October 8, 2023 – 6:18 AM
A thin layer of morning mist clung to the fields beyond the farmhouse.
The rising sun painted the tops of the maple trees in soft gold while dew sparkled across the grass like scattered glass.
The farm was already awake.
The chicken coop erupted with impatient clucking.
One of the goats protested loudly for breakfast.
Farther away, a rooster announced the morning as though the entire valley had forgotten.
Inside the farmhouse, the smell of fresh coffee drifted through the hallway.
Richard stood at the stove flipping bacon while humming quietly to himself.
General Fang sat at the kitchen table with a legal pad, sketching a rough map of the property's western fence line.
Helen entered wearing a comfortable sweater, still tying her hair back.
She smiled.
"Morning."
Richard pointed his spatula toward the coffee pot.
"Already made."
"You read my mind."
She poured herself a mug.
General Fang glanced toward the window.
"Clear skies."
Richard nodded.
"Perfect weather."
"We'll finish the last camera mounts today."
Footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Jake appeared first.
His hair pointed in every direction imaginable.
He rubbed one eye while clutching his stuffed dinosaur under one arm.
Richard smiled.
"Morning, Assistant Foreman."
Jake yawned.
"Morning..."
Richard looked serious.
"Ready for today's inspection?"
Jake immediately stood a little straighter.
"Yep."
Helen laughed softly.
"At least let him wake up first."
Jake climbed into his chair.
Rex and Roxanne followed close behind, already assuming breakfast involved them somehow.
Another set of footsteps descended the stairs.
Lin entered wearing jeans, hiking boots, and a dark green hoodie.
Her hair was tied into a practical ponytail.
Richard looked over.
"Sleep any better?"
Lin reached for the coffee pot.
"A little."
Helen noticed the faint shadows beneath her daughter's eyes anyway.
She didn't comment.
Instead; she slid a plate toward her.
"Eat."
Lin smiled.
"Yes, Mom."
Richard carried another platter to the table.
"Today's pretty straightforward."
He counted on his fingers.
"Finish the security cameras."
"Replace the gate hinge."
"Check the north pasture."
He looked toward Lin.
"What about you?"
Lin took a sip of coffee before answering.
"I've got invoices to review."
"Need to confirm Tuesday's deliveries."
"Call the refrigeration company."
"Meet the roofing contractor after lunch."
Richard whistled.
"You're making me tired just listening."
Lin smiled.
"You asked."
Jake looked between them.
"I have jobs too."
General Fang nodded solemnly.
"Yes."
Jake looked pleased.
"Feed chickens."
"Check eggs."
"Watch Rex."
Richard laughed.
"Watching Rex is definitely a full-time position."
As if hearing his name, Rex looked up hopefully.
Jake pointed at the dog.
"See?"
The table burst into laughter.
Helen buttered a slice of toast.
"Don't forget."
She looked at Lin.
"The Whitmores are bringing that injured pony by this afternoon."
Lin nodded.
"I'll make sure the barn's clear."
Richard reached for another piece of bacon.
Then suddenly remembered something.
"Tuesday..."
He looked at Lin.
"Those seven or eight trucks."
Lin nodded.
"Still on schedule."
"Warehouse's ready?"
"Finished inventory last night."
General Fang looked up from his sketch.
"Forklift fuel?"
Lin smiled.
"Already delivered."
He gave one approving nod.
"Good."
Richard chuckled.
"Sometimes I wonder if you sleep or just make lists."
Lin reached into her hoodie pocket.
She pulled out a folded notepad.
Richard laughed before she even opened it.
"You actually have one with you."
She grinned.
"Always."
Jake leaned over curiously.
"What's on it?"
Lin looked down.
"Today's jobs."
Jake thought about that for a second.
Then climbed down from his chair.
He disappeared into the living room.
A moment later, he came running back carrying a tiny spiral notebook no bigger than his hand.
He proudly placed it on the table.
"Me too."
Everyone looked down.
Richard carefully opened it.
Inside, written in oversized, uneven pencil letters, was a single list.
Feed Chickens
Eggs
Help
Richard slowly closed the notebook.
Then looked at Jake.
"Assistant Foreman..."
Jake waited.
Richard smiled.
"Excellent paperwork."
Jake beamed.
Across the table, Lin couldn't help smiling.
For all the checklists she carried...
For all the schedules...
Inventories...
Deliveries...
Security plans...
Somehow Jake had managed to make having a to-do list look fun.
