30
Jake
“When will Rey be home?” Harrison asked, standing on the couch and holding the broom at an angle. The blanket that was tied to the end was starting to droop.
“Should be any minute now, so we’ve got to hurry if we want to surprise him, okay? Pull it tight,” I encouraged.
Harrison tugged it a little harder, giving me just the pressure I needed to tie it off.
“Perfect, hold it just like that.”
“This is a lot of blankets,” he said, looking around again. “I hope Lady won’t ruin it when I let her in.”
“She should be okay, I left enough room for her. Have you ever been in a blanket fort before?”
“Once, but not like this! This is huge! Can I sleep in it tonight?” he asked excitedly.
“You bet, Sport. Better yet, we’ll all sleep out here, okay?”
“Really?”
“Yup. I have an air mattress we can use. Okay, can you tuck the broom in behind the cushion now? Get it in there nice and tight. It should hold it.”
When Harrison turned, his foot slipped from the couch, and he nearly lost his balance. All the blankets swayed and shifted, and for a brief moment, I thought all our hard work was going to crumple. I rushed over, catching both the broom and Harrison just in time.
“Caaaareful.”
Once he was settled on the side of the couch, I tucked the handle of the broom behind the cushion and tested its hold. After a few adjustments, it finally stuck.
“Yes!” We gave each other a high five. “Okay, grab the blanket you left in the hall, and we’ll put it over the dining chairs to close it off.”
“But how will we get in?” he asked.
I grinned. “Well, you said you wanted a den, didn’t you? We’ll have to crawl like bears between the chairs. You’ll see.”
Harrison carefully climbed off the side of the couch, narrowly avoiding the sheets we had tied up to the entertainment center. It had taken us two hours to assemble the massive fort, using nearly every blanket in the house, but it had been worth it. I could hear whispers of my dad everywhere I looked, remembering a time when he and I used to do this kind of thing. My favorite part had been listening to Dad tell ghost stories with a flashlight. Those nights had become some of my most cherished memories, and it felt good to share a bit of that magic with Harrison.
Harrison helped me drape the last blanket over the back of two chairs and tied the corners to the base, leaving it just loose enough that we could slip underneath.
I leaned back on my knees to admire our work. “Great job, kiddo,” I said. “I couldn’t have done this without you!”
His pale brows were furrowed as he looked around. “Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“What will we sleep in? All the blankets are here now.”
I blinked. I hadn’t even thought of that. “Oh! I know! We can use the comforters from our beds, since those were too heavy to tie up. Sound good?”
He nodded and, much to my surprise, threw his arms around my neck in a high hug. “This is the best ever! Thank you!” He beamed before turning to run down the hall. “I’ll get our pillows!”
My heart did a little flip as I watched him go. Was it really only a week ago that he came to stay with us? He’d found a way into my heart faster than I’d ever thought possible. He was such an easy kid to please, and honestly, I was having a lot of fun with him. Every day we spent together, it felt a little easier.
I still couldn’t shake my insecurity though. Building forts and playing soccer in the backyard was one thing, but I still felt like I was stumbling a bit when he needed comfort at night. It didn’t feel natural for me to hold him as he cried, and I wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t that it feltwrongexactly. Just… different, like a new pair of shoes I hadn’t quite broken in yet.
The last few days had made it clear that my instincts were right about Reyes. He wanted more with Harrison. I could see it every time they were together. The love he had for the kid was evident in the special way they interacted with each other. It was a kind of bond I couldn’t even begin to describe or understand. All I knew was I didn’t want to come between them.
There was something about seeing Rey with Harrison that made me want to try harder. Or maybe… tryless.I wanted to let go of my own limits and expectations of what I thought my life should be, so we could enjoy what it was.
