The moon is almost full, and in its dim glow, I watch her do a little dance to keep warm as her breath puffs out like fog. If we were a couple, I’d pull her into my arms, using my body heat to warm her, and probably take too much pleasure in having her soft curves pressed against me. Instead, I choose a more friendly arm-around-the-shoulders approach and enjoy the feel of her leaning into me as we walk up the stone path to the front steps.

“There are radiators in each room. We’ll have to turn them on though. Sorry, but, to start off with, it’s only going to be warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing. I have a local guy swing by every couple of weeks to check on the place. I asked him to bring by a few loads of wood.” We’re on the front porch, and I let go of Holly to pull back a tarp, revealing a generous stack of seasoned firewood.

“Oh, awesome!” Finally, she gives me that gorgeous grin. “I’ve never made a fire before! Can we make one tonight? Please?”

“You’ve never had a fire before?”

She shakes her head. “No. None of the houses I’ve lived in ever had a fireplace.” Holly does a little happy jig that gets me chuckling.

“What a city girl.”

She sticks her tongue out at me as I tsk in mock disappointment.

After unlocking the front door, I navigate with muscle memory alone until I find the first lamp. When I click it on, the interior of the cabin alights in a faint glow. White sheets cover all the pieces of furniture, giving the space a ghostly, abandoned feel.

That’s not going to help Holly’s horror-movie image.

I set down my bag before moving to the couch. As I grab one side, Holly joins me on the other, and together, we uncover the couch, a lounge chair, coffee table, a tiny, round kitchen table along with its two battered chairs, and the bookshelf. There’s an old TV with only a VHS player hooked up to it. The narrow linen closet I store the sheets in is also where I take out multiple quilts.

When I glance back over at Holly, I notice her rubbing her arms despite her bulky sweater.

“Come on. I’ll show you where the heaters are, and we can get them going.”

The one in the main room is already on, so I crank it up. We go to the bathroom next, which is just an add-on to the building with basic white tiles, a stall shower, and a blue toilet and sink.

Grandpa Ben thought it was so funny that the department store sold colorful toilets. Before I started visiting, he didn’t have a bathroom attached to the cabin, settling for an outhouse and washing off in the kitchen sink or a nearby river if it was warm enough. My parents demanded the addition before I could stay the night.