Jen and John

Some of you long time readers may remember almost 4 years ago when we started looking for homes in San Antonio.  I started looking for houses online way too far in advance and two things happened rather quickly:  1) I fell in love with a beautiful midcentury modern home for sale and 2) We decided we weren’t going to buy a house.

For some reason #2 didn’t seem to detour me and I kept my eye on this house for months–I’m talking like 6 months!  This was my dream house.  My family had to live there.  Then one day the listing was suddenly gone.  I freaked and contacted the listing agent (remember I knew we weren’t going to buy this house) and she told me that the house didn’t sell and in fact because of that the owners had taken it off the market.

Phew.  

So a month or two later when I flew to San Antonio to go house hunting I went to this home and knocked on the door.  Jon answered.  I said hi and explained that I knew his house had been on the market and while we weren’t in a position to buy the house my family would be moving to the San Antonio area for the next 3 years and would you be willing to rent your awesome home to us?  Oh and can you be out in 3 weeks?

AMAZINGLY the answer was yes.  Well not that quickly, but I’m giving you the short version here.

Jon invited me inside and gave me a quick tour.  I loved it even more in person and like any love struck fool I was completely blind to any of the home’s drawbacks (small closets! no pantry!).  As we walked around and talked I must have asked why he was trying to sell the home because clearly he loved this house and it fit his personality and style really well.  Jon explained that he had bought the home with his fiancé, Jen, but that they were no longer together and that was the reason they were trying to sell the house.  

Oh, I’m so sorry.  I said.  
It’s Ok.  Jon assured me.  Everyone’s cool with each other.  It’s good.  Or something like that.  I basically remember that he communicated to me that although they were no longer together they could remain co-owners and co-landlords and everything would be fine.

Well that weekend as we were putting together a contract I also met with Jen–of course she’d want to meet the lady that knocked on the door asking to live in her home for 3 years.  We hit it off right away.  Both of them were really cool people and I could see why they had once been a couple.

Over the next couple of years it seemed that we mostly communicated with Jon about the house.  Which made sense–he’s rather handy and so if a problem came up he usually fixed it himself.  Jen and I texted on and off and I saw her occasionally–always wishing we would hang out more.  We actually became pretty good texting friends and cracked each other up with our mutual sarcastic humor.  Jen would also joke about us buying the house and how they would give us a great deal.  A big part of me wanted to just buy it.  In fact over the few years we were there B and I would often wonder if we should just buy the house as an investment.  And at one point we were seriously considering staying in San Antonio and opening a practice at which point we would have definitely bought the house.

Well one day last year Jen came over to help me rake up the leaves in the back yard.  We were talking and I asked her if she was seeing anyone.  I don’t remember exactly what she said, but she basically said Jon was her soulmate and that they were hanging out again.

I tried not to pry too much (at least at this point) but I remember telling B, Guess what?  I think Jen and Jon are getting back together.  What if they got back together and moved back in the house?  Wouldn’t that be so cool?  Like us renting this house somehow kept them together?   

I totally got it into my head that this was going to happen.  I even told my friends about this crazy prediction of mine.

And well, this is exactly what happened.  On our last day in San Antonio, as the moving truck was being loaded Jon and Jen came over together to go through the house.  This was the first time I ever saw them together–they were so cute.  And happy.  (Oddly enough this was the first time B ever met Jen… it was a running joke in our family that she didn’t exist and I was making her up).

I asked them if I could share their story on my blog–obviously they said yes.  I wasn’t trying to take the credit for them being back together but I asked them, Was the house what kept you guys in touch?  Is it possible that if you had sold the house you wouldn’t be back together?

Who knows really… but they agreed that it’s possible they may have not talked again.  The house was definitely a factor for keeping them in touch and ultimately in getting them back together.  Jen said, I think we needed that time apart to realize how much we needed each other.  

Well, I said, I’m just so glad I knocked on your door 3 years ago.

Jon nodded, It was fate. 

*****
Great story right?  I have a huge smile on my face right now.  I have said time and time again what a blessing that house was for our family and how grateful we were to live there during our time in San Antonio.  I love that our blessing has in turn been a blessing for Jen and Jon.  That house has some serious magic/good karma amIright?  Jen recently said she wanted a little piece of our family in the home–I think as some sort of good luck charm or a reminder of all the good that came about from our two families and this house.  I told her she was in luck.  We left our mark by burying a family time capsule somewhere on the property.  I think they should do the same.