Before you dive into this story, have you read Touch Down
Corey’s eyes remained fixed on the window as the van made its way down the back roads of Honolulu.
On either side of the road, road, greenery stretched on for miles, trees and bushes blurring together as they made their way down the winding road.
Across from the vibrant trees and bushes was a cliff overlooking the ocean.
With their faces pressed to the glass like school children at an aquarium, Corey and the rest of the contestants watched as waves crashed into the side of the cliff.
As they stared down at the beach, Ouuu’s and aw’s filled the van as the feeling of nostalgia slammed into Corey, leaving them breathless. If they listened close enough, Corey could still feel the vibrations from their grandmother’s chest as she rocked them and hummed the melody of Somewhere Over the Rainbow while their grandfather strummed his ukulele.
“We work to live, not the other way around…” Marie, Corey’s grandmother, used to always say.
Before they even knew how to spell their own name, Corey’s passport was decorated with stamps from all over the world. From long weekends and winter breaks, to spring and summer vacation, any time Corey and their sisters had a brief pause from school, the Cambio-Smiley’s were hitting the road.
From quick drives from New York City to Albany and Canada, to trips to Cancun, the Cambio-Smiley’s were always on the go.
Of all the places they’d visited, Hawaii had always been Corey’s favorite; so much so that Corey had plans to buy a second home in Maui someday.
“I’ve never seen water so blue!” Someone at the back of the van said.
The road continued to twist and turn, and eventually the beach was replaced with the sight of sidewalks and little shops. But the sight of jewelry stores, ma and pa restaurants, and various other boutiques only lasted a few miles before being replaced again, this time by open fields and palm trees.
After a couple hours of driving, the van turned onto a residential street. The street was short, but that was to be expected as it was a dead end with eight houses in total; four on each side. Other than the mail boxes and the gates, the houses weren’t visible from the streets. Massive trees and other lush greenery acted as an additional gate, giving the homes a little more privacy.
The van pulled up to a light blue mail box and after turning into the driveway, the driver pulled up to a tall black gate and after punching in the code, there was a loud buzz before the gate parted, welcoming the van and its passengers inside.
As the van crept down the driveway, the view of the street was replaced with the view of two large patches of grass on either side of the black top driveway.
Further and further the van drove as the passengers inside pressed their faces against the windows of the van and took in the place they would now be calling home.
“Holy shit this place is massive!” Someone gasped as they made their way towards the house.
Ooouu’s and ahh’s filled the van as it crept up the driveway, and towards a circular section of the driveway. After making its way around the fountain that sat in the middle of the circle, the van came to a stop right in front of white stone steps.
The balding middle-aged man, who had been driving, shifted the van into park before turning around to face the contestants.
“Welcome home everyone!” He said with a smile, causing the contestants to begin cheering.
After nearly two and a half hours of driving, they were more than ready to get out of the van.
“You all can just head inside and the staff will bring your bags in.” The driver said.
And so, after thanking the man, Corey followed Brock and the rest of the contestants off the bus and up the stone steps of the house.
Cornelius Smiley had three great loves; their first and arguably most important love being their family.
When most people said they love their family, they were usually talking about their immediate family; but for Corey, ‘family’ consisted of all of their family. From their parents and siblings all the way down to the cousin’s Corey only ever got to see on holidays, The Smiley-Cambio’s were as thick as thieves.
As for Corey’s second love, well that was without a doubt cooking. Weather it was a quick snack for themself or a Thanksgiving spread, Corey loved to cook.
Friends, past partners, and even some family members always wondered how Corey could spend all day rushing around the kitchen at work, only to come home and prepare a full three course meal, and Corey always gave them the same answer;
“The only thing that could ever rival my love of cooking is my love of eating.”
And for Corey, part of their love of eating was taking the time to prepare a masterpiece.
And for the third and final love, Corey loved houses; not real estate but houses. They could spend hours upon hours on Trulia, Zillow, or Google, just touring house after house. And not just fancy million-dollar homes either. From McMansions to shacks, Corey loved to look at them all.
So as Corey made their way towards the house, they took in all of it; the smooth stone steps, the massive cherry wood door, and the lion door knocker.
As Corey and the contestants approached the door Dennis, a short bald man, stepped forward and attempted to grab the metal ring hanging from the lion’s mouth, when the door swung open, a gust of wind, and the sound of soft Jazz rushing out, as it did so.
Dressed in a black tux with white gloves, a man appeared in the doorway. The man smiled brightly as he stood up as straight as a ruler. Moving to the right, he looked past Dennis and scanned over the contestants.
After looking at just about everyone, the man smiled brightly.
“Welcome home loves!” He said.
Stepping aside, the man threw the door wide open, allowing Dennis and the rest of the contestants to make their way inside.
Slipping behind a dark-haired man, Corey followed the man through the front door and into the main foyer of the house.
“Holy shit, this place is massive!” A blonde gasped as she craned her neck to look up at the ceiling.
“Come on in, look around, and make yourselves at home.” Said the same man who’d greeted them at the door.
Venturing further into the house, Corey made their way into the kitchen.
Directly in front of Corey was a floor to ceiling window, providing them a complete view of the backyard.
“Holy fuck, that’s like half the size of a fucking football field!” Said a short round woman.
Corey and the rest of the contestants made their way around the bottom floor, oohing and aahing as they rounded each corner.
Then, as Corey walked back into the living room, a tall raven-haired woman, dressed in a black dress so tight it looked painted on, and a tall man in a navy-blue suit walked through the front door.
“Holy fuck, is that her?” Corey heard Nelson, an architect from Delaware, say.
“I think it is.” Said another voice.
A hush fell over the contestants as they all gravitated to the middle of the sunken living room, as twenty-one pairs of eyes focused on the woman in the black dress.
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