Cole drove quietly through the canyon that separated them from the town Noelle and Jacob lived. As he followed them, he simmered in the silence of his own thoughts. Lunch had been fantastic. Noelle seemed to have relaxed more in his presence and it filled him with glee. Jacob was a bundle of fun as usual. Before they set off, Jacob had already passed out in the back seat of Noelle's vehicle and Cole thought Noelle would tell him he shouldn't continue their day with them. She had shocked him by saying just to follow them so he doesn't get lost on the way to their house. Cole wanted to jump for joy at that moment, but it would have confused everyone so he just nodded and quickly went to his truck so they could get going.

He was genuinely excited to see Jacob's room. He wanted to see everything about their home. From how Noelle liked to decorate to Jacob's artwork that was most likely displayed everywhere. He wanted to absorb everything he could about them. Especially their home. It was like he was being let into a sacred place and he would make sure he remained worthy of it. He only hoped this wouldn't be the last time he ever got to see inside their lives. Noelle's mood bounced around so he couldn't get the best read on her, but now that he was almost certain the reason why, he would try to remedy it.

After turning off the main road in their quaint little town, Cole soon turned into a driveway behind Noelle and saw a charming bungalow. The lawn was decorated and towards the front was a small, crooked snowman that looked like it wasn't going to last very long. He imagined Jacob building it excitedly while his mother watched with adoration. He then imagined what it would be like if he were there too. Would he be standing next to Noelle with his arm around her shoulders as they both watched. Or would he jump in and help Jacob build the best snowman ever. He saw both so vividly it made his chest warm in anticipation. He wanted this. He knew it. He just had to make the right plays.

Jacob's nap seemed to have been enough for a second wind because he was bouncing in excitement as Cole exited his truck. He dashed for Cole so quickly and jumped at him that Cole could only lift the little boy up to avoid him crashing into a delicate area and prevent injury. The boy wiggled in his arms as he giggled and Cole couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"This is my house, Cole!" Jacob screamed into his ear causing him to wince slightly.

"I love it already," he exclaimed to the little boy as he headed towards his mother so they could make their way inside. Noelle had a pensive look on her face before she turned around and led them in. As soon as Cole stepped in with Jacob in his arms, he felt cozy. Their home was lived in. That was the only thing he could think of. If someone asked him to imagine a home in his mind, something like this would have come to mind. The couch and chairs in the living room looked comfortable instead of stiff and for decor. The kitchen was stocked with snacks and cute containers. The fridge held some of Jacob's greatest works of art. Even the aroma of their home was warm and inviting. He wanted to bask in it forever. It felt just as comfortable as his own home growing up.

When he put Jacob down so he could run to the bathroom, he turned to look at Noelle who was tidying up an end table that had stacks of mail.

"You have a beautiful home," he told her earnestly, stopping her in her tracks. He noticed the blush on her cheeks immediately before she turned away from him again and thanked him. Now was his chance to speak to Noelle, even if they only had a short moment with Jacob away.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier at the farm. I try to be friendly with everyone, but sometimes it leave an open invitation for people to linger. I should have thought about how you and Jacob would feel being surrounded." That had her turning to him once more, with a small look of shock on her face. So he was right, that was what had her in a strange mood most of the time.

"Oh.." She took a deep breath, unable to hide her feelings. "It's okay. It must be tough sometimes."

"It was hard to get used to, but now it's almost second nature. It's slowly getting less frequent since retiring at least," he tried to reassure her. "Still, I don't like that I put you and Jacob under any sort of stress on what was supposed to be a fun day. Next time, it will be something more private." He didn't know why he said that, but he didn't regret it at the Colee time. Especially when he saw her eyes widen slightly and her cheeks blush once more. Then she said something to make his heart flutter.

"Yeah. Next time."

Two seconds later Jacob came rushing back in and took over the attention of the two adults. When he reached for Jacob's hand to show him his room, his mother cut him off. "Before you start sharing germs, did you wash your hands?" The guilty smile on Jacob's face told them the answer was no and he quickly ran back to the bathroom where they heard the water turn on. Cole and Noelle looked at one another and chuckled instantly. Once more it felt easy and like they just shared an intimate moment. Cole was storing them in his mind so he could relive them later when he was alone again.

"He's getting better, but still not one hundred percent there yet," Noelle defended Jacob. "He's got putting the toilet seat down though, so that's a victory."

"He's the most well adjusted kid I've ever met," was all Cole could think of saying without weirding Noelle out. He wanted to say he was the coolest, funniest, most adorable kid on the planet, but she might shove him out of their home if he came in that strong so soon.

"Thanks. I'd like to think I'm doing an okay job with him," Cole could see the insecurity in her eyes and wanted to squash that immediately.

"You're doing an excellent job, Mama. I promise you." They shared a silent moment together, looking into one another's eyes where Cole could have sworn he saw a twinkle in her eye. The moment was cut when Jacob yelled that he was really done this time as he made his way back to them.

"Hurry! Let's go to my room!" Cole let Jacob grab his hand this time knowing it was clean and they made their way down the hall and took a turn into a blue room. Jacob's room was much more tidy than he would have expected for a kid. He couldn't remember his own room ever being so orderly unless he was grounded and forced to clean his room in order to take of time from the grounding. Cole looked back at Noelle to confirm it was okay to enter and received a small smile and a nod from her as an okay.

This was it Cole thought to himself. I'm home.