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“It was bothering me. And it’s my blanket. I guess it stays here now.”

“I like your things being here.” He kissed her cheek.

He said it so casually, like it wasn’t the most committal thing Claire had ever done in her life.

Something in her chest loosened.

Noah never treated her presence like an intrusion.

She was still getting used to that.

Feeling welcomed.

Wanted.

She used his kitchen, cared for his plants, decorated his apartment, and took care of Biscuit as naturally as if they were hers too.

The dog she once swore not to become attached to. The dog who now was basically her dog too. She never dreamed of becoming a dog mom.

They had never acknowledged that she had acquired ownership of his spare key. She borrowed it once to feed Biscuit while he was working late, and suddenly it was hers.

Just like that.

“Hey,” she said, “I just realized I basically have ownership of your spare key.”

Noah genuinely looked confused. Like there was no reason in the world she shouldn’t have a key.

“It’s yours,” he said simply. “You needed a key.”

“Be right back.” She darted out before he could say a word. She disappeared into her apartment for just a moment before returning with a key.

“What’s this?”

“Yours.” She handed the key to him.

“Claire. . .”

“You should have it.”

He turned it over in his hand. “You know I never asked for one.”

“I know,” she said. “I wanted you to have it.”

He smiled before adding it to his key ring immediately.

“We haven’t watched a movie in your apartment in forever,” he observed. “We used to only hang out there.”

“No,” she said slowly, “we haven’t.”

They looked at each other then laughed.

Noah started making dinner, and Claire watched him move around the kitchen. His new key rested on the counter beside his wallet, already added to his key ring.

Something about that felt different. Her things had ended up in his apartment by accident. The key hadn’t.

“My apartment still feels like mine. Yours just feels like the one I actually want to come back to,” Claire observed.

“I’m glad it does,” Noah replied. “I want it to.”