You stepped out of the car, the leaves rustling under your feet as you pulled your coat tight around you and slammed the car door.

The day was clear, not a cloud in the sky as you breathed out steam and looked up, seeing the scaffolding, tarps, and small yellow bulldozers sitting around the old cathedral.

"What's going on?" You asked.

It wasn't being torn down, was it?

"I'm having it restored," he answered, taking your hand and leading you inside the front doors.

You walked in, your gaze immediately shooting everywhere as you took in all the work the crew had already done.

The broken and trashed pews in the balcony were now all torn out, and all of the garbage and piles of debris around the floor were completely gone. The sanctuary and old altar had been removed, and there was now a proper door hung at the entrance of the catacombs. Tarps hung over exposed areas in the roof and walls, and a new cement foundation had been laid, clean and solid.

To the right and left, scaffolding went all the way up to the roof, and you also noticed wood framing, as if a second floor were being added.

There were no workers here, probably because it was Thanksgiving.

"Restored?" You repeated, still confused. "As what? As a church, a historical site...“

He opened his mouth, taking in a deep breath as if he were a little apprehensive. "As a.. house," he finally answered.

"A house? I don't understand."

He breathed out a laugh and approached you. “I should've talked to you about it, but I..." He looked around. "I really wanted this, and I was hoping you'd want to live here."

You froze.

"With me," he added.