Ezra's POV
I crept out of the hotel and down to the free breakfast. I poured a cup of coffee and sat down at a small table. I gulped down a bagel and slurped down my entire bagel before I went outside. It was hot. A lot hotter than Rosewood or New York, but considering it was California, it wasn't a shock. I pulled a pair of sunglasses over my eyes. The sun was beating down on me and I had to get going. I jumped in the car and put an address into my GPS. The realtor was already waiting for me when I pulled into the driveway.
"You must be, Ezra" He said, holding out his hand.
I shook it and then he pulled out an iPad.
"So with the description you've given me of your style, I think you'll really like this house"
He says, motioning me to the front door.
"This house has four bedrooms. Is someone supposed to meet you? Your wife?" He asked and I shook my head.
"Not now" I say.
"Well this neighborhood is very nice. A perfect place to start a family. If that's what you were planning" He leads me into the house.
My heart sunk to my shoes. This was exactly like the house Aria and I had pictured. We had always wanted a big house. Lots of room for kids. We always wanted kids. When Aria was sixteen she had even named our first child. She said she knew we would get married and become a family. I wondered if she regretted saying that now.
"So this is the family room. It's pretty big. Enough to hold a lot of kids" He says as if he read my mind. "You have any kids?"
"Not right now" I say.
He shows me the kitchen which is the perfect size for a big family. I can't help but picture Aria crouched over the stove in that yellow Hollis shirt making pancakes. He leads me up the stairs and shows me all the bedrooms. I imagine Aria and I in the biggest bedroom. I see us, sleeping next to each other like we had before I'd screwed it up. One bedroom was painted pink, a perfect bedroom for a cute little girl. I always imagined our first child to be a girl. She would have my eyes, but look like Aria. Another bedroom was painted blue, perfect for a cute little boy. There was a small crib in the corner and lots of toys.
"The previous owners had lots of kids" The realtor tells me.
The last bedroom was painted purple. Another room for another girl. This time I imagined a little girl looking like me, but with Aria's eyes.
"Sir!" Someone called and I snapped back to reality. "Are you alright?"
"Yes I'm fine" I say, closing the door to the last bedroom.
We went to the backyard next where I imagined a big play set with swings. I imagined all the kids running around, playing with Aria and I. Everyone looked so happy.
When we were done with the tour we ended up back in the front yard.
"So I have some other houses you might like if you want to check those out tomorrow?" He asks and I shake my head.
"No this is the one" I tell him "I want this one"
