"There's got to be something wrong with it," Justin said, his voice rising. "Why else would they sell it for less than $500k?"

I lay on my side on my bed, staring at the computer screen as I cradled the phone between my ear and my shoulder. "I think it's the fact that everything's original. But other than that, this house looks really good!"

Justin was silent on the other end of the line.

I prompted, "Baby?"

A sharp intake of breath. "I just feel like, we shouldn't get our hopes up."

"Of course not." Not after everything we'd been through. "But at least it doesn't look like it sucks already."

Justin laughed, and I imagined that if stars could laugh, they would sound like that. Usually it was the other way around—Justin made me laugh.

"Touché. So how was the dress shopping?"

I threw myself back against the pillows, smiling at the memory of looking for bridesmaids dresses with my sisters and my best friends. "Amazing! I think we found the one."

If only we could say the same for our house.

~*~

It was seven am when I first felt it. Like someone had driven a tank across my stomach and then pumped it with air and something nasty, like fresh poultry.

I woke up in a sweat, startling my cat, who was lying across my feet. "It's OK, Esmerelda," I wanted to whisper, but I thought I might be sick if I moved.

Ah, that's how I felt. Like I might throw up. Not today. I haven't thrown up since I was ten.

I was twenty-seven. Was I due?

Within minutes I had my answer: I threw up.

My middle sister came racing to my room. "Are you OK?"

I fell back against the pillows. "I feel nauseous."

And then it hit me like last night's dinner had hit the floor: the house! We had to see the house today. In this market, a house like 9657 Rabbit Court would sell within 24 hours. We had to act fast. I don't want to live in the basement prison, I thought. My eyes were closed but I could feel the bed sink as someone sat next to me. A cool cloth gently touched my forehead. Mom.

"Mom, I have to see that house."

Her voice came out gentle, like she was holding my heart in her hands, afraid she might drop it. "Michelle, you're sick."

"Mom, we have to see that house." I should call Justin, I thought. And suddenly he was all I could think of. "I need to call Justin..."

I wandered in and out of sleep, vaguely aware of my mom rushing to clean the floor, and both of my sisters murmuring worriedly, their voices full of sympathy. Esmerelda stayed next to me as I drifted off to sleep again, and when I woke up, I felt much better.

"Mom? Dad?" I rolled onto my side and pushed out of bed, stretching as I stared at the sunlight cascading through my window. "Where is everyone?"

A seagull screeched somewhere in the house. Esmerelda was sitting, ears back and eyes wide, staring at my phone.

I kissed her between the ears. "It's just my ring tone." I grabbed my phone, which had stopped screeching, and realized I had just missed a call from Justin.

I entered my password and read the text he had just sent me.

Justin: Hey, baby! I hope you're OK. You were asleep and we didn't want to wake you. I hate doing this without you, but I knew you'd want me to go see the house, so your family came with me.

My jaw dropped and thankfully nothing fell out of it this time. The house! Of course. The appointment was at 11:30. I quickly processed the fact that my family and Justin were with Rita, right now, looking at maybe the best house we'd found so far.

I lay back against my pillows.

Michelle: Hi, I'm here! I'm feeling better. Please tell me all about the house!

Suddenly a Whatsapp window opened with Justin and my sisters in it. A picture of the outside of the house popped up. It was light brown and nestled between two other houses. Lorelai and Pamela were standing on the very long staircase that led past a series of plants to the front door, smiling and waving.

Lorelai: Behold, the tallest staircase in the world. That's not going to be fun in winter.

Pamela: But the plants look good. Hopefully that means they took care of the inside of their house too.

Pamela sent a picture of the inside hall. I saw lots of sunlight. Good sign!

Michelle: Where's the main floor bathroom?

Justin: Far from the living room.

Eek, yay!

Michelle: Dedicated dining space?

Lorelai: You'll like it.

Up popped a picture of a closed off dining room with a big window on one side and a closet on the other.

Pamela: Mom says it was clearly designed to be a bedroom.

Lorelai: You could host your annual Christmas party here. Lots of space.

My heart soared. This house was getting better and better!

Justin: There's also room for a small table in the kitchen.

Two pictures popped up. One showed two counters that met like two sides of a square, with a dishwasher and a fridge at either end. The other photo showed a small table that could fit four, likely across from the fridge.

Michelle: Loving it! Family room?

Pamela sent me a picture of the L-shaped family room. It was a huge!

Pamela: Half of the long wall contains a window facing the backyard. The backyard is a floor down.

Oh yeah, the big stairs, I remembered.

Michelle: That room looks huge.

Justin: I have to say it's awesome. Your parents think so too.

Michelle: Time to check out the upstairs!

Justin: Your parents are halfway there.

A picture popped up. The upstairs hallway was possibly even tinier than the schmeeny house we'd first visited. Esmerelda looked over her shoulder at me, probably confused by my disgusted expression.

"You're right," I told her. "It's not nearly as gross as what I did this morning."

Michelle: That's really small.

Justin: Yeah, the upstairs hall is small.

Lorelai: There's only one bathroom.

Pamela: It will look even worse than ours.

Ah, that was true. Three sisters sharing a bathroom was bad enough. I didn't like the idea of Justin and I sharing a bathroom with our future children. It gave a whole new meaning to family bonding.

Michelle: OK, so the upstairs...

Justin: Not the greatest. But your mom says the baseboards look good.

I laughed. At least there was that.

Pamela: The rooms are huge!

Michelle: Really??

Justin: Yeah, the rooms feel really close together, but they're big.

OK, that was much  better. My hopes climbed higher.

Michelle: Awesome.

Lorelai: Your real estate agent just said, "Onto the next adventure." Is she talking about the basement?

