Amanda knew she would get accustomed to calling Jack’s small blue house “home,” but it wouldn’t be immediately. The house itself was charming, set back from the road by a small yard dominated by an oak tree. There were two more tall oaks in the backyard, offering shade from the fierce southern California sun, and the area stayed surprisingly cool throughout the day. She imagined spending lazy evenings out in the yard, reading, or doing her homework.
But the interior was a slightly different story. It was not a big place—though Amanda was accustomed to living in the dormitory, so she didn’t mind the size. The kitchen was small, and the living room could graciously be called cozy with a huge flat screen television dominating most of it. Both of the bedrooms had enough room for the bed, a dr
