jeans and a faded Chicago Cubs t-shirt, was navigating her way through the boxes cluttering the kitchen floor. She opened and closed several empty cabinets until she finally found one unpacked coffee mug, a packet of sweetener, and then made herself a cup of coffee. “Are you ready for this?”
Susan snapped out of her memories and sighed. “I can’t believe this day has actually come.”
Emily blew on her coffee. “When do the movers get here?”
“About nine. I hired one of those local moving companies that charges by the hour to move the heavy furniture, but the girls and I are moving as much of our own stuff as possible. It’ll save money.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here, too, you know. Shall we get going?”
Susan nodded and swallowed a big gulp of her own coffee. “I guess I have to. My life is waiting.” She walked out of the kitchen into the dining room. There was still a lot to do.
Emily sat down in a chair next to a heavy box, propped up her feet, and sipped her coffee. “Hey, Susan,” she called through the house, her voice echoing, “What furniture are you actually taking?”
Susan looked around at the disarray and shook her head. She and Caroline had walked through the house a week before, trying to decide what would fit, but now Susan had qualms about their decisions.
Caroline, with her usual pragmatism, had asked, “What do we absolutely have to take?”
“Well, I just bought this sofa and loveseat three years ago, right before…” Susan had looked wistfully at the royal blue microfiber sofa with matching loveseat she’d admired so much during happier times. “And since we have to have something to sit on in the—what shall we call that room in the new house?”
Caroline had shrugged. “I guess it’s a family room.” She started making a list. “Then we’ll also need a coffee table and end tables to fill out the room. Which ones?”
“We’ll take these.” Susan pointed to the refurbished antique cherry-wood coffee table and their two matching end tables. “I’m sure if we don’t take them, Sharlene will have them on the trash heap before we even pull out of the drive.”
“Lamps?”
“Let’s just take the two floor lamps that are in the corner by the bookshelf. Which has to stay here because there’s no room for it in the Rosslyn house. No room for that overstuffed chair and ottoman either. And forget about the dining room set. The dinette in the kitchen will have to do.” Susan had sighed.
Caroline had nodded in agreement. “Now what about the bedrooms?”
“We must take Megan’s bedroom furniture. She’s had to give up too much already. Do you think it will all fit in her new room?”
“It’ll be tight, but I think so. What about your bedroom furniture, Mom?”
“The king-size bed is way too big. I guess I’ll just take the queen-size bed from the guest room. The smaller dresser and one nightstand from the master bedroom’s about all I have space for.” Susan had frowned. “And there’s really no room for yours and Allie’s bedroom sets, either. Sorry you and Allie have to share a room, Car.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom. As soon as I get my finances in order, I’m going to find my own place. In the meantime, what if Allie and I take the furniture out of Megan’s old bedroom, the one you turned into an office? You know, the twin beds and two dressers, and put them in our bedroom? Also, we can take the computer desk, since it isn’t very big and should fit under the window.”
Susan called to Emily from the formal dining room. “Caroline and I settled on a few things. Hope everything fits.”
Time flew by as Susan and Emily finished up the last-minute details, but Caroline came downstairs after about an hour and jumped in to help as well. The movers arrived on time and set to work hauling large boxes and furniture to the van, which they had parked blocking the walkway in front of the ornate, double-wide wooden door. Emily and
Susan snapped out of her memories and sighed. “I can’t believe this day has actually come.”
Emily blew on her coffee. “When do the movers get here?”
“About nine. I hired one of those local moving companies that charges by the hour to move the heavy furniture, but the girls and I are moving as much of our own stuff as possible. It’ll save money.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here, too, you know. Shall we get going?”
Susan nodded and swallowed a big gulp of her own coffee. “I guess I have to. My life is waiting.” She walked out of the kitchen into the dining room. There was still a lot to do.
Emily sat down in a chair next to a heavy box, propped up her feet, and sipped her coffee. “Hey, Susan,” she called through the house, her voice echoing, “What furniture are you actually taking?”
Susan looked around at the disarray and shook her head. She and Caroline had walked through the house a week before, trying to decide what would fit, but now Susan had qualms about their decisions.
Caroline, with her usual pragmatism, had asked, “What do we absolutely have to take?”
“Well, I just bought this sofa and loveseat three years ago, right before…” Susan had looked wistfully at the royal blue microfiber sofa with matching loveseat she’d admired so much during happier times. “And since we have to have something to sit on in the—what shall we call that room in the new house?”
Caroline had shrugged. “I guess it’s a family room.” She started making a list. “Then we’ll also need a coffee table and end tables to fill out the room. Which ones?”
“We’ll take these.” Susan pointed to the refurbished antique cherry-wood coffee table and their two matching end tables. “I’m sure if we don’t take them, Sharlene will have them on the trash heap before we even pull out of the drive.”
“Lamps?”
“Let’s just take the two floor lamps that are in the corner by the bookshelf. Which has to stay here because there’s no room for it in the Rosslyn house. No room for that overstuffed chair and ottoman either. And forget about the dining room set. The dinette in the kitchen will have to do.” Susan had sighed.
Caroline had nodded in agreement. “Now what about the bedrooms?”
“We must take Megan’s bedroom furniture. She’s had to give up too much already. Do you think it will all fit in her new room?”
“It’ll be tight, but I think so. What about your bedroom furniture, Mom?”
“The king-size bed is way too big. I guess I’ll just take the queen-size bed from the guest room. The smaller dresser and one nightstand from the master bedroom’s about all I have space for.” Susan had frowned. “And there’s really no room for yours and Allie’s bedroom sets, either. Sorry you and Allie have to share a room, Car.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom. As soon as I get my finances in order, I’m going to find my own place. In the meantime, what if Allie and I take the furniture out of Megan’s old bedroom, the one you turned into an office? You know, the twin beds and two dressers, and put them in our bedroom? Also, we can take the computer desk, since it isn’t very big and should fit under the window.”
Susan called to Emily from the formal dining room. “Caroline and I settled on a few things. Hope everything fits.”
Time flew by as Susan and Emily finished up the last-minute details, but Caroline came downstairs after about an hour and jumped in to help as well. The movers arrived on time and set to work hauling large boxes and furniture to the van, which they had parked blocking the walkway in front of the ornate, double-wide wooden door. Emily and
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