I stopped, turning back to face him. "Is there something else? Aren't you busy?"

"Aren’t your parents home yet?" Ryan inquired about the situation in the small town.

"Yeah, it's been almost a month. I guess they can't agree on the price. They don’t want to compromise. Otherwise, I feel like it would have been settled by now," I said, frustrated. "I'm so used to having them around, and I’m getting uneasy not having them at home. Rose is always the one holding down the fort. We have plenty of maids, and the little girl doesn't even want to kiss me anymore."

I sighed. "But Rose is getting up there in age, and it worries me."

"I'll ask my dad about it," Ryan said. He pulled out his phone and dialed his father to inquire about our house.

As Ryan kept saying "uh-huh" on the phone, my eyes stayed fixed on him. By the time he hung up, I had a pretty good idea of what had transpired.

After a lengthy conversation, he finally ended the call. "Your speculation was right."

I thought for a mo