Charlie looks up at him, eyes wide with admiration. “I’m really good at it, right?”
Reid laughs. “You’re getting there. Might just be the next great builder.”
Charlie’s face lights up. “Really? I can build stuff when I grow up?”
“Of course,” Reid says with a grin. “Whatever you want, kid.”
I stand back and watch them all. Clint with the horses. Sawyer helping where he can, moving between the men like he’s always been part of this world. Reid, always playful, always with that easy smile.
And then Charlie, so full of energy, so full of wonder at all of it.
I’ve barely noticed the time passing as we’ve worked together, and there’s a warmth in my chest that grows with each moment. This place, with these people, is starting to feel like home in a way I didn’t think possible.
Charlie’s cheeks are flushed with excitement as he finishes up his birdhouse, holding it up proudly. “Look, Mom! I made a house for the birds!”
I step forward, bending down to inspect his work. “It looks perfect, buddy! I think the birds are going to love it.”
Sawyer interjects with a smile. “How about we show you the next surprise?”
I blink, confused. “Surprise?”
Reid winks, a playful glint in his eyes. “Yeah, we’ve been working on something. We wanted to show it to you today.”
Sawyer’s grin is wide, almost teasing. “Think you’re gonna like it.”
I glance between them, curiosity bubbling up. “What do you mean?”
Clint motions for us to follow him. “C’mon, let’s go inside. We’ve got something to show you.”
As we walk back toward the house, Charlie skips ahead, practically jumping with excitement. “What is it? What’s the surprise, Clint?”
Clint chuckles, keeping pace with him. “Patience, little man. You’ll see.”
We enter the house, and I’m already starting to feel the day’s work in my muscles, but it’s the look on their faces that keeps my attention.
Reid gestures toward the hallway.
“This way,” he says, guiding us through the familiar space.
As we move down the hall, Charlie’s little feet barely touching the floor as he races ahead, I start to get a sense of what they’ve been up to.
At the end of the hall, a door stands slightly ajar, and as I approach, I can smell the fresh paint in the air.
I step into the room and then stop dead in my tracks.
The walls are painted a soft, calming blue, with murals of horses and deer grazing across the wide expanse. There’s a little wooden bookshelf already stocked with books and a soft, cozy chair tucked into the corner.
The bed is a little low to the ground, perfect for Charlie, with a quilted blanket covered in vibrant colors and patterns of the outdoors, mountains, trees, and animals.
On the wall above the bed, they’ve hung a picture frame with a hand-drawn portrait of Charlie and me, done in the sketching style I love so much. I can hardly breathe.
“Charlie,” Clint declares with a smile. “Since you’re here so much, we thought you might want a bedroom of your own.”
Charlie is already in the middle of the room, jumping on the bed. “Look, Mom! It’s my room! My very own room!”
He spins around in circles, his joy so big it fills the room, and my chest tightens with emotion.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill. I glance over at Clint, Reid, and Sawyer, who are all watching me with quiet pride.
