The email notification chimed at 8:00 AM. Bella was standing in the kitchen of her Queen Anne house, packing the last of the kitchenware into boxes. The counters were bare except for the coffee maker and a single mug. David was in the living room, taping up a box labeled BOOKS.
Bella wiped her hands on a dish towel and opened the email. It was from Elena. Subject: Offer Accepted.
She read the message twice. The sellers had accepted the offer without counter. The closing date was set for three weeks from today. The house was theirs.
"David," she said. Her voice didn't shake. It was steady.
David stopped taping. He looked up from the box. "What is it?"
"The offer," Bella said. She turned the laptop toward him. "It's accepted."
David walked over. He read the screen. He let out a breath
