She looked over the balcony at the California skyline. The sea air tousled her hair, and she breathed it in. The baby kicked and she ran her hands over the bump. How had she gotten so lucky? Piano music wafted out from the living room. She loved this balcony. This deck. The weather. The sea breeze. She’d met her husband in a seaside town. Not California though. Southampton. He’d made all this possible. His footsteps clacked onto the deck. He stood behind her, wrapped his hands around the bump and kissed her on the neck. Her heart fluttered, and the baby reacted accordingly, wriggling about under his parents’ hands.

“Like it?” He asked.

He’d picked the house without her. She’d been waiting for a doctor to clear her to fly so he’d come out and bought them a house. Just like that. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get used to having money. It was different for Alex, of course. He’d never been rich before either, but he wasn’t that into having stuff. He just wanted what he wanted. The house was beautiful, and in a good neighbourhood, but it wasn’t a millionaire’s house in the sense that it looked like one.

She sighed “I love it.”

Her husband, the comedian. Was this real? She felt like she was going to wake up at any moment. Okay, so her journalism career had completely failed. She was never going to be a news writer. But it didn’t matter. By the time she’d finished her degree, he was hugely successful. He’d supported her through the postgrad, the internship, and he’d covered the wedding. She wasn’t sure where she’d be without him. She may not have achieved everything she wanted to – she wasn’t a section editor at a national publication, but she’d got married at 26, just as she’d always wanted. She was pregnant with her first baby at 28, and with every reason to believe she could have another in a few years, maybe even a third. She was a joint homeowner. She’d travelled. She lived abroad. Life wasn’t meant to happen like this

There were no moving boxes. They’d brought a few of their favourite things – unpacked already - but this house needed new. New furniture, new décor. Everything for the baby’s room would be new of course. Even the baby. The breeze rustled her yellow sundress at the knees. Everything was always so tranquil here. It was perfect.
She wandered back inside to the spacious kitchen. Her fingers trailed the cool marble work surface. She lifted the two salad plates from the counter, and put them on the table on the deck. Alex brought out two wine glasses, and a jug of fizzy elderflower cordial. The sky was lit up with bright streaks of orange and pink. The piano music stopped, and the couple looked out at the sunset.

They watched as the sun disappeared behind the waves, and the city lit up underneath them.

Would they ever get used to calling this place home?