?" I brushed a curl from her face before I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Pinky swear," I said, and she sniffled as she hesitated. And then, rather reluctantly, she hooked her pinky with mine. It wasn’t a complete victory, but it was something. As I got to my feet, I took her hand in mine, and we went inside. The air smelled like dust and old books like history and stories that were patiently waiting to be rewritten. The wooden floors creaked beneath my feet as I stepped further inside. Sunlight poured through the windows, which illuminated the imperfections. The faded wallpaper, the chipped baseboards, the outdated plumbing I silently hoped wouldn’t betray us in the middle of the night. "It’s old," Eva observed as she curiously looked around. "It’s got character," I corrected. I forced some enthusiasm into my voice. "It’s got spiders," she shot back while she pointed at a tiny web in the corner. I laughed despite myself. “Ok, that…is fixable…but we will make it ours,” I said, but Eva didn’t look convinced. The living room was cozy, albeit a little worn. A brick fireplace took up most of one wall, a reminder that this house had once been loved, once been a home to someone else. I wanted it to be ours now. Boxes began stacking up around us as the movers brought everything we owned inside – which wasn’t much. A sagging couch, a wobbly coffee table, and a few kitchen essentials. It wasn’t much, but it was enough, and I planned to slowly refurnish. Eva scrunched up her nose, so I gently tugged on her hand. “Come on, let’s go and check out your room,” she followed reluctantly, and she dragged her feet against the wooden floor. Her room was smaller than I would have liked, but it had a window that overlooked the backyard. Not only that, but it was also the first time she would have a room of her own. She immediately went over to the window and looked out. "I guess it’s ok…" she muttered. "High praise," I teased as I joined her at the window. The yard needed to be cleaned and cut, but I could see the potential. "What if I don’t make friends?" Eva suddenly asked, and I frowned as I looked down at her. "You will. You are smart and kind and funny. Who wouldn’t want to be your friend?" "Maybe the mean kids," she remarked, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. I knew what it felt like to be an outsider, to walk into a place where everyone already had their groups and their expectations. Willow Creek was small and tight-knit, and we were the newcomers. But I had to have faith that everything would work out. "One step at a time, sweetheart," I said softly. One step at a time. We could do this. I could do this. ❀❀❀