The Mystery House Appears

The car finally rumbled to a stop, a soft sigh escaping its engine as if it too were relieved to be here. Leo’s nose was pressed against the window, his breath fogging the glass into a blurry landscape. He’d spent hours peering out, tracing the winding roads, each turn a new knot of anticipation tightening in his tummy. Now, the journey was over. They were here.

“We’re here, sweetie!” Mommy’s voice was a gentle chime from the front seat, a sound that always made the wobbly worries in Leo’s tummy settle a little.

Daddy turned off the engine, and the sudden quiet felt enormous. Leo unbuckled his seatbelt, his fingers fumbling with the buckle, his eyes still glued to the front. He’d imagined this moment a thousand times. The new house. It had been a jumble of bright colours and friendly shapes in his mind, a place where sunlight spilled through every window and the walls hummed with happy secrets.