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After lunch, Milo and Mathias finished unloading the trailer. Since Mathias was leaving early in the morning, he took a few minutes to say goodbye to Wilda and Caleb.

She hugged him. “Call me when you get there, please.”

“I will.” He moved to Caleb and picked him up. “You have fun in your new house, but don’t get lost in there.” Caleb smiled, then hugged him around the neck. “I’ll see you in a few days. Be good for your mom.” He set Caleb down, then went to Milo. “Thanks for all your help today.”

“No problem.”

“And ah…”

“I know.”

They shook hands. “I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Drive safe.”

Mathias got into his truck, waved at Caleb and Wilda, then drove away. Wilda took a few steps away, and Milo nudged Caleb. “I think my Mom left some cookies in the kitchen for us. Shall we go see?”

Caleb took Milo’s hand, and they headed for the house, leaving Wilda to deal with the fact that her brother had just left for a week.

They were at the table with two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies when she came into the kitchen. “I hope you’re saving a few of those for me.”

Milo pushed the plate toward her. “Have a seat.”

She sat and took a bite from an oatmeal cookie. “Oh my goodness. Are these a regular thing around here?”

“They can be. But don’t eat too many. I’m making dinner in a while.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Don’t get too excited. I’m a decent cook, but not a great cook.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be fine.” She stood, then took another cookie. “I’ll be in my room nesting.”

“Nest away.”

She looked at Caleb. “Do you want to come help?” He shook his head. “What are you going to do, then?” Caleb shrugged, and she looked at Milo. “Is he safe outside?”

“Relatively. I’ll go out there with him.”

“You don’t need to babysit.”

“I need to poke around in the yard. Spring is right around the corner, and this year I’m planting grass and some plants.”

“Flowers?”

“Yes. Flowers, too.”

Wilda tightened the last bolt on Caleb’s bed frame, then stepped back to look at it. “One down.” She wrestled the mattress onto the frame, then sat to catch her breath. Milo and Caleb were outside her window, so she stood and went to see what they were doing. A flutter started in her chest and settled in her stomach at the sight of Milo raking leaves and dead twigs beneath a large oak tree. He’d taken off his shirt and was laughing as Caleb and Frenchie played tug-of-war with a stick.

“Oh my.” She exhaled, then turned back to the window and rested a hand on her stomach. She took a moment, then turned back around. “You’re just looking.” He leaned on the rake for a moment, then called Frenchie after he got the stick from Caleb.

Frenchie ran over and dropped the stick at Milo’s feet, who then picked it up and threw it across the yard. Caleb and Frenchie chased after it. Milo began raking, and Wilda’s stomach betrayed her again. She took another moment, then left the window.

“Watching isn’t going to get your room put together.” She looked at her bedframe, remembering it had taken both her and Mathias to put it together. But Mathias wasn’t here, so she’d do it herself. It was a bedframe. How hard could it be?

Thirty minutes later, Wilda was sitting on the floor with the frame still in pieces. Milo cleared his throat at the doorway, and she jumped.

He smiled. “Sorry.”