Mom peers over her shoulder at me, and Dad lifts his cup to his lips.
“For?” he asks, a little too softly to hide that he knows the answer to that question.
I set my mug down and push to my feet. “I should get ready.”
I catch Mom and Dad share a glance, and I feel bad for the abrupt change, but… I can’t go there right now.
“Alright, honey,” Mom says with a smile, and I’m happy they’re not pushing it.
I head upstairs to shower and change, and by the time I come back down, the sky is a little lighter, and Winston is back outside, tearing around the yard.
Mom holds out a lunch bag as I push my feet into my shoes, and I lift a brow.
“Seriously?” I ask.
She shrugs. “You’ll always be my baby. I can’t help myself.”
I chuckle as I stick it in my backpack with my laptop and sling it over my shoulder. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Have a good day!” she calls as I step outside.
Winston comes running around the side of the house and falls into a happy trot next to me, like we’re heading off on an adventure together.
“Sorry, bud,” I say, stopping to scratch the top of his head. Then I point back to the house where Mom calls him. “You’re staying this time. Maybe another day.”
He looks heartbroken for about half a second before he bolts back towards the house in a blur of fur, with legs flailing and ears flapping.
If I could bottle and sell his joy, I’d be a rich, rich man.
I continue my walk up the dirt road towards the farm, and the closer I get, the louder my heart thumps. My eyes scan the quiet fields, and as I step onto the lot, every shift of light ornoise from the garages and sheds pulls my attention to it. But I continue to make my way towards the office, letting an odd feeling settle over me.
Being on this property again after so long is both strange and familiar. I spent so much of my childhood on this land, riding in tractors with the crew, dislodging potatoes, and racing between rows until I was covered in red dust. But I traded that all in for subways, tall buildings, and rushing to meet deadlines and attend meetings.
Alothas changed since I was here last.
I pause for a moment to look around the property, letting the familiar sights calm the anxiety rising inside me. While a lot has changed… a lot of this place hasn’t.
My gaze locks on the tractor garage that still has the same patch of tin roofing that doesn’t quite match the rest, then shifts to the bright green office door that doesn’t go with anything else on the farm. These subtle details that I’m sure no one else notices bring me a sense of comfort, knowing that some things will always stay the same, no matter what.
I pull in in a deep breath as I push the green door open to the office, and I’m greeted with Scott’s warm smile.
“Welcome back,” he says.
Melinda rises from behind the desk with a grin that lights up her whole face and rushes towards me with her arms open.
I let out a quiet laugh as she pulls me into a hug, and some of my worry dissipates. She’s been part of this place for as long as I can remember, running the farm behind the scenes with payroll, scheduling, placing orders, keeping everyone in line, and more than I can’t even begin to think of.
“Well, isn’t this just an amazing coincidence,” she says, hugging me tightly. Then she holds me at arm’s length and shakes her head with a smile as she looks me up and down. “So grown up.”
I laugh and shrug one shoulder. “Unfortunately, it had to happen at some point.”
She pats my chest and releases me with a sigh. “Unfortunately is right.”
Scott steps forward, holding out his hand, and I take it with a firm shake.
“Happy to have you home, Levi,” he says with a genuine smile, and relief floods through me. I had no idea what I was really walking into here, but Scott’s always been kind, warm, and welcoming. And his familiar presence puts me even further at ease.
He tilts his head for me to follow him and turns towards the hallway. “Come on, I’ll show you to your office.”
