We walk up the path, and with a deep breath, he unlocks the door and holds it open for me. I step inside…and freeze. There are wide plank hardwood floors and white furniture, an exposed beam ceiling, a beaded chandelier. Toward the back of the house, in the kitchen, I see butcher block counters and an island painted navy blue. I gasp. “It’s exactly like my Pinterest board.” “Yeah,” he says. And he sounds ashamed, which is when I turn to him, confused for a moment, and then incredulous. “I didn’t realize what I was doing at first,” he says softly. “And by the time I did, I couldn’t take it
...more
