We are settling in. We are becoming acquainted, me and this new house. I am learning about her (as I have decided that much like yachts, houses are most likely feminine) and hopefully she is finding a few things out about me too. I cannot speak for Patrick’s dance with her as we each go about things differently. But I am slowly seeing myself in the kitchen and the living room, the two places I spend most of my time. I am introducing my things to her empty spaces. She is making room for my clutter. I find myself silently apologizing to her for not liking her when I first arrived. “It wasn’t you,” I hear myself saying, “It was me. My other half wasn’t here yet and without him, I can’t find a way to make you my own.”

But corner by corner, wall by wall and eventually room by room, we are coming to an understanding. I don’t wake up confused in the middle of the night and take a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and when my bare foot is no longer startled to land on cold wood. And I certain that the next time I stretch out in her mile-long very deep tub she will offer up a little more hot water as some bits and pieces of me were quite chilled poking up out of the bubbles…

I watch my animals each settle in to her in their own ways as well. Belle is realizing that this is her home as well and no longer looks at us with absolute terror when we leave in the morning. She is finding her resting spots and becoming accustomed to new creaks in the middle of the night.

Luna is finding a few soft places that fit her requirements of allowing her curl up while always maintaining an eagle eye on Lilly. But fortunately for Luna, the house is quite open and Lilly’s favorite resting spot (which she promptly discovered after one lap around the house in which she hardly touched the floor) is on top of the kitchen cabinets where she is in plain sight. Once you know where to look.

So we are all coming around. I am allowing our first house to find its place in my memory and slowly but surely, I am once again home. If not yet in my new life, at least in my new house.