“No. No, my father was a lawyer, and I grew up in the lap of luxury in Chicago, actually. Tom and I met and married there. But it’s been eighteen years since we moved.”

“You just picked up and left Chicago to start a pumpkin farm?”

“Seems like a strange choice, right?” She laughed, but I didn’t sense any offense. And honestly? It might have seemed like a strange choice last week. But certainly not now.

“But we love it. It’s simple, and most days are slow, but once you live a life like this, you begin to understand how all those things you used to believe were real, just…aren’t. I don’t think we were meant to live in a rat race. How many people spend their lives going to jobs they hate only to barely pay their bills? Coming home to stare at a television set that rots their brain while eating food that makes them sick?”

I thought about that. I didn’t disagree with her. Even if that particular existence, for the time being, wasn’t likely being lived by anyone. Now the Midwest was in survival mode. But I got her point because I hadn’t wanted that life either. I never had. I had wanted more than that. I wanted to be rich and famous and adored by millions. I wanted to eat organic produce and grass-fed animals. Who didn’t, if they had the choice? Who wanted to worry about bills or money or losing their property the way my parents were?

And I could see wanting to be surrounded by the great outdoors. I liked nature. I’d grown up in one of the most beautiful places in the country, natural beauty all around.

“What did you do before this?” I asked. We were skating around the fact that the world was changing drastically, but honestly, I needed a few moments—at least that—to pretend that life was somewhat normal. We’d been stranded. We were on a road trip and depending on the kindness of strangers tonight for a meal and a roof over our heads.

“I was a corporate executive, and Tom worked in finance.”

“Wow. You really did live the rat race.”

“Oh, we were deeply entrenched in the rat race. We were rich by most standards. Young and fashionable. We were invited to all the right parties. We wore all the best brands. And we were miserable, numbed out on pills, and on the verge of divorce.”

“So, you decided to give it all up and move out here in the hopes of saving your marriage?”