The city lights faded behind me as I left London heading toward the countryside. The heavy traffic gave way to quiet roads, lined with trees whose bare branches swayed in the cold January wind.
There was something comforting about those landscapes. Whenever I came here, I felt my shoulders relax without even noticing. Maybe it was the smell of wet earth or the distant sound of birds that I only heard in that part of the world.
With every kilometer traveled, the pressure of the office, the endless meetings, and the investment problems grew smaller. I needed that break. Perhaps more than I ever had.
When I finally rounded the last curve, the sight of my parents' old farmhouse warmed my chest. The brick house came into view, its porch wrapped in yellowish lights and lace curtains swaying i
