“Hey I can adjust.” Bette exclaimed knowing it would a stretch.

“I wouldn’t want you to adjust or compromise on our lifestyle babe. I know how much you thrive in the city plus we have our work and school here. Everything is so convenient and accessible why add two or three hours commute to our days? Angie is in a great childcare program and the private preschool that we selected is in Manhattan. We have a great life here babe.”

“I know but don’t you miss the peace and quiet or hanging out in the back yard, having bar-b-q’s and swimming in the pool?”

“We have our weekends at Cole and Greg’s place when we want to get away from the hustle and bustle. Maybe later we can think about getting a weekend place of our own but for now I say we stay put.”
“We’re going to need a bigger place once we have the baby.” Tina suggested.

“We’ll be fine in a three bedroom for the first few years. The way the loft is set up we can always partition off some of that excess space for the nursery and play area for the kids. We’ll still have a guest bedroom and our office space without being too cramped.”

“That’s a good point. So we sell the house in California and bank the money? We continue to lease here for another few years and then decide where we want to buy?”

“I think that’s a good plan.” Tina confirmed and they agreed.

***

Before they knew it six months had gone by and Bette ended her contract with the Whitney Museum. It was bittersweet. She’d had the most amazing experience of her career and could have stayed on for another two years but she declined the offer as she was anxious to spread her wings and follow her dream to open her own art gallery.

She’d already started her search for the perfect site focusing on the western part of Chelsea; the heart of New York City’s art world. Her Realtor had lined up several appealing options in both new and renovated buildings as well as rehabilitated warehouses. She liked the idea of a warehouse setting and soon found the perfect location for K-P Art Gallery east. The move-in ready three story warehouse provided a store front location on the main floor with great lighting for the art exhibits. Kitchen, bathroom, reception area, storage and office space were located on the second floor. Most impressive however was the open floor plan with skylight on the third floor where Bette could host events such as artist’s dinners and art talks as well as invite artist to do temporary instillation art pieces. They closed the deal within a couple of months. Bette hired a contractor and designer to put the finishing touches on the space to make it her own. Now all she needed was to get her staff together and scout out the artists that she wanted to exhibit at the grand opening and those she wanted on permanent display. This necessitated a trip to California where she would spend the next two months.