October 8, 2023 – 8:12 AM
The morning sun had burned away most of the mist by the time Lin parked outside the old Hawthorne Hotel.
Construction had already started for the day.
The rhythmic pounding of hammers echoed through the property.
Circular saws whined.
Air compressors hissed.
Someone shouted measurements from the second floor.
The once-abandoned hotel looked different every day.
Scaffolding wrapped around the east wing.
Fresh roofing covered nearly half the main building.
Workers carried sheets of drywall through the front entrance while electricians disappeared into newly framed walls.
Lin climbed out of her truck carrying a clipboard.
Before she reached the entrance;
"Morning, Boss!"
Megan Clarke jogged over from the petting zoo carrying a feed bucket.
A goat immediately followed her.
Then another.
Lin smiled.
"Morning, Megan."
Megan pointed behind herself.
"They're convinced breakfast is late."
One of the goats let out an especially dramatic bleat.
Lin glanced at her watch.
"It's four minutes late."
Megan laughed.
"Apparently that's unacceptable."
The loudest goat agreed.
"Maaah!"
Lin nodded toward the pen.
"I'd better not keep management waiting."
The moment Lin stepped inside the construction zone, hard hats became mandatory.
She slipped one on before walking through the lobby.
What had once been moldy carpet and broken furniture was now exposed wooden flooring and fresh framing.
Temporary work lights hung from extension cords overhead.
The foreman, Dave Mitchell, looked up from a blueprint.
"Morning, Lin."
"Morning."
She stopped beside the plans spread across a folding table.
"Status?"
Dave checked his notes.
"Roof's ahead of schedule."
"Electrical rough-in finishes tomorrow."
"Plumbing passed inspection yesterday."
He smiled.
"Honestly..."
"...we're moving faster than expected."
Lin nodded.
"Any problems?"
Dave scratched his beard.
"Just one."
He pointed toward the unfinished dining hall.
"Commercial refrigerators arrive Tuesday."
"Those things weigh a ton."
Lin smiled.
"Forklift's already booked."
Dave looked pleasantly surprised.
"Already?"
"Monday afternoon."
He chuckled.
"You really don't wait until the last minute."
Lin simply smiled.
If only he knew.
She continued her inspection.
Room by room.
Clipboard in hand.
Cabin One.
Drywall complete.
Cabin Two.
Windows installed.
Cabin Three.
Still waiting for flooring.
She made quick notes.
Nothing escaped her attention.
Loose electrical outlet.
Missing smoke detector bracket.
One cracked bathroom tile.
Every issue went onto the list.
By the time she reached the maintenance building, two pages were already filled.
Outside, Megan was wrestling with a feed sack almost as large as she was.
Lin walked over.
"Need a hand?"
Megan laughed.
"Please."
Together they lifted the fifty-pound bag onto a storage shelf.
Megan wiped her forehead.
"I swear these get heavier every week."
Lin smiled.
"Or you're feeding spoiled goats."
As if on cue—
One goat stretched its neck over the fence and attempted to chew on the corner of Lin's clipboard.
Lin pulled it away just in time.
"Seriously?"
Megan burst into laughter.
"That's Biscuit."
"He eats paperwork."
Lin looked at the goat.
The goat looked back.
Without a trace of guilt.
"Good thing these aren't permits."
A white delivery van rolled through the front gate.
Lin checked the logo.
Blue Ridge Refrigeration
Right on schedule.
A technician climbed out carrying a tablet.
"Morning."
"Delivery confirmation for Tuesday."
Lin walked over.
"Everything still arriving on the tenth?"
The technician scrolled through the order.
His eyebrows slowly climbed.
"That's..."
He looked at her.
"...quite an order."
She smiled.
"It's a hotel."
He nodded.
"Eight commercial refrigerators."
"Walk-in freezer components."
"Ice machines."
"Commercial prep tables."
He whistled softly.
"You'll keep us busy all day."
Lin signed the confirmation.
"As long as the trucks arrive."
"First one should be here around eight."
He climbed back into the van.
"See you Tuesday."
The van rolled back toward the highway.
Lin watched it disappear.
Tuesday was becoming the most important day of the week.
Almost every major purchase she'd spent months arranging would finally arrive.
One shipment delayed...
Could throw off dozens of contractors.
One shipment missing...
Could create problems for months.
She glanced down at her checklist.
Every box beside October 10 Deliveries had already been checked.
Almost.
She pulled out her phone.
One final confirmation remained.
The warehouse shelving supplier.
