After this warning, Thomas and James went inside the house.

Arriving in the kitchen, Thomas saw Tracy nose in the fridge as Alicia walked out of an adjoining room. He saw for the first time with his own eyes what American cuisine was.

— Alicia, James said. Take Thomas on a tour of the house, I'll take the suitcase up to his room.

He didn't have to follow Alicia for very long, since she hadn't moved.

— So here's the kitchen, she said.

The visit therefore began with the kitchen. Alicia took the time to show Thomas the location of each item: the fridge, the cutlery drawers and those for glasses and plates, the location of the trash can and everything she would need to know in order to use this kitchen. , because obviously in the United States Thomas was going to have to be more autonomous than he was in France.

Then Alicia walked over to the room she had left a few minutes before. She opened the door, and Thomas then discovered a small room where a large amount of food of all kinds was piled up, on makeshift metal shelves, not far from a freezer, a washing machine and a dryer. laundry.

— This is the pantry, this is where we store food. You'll just have to help yourself here if you feel like something, said Alicia. Likewise, this is also where the laundry is washed. I will show you in due course how it works so that you can do it on your own afterwards. We continue ?

Thomas and Alicia came out of the pantry, and Alicia gave two small taps on a door under the stairs.

— This is the bathroom. No need to show them to you I guess, hope you know how it works, she said teasingly.

Amused, Thomas looked away from the door to contemplate the large space that now opened before him. Apart from the two rooms Alicia had just shown him, the ground floor consisted of a single space where the kitchen, living room and dining room met.

These three rooms formed a whole, and were only separated by furniture. The kitchen stood out from the rest thanks to a massive central island, while a large sofa separated the living room from the dining room. The furnishing of this room was basic, a large rectangular table took place surrounded by four chairs, which was not the case in the living room. Glued to the wall, two huge bookcases filled with DVDs and books spanned either side of a relatively large TV. Thomas had no trouble recognizing the majority of the films he saw in the various storage compartments, the Walker family's film library being mainly made up of titles that had exported very well to Europe. However, Thomas had a much harder time with the many books stored next to it.

— Ready to go up? Alicia asked

— Yes of course.

— However, don't forget to take off your shoes first.

Thomas did so immediately, then went up a linear staircase leading straight upstairs. He took care to put his foot alternately on each of the steps in order to avoid being ridiculous in the event of a fall, and saw that the staircase was two-colored, consisting of steps and a guardrail of a very dark brown while the rest of the book was immaculate white. Arriving at the top, Thomas discovered a long hallway with four doors, three on his left and one at the back where Alicia was waiting for him.

— This is my parents’s room, she said, pointing to the door. I'm not showing you around, it's not very important.

Thomas, leaning against the balustrade, felt a little dizzy when he saw the sofa below. Obsessed with the staircase, the hallway and the various doors, he noticed only then, on this mezzanine floor, the enormous high ceilings of the living room and the dining room. From his position, Thomas could admire the large windows which allowed the ground floor to bathe in abundant daylight.

— This is the bathroom, Alicia announced, opening the door closest to her parents' bedroom.

Thomas walked in after Alicia, and found a large bathroom with walls as crisp white as the stairs. At the back of the room, a small opaque glass window allowed light to enter, while making the outside landscape totally blurry. A large shower tray was placed right next to it, in a corner, facing a bathroom. Upon entering, Thomas could see his reflection in a large mirror the same width as the cabinet below. It consisted of two basins each with its own tap, and many drawers. A large amount of beauty and hygiene products were piled up around one, while the other lacked.

— I made room for you, said Alicia. My parents have their own bathroom in their bedroom, so only the two of us will be using that one. I also left you the two drawers under your sink if you need to put things.

— Thank you, answered Thomas.

As Alicia and Thomas left the bathroom, the door closest to the stairs opened and Thomas saw James walk out of the room.

— Thomas, I put your suitcase at the foot of the bed, he said.

As he descended the stairs, Alicia stopped in front of a new door.

— This is my room. I admit it's a bit of a mess so I'd rather not show it to you right away. I'll let you open the other door and explore your room.

So Thomas made his way to the last door, the one closest to the stairs and from which James had just come out. He pushed open the door slowly then entered the room and discovered a room with simplistic decoration. Thomas saw a large wooden cupboard that was certainly older than him and a very minimalist desk with just three drawers on one level, set on thin metal legs. As he stepped forward, he discovered a large bed whose red bedding contrasted with the light of the slightly bluish walls. He caught sight of his suitcase at the foot of the bed, as James had indicated, and was intrigued by a small box that sat next to it on the edge of the bed.

— Go ahead, open up, Alicia exclaimed.

Thomas then took the box in hand and opened it. Inside he found a small piece of plastic, alone. He brought it up to his eyes and recognized a chip on the back. A sim card.

— We got you a subscription from T-Mobile, Alicia explained. That way you will be easily reachable and you will be able to call your family regularly without it costing you a blind.

Surprised, and somewhat embarrassed, Thomas looked intently at this small object at his fingertips. More than just a welcome gift, the Walkers made it easy for Thomas to keep in touch with his family in France. It was a sign that they wanted Thomas to adjust to his new surroundings in the sweetest way, and to be happy with them. At the thought, Thomas was seized with a mixture of sadness and joy, and hastened to give Alicia a hug.

Surprised in turn by Thomas’s unexpected embrace, Alicia began to comfort him.

— Everything is fine ?

— Thank you, said Thomas on the verge of tears

— Give me your phone, I'll set it up for you.

Thomas then handed him his phone. After a few minutes of manipulation, Alicia handed it back to him.

— I'll let you settle down, she said. Don't hesitate if you need anything.

Thomas thanked her again and, when she had left the room, opened her suitcase. He neatly put his clothes away in the closet, and put a few things on the desk. For the first time since arriving in Florida, he was able to take a moment to settle down and reflect on his situation. He had only been out of France for a few hours, but his concerns had already subsided. It will certainly take a while for him to get his bearings, but the warm welcome he had received until then made him feel confident that he was sure to have a wonderful time here. With his suitcase completely empty, Thomas sat on the edge of his new bed, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and dialed his parents' number.