They didn’t plan to fall in love. That’s how it always starts. It was just supposed to be a Sunday drive. A detour through a neighborhood called Northcrest... The house stood there first. Dark green. Private. Daring them to come closer... They held their breath as they walked up the front steps. The trees watched. It was California contemporary with a low-pitched roof and a dogwood tree in full bloom. She turned to him before he opened the front door and said, ?“if I could have this house, I'd be happy the rest of my life!" He looked in her eyes and said, “Well then I guess we'll have to buy it!” He was a new architect starting his career. They moved in March of 1974. The house opened its arms to welcome them home. Wood ceilings vaulted and natural. Light wandered in through big windows touching creamy white walls. All the Bedrooms were claimed quickly. Closets turned into kingdoms. Walls painted with animals and imagination. Shelves lined with books. Life followed. Bikes clattering. Skateboards flying. Dogs and cats underfoot. The school was just down the street. Children spilling from house to house in constant motion. Beanbag chairs sliding down steps. Puzzles half-finished. The laughter never stopped. The kitchen was uninterested in trends or pretending to be something other than useful. Solid oak cabinetry and a big picture window that looked out over the deck and flat backyard. Their parties didn’t sit down back then. Finger Foods covered the table. People came and went. The Music drifted while the stories stacked up as years passed. Graduations. Weddings. Babies. Cars lined the driveway. The house became the families headquarters as they softened it. And made space for quieter evenings. They aged with it instead of away from it. Fifty-one years would have been this March. The house asked for one last letting go. Because time and health has a way of changing everything. And so the house waits, patient and open, ready to be loved again, to gather new laughter and carry a new story forward. *** Don't miss the full YouTube Tour search 3652 Northlake Dr. ****