Justin: Yeah, we've seen some pretty bad ones.

I waited and waited but no one typed anything. They must be going down all those stairs, I realized, picturing the walk from the top floor to the basement.

Justin: Ew, carpet.

Pamela: Ew, someone's underwear is on the bed.

Lorelai: Kidding.

I laughed out loud. Justin must have told them.

Michelle: So the basement has a bedroom in it?

Justin: It's one big room. They're using it as a bedroom. You're going to love the backyard!

All I saw was lush greenery. I took a closer look at the picture. A beautiful glass patio table surrounded by chairs sat beneath an umbrella of trees amidst a rich green lawn.

Michelle: It looks like paradise.

I wished I could be there. I could actually make out my parents in the background of the picture. My mom had a pen in her hand and I could just imagine the notes she was making. Backyard has lots of love. Family room is huge. My daughter and son-in-law will not have to live in a box.

Justin: Rita is talking to the homeowners now. I think the house is really good. We need to make sure you see this house.

I imagined we were reading each other's minds right now. This house felt right. I was already picturing sitting in that dining room with all our friends, and lounging in the big living room with our families, or relaxing in the backyard with Justin. I squealed. This house looked so dreamy!

But we couldn't take the risk of putting in an offer when I hadn't seen it yet. Really seen it.

My phone rang, setting off the seagull ring tone again. It was Justin.

"Hey. I'm driving home now. Are you OK?"

I rolled onto my side. "Better. I can't believe I threw up. After 17 years..."

Justin chuckled. "I know. It's just the kind of luck we've been having lately, right? Except today, maybe. The house looks really good. I really think you should see it."

I knew what he wasn't saying. This could be the one. I looked down at my engagement ring. He is my one. "I wish I could hold your hand."

I could hear Justin's voice soften. "Me too. As in, your hand. I don't want to hold my own." I laughed. My stomach rolled and I clasped a hand over my mouth.

"I feel sick again. I have to go. I love you."

I could hear the strain in his voice. "I love you. Feel better!"

I sat next to the bucket and eyed the clock. I had less than 24 hours in which to feel better if we were ever going to have a chance of getting that house.

~*~

The sun shone upon me. I woke up the next day feeling completely normal. Of course, I had felt that way 24 hours ago, so I couldn't be completely sure, but one thing was certain.

I had to see that house.

Miracle number one: I was healed. I felt like myself again. "May we never forget to be grateful for every healthy day," I told my parents.

Miracle number two: Rita booked an emergency appointment for me to go see the house. I had to wait all morning, staring at my computer screen with ants in my pants while I waited for her to confirm. "In half an hour!" I shouted after reading Rita's latest email. "We got the appointment!"

My parents drove me over. I had eaten nothing but half a slice of toast. I forgot all that, though, when I saw the house. The plants, the dining room, the kitchen, the family room, the backyard...I tried not to think too much about the tiny upstairs hall, the shared bathroom and the bedroom basement. This house felt good. It felt exciting. It felt like it could be ours.

"Rita." I came to a stop just beside her car after the tour. "We want to put in an offer."

Rita pulled the papers out of her bag. We'd warned her we'd want to move fast. She pulled a pen out of her pocket. "You just need to sign everywhere you see Justin's signature."

My parents waited almost with bated breath as I signed. Again. And again. And again.

And then it was done. Rita was holding her cell in her hand, waiting for the selling agent to answer. I strapped on my seatbelt and my dad drove away from the house, taking us home as I texted Justin.

Michelle: I loved it! I signed the papers!

Justin: :D I don't know what to say!

Michelle: We may have just gotten our house!

Justin: Is Rita going to call us?

Michelle: As soon as the deal is done. Eek!

Justin: Let's go out to celebrate.

Michelle: Yes!

Dad pulled into our driveway and I leapt out of the car, wrapping both of my parents in a group hug.

"You did it, Michelle." My mom beamed. "I'm so glad you guys found this house."

My dad did a little dance, the kind only dads can do. I laughed. "We found the house! We found the house!" he chanted, and I joined in.

"We found the house! We found the house!"

I heard seagulls and looked up at the sky, squinting at the sunlight. "Where are they? With our luck, I'll get pooped on any second now."

My mom pointed. "Michelle, your phone."

"Oh!" I tucked my phone under my ear. "Hello?"

"Michelle?" It was Rita.

A long pause. A bad feeling settled in my stomach, and I knew it wasn't the gastro.

Rita sighed. "I'm sorry. We didn't get the house."

"What?"

I watched the happiness fade from my parents' expressions. I heard it disappear from my own voice.

"Someone put in an offer yesterday."

My throat was dry. "But they let us see it. They let us go back."

Rita sounded almost as disappointed as I felt. "I know. I don't know why they did that, but they've sold the house already. I'm sorry."

I felt a different kind of sick as I saw my sadness reflected on my parents' faces, as I called Justin's number, as he picked up singing a homemade song about us finding our home at long last.

"Justin." I took a deep breath. "We didn't get the house."

"What?"

My dad rubbed my back and my mom gave my arm a squeeze, then they went inside the house, giving us privacy.

"Rita just called. The house sold yesterday."

"What?" There was a long silence, and then Justin collected himself, his voice heavy like mine. "This hurts."

I looked up at my parents' house, my childhood home, and started walking towards the front door. "Yeah. This one stings. We're going to need to give it time."

"Time. The problem is time. One decent house and just like that, gone."

I shrugged to secure my phone between my ear and my shoulder, freeing up my hands to rub my temples. "I know. Can we still hang out?"

And then I found my reason to smile. Justin. "Of course. I'll come pick you up right now."