iOne year later…/i

"Here we are then," the real estate agent said, unlocking the front door and pushing it open. "Nice big living room with a fireplace, an eat-in kitchen, and a dining room. There are three bedrooms upstairs, one master and two smaller ones. There's also three full bathrooms-one downstairs off the kitchen, one attached to the master bedroom, and one in the hall between the other two bedrooms. All of them have been updated within the last ten years."

"Is there a back garden?" Alec asked, hands in his pockets.

"Oh, yes. Plenty of room in the back, if you wanted to put in an inground pool or start a vegetable garden. And it's fenced in, so you'll have your privacy," the real estate agent replied.

"That'll be good for the kids," Rose remarked, taking stock of the newly remodeled kitchen. It was significantly larger than the one in Alec's house, and even had an island. There was no stove or refrigerator, of course, but neither one of them had expected there to be. Buying a home almost always required buying the large appliances, too. There was a dishwasher though, which was certainly a bonus. Alec opened the kitchen utility closet, seeing that it provided ample room for a washer and dryer, which was a necessity for anyone with young children.

They went upstairs and checked out the bedrooms. Rose was delighted to see that the master bath had both a shower and a Jacuzzi tub, as well as a double sink. The bedroom itself was painted a dark cerulean blue and had a small balcony, large windows, and a generously sized walk-in closet. The other two bedrooms were smaller, though not by much.

"Well Mrs. Hardy, what do you think?" Alec asked, wrapping his arms around Rose's waist and resting his hands over the swell of her stomach.

"I think it's perfect," she said, craning her neck so she could give him a kiss.

Alec smiled broadly at the real estate agent. "We'll take it."