We went to see the townhome, which was described thusly:

Unique Townhome 3 bedroom plus spacious loft, 2 bathrooms, small yard with fruit trees. Fireplace. 2 car garage. Laundry room inside. Community POOL. Quiet and Private. Must See. Available NOW. no smoking inside home.

I stepped inside and said, “This could work.” Off the front door slightly to the right is a small living room with fireplace, dining nook, and a kitchen that actually has counters and workspace. Off the dining nook is the teeny garden with an orange and lemon tree. No grass to mow. To the left of the front door are six stairs going down to the garage, and six stairs up to the next level, which has two bedrooms, the laundry nook, and a large bathroom. Six stairs up beyond that is the master bedroom and bath, and six more stairs leads to the loft. Lots of closet space. We would be able to bring our refrigerator and washer/dryer (which we brought from Texas). I told Husband yes, which bowled him over. He thought would be an automatic no, because it looks a little sterile from the outside. But I figure that we live inside the house, and we don’t really do much with our front yard now. When I have a child I can stroll over to the nearby park, and the neighborhood is nice and safe.

I liked the property manager. I came prepared and asked what needed to be done (one couple had just left before us), and one person due after. She said it was $20 cash for the application, and required a check equal to the rent as the expression of good faith intent (rather like earnest money, but refundable). I filled out the application and wrote the check then. Husband asked to speak to me a moment privately. He ask if I was sure. The arrangement of the abode means that we will still have a separate room for television/stereo. We’d gotten kind of tired of the split.

But you know what? It’s big enough. It’s in excellent condition. It’s in Santa Clara, barely a mile away from our current neighborhood. It’s available now. They take cats (with extra deposit). It’s a quiet location. Nothing we’ve seen is perfect, but this is eminently workable. They are looking for long-term tenants, and we are looking for a place to nest for the next few years. She’ll call us tomorrow to let us know if we’ll be offered the place.

I feel the knot in my stomach loosening.