Lin pressed the call button as she continued walking toward the equipment barn, already planning the rest of the day's inspections before the person on the other end even answered.
October 8, 2023 – 10:26 AM
After hanging up with the refrigeration company, Lin slipped her phone back into her pocket.
One more confirmation checked off.
One less thing to worry about.
She looked down at her clipboard.
Still plenty left to do.
Roof inspection.
Meet the carpenter.
Review tomorrow's concrete pour.
Order more fencing screws.
She stared at the list for another second.
Then quietly closed the clipboard.
"...It can wait an hour."
For once...
Nothing was on fire.
No contractors were looking for her.
No deliveries had gone missing.
No emergencies.
An entire hour belonged to her.
She wasn't about to waste it.
Lin followed the narrow dirt path behind the hotel toward the small pond near the western pasture.
The further she walked, the quieter everything became.
The constant buzz of construction faded into the distance.
Instead...
Leaves rustled overhead.
A cool breeze carried the scent of pine and fresh earth.
Somewhere in the trees, a woodpecker tapped rhythmically against a trunk.
She slowed her pace.
Really slowed.
Not walking because she had somewhere to be.
Just...
Walking.
The pond reflected a cloudless blue sky, broken only by lazy ripples from a pair of ducks gliding across the surface.
One stopped.
Dunked its head underwater.
Came back up with absolutely nothing.
Lin smiled.
"Better luck next time."
As if offended, the duck quacked loudly before trying again.
She continued toward the orchard.
Most of the young apple trees had already begun changing color.
Red.
Orange.
Golden yellow.
A few early apples still clung stubbornly to the branches.
She reached up and picked one.
The skin was cool from the morning air.
She polished it against her sleeve before taking a bite.
Crunch.
Sweet.
Crisp.
Juice ran down her fingers.
Nothing like the waxy supermarket apples she'd eaten for years in the city.
She leaned against the fence while finishing it.
Last year...
She would've eaten breakfast in front of a computer.
Lunch at her desk.
Dinner from a delivery app.
Always rushing.
Always checking emails.
Always thinking about the next meeting.
Now...
The loudest interruption in her day was a goat yelling because breakfast had arrived four minutes late.
She laughed quietly to herself.
That was an improvement.
Further down the path, she found Megan sitting on an overturned feed bucket.
Three rabbits hopped lazily around her boots.
A fluffy alpaca stood nearby, chewing with complete indifference to the world.
Megan looked up.
"Escaping work?"
Lin smiled.
"Taking a break."
"Good."
Megan tossed another handful of hay into the rabbit enclosure.
"You needed one."
Lin sat on the fence beside her.
For a while...
Neither of them talked.
The rabbits did enough moving for everyone.
One tiny brown rabbit stretched as high as it could to reach a clover leaf poking through the fence.
Another climbed onto a small log before immediately slipping back off.
Megan laughed.
"He does that every day."
Lin watched the determined little rabbit try again.
"Does he ever make it?"
"Eventually."
Sure enough...
On the third attempt...
The rabbit reached the clover.
Victorious.
Lin smiled.
A shadow drifted across the pasture.
Both women looked up.
A hawk circled high overhead.
Below it...
The sheep barely acknowledged its existence.
The alpacas didn't bother looking up at all.
They simply continued chewing.
Completely unbothered.
Lin rested both arms on the fence.
The breeze carried the scent of freshly cut hay across the hillside.
In the distance, she could hear hammers from the hotel.
Workers calling measurements.
Life moving forward.
Behind her...
Construction.
Ahead of her...
Open fields.
For the first time in years...
She understood why people left the city.
Not because the countryside was exciting.
Because it wasn't.
No traffic.
No sirens.
No endless meetings.
Just wind.
Animals.
Trees.
And enough quiet to hear herself think.
She hadn't realized how much she'd missed silence until she'd found it again.
Megan stood.
"I'd better get back before Biscuit escapes again."
Lin looked toward the notorious goat.
Biscuit had somehow managed to get his head through a fence panel.
Again.
Lin laughed.
"Go rescue your troublemaker."
Megan saluted dramatically.
"Yes, boss."
She jogged across the pasture.
The goat immediately tried to walk away.
Lin stayed where she was.
She looked across the rolling farmland surrounding Maple Creek.
It was safe. Slowly, she took one last deep breath of crisp autumn air before turning back toward the hotel.
Work was waiting.
But for one peaceful hour, she had simply enjoyed living on a farm.