Episode #30: Overcoming Trauma #30: Real Estate

Feb,05 2026

<-#29: Overcoming Trauma #29: New Plans

Of course, Martina heard the news from Luis, and she didn't jump on me at lunch break but rather directly in the parking lot in the morning.

She was so hyper and excited that I had trouble understanding her words.

It's clear to me that she is a native English speaker who was raised by a non-native English-speaking mother.

Her English is flawless... but when excited, her mother's accent slips out. It's cute, in a way.

We got to work, and we both put our professional caps on. So much that at lunch break, we mainly spoke about work. Granted, we had a rather nasty work accident that needed a few custodians to clean up. Not just the blood of the victim, who we didn't manage to save, but also the lunch of one of the nurses who couldn't stomach it.

She felt so guilty, but our admin just reassigned her to the regular ER for the rest of the day and promoted another one to take her place, Bill. Yes, there are male nurses too.

Around noon, which is after my actual lunchtime, John texted me.

"Please don't be mad; I ended up going to the naturist resort to speak with the manager about the project. I have news; it will go forward. I'll tell you all about it tonight. Don't worry, I had slack time"

Slack time is the nickname he gives about when he is expected to go visit a construction site, and it's going well enough that he can basically take a long lunch break without anyone noticing.

I told him that I trusted him and loved him but that today was hectic.

"When is it not?" he asked. I looked at the text. He isn't wrong...

I got home like usual, with a clean kitchen and dining room. Even the bed was properly made, better than usual. I think he went the extra mile to make it up to me for the previous day.

The kids came home, and Kyle went directly to his homework. I suppose we had it all wrong about why he needed time to cool down. Maybe he is just more emotional or sensitive than other boys and has trouble with transitions.

I just hope it's not a sign of autism or something like that. Not that I wouldn't love him, but it would make his life so much more difficult.

When John came in, supper wasn't quite ready, and he needed to talk to me in private.

"Ok, don't get mad; listen until the end"

"What now?" I say. I know he didn't cheat on me; this is a business thing.

"Ok, so I was close to the resort, and I went to talk to them. I wanted to basically make sure they were okay with my plans, you know?"

"It makes sense"

"Well, it didn't quite go the way I thought"

"Oh?"

"They loved the idea and want us to make more than one."

"So they can sell them?"

"Or rent them or whatever"

"Ok, and you get to make money?", I say, confused.

"Well, not quite. They had a weird idea"

"How weird", I say, worried.

"Well, we would build not one, but 6 of such houses. They would pay a decent amount for the material, but not for our labor"

"Wait, so you don't make money?" I ask, confused.

"Well, that's the thing. Martina and Luis get one of the houses, and we get another one"

"John, didn't we agree we wouldn't move there?"

"We wouldn't! That's the thing. It would be like a cabin we can use anytime we want"

I roll my eyes. "For what, John? We will need to pay the rent on the land, furniture, appliances, and electricity. And you don't get paid for this. It's a net expense", I say, moving a little away from him. Until I see myself in the mirror, but then, I just ignore my reflection.

"Wait, did you think I didn't see that coming?"

"So?"

"So, we get free rent, just us. And electricity, they cover. We won't have our own meter. We do need furniture and appliances, but we can buy them used. I won't even put a laundry place for us or a bathtub; instead, I'll design a second bedroom for the kids or something."

"But we won't actually move there?"

"No, but we would have a second house for free. No more paying for a cabin or a camper"

"Fine, but we get free membership"

I turn my eyes and see myself. This means not paying to be outside in the nude.

"Of course, but that meant building 2 more houses", he adds.

"And Luis is in?"

"He is over the moon! He gets free membership too"

"Ok, will you be able to do all of that while working?"

"That's the beauty of it. I am the architect, not the builder. My work will be done over a few weekends, and then Luis will do the work"

"Isn't he being exploited?" I say, frowning a little, but fortunately, I am looking at John, so I don't see my frown.

"Well, he is getting a free house, and unlike us, they won't have a second place to pay for. It's fair"

"Right. I suppose it is. Don't you have a non-compete clause?"

