Linnea went to his side and peered at the photo. He was pointing to the skinny, gawky preteen in pigtails tied with red, white, and blue ribbons.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Adorable.” He turned, his face inches from hers. “As always.”

A noise at the door had her jumping back. “Annabelle, let me help you,” she called, and hurried down the hall. “I mean, Anna. It’s going to take time to get that right.”

“Coming through!” Anna called out, hoisting the large black plastic bag. “Goddamn, this is heavy.”

“I’d better take it,” John said, grabbing hold of the twisted end of the plastic. “If it drops one more time, I think it’s going to burst.” He lifted it with relative ease and carried it down the hall into the bedroom.

“Nice guy,” Anna said, sotto voce. “Is that John, as in your ex? I thought he was in California.”

“Was is the operative word.”

“He’s come back? For how long?”

Linnea shrugged. “Who knows?”

Anna’s eyes brightened and she said in her low voice, “Well, hello, neighbor.”

“Let’s grab the rest of your things,” Linnea said with a smirk. “I have to check on Hope.”

“What is the deal with Hope?” Anna asked as they walked down the front stairs. “I thought she was going to be gone when I arrived.”

“Change of plans,” Linnea informed her. “David’s not one hundred percent yet, so Hope has to stay until he gets the all-clear. Which should be any day. And,” she added, stopping at the bottom of the stairs to make the point, “we have to be extra careful around her. You’ll have to wear a mask when you’re in the same room with her.”

“I’ve been living alone for the past few weeks. I’m, like, perpetually quarantined.”

“Have you gone shopping?”

“Yeah, sure, but I wore a mask.”

“Just to be safe, please do it. I promised Cara we would. And she’s our landlord, by the way.”

“Fine. But tell the little rug rat to stay out of my room.”

Linnea smirked. “You’ll want to keep your door shut anyway. We have a puppy too!”

Anna’s brows rose with obvious delight. “You’re kidding. Where is it?”

“Next door in the garden. I’m going to fetch her now. You finish unloading your stuff and we’ll all meet in the living room.”

“Puppies. Cute guy next door. Things are looking up, Rutledge,” Anna said, and headed toward the car.

WHEN ALL ANNA’S things were settled in her room, Hope and the puppy had been washed and changed, and Linnea had served beers and sweet tea, she gathered Anna, John, and Hope in the living room to establish ground rules for the house. Hope sat on the floor playing with a wood puzzle. John sat on one of the two upholstered chairs, a beer bottle in hand, a mask on his face, while Anna slouched in the other, texting on her phone, sans mask. Cuddling the puppy in her lap on the sofa, Linnea looked around the room and realized it was the first time a group had gathered in her house in several weeks. She adjusted her face mask.