An oppressive silence settled over me as I entered my childhood home and kicked off my shoes. I shuffled forward; muscle memory had me opening my mouth to call out I had returned as the carpet squished under my feet.

  I stopped myself. Nobody was around to hear me anymore. As I lingered at the living room door and peered inside, I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. Strange? Perhaps lonely? Whatever it is, I didn’t like it.

  No dust had collected on what little furniture that remained. I looked over the couch and the small coffee table even as I tried to ignore the missing television stand and bookshelves. Bare walls seemed mocking when I knew they had once held various family pictures. It was as if the life in the room had vanished with my father’s departure.

  The uncomfortable feeling from town intensified, and I hurried to check the kitchen. He had left me slightly more here. A table, two chairs, and enough ptes and cutlery to service my new bachelor pad.

  “Thanks, Dad,” I murmured under my breath, and made a note to get more before I continued to explore.

  My old bedroom was completely barren, though I had expected that. He had gotten rid of most of my furniture the day after I left for college. Both to fund his move out west to be closer to Grandma, but also to give himself more space. I didn’t begrudge him. Most of it was things I had grown out of, anyway.

  That left one st room to check: the master bedroom. Again, I paused at the threshold, hit with a wave of nostalgia. Memories of all the time I spent here as a child came to me. We had talked in here, pyed, and sometimes it simply was a sanctuary when I needed to hide from the world.

  When I was young, I had always viewed it as cluttered. That wasn’t the case now. Without his things, it managed to feel cavernous and tiny at the same time. His presence had made it what it was, and his absence reverted it back.

  He had left me a frame for a queen-sized bed, not his old one. There wasn’t a mattress though, and I ughed softly. That would be an issue for future me. My thoughts shifted from nostalgia to my meager savings. If I were lucky, I could find a good deal.

  That idea made me feel strangely excited. This house could become not just a home, but my home. Once I had found things to fill it with, anyway. With a spring in my step, I moved off to unpack.

  It had taken me around an hour to bring all the boxes inside and stack them up by the door. Some were rger than others, and I hadn’t bothered to mark what any of them contained. I made a beeline for the top one. Though far from the rgest, I knew beginning with it would be a mistake.

  I did it anyway. The router was the first thing to be plugged in and set up, followed by the ptop, which got the prime position on the coffee table. When the charging light flicked on, I left it, and reached into the box beside me.

  With careful movements, I peeled away the protective cloth to reveal a cheap silver coloured frame. Inside was the same photo I had told Caroline about earlier; our day at the water park. A lot had happened, but this was one of my favourite moments. It was the three of us, soaked and ughing, as we rode down a massive slide in a log flume ride. Vanni was in front, with me in the middle and Caroline behind.

  All the water had mussed up their tail fur and hair, which I had teased Vanni about afterwards. She had dunked me in the rexation pool Caroline insisted we visit before we left. I still chuckled whenever I thought of it. After a shake of my head, I pced it down, positioned so that it was easy to gnce at while I worked. Then, I cracked my fingers and switched my ptop on.

  None of my friends were online yet, and I didn’t have any messages. Next, I checked my personal email. They were disappointing. Despite sending multiple resumes and having my shiny new qualifications, no one had even offered an interview.

  The couch squeaked underneath me as I shifted. I wasn’t totally destitute, mostly thanks to the side gig Nick had helped me set up. While I wouldn’t cim website code as my passion, it was in demand. Especially amongst those who required something more than the cookie-cutter designs that the do it yourself pces offered.

  My freence email had two waiting messages. One wanted a site to post videos and photos of her dog. That I could do, and I sent off a reply with my rates. The other made me pause as I stared at it. I Googled the email address before I sat back and let out a breath. It was a legitimate job offer. I shook my head as I quickly skimmed it.

  To Liam Sutton,Hi! My name is Sandy Mace, and I work for a small website design firm in Barkroot City. Your online portfolio caught my eye. It states that you’re a graduate of Barkroot University. We have had several promising hires from there, and would like to extend the opportunity for an interview within the next month.

