This is the fifth part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV before continuing.
“This is your new house? It’s so cuuuute!”
Abby knew Brittany, her best friend since third grade, didn’t mean to sound condescending. She just couldn’t help herself. Brittany had grown up in a mansion, and as soon as she had graduated college, her dad had bought her a three-bedroom condo. By contrast, Abby supposed her modest, two story Victorian house she had worked and saved for the better part of a decade to buy was “cute”.
“Thanks,” said Abby. “Come on in and I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Brittany raised her eyebrows in a mock expression of someone who was considerably impressed. Abby tried not to roll her eyes as she led her friend through her new home.
They finished the grand tour in the kitchen, where Brittany cooed over the curtains Abby had hung on the window overlooking her back yard. “It’s so homeEEEEEE!”
Abby looked over her shoulder to see what had caused her friend’s bizarre reaction. She found Claire shimmering just beyond the entryway into the dining room. “Oh, that’s Claire.”
“You named it?!”
“Of course not. She came with that name. Claire, this is Brittany.”
Claire waved and Brittany’s face went almost as white as Claire herself. For a moment, Abby was afraid Brittany was going to pass out the way she had when she first saw Claire, but instead, Brittany turned and bolted out the back door.
“I think that went well,” said Claire.
“You could have given her some warning,” said Abby. “Or given me a chance to give her some warning.”
“Now, where would be the fun in that?”
“That way I could actually have my best friend over once in a while.”
Claire raised one eyebrow. “That’s your best friend?”
“Ever since we met on the playground.”
“But she’s so … rude.”
“She doesn’t mean to be.”
“Did you hear how she talked about our house? Like it’s not good enough for her.”
“In her defense, it is pretty modest by her standards. She’s only ever lived in mansions and penthouses.”
Claire’s face twisted. “What’s a penthouse?”
“It’s kind of like an apartment or a condo, but they put them on top of apartment buildings and they’re huge, usually taking up the entire floor, sometimes multiple floors.”
“Like a house built on top of a building?”
“That’s why they call them penthouses.”
“And Brittany lives in one of these houses at the top of a very big building?”
“Not exactly, but she does have a very large condo.”
“I see. What’s a condo?”
“A condominium. It’s an apartment, but when you own it, rather than rent it, they call it a condo.”
“Oh. So, her place is bigger than this?”
Abby looked around, considering. Maybe not, but it is nicer.”
“If it’s not bigger, how can it be nicer?”
“It’s newer. It has more amenities.”
“What are amenities?”
“Things like a thermostat on a timer, water that’s hot almost as soon as you turn on the tap instead of waiting for it to warm up.”
“When I was alive, we had to heat the water on the stove if we wanted it to be hot.”
“Yeah, we’ve come a long way since your day.”
“So, even though you can summon hot water with the turn of a lever, you’re saying it’s still not good enough for your friend because the hot water doesn’t come out fast enough?”
“When you put it like that, it does sound rather indulgent.”
“I’ll say. I will never understand these strange times.”
“Probably not, but at least you get to watch Virgin River.”
“Oh, yes. Since your friend left early, do you think we have time to watch another episode?”
Abby considered. She did have a lot to do today, but the temptation of her favorite show proved to be too much to resist.
To be continued…
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