No car in the yard, as Harper could see from a distance, which meant that Aunt Judith was not at home, but on the road, as she often was. Actually, it suited her just fine, because Judith wasn't that special, extremely caring, but she couldn't complain. All in all, it was great, with a few small exceptions here and there.

There was a big garden that Harper and Jill were allowed to use around the clock; she had her own four-room apartment on the first floor and she couldn't live anywhere cheaper. Maybe at home with her parents, but that was out of the question. Never again.

Housing had never been cheap, but Corona had made life a lot more expensive.

Only the utilities had to be paid. Electricity, water and gas. Nothing else. No monthly rent or other payments to her aunt. Fortunately, because with Jill she couldn't afford anything big anyway, let alone an apartment of her own. She still owned her first car, which she had gotten for her eighteenth birthday. .... still owned it.

A car was a luxury. True. In Harper's case, however, Jill was the greater luxury. A dog with allergies who was a regular at the vet was not cheap. All of her savings from the past few years were gone so fast she couldn't even look. One hundred dollars at the vet, then two hundred and fifty, and so on. Always very suddenly. Once everything was fine, it wasn't long before the allergy kicked in. The most expensive bill in between was just under four hundred dollars. And that was with rent to pay. Not to mention groceries.

'You need something to love.'

Thanks to Chad Stahelski and David Leitch at this point. A phrase Harper heard from her aunt forever, until one day, a good three years ago, she came home with a puppy. A cross between a Beauceron and a Labrador.

'Work isn't everything in life. You have to go out and you can't stay at home all day.'