The next morning brought an unexpected visitor.
Mrs. Collins. Standing on the porch with a casserole dish. Smiling like she had every right to be there.
"Morning! Thought I'd bring by some breakfast. Got extras from the diner." She pushed past Ethan before he could protest. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"We were just—" Ethan started.
"Having coffee. Perfect. I'll join you." She set the casserole on the counter. Spotted me in my borrowed clothes. Her smile grew. "Ava. Good to see you still here. Town was taking bets on how long you'd last."
"Bets?"
"Small town entertainment. Don't take it personally." She opened cabinets like she owned the place. Found plates. Started serving. "Most people gave you a week. I said two. Looks like I'm winning."
Ethan rubbed his face. "Mrs. Coll
