Arriving in front of the Walker's house, which he now considered his own, Thomas got out of the car along with Alicia and James. He carried the shopping bags containing the provisions for the evening meal, and put them near the cellar door.

— Leave them here, Tracy said, busy pulling out some kitchen utensils from the cupboards.

— How can I help you ? he asked, curious to help prepare the meal he had heard so much about.

— You can take care of the bread that's there, she said, pointing to the ball of bread on the central island. Cut slices with the knife next to them then tear each into a few pieces. We will use that for the stuffing.

Thomas immediately did as Alicia pulled out a bag of nuts from one of the bags. The preparation of the stuffing took a few minutes. Meanwhile, James was busy simmering cornbread and mashed sweet potatoes.

Thomas was happy to share the preparation of this meal with his host family. He had devoted a lot of time to studies, in order to compensate for his legitimate shortcomings and keep up with the pace of local education, and enjoyed being able to breathe a bit and enjoy moments like this, surrounded by those whom they now considered to be. his second family. The early fears were now gone.

— We just have to wait now, Tracy said after putting the turkey in the oven.

— Considering the size of the beast it will take a few hours, James said.

— Alicia, can you give Thomas a neighborhood tour? If that sounds like it of course, Tracy continued, looking at Thomas.

Alicia nodded, then walked upstairs with Thomas. She opened the door to her bedroom and he was able to discover the decoration of this room which he had never fully seen before. The walls were painted a peach pink, lit in places by the rays of the sun that looked out through a large window. Alicia's room was similar in size to Thomas's, but the furnishings were arranged differently. Thomas was surprised to find that there were small tools on Alicia's desk, placed under the large window. He walked over to confirm the strangeness of the situation and saw Alicia grab a small remote control. She then pressed a button, and a small metallic noise was heard.

Thomas turned to his right and saw the doors of a large closet open on their own, then a large closet rod coming out of the cabinet. His eyes widened, surprised by all this ingenuity. Alicia picked up a shirt from the rack, laid it on her nearby bed, then began to take off her shirt. Thomas came to his senses when he saw the girl's bra appear, he immediately looked away and turned his back to Alicia and her strange closet. He could then admire the punched wall of several pinned photos. There he saw Alicia, James and Tracy with smiles on their faces, but also other people, adults and children, of whom he had no idea. His eyes then fled to a large mirror and he met Alicia's amused gaze, buttoning her shirt.

— Sorry, Thomas apologized, I didn't mean ...

— Don't worry, it's me, I should have warned you.

Thomas turned slowly and then faced Alicia.

— Is there also this option on my closet? he asked her.

— No, it's a homemade design, she replied, holding up the small remote control with some satisfaction.

— Wait, were you the one who did that?

— This is one of my many secrets, she smiles.

Taken aback, Thomas said nothing more and just followed Alicia down the stairs. As they left the house, James called out to them.

— Don’t come home too late.

— Of course dad, don't worry, Alicia replied before closing the door.

Now outside, Thomas continued to follow Alicia as he surveyed the surroundings, streets he had so far only walked in the school bus and the Walker family car. Alicia wasn't the type to go out a lot, to hang out with friends for long hours outside the house. His whole life seemed to revolve around his family, and he didn't know if it had always been so. It was kept fairly secret and Thomas had not had the courage to bring up the subject since their discussion following the first altercation with Peter Johnson until then.

Alicia walked around the neighborhood to Thomas for a few minutes, then offered to go and sit on a bench in the nearby park. The residential neighborhood where the Walker family lived offered little to cheer about, and Thomas realized from this long walk through streets and blocks that nothing was inviting for recreation except the park he was heading towards. Hearing the cries of children, Thomas quickly realized that they were very close to the park. It was not long before he saw the structure of a swing, then a construction that looked like a small wooden castle. Inside, the kids were running and laughing at the top of their lungs, which contrasted with Alicia's mood.

— It's okay ? Thomas asked, sitting down on one of the free benches.

— Yes of course, Alicia replied, even though her gaze looked like a lie.

— Can I ask you a question ?

— Come on, I listen to you.

— Have you been alone for a long time?

Alicia's gaze closed even more than it already was.

— What do you mean "alone"? she wondered.

— You told me you didn't have any friends in high school, but I haven't seen you hang out outside of class either.

— I told you, I don't have any friends.

Thomas felt at the tone of this answer that he was probably too intrusive.

— But I had a friend before, she said. Something terrible happened to him almost 2 years ago, and since that day I have never seen him again.

Embarrassed by this statement, Thomas apologized. His curiosity had gone too far, and he regretted it bitterly now.

— It’s nothing, it's life, she continued, wiping a tear that ran down her cheek. I've never been around a lot of friends, I've never been the popular girl, and it's probably best that way. There are things in life that you don't choose.

The atmosphere was then heavy for a few tens of seconds and Thomas regretted this indiscreet question. He hadn't intended to rekindle painful memories for Alicia, or even view her current situation as abnormal.

— And if not, since when do you tinker with high-tech cupboards? Thomas asked to ease the mood.

— Since last year, when I became social, she replied with a smile. It was my dad who made me want to get started, it keeps me busy, and besides, it's useful.

Thomas smiled back at her, he was happy to see that she wasn't upset.

— And you, what are you your hidden talent?

— I won't go so far as to talk about talent, but I write poems when inspiration strikes, he replied.