Sod had already been installed. The lawn looked lush even in the darkness. The trees at the edge of it were thick, thin trunks, but some were twisted or gnarled. Creating a beautiful tangled look.

The land had been affordable because of those trees. She had bought land outside of town, in an area that no one wanted to build in. Not because it wasn't a beautiful place, but because no one wanted to have to cut down all the trees, and dig up the roots, just to build there.

But she hadn't minded. She liked the seclusion of the woods. After days spent mollycoddling clients and solving problems, she loved the solitude. She didn't even have neighbors. It was perfect.

Her friends and employees had wanted her to have a house warming party, but she'd declined. It seemed like a weird way to celebrate her seclusion. Inviting a bunch of people over.

She peeled off her jacket and left it on the couch. It was early spring. Soon it would be warm enough to go without a jacket, but not quite yet.

She kicked her shoes off and left them in the living room. As she walked down the hallway she took off her tiny earrings, her delicate bracelet and placed them in a clay bowl on her dresser in her bedroom.