The new house isn't far from my place, but unfortunately, I still need to collect my car to get there. Luckily I don't have to go inside the house to do that, so I won't need to face Benny again. What is he thinking? If this is his plan to win me over it's not very well thought out. Then again, if I were single, him showing up out of the blue and cooking me supper would have been sweet. Romantic even. Meeting Sid will make it very real for him. His physical presence alone might intimidate Benny enough to convince him to leave.

I slowly back out of the driveway, getting a feel for the car I've avoided driving for so long. The lights are still on in the house, so Benny probably is holding his ground, convinced I'll come back once I've cooled down. That's not going to happen. I drive cautiously to the drugstore, which closes in less than ten minutes. I'll need the bare necessities for tomorrow, and nothing else is open. The cashier is less than thrilled to see me, obviously itching to get her night over with and head home. Me too! "I'll be quick," I promise, grabbing a shopping basket and racing over to start filling my basket. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer...the basket fills quickly. I don't even know if there's toilet paper at the new house.

Five frantic minutes later, I take the overstuffed basket to the till and again am greeted with a most displeased expression. While she starts ringing the items through, I covertly try to add a few bottles of water and some snacks to my pile of stuff. She notices. Whatever. An armful of bags later, I'm back on the road headed to Sid's place. Our place? He'll be expecting me to call soon, and I really want to talk to him. I've decided not to tell him about Benny until he gets home. He doesn't need the distraction, and I am one hundred percent committed to keeping my distance.

The house is a little scary at night, so big, so empty, so dark and unfamiliar. I unlock the front door and the beep of the house alarm starts instantly. I quickly punch in the security code in the keypad, hoping I've remembered it correctly, and I'm relieved when the small light stops flashing red and turns green. I'm in! The first thing I do is flip on a few lights, hoping it will help calm my nerves. The massive house doesn't have a single piece of furniture, so it looks like I'll be sleeping on the floor. It's still better than the alternative.

I unpack in the master suit, although without even a mattress, it's not much of a bedroom. My drugstore toiletries are carefully placed in the pristine bathroom, and I frown when I notice there's not even a hand towel. I guess I'm not showering in the morning. It's just for one night, and then tomorrow I can pick up a few more things to get me through the week. I hear my cell phone ringing and hustle back to dig through my purse.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I thought I would have heard from you by now," Sid says softly.

"I was just about to call you, how's the road trip?" I say cheerfully. If I can keep him talking, maybe he won't ask me questions.

"Good. The guys just got back from supper, and I'm watching a game in my hotel room."

"You didn't go for supper?" I ask.

"No babe, not in Washington," he laughs.

"Why not?"

"Self-preservation," he quips with a giggle. Oh, I get it. "We should Facetime," he suggests.

"I don't have my iPad with me," I say regretfully.

"But I want to see your pretty face," he whines.

"So game tomorrow night, then travel to..." I rack my brain trying to remember.

"Philly," he chips in.

"Right, travel to Philly right after the game?" I ask.

"Yep," he says easily.

"Then practice and rest Friday, and then the game Saturday afternoon." I finish.

"You got it," he laughs.

"Maybe I could come to Philly for the game," I suggest.

"You should!" he says brightly. "Just don't wear my jersey," he teases.

"Okay Sid, I don't know a lot about hockey, but I know that much!" I say defensively.

"Just looking out for you babe," he says sweetly. "This is good, then I won't worry about you killing yourself at pilates."

"Oh, I forgot about that," I say surprised.

"You can miss a class," he coaxes. Yeah, I've missed more than I've been to!

"I'm not worried about it. A friend of mine in the class is organizing this fundraiser and I was going to get her some stuff for Saturday, but I'll just drop it off another time." I make a mental note to call her tomorrow.

"What kind of fundraiser?"

"She has a young son, and one of his playmates has this rare blood disease, I think?" I trail off trying to remember if I've got my facts straight. "Anyway, they're trying to raise money to help pay for his medical expenses, and Andrea is in charge of getting some stuff for the silent auction."

"So what are you giving her?" he says with interest.

"I'm giving her a walk on part in the show to auction off," I tell him.

"I can get you some stuff from the club if you want," he offers kindly.

"She would love that," I gush. "No pressure though."

"It's fine babe, we spend hours signing stuff for things like this. Remind me when I'm home and I'll get you some good stuff."

"I will! Hey, can I ask you something about the new house?" I start with a trace of anxiety.

"You can ask me anything," he laughs. "Shoot."

"How involved do you want to be in picking out the furnishings?" I ask nervously.

"Honestly, I don't really care," he admits.

"So if I ordered our bed, and a few things before you got back you wouldn't mind?"

