Familiar Comforts

Her car came to a stop in front of Declan's modest bungalow. The neighborhood buzzed faintly with activity—a barking dog in the distance, the laughter of kids playing somewhere down the street.

She stepped out, balancing a couple of grocery bags in her arms as she made her way up the modest porch. It was only the third time she’d been to his house, yet something about it already felt familiar—co