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“Sure I was just lounging” She pulls open the door, and I see one of those fold-up lawn chairs, you know, the kind that you can shove into a bag and sling over your shoulder, and so on a blanket on the floor

I don’t knohat it is, but so room”

“This is fine, Colton”

“It’s not fine You can lounge on the couch,” I say again “In fact, you should take ht, and I’ll take the couch”

“No No way a your bed I have lots of blankets It’s fine I ordered a mattress today and found a cheap frame at the secondhand store I should have them here in a week”

“What? You can’t sleep on the floor for a week”

“I can, and I will”

I shakeon how to get her to see thingsthe lock I’m almost finished when Milo lets out a cry “Dammit,” I mutter

“Do you et him?”

“Thank you He’s probably hungry”

“Time for a bottle?” she asks

“Yeah I’m almost done,” I say, but it’s to her back She’s already headed to the living room to take care of my son For the second time today

Finishing with the lock, I test it toup my trash andtoward the couch, I see Hollis, sitting with Milo in her arms, while she feeds him a bottle

“It was in the diaper bag”

“Thank you” My e wout tellsas I’et to know her better, it’s fine

“I don’t ood baby”

“That’s what they tell me Ito go off of I’ve never really spent much time around kids Life in the military will do that to you”

“Well, he’s an angel,” she says softly, not taking her eyes off my son

“Have you had dinner?”

“Not yet”