My Daughter Gives Me Infinite Rewards

Chapter 7: A Home Worth Choosing

When Lucas got to The Grove Apartments, he didn’t go straight in.

He stopped at the leasing office outside the complex first.

"Hi," Lucas said to the man at the front desk.

Cici was on his hip, one small hand bunched in his shirt. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

"I’m looking to rent at The Grove," Lucas said. "Something clean, bright, with good air quality and good ventilation. I’ve got a kid with me, so I’m being a little picky. Any units you’d recommend?"

The agent looked up.

When he saw Cici, his expression eased a little.

"Sure. Let me see what we have."

He pulled up the listings on his computer, clicked through a few units, then turned the screen so Lucas could see the photos and floor plans.

Lucas ruled out three right away.

Two were too big. Too much rent, too much space for just him and Cici, and too much to keep clean.

The third was okay.

Only okay.

The living room looked dark in the photos, and that alone was enough for Lucas to pass.

Cici wouldn’t like a place like that.

"I’d like to see these three," Lucas said.

"Sure thing."

The agent grabbed the keys and led them into the complex.

The first two units were fine.

That was the problem. They were just fine.

One had dark colors everywhere. Black furniture, red walls, sharp corners on most of the tables.

The other looked newer, but it felt cold. Clean, yes. Comfortable, no.

Lucas couldn’t picture Cici running barefoot across that kitchen. Couldn’t picture her sitting on the living room floor with her toys.

If it were just him, he might have picked one and been done with it.

But it wasn’t just him anymore.

He looked down at her.

"What do you think?"

Cici looked around, then shook her head.

"Don’t like it."

"Okay."

Lucas didn’t ask why.

After the second unit, the agent took them back to the elevator.

As they went up, he said, "This next one is probably the best fit. But I should be upfront about something."

Lucas glanced over. "What kind of something?"

"It was originally listed for sale," the agent said. "The market’s been slow, so the owner decided to rent it out for now."

The elevator kept climbing.

"But he still wants to sell eventually. That’s why he doesn’t want a long lease. It would be month-to-month."

Lucas nodded.

The agent looked at Cici.

"No one has lived there before. The owner is pretty careful with the place. He may be a little worried about a child damaging something..."

He stopped there.

Lucas got what he meant.

He didn’t get upset.

"Let’s look first."

The elevator doors opened.

A few steps later, the agent unlocked the door.

The living room was bright.

Cici lifted her head from Lucas’s shoulder.

Her eyes went round.

"Daddy..."

Lucas carried her inside.

This unit was different.

The living room and kitchen were open. Light gray, cream, pale wood. Simple. Clean. Nothing overdone.

Through the windows, Lucas could see the courtyard below. Shrubs, walking paths, a few benches. Farther out, there was a small playground.

The apartment was much bigger than the one he was renting now.

Cleaner, too.

It also felt safer.

Lucas could picture Cici here.

He carried her through the bedrooms, the bathroom, and the kitchen. Cici kept looking around, her little head turning left and right.

When they reached the smaller bedroom, she leaned forward a little, like she wanted to get down and look around by herself.

Lucas noticed.

By then, he already knew which unit he wanted.

"Cici is well-behaved," Lucas told the agent. "She won’t break anything on purpose. If anything does get damaged, I’ll pay for it."

The agent nodded.

"Of course."

"What’s the rent?"

"Fifty-five hundred a month."

Lucas went quiet.

$5,500.

He had seen the number online. Somehow it still hurt more hearing it inside the apartment, with Cici staring out at the courtyard.

"No broker’s fee," the agent added. "The owner covers that. You’d only need the first month’s rent and one month’s security deposit upfront."

That helped.

Not enough to make it cheap.

But it helped.

"And the lease?"

"Month-to-month," the agent said. "Like I said, the owner may sell later, so he doesn’t want to lock into a long lease."

Month-to-month.

First month’s rent plus deposit.

No broker’s fee.

For New York, that was already better than he expected.

"So if he still wants to sell, buyers may come to see the place?" Lucas asked.

"Possibly," the agent said. "If there’s a serious buyer, we’d schedule showings for the same time each week. No more than half an hour."

Lucas looked at Cici.

She was still staring out the window.

"Cici," he said. "How about this one?"

Cici nodded without looking away from the courtyard.

"Like it."

Then she added, "Daddy, Cici likes it here."

Lucas watched her for a second, then turned back to the agent.

"I have two questions."

"Sure."

"First, why is the owner selling?"

He had to ask.

He didn’t want to move into a problem unit. Bad neighbors, building issues, hidden damage—anything could turn into trouble later.

The agent answered right away.

"His son is going overseas for school. Tuition, rent, living expenses... you know how it is. He wants to sell the unit to help pay for it."

Lucas nodded.

That sounded reasonable enough.

"And the second question?" the agent asked.

"No showings for the first three months," Lucas said. "Once we move in, Cici needs time to settle. I don’t want strangers coming through every week."

The agent hesitated.

"If the owner still wants to sell after three months, we can talk about showings then," Lucas said.

"I’d have to ask him."

"One more thing."

The agent looked at him.

"If he puts it back on the market, and we still like living here, and the price isn’t ridiculous, I want the first chance to make an offer."

The agent paused.

The unit had been listed for over $1.5 million.

Lucas was dressed like any other guy off the street, with a little girl in his arms. He didn’t exactly look like someone ready to buy a million-dollar apartment.

But he didn’t sound like he was joking either.

After a moment, the agent nodded.

"I’ll call him."

He stepped into the hallway.

Lucas and Cici stayed in the living room.

Cici rested her head against his shoulder and whispered, "Daddy... can we live here?"

Lucas smiled.

"Yes, if the landlord says okay."

Cici’s eyes lit up.

She lowered her voice.

"Then Cici will be good."

"You’re already good."

Cici wrapped her arms around his neck and stopped talking.

A few minutes later, the agent came back.

"The owner agreed," he said. "No showings for the first three months. If he decides to relist the unit later, you’ll have the first opportunity to make an offer."

Lucas nodded.

"Then we’ll take it."

After that, they handled the paperwork.

The agent brought out the lease. Lucas read through it carefully, word by word.

Rent.

Deposit.

Month-to-month terms.

Showing arrangements.

The first opportunity to make an offer.

Cici stayed beside him the whole time.

She didn’t run around. She didn’t touch anything. When Lucas signed, she pressed closer to him and watched the pen move.

Lucas signed his name.

The pen scratched across the paper.

That was it.

They had a new home.

Lucas paid the first month’s rent and the security deposit. After that, he had about $11,000 left in his account.

It hurt.

But it was fine.

He still hadn’t touched the cash Evelyn had given him for Cici.

That money was hers.

Lucas put the documents away and looked down at Cici.

She was looking right back at him.

Lucas smiled.

"Well, baby," he said, "we’re moving tomorrow."

Cici froze.

Then her little hands grabbed his shirt.

"Really?"

"Really."

Her lips parted a little. Then she leaned her head against his chest.

"Cici will be good," she said.

Lucas patted her back.

"I know."