“Yeah?”
“Please don’t ever feel like you need to ask permission to be in here or any other part of the house. I want you and April to be completely comfortable here for as long as you want to stay.”
“Thank you. And we are.” She hesitates a second, then adds, “More comfortable than I expected to be.”
I’m not sure how to respond, or if I even need to, so I simply nod and push the door open, happy that we’ve all made it through the first evening together without any major disasters or awkward moments that couldn’t be talked through.
And as I head upstairs to my room, I realize I’m not even thinking about what’s on tomorrow’s schedule like I normally would.
Instead, I’m realizing that for the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I’m looking forward to sharing my space with someone.
Even if it’s only temporary.
Chapter 7
Heather
The clock next to my bed says it’s five-thirty when I wake up, a full hour before my alarm is set to go off.
I blink, and for a moment I’m completely disoriented. My clock is the same one I’ve had on my nightstand for years, but everything else is different.
The ceiling fan above me is darker and more ornate than the one I’m used to. The windows are in the wrong place, and I can’t hear any sign of our ancient air conditioning unit rattling to life. Even the bed is bigger and softer than it should be.
My first instinct is to close my eyes again and go back to sleep. This is a mystery that can be solved sometime by future me.
Then it all comes rushing back.
I’m in Grant’s house.
In the guest room with its king-sized bed that’s way too big for just one person.
I look over and check the clock again. Five thirty-three.
And it’s also April’s first day at her new school, so sleeping in an extra hour isn’t an option. New school, new teachers, and new kids who have probably all known each other sincekindergarten. All while she’s living temporarily in a professional hockey player’s mansion.
Yeah, because that’s a story her potential classmates will likely believe.
I roll out of bed and take a quick shower, thankful for the enormous en suite bathroom so I don’t have to risk accidentally waking April until I’m ready.
Only after I’ve showered and dressed do I walk down the hallway to her door, knocking quietly as I push it open. April is buried under the comforter, with just a tangle of hair visible on the pillow.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. It’s time to get up. You have a big day ahead.”
She groans and pulls the blanket farther over her head. “Five more minutes?”
“I wish we could, sweetheart, but I don’t want you to get a late start on your very first day at your new school.” I sit down on the edge of her bed and gently nudge her shoulder. “How did you sleep?”
She finally emerges from the covers, giving me a sleepy look as she stretches and props herself up on her elbow. “Good, I think. This bed is super comfy.”
“Better than your old bed?”
She nods. “A lot better. Can we get one like this when we move to our new place?”
I laugh even though there’s no way I’m getting my nine-year-old a king-sized bed of her own. Like, ever. Maybe something a lot smaller and more budget-friendly.
Maybe.
“We’ll see, sweetheart. We can’t do anything until you get out of bed, though.”
