Page 190 of Reeves

Benjy presses his face against the window. "Is it on this street?"

"Very close." I turn onto Iris Lane, slowing down.

"Is Paolo getting a dog? He said his mom might let him."

"Not that either." I pull into the driveway of 1423, a craftsman-style house with a wide front porch. "We're here."

Benjy looks confused, staring at the house. "Whose house is this?"

I turn off the engine and meet his eyes. "It's ours when you are with me."

Benjy presses his face against the window as I park. He sits frozen for a second, processing, then his seatbelt clicks and he's squirming to get out.

"It's ours?" His voice rises with each word.

I nod, watching his eyes grow wider.

"Can we go inside?" He's already tugging at the door handle.

"Let's go." I step out, circling to his side to help him down.

The moment his feet hit the gravel, he takes off toward the house. I follow at a measured pace, fishing the new keys from my pocket.

Benjy waits impatiently on the porch steps, bouncing on his toes. "Is it empty? Does it have furniture? Which room is mine?"

Mine. The concept is so much bigger than a four-letter word.

I fit the key into the lock. The mechanism turns with a satisfying click. "Yes, it's empty for now. I need your help filling it up."

I push the door open, and Benjy darts past me into the open space. His footsteps echo against the hardwood floors. The living room stretches out in front of us, with large windows framing the marsh and river beyond.

"Whoa." Benjy stands in the center, turning in a slow circle. "This is awesome."

I step inside, closing the door behind me.

"You can see the water from inside!" He presses his hands against the glass of the sliding doors. "And there's a dock! Can we go fishing?"

"We can." I move beside him, looking out at the long wooden structure extending into the river.

"Which room is mine?"

I point to the hallway off the main living area. "You get to pick."

Benjy races down the hall, opening doors and peering inside each room.

"I like this one because you can see the dock." He stands in the doorway of the second bedroom, which overlooks both the side yard and the water. "I pick this one."

"Good choice." I lean against the doorframe. "I have a bed coming tomorrow. And some shelves for your books. But you get to pick what color you want to paint the walls and for your comforter and your rug."

"Can we paint it blue? Like the sky blue, not dark blue." He paces the room, already claiming the territory. "And I need a desk for science experiments."

"Sky blue works." I picture the space filled with his things, alive with his energy. "The desk can go under the window."

We move through the rest of the house. I run my hand over the granite countertops in the kitchen before we move to the bathroom that needs updating, and then the primary bedroom with doors opening to a small deck.

"Where's your stuff?" Benjy asks, hands on his hips as he surveys the empty kitchen.

"Don't have much. We'll need to buy things. That's where I'll need your help."