"Yeah, against paid work. I am not being paid for this. I can do volunteer work, including with non-monetary compensation. I think they meant helping a neighbor with pizza, but this will cover it"

I look at him and then at my reflection. It's weird; I feel old, but I don't feel mature yet. "I feel weird about having two houses"

"Don't think of it like that. It's like having a cabin by a lake"

"It is a cabin by a lake", I add. But I surprise myself thinking that this is a good thing. Not the second house, but that it's by the lake. Well, a short walk from a lake.

"Exactly, it's not like we will get mail there, or have a phone line, or whatever."

The timer for the oven goes off. It auto turns off, but the heat doesn't just vanish out of thin air!

I sigh. "I don't know why I am such a party pooper. Maybe it's another trigger for my traumas. I hear the timer; let's go eat"

"I won't say anything to the kids, don't worry. Not until the house is fully built"

"That's probably wise", I tell him.

Supper wasn't ruined, but the chicken was a little more cooked than usual. No one complained, and we had a rather pleasant supper.

Sarah has a 96% on an exam, which was wonderful! It wasn't a big one, but it was still a great grade.

Kyle had a written assignment and got a B, which is good for him! Math, he is on top of it, but English?

We decide to let them pick what they want to do; after all, it's a cause for celebration.

Neither of them has any ideas. I can almost hear the little hamster spinning in Sarah's mind. She wants ice cream or something like that, but that would mean getting dressed, and she doesn't want that.

Well, good. Cassie, and especially Candace now, have been selling her on the good side of naturism. Maybe she can start seeing the flip side for once.

But then, the hamster gets off the wheel and has an idea.

"Could we do churros, you and me?" she asks me.

"Are you sure?"

She nods.

"I can help", says Kyle.

"Aren't you a little young?" says Sarah.

"Not to eat them", he says, laughing.

That's my little teaser of a son.

When he proposed to continue with Captain Toad, John proposed to work on his project, leaving me with my daughter in our kitchen.

We both put on aprons and quickly start to gather the ingredients.

I insist on the cooking and get absolutely no arguments from her. I think she is a little afraid of the pot, which is understandable. She is only 11.

But she can roll them and handle them, and honestly? We make a good pair.

"A guy asked me out today", she said, in the middle of cooking.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Marcus. He's a jerk"

"So you don't want to go on a date with him?", I ask, a little relieved.

"Mom, I'm 11, not 14"

"Even 14..."

"Right", she says.

I remove another batch, and start another one.

"He's 13"

"Wait, he is 2 years older?"

"He flunked last year; I didn't even know it was possible"

I count. "But... he would be just 12 then, no? I mean, there shouldn't be a 13-year-old guy in elementary school"

"I don't know. He says he is 13"

I laugh. "Right. Sarah, guys lie about so many things when it comes to dating. Well, often girls too, I suppose"

"Did Dad lie about things when you began dating him?"

"Well, he wasn't a guy anymore"

"What do you mean?"

"He was more of a man than just a guy. Though I suppose even men can lie. Huh. I've been out of the dating game for so long."

"Maybe you should date more?"

"Hum, I don't know how to tell you that, but I married your father. I can't date other guys, you know, not that I want to?"

"D'uh, I am not an idiot. I mean, go on dates with him"

"I did. Tuesday"

"Ooooh", said Sarah, with the same tone that every girl of every generation uses when one of their friends announces they kissed a boy or something.

"But when I say that I have been out of the dating game, I don't mean dates. I mean the act of dating new people. That's the game part."

She scoffs. "I don't see how it's a game. It seems more like it's a nightmare"

"Amen to that, sister. All women, and probably all men, think the same"

She thinks as we start the last batch.

"I guess I'll just marry the first guy I date then"

I laugh. "If only it were that simple"

"Well, you did, didn't you?"

I look at her. "Ouch. Sick burn, Sarah"

"Not a burn. I want that. Less trouble"

I can't really admit to her that John just arrived at the right moment, with the right attitude to get over my trauma.

We waited for the last batch to cool enough to taste it and split one between us. It was delicious enough to call the boys in, but not before Sarah said one last thing.

"Thanks, Mom, for showing me cooking tricks, and the listening. I liked that"

That filled my little broken heart, and honestly? I feel like it's a little less broken these days.

We probably all ate too many churros, but the rest was for lunches for tomorrow.

<-#29: Overcoming Trauma #29: New Plans