A place at one time Deanna wanted to escape. Now that she was twenty-six, it seemed a fast-paced life in New York City wasn’t going to happen. Until recently, she’d lived with her parents in the small bungalow she’d been brought up in. She now resided in the granny house at the edge of the property, the one her Nana used to live in. Deanna redecorated the one-bedroom to suit her tastes and purposes, and with its small bath and kitchenette, the place afforded her some semblance of privacy. She paid a nominal rent, as living in an apartment on her own was financially impossible. Her job as price coordinator at Byron’s Department Store didn’t pay much. Byron’s was a local business hanging on by the skin of its teeth, thanks both to the economy and the Walmart Super Center in nearby Newburgh. Deanna should’ve made plans to find employment elsewhere, but she’d worked at Byron’s since high school graduation. Loyalty played into her decision to stay put, but so did the calm, comforting routine she really didn’t want to shake up.
