THE MOMENT
"It is a nice neighborhood...," Julia nodded as she admired the quiet block. She was being given a tour of potential new homes and so far she liked what she saw. She decided this was the place she would start including her family in the decision. She'd won an online contest and she attended this first meeting alone just to make sure everything was on the level. It was legitimate as far as she could tell, and also beyond anything she'd hoped for. She was promised a new home rent-free, and plenty of financial support so that she, her husband, and kids were always comfortable.
The small subdivision looked almost idyllic with the setting sun behind it. A lot of the houses, most of them, looked almost the same; but, that was true of any residential area. She didn't think much of it and tried to keep up with everything her guide was explaining. It was a lot to take in.
"If you don't like this area, there are a few other options I can share...," Eury finished up her current thought as they turned onto a new street in the same neighborhood. They were walking along the sidewalk with Jula appreciating the uniform white picket fences that neatly divided the block into organized yards. There was a cool gentle breeze in the air and she wasn't surprised to see kids outside playing in the yards. But, she did take note of two yards in particular. They were side by side with a waist-high fence between them. Each yard had a boy and a girl. She knew by looking they were a brother and sister.
"Oh my... is that...?" Julia had to let a lot of information slide by as she tried to understand how she was chosen and what exactly she won. But, upon seeing the pairs of siblings she began to make more sense of some of the things she missed. She'd stopped take it all in and Eury stopped next to her.
"It is, they are," Eury smiled at her and nodded.
"Did their families win too...?" She asked. She had no idea how this sort of thing happened naturally, so it was easy to assume there was a bigger explanation. She just didn't know exactly how to ask that question.
"Not the same contest you did," Eury shook her head. "Chroma Corp. handles a lot of moves like this for various reasons. Over time we developed ways to make each new space more welcoming to future residents," the teenager gestured at all the nearly identical houses around them. "Some of them were displaced as a matter of necessity, some happened to be looking for somewhere to move when they met our company, and some won their home much like you did," she smiled.
"I can see why we came here first," Julia nodded as her mind caught up. "... but, you mentioned other options. I do like it here; but I'm curious what the others are like?"
"About the same," Eury smiled. She gestured at the pair of siblings. "Your neighbors will be same; the layout of the other areas is about the only differences. I can tell you from experiences if you like this area, there's a good chance you'll find the other options less appealing. It's kind of like you're in.. this category, you know? You're more likely to get along with your neighbors here than in other areas...," she added. Julia thought about disagreeing; but, then a woman emerged from one of the houses. She didn't travel far, just enough to call the kids.
"Johnny! Jennifer!" the mother called. Two boys and girls looked up. The siblings on the other side of the fence realized it wasn't for them and returned to their play while the two that were called got up and ran inside the house. They were only gone for about 10 seconds before another mother, identical to the first, emerged and called her kids in.
"Johnny! Jennifer!" she waved them in and the children dashed inside. It was so normal, and at the same time just not. All of Julia's doubts were gone. She no longer had to see any of the other neighborhoods, and she was ready to complete the process and pick out a new home instead of just browsing.
She had questions when Eury mentioned she was in 'this category', but she found the answer in both mothers. Each one wore a near identical dress with the same short blonde hair that Julia herself had. She did not know what to expect when she came to meet Eury but she wanted to look nice without overdressing. She also wore the same dress that the other two women chose.
"I'll take it," she said. "I'm ready," she nodded eagerly. Eury smiled and opened a black portal next to them.
"Let's sign some papers in the office, and you can pick out your home from there," Eury said. She gestured at the portal and Julia glided through it. She was excited now and very much in a hurry. She couldn't wait to tell her kids, Johnny and Jennifer, about their new home.