Chapter 5

David decided to escape the move-in chaos on Sunday morning and drove to his place in Malibu to spend time with his kids.

After taking them to the beach to play in the sand and surf, he returned and turned them loose to terrorize the household. David’s mom called him up to the roof, where they could be alone.

“I received the finalists for your house design, and I wanted your input,” Carol said.

David bit his tongue because it was supposed to be his house, but his mother seemed to think otherwise. It was one of those pick-your-battles moments, and he decided to let it pass.

She had three folders, each with a rendering of the home on the front cover. He noted that two were from Ohio State and one from the University of Oklahoma. The person responsible for the design had been blacked out, so he assumed the one from Oklahoma was from one of his best friends, Tim Foresee.

At first glance, the three designs were very different.

The first was a Scandinavian summer home design. Its cover said it was inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s iconic 1951 floating Farnsworth House. The hyper-minimalist 2,450-square-foot house featured 360-degree floor-to-ceiling glazed windows and large sliding partitions that extend the open-plan living space onto generous terrace and patio areas. All non-furniture elements would be built in using solid, locally sourced walnut, including a main bedroom, eight bunk-bed alcoves, a kitchen and fireplace unit, and three bathrooms.

The second design was said to be rooted in wellness and cosmic healing practices. A poured-concrete wall entry featured circular cutouts framing the river and surrounding forest, with one opening to the sky above. Crystals were embedded in the floor to capture the energy of the surrounding elements, passing their benefits on to each visitor. At the same time, native plants would be stamped into the concrete walls to connect with the local vegetation.

They’d lost David on the healing and crystal stuff, but he looked further because the design was outstanding. The exterior walls were covered in river rock, which made it unique. The interior was wrapped in pine from floor to ceiling.

It was the smallest home, at only 1,300 square feet, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It would be the perfect place if he wanted to get away to be by himself.

The last was by far the largest. It claimed to be influenced by Japanese, Scandinavian, and Pacific Northwest designs in equal measure. It consisted of six structures: a massive house, four cabins, and an entertainment area that could be opened up to the outdoors.

The main house was three stories, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the river and walkout balconies. The home was wrapped with vertical shou sugi ban siding, a centuries-old process of preserving wood siding. It was preserved by charring it until it turned black, then covering it with a protective oil.

The cabins each contained a host of amenities, including a king-size or two queen-size beds, full kitchens, and living and dining areas. Each also had sliding glass doors that led to decks with panoramic views of the surroundings. They were also each equipped with a private cedar sauna in the bathroom and an outdoor cedar hot tub.

The entertainment area was the size of an enclosed pole barn. It had a bar and a full kitchen and could be used for multiple purposes. Next to it were a swimming pool and a huge hot tub right next to a cold plunge tub.

The main house had twelve-foot ceilings on the ground floor. The structure was a nearly 8,000-square-foot, ten-bedroom, twelve-bath home.

This could be used as a family gathering place, rooms and cabins rented as an Airbnb, or a corporate retreat.

“Tim designed the last one,” David said.

“How did you know?” Carol asked.

“Tami and I went to a spa in Whistler with a hot pool and a cold plunge pool. He knew we enjoyed the experience.”

“What do you think?” Carol asked.

“I can see myself building any of them for different reasons. I would do Tim’s if I thought I was building my forever home. But weather-wise, I can’t see settling down in Illinois after living here—I don’t miss the snow.”

“That leaves the small getaway or the one you could bring your kids to.”

Inwardly, he knew when his mother was manipulating him. She’d added the kids to the Scandinavian-style house because she liked it best.

“I like the larger one. We would just need to add a garage somewhere for resale value,” David said.

Walnut trees dropped their nuts and limbs, which put dings in your car. And no one wanted to dig their vehicle out after a snowstorm.

“I’ll inform the winner. Who’s second, and who’s third?”

“No, you misunderstand me. Tim’s is first place because someday I might want to build it, just not at that site,” David said.

“Do you want me to start the building process?” Carol asked.

“Let’s do it.”

If he decided he didn’t want it, it would still be unique, and one of State’s faculty or administrators would buy it.

Then David added, “You did a great job on this. Thank you.”

His mom looked at him in surprise.