Chapter 77: Chapter 77

“It’s gas. If you get cold and want to turn it on, just flip the switch.” I showed him where it was. Even though it was May, there could be some cool days, and I thought he should know. “Think you’ll be comfortable here?”

“Yes.” He slipped his arms out of the backpack straps and set it on the bed, then took off his jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. It sounded as if he’d abruptly lost his enthusiasm, but I didn’t take it personally. It had been a seriously rocky day for him, and I wasn’t surprised he’d run out of steam.

“Get unpacked, then. I’ll hook up your laptop in the morning.”

“I can do it now.”

“No, it can wait.” I thought about the picture he’d drawn when he was eight. Yeah, I guessed he’d know how to do that, but he could use an undisturbed night’s sleep.