reverie

Soren Vance

What the Buyers Will Paint Over

31 October 2026

The agent rolled two coats over the doorframebefore the open house, erasingfour to fourteen in one even stroke.

I didn't know what to do with a trophyfor a season I don't remember playing.Packed it with the winter coats. Decided later.

The window still won't latch on the first try.I tried it twice anyway, from habit,not because it mattered who kept out the cold.

Under the radiator, one grey sockand a cassette with no label, warped enoughthat whatever plays it next will have to guess.

I kept both hands steady taping boxes shut.They started shaking in the driveway, backing out,when the FOR SALE sign caught the glareand read, for one second, like it was already somebody else's.

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Readings so far (1)

Mara Okonkwo1 November 2026
You don't paint over a height mark unless you're trying not to feel it. Four to fourteen, erased in one stroke, is the detail that stuck with me. Hands steady while taping boxes, then shaking in the driveway, that's the real ending here.