  This interview will involve both a speaking and a creative aspect. Successful candidates will need to dispy a portfolio of different website types. Note: While we accept mock-ups, priority will go to those who can showcase real-world functionality and the processes that went into making them shine!

  If interested, please respond ASAP so I can put you on the books, and give you an interview date.

  Thank youSandy Mace.HR | SiteServicesDesignCo.

  After another reread, I remained stymied about what I should do. Website design wasn’t what I had gotten my degree in, but work was work. If it was remote, I might be able to stay out here too. That left me with figuring out who to ask.

  Vanni was the obvious choice. There was little chance anyone had overhauled the record shop’s website since it was created. A quick check showed me exactly that. Another idea came to me, and I opened up a new tab. I frowned. Sweet Treats Bakery had no online presence at all. The closest I discovered was a mention in the local newspaper.

  That got me thinking. Caroline could do with a website, even if she didn’t technically need one. Everyone here knew her already. It could be an excellent subject, though. A sign that I could bring a business into the digital age.

  I continued to stare at the ck of hits as I mulled it over. It wasn’t a decision I had to make today. Which was good, because a check of the time showed me it was almost four-thirty. With a curse, I hurried to shower and get ready. As I brushed my teeth, I double-checked myself in the mirror.

  My hair, brown and slightly curled, was as neat as it ever got. The red polo shirt and jeans were too casual for anyone to assume any romantic intent. Nerves flooded me before I chided myself. This was a friendly dinner with Vanni and nothing more. Though I knew it wasn’t her opinion I was worried about.

  “You’re just going over there to get Vanni, stop fussing,” I muttered to myself after another deodorant check. One only needed to underestimate how good a canine beastkin’s sense of smell was once before that became a habit. Vanni had barely forgiven teenage me for that.

  I hurried out and towards the house next door. The two-story building remained painted that strange pastel blue, but the flowers had changed, the rose bushes torn out and repced with ft grass. A series of stones made a path, and I wondered when that had been put in.

  My fingers brushed against the chain link, and I noted signs of rust on the hinges as I walked up to the door. After three quick raps, followed by two louder knocks to announce my presence, I leaned up against the porch railing. Music pyed through from inside the house, a song I recognised this time: Baby I Love You by The Ramones.

  Unable to stop myself, I hummed along. This would be her mother’s doing; it was the same piece of music she pyed anytime she wanted to embarrass Vanni. If I had any reason to think she didn’t know I was coming, this would have killed it.

  The door opened, and a giddy rush of excitement hit me upon seeing Caroline’s bemused expression. With her hair down, and no longer wearing her apron, she had a more casual air about her. Then she widened her eyes in mock surprise as she pced a hand on her chest. My attention shifted down to her ringless finger.

  She said something then, three words, and I gnced up again, missing what she said. “Pardon?”

  “I said, bless my heart, if it isn’t our new next-door neighbour knocking on my door to steal away my baby girl. I’m surprised you’re so bold when you’re this new in town!”

  “What can I say, ma’am?” For once, my ability to speak without thinking helped me, as I pretended my focus hadn’t dropped from her face. “When the heart knows what it wants, how much time does one need?”

  She pursed her lips as if giving it some serious contemption. “Hmm, I’m sure I don’t know. More than a day though. Are you going to have her home early? No funny business, you hear me!”

  “Well, if she has to stay home earlier, should I take you out instead?” I shot back, my nerves at the joke hitting seconds after I said the words, though I forced a hopefully charming smile, regardless.

  “Why, I never!” Caroline sounded scandalized for about a minute. Then she covered her mouth, which did nothing to hide the obvious snort and smile. I had almost forgotten how easy it was to joke with her.

  Before I could protest, she had ushered me in, and I found myself seated at the dining table. “She’s still getting ready. That girl, I swear. If you give her a chance, she’ll—”

  “—be te to her own funeral,” I finished the familiar line, earning me a nod of approval, even as we both gnced upwards. Vanni would be in her room, and I had no idea how long it would be before she came down.

