Take Me Home

"This is a new start for us, Jenny," Marlene Mapplethorpe said. "I promise it'll be alright."

Jennifer looked up at her mother, suspicion in her big turquoise eyes. "That's what you said about that last place."

Marlene smoothed back her daughter's golden blonde hair as they watched the moving men carry boxes and furniture into the small suburban house. "The last place was just temporary, a place for us to stay while I found somewhere permanent."

"And this is permanent?"

"Yes, Jenny. This is our forever house now. Just you and me."

Jennifer sighed, resting her head on her mother's arm. "Dad's really not coming back, right?"

"No, sweets, he's not." Marlene gave Jennifer a small hug. "Let's go inside, eh? You can pick out your bedroom and start putting your things away.

An excited smile, showing off two missing teeth, spread on Jennifer's face. "And I can paint it green?"

"Yes, you go pick your bedroom and later this week we can go to the shop after school and find the perfect green paint for you," Marlene promised.

Next door, Nick Buchanan was looking out the window atthe lady and little girl staring at the old Ferguson house. Rumor had it that Mrs. Ferguson died there a couple months ago and that's why no one had bought it. But it looked like there was someone Nick's age moving in, and he was excited to meet her. Maybe he could finally have someone who wasn't scared to come into his treehouse. Dad said Tara and Jill were too little, but they weren't interested anyway.

"Nicky, come away from the window, it's not polite to gawk," his mother scolded.

"They can't see me," he insisted. "And they went inside anyway. Can we go say hi later?"

"Yes, tonight after dinner, I thought we could bring them some lamingtons. Do you want to help me bake?"

Nick jumped off the back of the sofa where he'd been perched and ran into the kitchen with his mother.

That night, Jennifer sat on the floor and ate pizza for dinner with a smiling face. It was the first meal in their new house. After a year of turmoil with Dad leaving when Mum finally threw him out for hitting her one too many times followed by going from motels and cheap, rundowns flat to those two nights they spent in the car, they finally had a house. It wasn't very big, just the kitchen and living room and toilet downstairs and the two bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs, but Jennifer loved it. Her room looked out over the backyard where she couldn't wait to play football. They didn't have all their furniture yet, so they were eating on the floor for a day or so, but it was fun, almost like camping. And Mum was happy for the first time in a very long time. Everything was going to be okay now.

The doorbell rang and Jennifer spilled her fizzy drink in surprise. "Shh, it's fine, Jenny," her mother assured her, handing her some napkins to wipe up the mess.

Marlene answered the door tentatively, praying her ex-husband hadn't come knocking. But no, it was a woman about Marlene's own age and a young boy with a mop of sandy brown hair.

"Hi, so sorry to disturb, I'm Nancy Buchanan and this is my son, Nick. We live next door. Just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood." Nancy held out a container filled with cakes.

"We made you lamingtons," Nick said, smiling charmingly.

Upon hearing the voice of a child, Jennifer got up to greet their guests. "Hi, I'm Jennifer."

Marlene took the cakes with a smile. "Thank you so much! I'm Marlene Mapplethorpe, Jenny's mum. Is it just you two next door?"

"No, I've got my husband, Richard, and our twin daughters, Jill and Tara. They're four and Nick just turned seven. And how old are you, Jennifer?" Nancy asked brightly.

"I'm six. Nick, is that your treehouse? I can see it from the window in my room. I'm going to paint it green!" Jennifer exclaimed excitedly.

"The window?" Nick asked, his hazel green eyes crinkling as he teased her.

"No, my room," she corrected.

Nick smiled. "Green's my favorite color too. And yeah, that's my treehouse. Do you want to come see it?"

Jennifer looked up at Marlene. "Mum, can I?"

"If it's alright with Mrs. Buchanan," Marlene advised.

Nancy waved her off. "Oh you're welcome any time. Nicky, show her the gate so you don't have to worry about going through the house every time you want to come play. I'm sure Nick will love having someone to share his treehouse with."

Nick grabbed Jennifer's hand and pulled her with him, leaving their mothers to laugh and shake their heads at their youthful exuberance. The two children ran between the two houses to a gate in the fence. "This is always open," Nick explained. "Dad says the neighborhood is really safe and our yard is big enough for everyone to play."

"I can see your yard from my window, too. It's bigger than ours. And you've got the treehouse," Jennifer replied.

"Well since you live next door, you can come over and play in our yard."

Jennifer smiled as they made their way over to the enormous tree and the rope ladder coming down. She looked up and saw it was much higher than it had seemed from her bedroom window.

"Are you scared of heights?" Nick asked.

"I'm not scared of anything!" she proclaimed.

He laughed. "Cool. Follow me."

Jennifer followed Nick up the ladder. She was glad he went first, since it was quite dark and when he got up, he turned on a battery lantern so she could see where she was going. She blinked to adjust to the brightness. And then she gasped. "Nick, this is the best thing I've ever seen!" she gushed.

All around her were sport things and piles of books and toys and movie posters taped on the walls. It was like a kid's paradise. Nick watched her admire all his treasures with a look of awe on her face. "You can come up here whenever you want. I do my homework up here after school sometimes and you can too, if you want."

"But it's your treehouse," she protested.

Nick shrugged. "It's not as fun by myself."

"Don't you have anyone else come up here?"

"My sisters are too little and they're scared. And my friends from school all live too far away to come 'round all the time. There aren't any other kids on this street," he complained.

"I'm here now!"

"Yeah," he said with a grin. "Are you going to the primary when term starts next week?"

Jennifer nodded. "I'm in Grade One."

"I'm in Grade Two. But we can still be mates," Nick assured her.

"Okay, mates," she agreed. Jennifer held out her hand. "We should shake on it."

Nick took her hand and gave it a tight squeeze and a solid, single shake. "Mates."