I moved to the head of the bed.

“Mrs. Bartholomew was talking and said her grandson needed a project for Wood Shop. I got an idea, got the measurements and he made this!” I exclaimed, touching my hand to the black painted, low wood shelves that now ran the length of the head of the bed. Raiden’s paperbacks were shoved in the shelves, two attractive lamps on top at either side.

“I got the lamps,” I went on. “And Barry came in and wired an outlet in the floor under the shelves, so no more extension cords.”

Still holding Spot and standing just inside the door, Raiden stared at the bed, but I was so wired, I didn’t take that in and skipped to the kitchen.

“This, I found in an antique shop up Harborough Road. Killer sale,” I shared, running my arm down the front of a tall, wide cupboard against the wall like I was a game show hostess. “Up top, on the shelves, as you can see, cereal, protein powder and foodstuffs.” I bent and opened a cabinet door at the bottom of the cupboard. “Dishes down below.”

I straightened and sideways skipped to touch the range.

“As you know, Rachelle is redoing her kitchen at home and this is her old stove, but it’s only two years old and she’s a cook so she only gets the best, so even used it’s still awesome,” I announced.

More sideways skipping to the fridge.

“Same with the fridge, and look!” I pointed at the water and ice dispensers in the front door. “Hugh came around and plumbed it so it works!”

I threw open the doors, but turned to him, forcing my face to mock grave.

“Now, I hesitate to share with you that I disposed of the lab experiments you were conducting, but Grams got you all this food and all of it is actually edible.”

I was so into my show, I didn’t notice that he still hadn’t moved as I closed the fridge doors, did more skipping toward the table and I threw an arm out to indicate the wardrobe.

“Barry and Hugh fixed that to the wall so it’s sturdier and not in danger of collapsing, and I WD-40’ed the hinges and the hinges on the bathroom doors so no more haunted house sounds.”

Winding it up, I threw my hand wide toward the floors that now had a scattering of rugs.

“More sale items from the antique store,” I grinned at him, “from me. They don’t cover a lot, but they’re better than wood, especially when it starts to get cold.”

I leaned a hand onto the back of one of his kitchen table chairs and kept right on babbling.

“They have a kitchen table at the antique shop I hope won’t sell, seeing as I kinda ran out of money, but it would be great in here, and bonus: no padding on the chairs so none of it can come out. They’re also having a furniture sale at this place in Denver that has fabulous stuff. I almost bought you a couch, but I figured a man is usually one with his couch, so you’ll have to go with me.”

I threw my arms wide and finished.

“What do you think?”

Slowly, Raiden bent, dropped Spot to his feet which caused an audible “thump” when the cat’s weight hit floor. Spot instantly waddled away to start exploring as Raiden slowly straightened again, put his hands on his h*ps and locked eyes with me.

“My kids are growin’ up in a farmhouse.”

That was what he said.

And that was weird.

It was also disappointing.

I felt myself deflating.

“Sorry?” I asked.

“What’s this shit telling me?” he asked.

My head jerked.

“This… shit?” I asked back.

He threw a hand out to indicate the space. “Yeah. This shit.”

My spirits plummeted.

“I… well, I’m not sure what you’re asking me, Raiden, but obviously I screwed up again and—”

“Plant my sons in you, babe, they’re growin’ up in a farmhouse in the woods outside of town.”

My hand went back to the chair so I could lean my weight into it, seeing as my legs got suddenly weak.

“What?” I whispered.

“The fridge and stove, that’s cool. Gonna rent this place come winter, and decent appliances means we can jack up the rent. The rest, Hanna, total f**kin’ waste of money and time, unless you’re tellin’ me something with this shit.”

I was feeling a lot of things. Some of them I thought were good, others didn’t feel so great.

“Waste of—?” I began.

He took two steps toward me, stopped and put his hands on his h*ps again.

“What are we doin’ here?” he asked.

“I wanted to show you my surprise,” I answered, my voice growing small.

“No, Hanna. That’s not what I mean. I’m crashing here. You gotta know that. This is no place to live. It’s a necessary evil. I think we both know that Willow is it for us and if I wanted to waste time that at least I thought both of us had no desire to waste, I’d get a condo in Jackie’s complex or somethin’. Seein’ as at least I’d prefer not to waste time, I’m not gonna jack around with a year lease which is the only thing she gives. So what the f**k are we doing here?”

I took a calming breath and stated, “Okay, honey, I think I need a bounty hunter language lesson or you need to revert back to normal people speak because I went all out to make your space livable while you were gone and you aren’t being real cool about that.”

“No?” Raid fired back. “Well I’ve been waitin’ for you to pull your finger out and ask me to move to your space, so you makin’ my space, which is shit space, more livable and spendin’ money until you got no more tells me you don’t intend to ask me to move into your space.”

My fingers curled deeper into the vinyl of the chair.

Raiden kept talking.

“We’re young, we got time and we haven’t talked about this, but here it is. I want three sons. My Dad was a massive dick and I want to erase that memory by havin’ boys and givin’ them what I never got. I also love my sister and always wished I had another one, or a brother, so my boys are gonna have a lot of siblings. The way you’re settled in that house, babe, you’re not leavin’ it, and I don’t want you to. It’s you. It’s the perfect place to build a family. Now, my question, in what I hope is normal people speak, is are you tellin’ me with this shit we’re gonna dick around, or are we gonna get on with it?”