  Her chair creaked under her as she sat and rested her head in her palm. “Hmm, I’m supposed to grill you before you take my daughter out, aren’t I? Though I suppose this is hardly a romantic overture. Not dressed like that.”

  “We’re friends, good friends, and that’s it.” I rolled my eyes. “Please tell me that rumor isn’t still going?”

  “Oh, it’s died down a lot due to some recent developments. Not that people don’t still enjoy teasing her about it.” Her smirk made it apparent who at least one of them was.

  “But you don’t believe it?”

  Her silence flooded me with apprehension, and I shifted my feet under the table. Then she shook her head. “No. That you find her attractive isn’t in doubt, but never retionship material. As cute as everyone thought it was how you used to cling to each other growing up.”

  “We were not cute,” I couldn’t stop the embarrassed smile.

  “Oh, I promise you that you were. Thick as thieves when up to mischief, and then we’d discover you curled up napping together in front of the TV. Adorable.” Caroline rested her chin on her hand as she continued, tone teasing. “It’s difficult to see you like that anymore, especially when I saw you carrying all those heavy boxes inside by yourself this afternoon.”

  Her grin distracted me from forming a quick response, but not enough that I missed the implications of her statement. I blinked as a calcution raced through my mind. When it stopped, the answer concerned me.

  “Wait. What do you mean? The bakery doesn’t close until six. I didn’t see you get back either.”

  Caroline froze, and then lifted her head from her hand as she wiped imaginary crumbs off the tablecloth. Behind her, a soft dragging sound started up as her tail shifted against the floor. She then cleared her throat, which didn’t help dispel the image of discomfort.

  “You only just got home.” Her words came out in a rush, the way people spoke when they didn’t want questions. “I thought it would be good for you to have a friendly face around if you got stuck. Besides, business was slow today. It doesn’t hurt to have an early close now and again.”

  “Is everything all right?” The question felt inadequate.

  Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and her tail paused as though she had finally realised it was moving. She ughed and waved my words away. “You sound like Vanni. The bakery is fine. Don’t you worry.”

  “Vanni is good at picking up on things occasionally.” We both chuckled at that before I asked. “Is there something I can help with?”

  “It’s really nothing for you to fret about, I promise. Besides, you have a more important thing to focus on.” She leaned back in her seat, a small smirk crossing her face.

  It was an obvious topic change, but her tone all but begged me not to pursue it. Though tempted, I let it go. She was right. This was my first day back, and the st thing that would help was me trying to dive headfirst into a problem I knew nothing about.

  So, instead of interrogating her about it, I pyed along with her question, letting my voice drop to a conspiratorial whisper.

  “What?”

  “Vanni let it slip that she talked you into going to Ronaldo’s. You should be trying to figure out a way to keep any savings you have left by the end of the night. Has she told you anything yet?” The way her shoulders rexed dispelled the previous moments of seriousness.

  It helped that as she spoke, she stretched, a nguid movement that made it impossible for me to focus for several seconds. Once again, my words came out on autopilot.

  “Not yet.”

  She said something too low for me to hear, but a bark of ughter from Vanni sounded from upstairs. I had no idea what that was about, though from the way she looked at me, I knew I was the subject. “Ronaldo’s good. Far too good for our little town. You’ll love him. If you thought my cooking was addictive, watch out.”

  “If he’s earned your praise, I’m excited.”

  Above us, a door smmed, and Caroline winced as she let out a disappointed sigh before muttering her daughter’s name. I chuckled as Vanni bounded down the stairs two at a time.

  She jumped the st one, and the loud thud of her combat boots on the wooden floor made me wince. Caroline gave her a disapproving stare, not that the younger woman noticed. Her attention was fixed on me, with a hungry look in her eye.

  Before I could manage a greeting, she was on me, an arm around mine as she pulled me from my chair. “You can flirt with Mom ter; we have dinner to get to!”

  “I was not, I—” Vanni ignored my spluttered reply as she dragged me away from the table. From her seat, Caroline gave me a cheery wave before she vanished from sight.