The first eight chapters of Kindling will release to all subscribers on Tuedays and Thursdays each week. Starting with Chapter 9, only paid subscribers can see past the preview. Upgrade today.
Previously, Kelly realised she’d left her Kindle with its 733 irreplaceable notes for her next book behind in Bucharest. The bus was already rolling south. Read Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Marcus and Leenie
Fresno, California — July 2025
Leenie danced around the worn beige carpet of their bedroom, laughing as she glanced one last time at the family photos of the six of them. Their entire life displayed in pictures across the forty-year old dresser. Her mother glowing with the first grandbaby, husband Marcus regal and steady, lighting the seventh candle of the family’s Kinara, her beaming with her Enology Certificate she’d gotten at Fresno State, the four kids arranged in a human pyramid with the littlest one crowning the top.
She placed the framed shots in the box she’d labeled for Marcus, Jr. She’d drop the mementos off with her oldest later that afternoon, give her corkscrew collection to their middle daughter, and pass off her crock-pot to the youngest. Sadly, none of them wanted the heavy heirlooms, like the china set and the dining room table. They didn’t have room in their lives for the weights of the past. But Leenie kept dancing.
“Crank it up!” yelled Marcus from the hallway.
Prince’s Purple Rain filled the empty spaces in the bedroom as Marcus played licks on his air guitar, shooting Leenie a sultry look. Their wedding song still got their groove moving.
Next week, an Estate Agent would sell forty years of accumulated life to the highest bidder. Their movement to housefree living would be complete.
“Look at this picture of Casey,” Leenie said. “Tiny hands, giant attitude. A tornado. She nearly finished me.”
“I remember that day well,” said Marcus. “She was the grand finale, baby. My heart couldn’t take another nine months of you and the doctors duking it out.” Marcus embraced her in a two-step around the bed. “Twenty-one years later, and you’re still fighting.” He let her go, weaving and bobbing a boxing stance.
Leenie twirled away from him, heading to the bathroom to dispose of the cleaning items underneath the sink. “Don’t throw those out,” yelled Marcus. “The Estate Agent said they’d sell everything, including the half bottles of Windex. That’s fifty cents towards our next bottle of Bordeaux in France!”
Over the next few days, Marcus and Leenie sorted, finalized and packed. They’d leave the house to the realtor to finish the sale and to rid the place of remaining household goods. Leenie refused to get a storage unit—it was just a house to pay rent on and not live in. She wanted to be carefree, storage-unit free, and housefree as they headed out to their life of full-time travel. A lifetime of thinking about it and three years of planning for it; the time had arrived.
On departure day, Marcus and Leenie stood on their doorstep, thinking back to when they’d moved in with the four kids in tow. Leenie caught Marcus eyeing the tree swing. “Two fat lips, one broken arm. The kids loved that swing,” he said. “The Emergency Room nurses knew us by our first names.”
“We were definitely the Kool-Aid house. All the neighborhood kids came here. I loved that,” Leenie said. “We kept the peanut butter and jelly companies in business.”
Their real estate agent, Sarah, pulled up in her Tesla, phone in hand, hair wind-blown. She stepped out of the car. “Y’all ready?” Sarah asked, coming up the porch steps. Her quick exit from the car disproved her eighty years of age.
“I’m not sure if ‘ready’ is the correct word,” Leenie said as felt a sharp pang of guilt.
“Sure it is!” Sarah said.
Leenie continued, “It’s not easy leaving a house of memories. We’ve had a lot of life here. And the kids…the kids are kinda upset with us.”
“Why?” asked Sarah. She turned to Marcus. “My kids loved you guys, coach. The entire neighborhood grew up with your whole family. We soccer’ed together. We babysat together. We trained dogs together.”
“I think they want the anchor to stay put,” said Leenie, her voice small. “They don’t quite understand what we’re doing. Selling all of our stuff. What if they need us and we’re an ocean away? I’m feeling guilty.”
“Go live your dreams.” Sarah said as she approached them on the steps. “This is your life! You need to spend your kids’ inheritance. You’ve earned it!”
“Hey, hon, look at me,” urged Marcus. “We’re doing this. We’ve homeschooled four kids. Degrees hanging on the wall. It’s our time. The training wheels are off. It’s no surprise to them. They’re just pushing your buttons a bit. Let’s go find us. The house. The house is just stuff.” He pointed to his heart. Leenie turned to face him. “Our memories are here. We’ll huddle the kids up on Facetime if we need to.”
Leenie leaned into him. “Ha. Yes, we’ll do that. But I do need them to know I love them.”
“If they don’t know you love them by now, we’ve both done something wrong,” said Marcus.
Sarah stood on the bottom step looking up at them. “I’ve seen many people leave their homes. Sometimes it’s for sad reasons. Other times, it’s financial. Most of the time, it’s good. But for you, this is fantastic! Now stop that moping and give me those keys. It’s time for you to get out of here!”
“You’re a good friend, Sarah. Put someone good in here, will ya? Knowing we’ve left our neighbors with great people makes this easier.”
“I promise.” She put her hand out.
They looked at their sets of house keys for the last time, finally dropping them into Sarah’s hand. The Uber pulled up to take them to the hotel.
Leenie turned to Marcus. “We’re doing the right thing, aren’t we? All the memories...” A tear fell.
“Baby. Don’t be getting any doubts now. This was your playbook from the start. We’re ready. The kids are ready. They know they’re ready. No lollygagging. Or doubting.” He nodded toward Sarah. “Sarah’s even ready. Let’s roll,” Marcus said.
Leenie grabbed the handles of their carry-ons while Marcus picked up their backpacks. They put them in the trunk of the waiting taxi, got in the car, and turned to see the house for the last time. Marcus rolled down the window. Leenie reached across Marcus to see Sarah and the house one more time. They both reached out and waved.
“Bon voyage, dear friends,” Sarah said as the Uber drove off to take them to the hotel. Their house disappeared as the driver turned left.
Next: We’re back with Kelly and Scott in Bucharest, one day before the bus, for the anniversary lunch where a question about next year begins to surface.
Author Notes:
The truth: We really had an Estate Sale. In one weekend, everything we owned disappeared in the backs of buyers’ cars. It was a great way to empty the house; no need for hundreds of Facebook Marketplace transactions.
The first eight chapters of Kindling are free to everyone. Starting with Chapter 9, you must be a paid subscriber. Upgrade today.
We loved reading this chapter! Made me tear up.