"No, but we're not in a rush either Kate. If you want to, go ahead, but don't feel like you have to." Well, I kind of have to.

"I want to," I say brightly.

"Then by all means," he says softly. "It's your house too. What does the rest of your night look like?"

"I'm thinking I might order in, or is it too late for that?" I wonder absentmindedly.

"You have time," he laughs.

"And then catch up on some work, nothing too interesting. You?"

"Third period is starting soon, then bed. So..." he starts, sounding a little bit like he has a secret.

"So...?" I press him to continue.

"If I wanted to...I can, right? Just not when we're trying..." he trails off.

"What are you talking about?" I laugh.

"Kate..." he says exasperatedly.

"I don't get it," I admit.

"Come on love," he sighs, "I'm making sure that if I want to, you know, it's not going to mess things up for us Saturday?" he says shyly.

"Oh my god! Okay, sorry! Sorry! I get it now. Yes, by all means. Have fun!" I ramble a little too enthusiastically. "Just don't do anything Friday," I add and feel my cheeks heat.

"Gotcha," he giggles.

"So...are you thinking about doing that right away? Or do you want to keep talking?" I am the most awkward human being to walk the planet. I cringe thinking about what I've just asked him.

"We can keep talking," he laughs. "You seem so nervous tonight, everything okay over there?"

"What do you mean over here?" I stammer.

"In Pittsburgh," he says confusedly. "Babe? What's going on?"

"It's nothing," I aim for confident. "The house just feels...empty." It is empty. He doesn't need to know where I'm staying tonight, he can reach me anytime, and knowing Benny is in town will only upset him. Benny...ugh. "Hey babe, can you keep some time free for me Sunday?"

"Yeah, off day, so I'm all yours," his tone changes, and he sounds a little more hopeful that I'd like. "What do you have in mind?"

"Definitely that, and there's one other thing that I want to do, but I'll tell you all about Saturday night," I reply, hoping that will satisfy him.

"Okay, I'll just be over here dying of suspense," he says with a mock pout.

"I just want to talk about it in person, that's all. All good things," I hope! I take a deep breath, and decide it's time to change subjects. "Hey Sid, do you have any family traditions you want us to keep up?" I've been wondering a lot about this, but we haven't talked about it yet.

"Well, hockey's the main one I guess," he answers. "I'd like our kids to play." Kids! More than one! "What about you?"

"In my family you weren't allowed to have cake or presents until the exact minute you were born, which worked fine for me, but Jill was born at 2:58 am. Still, we'd all crawl out of bed and eat cake and open presents in the middle of the night. Then go back to sleep. I kind of like that one," I tell him.

"My parents would cover the floor of our rooms with balloons," he giggles. "Yours sounds a little more elaborate."

"We can do both?" I suggest.

"I like it," he agrees. "Do you want a big family?"

"Kind of," I say nervously. "I like busy houses."

"Me too," he agrees and I can hear the smile on his lips. "Did you have pets growing up?"

"Yeah, always. We had a dog when I was very little, and then when he died we got a cat, and then another dog a few years later. What about you?"

"Not really, I guess we were always so busy with hockey it didn't make sense," he sounds a little regretful.

"We can get a pet," I tell him. "If you want."

"Let's think about it," he says brightly. "Babe, if you're going to order in, you'd better get on it. It's getting late."

"You're right," I agree with a frown. "Call me tomorrow?"

"You know I will. Let me know about Saturday, and I'll get you tickets if you're coming."

"Okay, I love you. Be safe," I say softly.

"You too honey, I love you."

I waited a bit longer than I should have, and my options are limited. Looks like Chinese food it is. Thankfully, I remembered to ask for cutlery and napkins, and when the food arrives I park myself in front of my laptop, and start munching while doing a bit of writing. The emptiness of the house is distracting though, and I can't help myself. Soon, I'm sprawled out on the floor, surfing the web for furniture. I don't need much, but I definitely need a bed.

I pull out my phone and start by making a shopping list. I'll need bedding, bath towels, a few dishes, cleaning supplies, a bathmat, toothbrush holder, and the list goes on and on and on. My eyes fight to stay open, but it's futile. I'm exhausted. I brush my teeth while considering my options for a bed. My bag will be playing the part of pillow tonight, and my jacket will cover for blanket. It's only one night.

Sleep doesn't come easily though. I can't seem to settle my thoughts. I need to figure out how to tell Sid about Benny, plus convince him to meet him. That's not going to be easy. Then I need to get Benny out of my house. Or do I? I mean, I don't want him to stay in town, but it's not like I don't have anywhere to go. I have the new house. This house. Sid's house. Our house. The thought calms me enough to let my eyes shut and a dreamless sleep overtakes me.