Free My Beautiful (The Beautiful Series) by Alicia Rae

a shaky breath. I was thankful that there were very few lights on inside and that I was bone tired.
    I pointed in the direction of my room. “That way,” I breathed.
    Then, I realized that I was steps away from Annie’s room, a room that I hadn’t been this close to in three years.
    I blocked the terrifying thoughts from my mind as Kyle picked me up into his strong, sturdy arms and carried me into the dark bedroom. The bathroom light served to be a night-light as he tucked me into bed. He climbed in behind me and pulled me against his chest.

“You did it, Lily.” He kissed my hair tenderly. “You’re one day closer.”

The realtor, Elena, was very kind as she walked around and asked questions. Kyle was actually much more helpful in that department than I was. I hadn’t realized how much went into selling a home. I hadn’t even considered a selling price either. I had viewed the house as more of an emotional tie than a financial one.
    Even though Kyle didn’t know the Colorado market very well, he still knew many other cities around the U.S., and he was able to make a pretty accurate estimated value.
    I was happy when all of the technical parts were out of the way, but it didn’t seem to get easier from there.
    “Lily, what are your plans for all the furniture and personal belongings in the home?” Elena asked as we made our way back into the living room after the tour.
    “Um, I haven’t figured that part out yet,” I said, feeling overwhelmed from the tour. There were so many more details that I hadn’t given much thought to. “There will be some belongings I’d like to keep.”
    “I’d recommend going through what you want to keep, like family heirlooms and such. Since the house is completely full, I suggest hiring a service to remove the rest. I can give you a list of what can stay and what usually goes.”
    I nodded. “Okay, I will be here for at least the next few days, so I’ll work on that first. I don’t plan to take that much with me. Then, can we go from there?”
    “Sure. Let me know when you are ready. I will also leave phone numbers for movers who can help you.”
    We thanked Elena, and I promised to be in touch with her soon. I was relieved that part was over.
    I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pad of paper and pencil. I wrote Kitchen on the first line. I glanced around the room.
    When I was a child, this had been a very popular space for my family. There were only two things from this room that I knew I wanted for sure, and those included my grandmother’s china set and my mom’s mixer that we had used so often together, so I wrote them on the list.
    Kyle walked silently next to me as I went from room to room on the lower level of the house, only adding a few more items to the list.
    I was down to the bedrooms. All three terrified me. I did not know which one to start with. I decided on my parents’ room first since it was the only room on the main floor. I held my breath as I opened the door.
    My mom had painted the walls an ocean blue. A wrought iron king-size bed was in the middle of the room with a nightstand table on each side of the bed. Her blue-and-white comforter beautifully matched the décor of the room. A big desk sat on the opposite wall with its lid closed.
    Kyle leaned against the door frame, remaining in the background for moral support. I knelt on the chest in front of my parents’ bed. My attention went back to the bedspread. I remembered my mother getting into trouble with my dad over her splurging their money on a silly bedspread. My mom had stood her ground, saying that it was what she’d envisioned, so she was going to have it, no buts about it.
    My mom had had a talent for decorating. She could look at the dullest room, and with little resources, she would turn it into something beautiful.
    I lowered my head and closed my eyes, trying to fight back tears. I wanted this comforter so badly, but I wondered if I would feel this way every time I looked at