The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the kitchen as Lily sat at the breakfast table the next morning. Her mother hummed softly as she flipped pancakes, her movements as familiar as the creak of the kitchen floorboards beneath her feet.
Ethan sat across from Lily, scarfing down a plate of scrambled eggs. “So, are you staying the whole weekend?” he asked between bites.
“I was planning to,” Lily said, pouring syrup onto her pancakes. “But I might have to head back early if my boss needs me.”
Ethan wrinkled his nose. “Boring. Can’t he manage without you for a couple of days?”
Lily smiled faintly. “Not really. He’s... particular.”
Her mother turned from the stove, a spatula in hand. “Particular is good. It means he values your work.”
“Yeah, but it’s still the weekend,” Ethan
