Some were contemporary mansions.
Others were large traditional houses with brick exteriors, white columns, and balconies overlooking landscaped gardens.
Andre and Tanya purchased one of the newer properties.
It had five bedrooms, a spacious open-plan kitchen, a home office, and a beautiful backyard swimming pool surrounded by ivory-colored stone.
Andre had spent nearly fifteen years working as a civil engineer, specializing in water infrastructure, site drainage, and residential development projects.
He understood pipes.
Municipal systems.
Construction permits.
And the enormous difference between a properly designed wastewater system and a homeowner improvising something dangerous to save money.
But what he loved most about the house wasn't its architecture.
It was the pool.
Not because it represented wealth.
Because it represented a promise he'd made to his daughter.
Three years earlier, Maya had struggled with a frightening experience during a crowded summer outing at a public recreational facility. Nothing catastrophic happened, but she became terrified of deep water.
Afterward, she refused to enter swimming pools.
Even shallow ones.
Andre and Tanya didn't push her.
They arranged lessons with a patient, qualified swimming instructor who specialized in helping children become comfortable around water.
Progress was slow.
Some days Maya stood beside the pool for twenty minutes without entering.
Other days she put one foot in.
Eventually, she began practicing basic floating and swimming skills with appropriate supervision.
Andre never forgot the afternoon she swam a short distance independently for the first time.
She surfaced.
Turned toward him.
And shouted.
“DADDY! DID YOU SEE?”
He laughed.
Then cried.
Because he'd watched his daughter move from fear toward confidence.
When he and Tanya began searching for a larger house, Maya asked one question.
“Can we have a pool?”
Andre smiled.
“Maybe.”
She looked delighted.
“Really?”
He nodded.
“But we'll still have rules.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Daddy.”
He laughed.
“I'm serious. Supervision. Safety. All the things we've practiced.”
Maya nodded enthusiastically.
“I know!”
When they found the Magnolia Ridge property, Maya fell in love with it immediately.
She stood beside the glass patio doors looking toward the turquoise water.
Then turned to her parents.
“It's perfect.”
Tanya smiled.
Andre looked at her.
For a moment, he knew they had found their home.
They moved in six weeks later.
The first several months were wonderful.
Maya made friends with children on the street.
Tanya, a pediatric nurse practitioner, found a convenient commute to the medical center where she worked.
Andre established a home office overlooking the garden.
And on weekends, the family spent time outside.
Sometimes they swam.
Sometimes they invited friends for dinner.