Why on earth had she bought those suitcases without wheels?

“Julian, would you please help the girl, and not just stand there and watch, for god’s sake?” a man's deep voice suddenly called out from somewhere in the background.

I jerked my head around. That was when I spotted the man in a police uniform on the veranda of the neighboring house, who must have just come from work. That could only be Julian's father. At least, he had a similar hair and skin color. The only difference was that his hairline was a little grayer and not so messy.

He smiled at me in a friendly way, and I returned it automatically.

Apparently, they were our neighbors. Not junkies, after all. At least not the policeman, who had to be about my mother's age. I wonder if this was the college friend she'd told me about downtown.

“I was just about to...” Julian was about to start, but I was quicker.

“No, it's all good. I'll be fine on my own.”

“What have you done, boy, that she already doesn't like you?”

Now, I had to grin. I instantly liked his father.

Julian reached for my suitcase and just picked it up without a second thought.

Startled, I looked at him and backed away a little. Apparently, he was stronger than I had suspected.

I didn't say anything more because I didn't want to be rude in front of his father.

“I'm happy to help a damsel in distress,” Julian said with this grin on his face that I couldn't stand before turning around and carrying the suitcase through Mum's demolished front yard as if it were a handbag.

What was this jerk thinking he was doing?

I suppressed the urge to snatch the suitcase from his hands and quickly grabbed the shopping bag, which, unlike the suitcase, was damn lightweight. Then, I hurried to follow him.

When I arrived at the house, I spotted him talking to my mum. That was all I needed now.

“Mum, this is...”

“I know Julian. Isn't he a real gentleman?” My jaw dropped, but Mum skillfully ignored it and turned to the neighbor guy. “Thank you for helping me.”

Julian had blushed and was running his hands through his hair. Then he looked at me, and my eyes lingered on him again. The green of his eyes reminded me of deep, uncharted forests...

I shook my head, startled by myself, and averted my eyes from his. Julian, too, turned back to my mother.

Strange encounter...just strange.

“I'll get the other bags, Ms. Adams.”

That golden retriever smile...such a little suck-up.

Julian disappeared through the door with his permanent grin, and I glanced questioningly at Mum.

“Gentleman? Really? And how exactly do you know him?”

“Firstly, he's a really nice young man and secondly, I'm friends with his father Graham. We went to Vanderwood together,” she replied to me, reminiscing as she exposed the glass blue vase in her hands to my scrutinizing gaze.

Slowly, I began to realize that I knew little about my mother's past. Although she had spent half of her life here, she had not told me much about Vanderwood or Blairville until now.

Suddenly, a strange thought occurred to me: I wonder if she had met my father here. It was possible. But what would it matter? He had simply left us, and if he really wanted to have something to do with me, he would have contacted me.

I erased the thought as quickly as it had come.

“Thanks for bringing the groceries in.”

Mum now looked at me again, released from her rigidity of thought, winked at me and set the vase down on the kitchen counter to take the bag from me.

Apparently, I hadn't been able to do more than bring in this light thing. I had been embarrassed in front of Julian, not being able to lift the suitcase. Where was this guy anyway?

“Mum, where's my suitcase?”

“Julian put it in your room, don't worry.”

Julian had been in my room? Since when did my mother let random guys into our rooms just like that? She had always been so suspicious of my ex-boyfriend, David, when he spent time with us, even though he had been really okay before all the drama. And Julian was - at least for me - a damn stranger.

Just at that moment, he reappeared with two more suitcases under his arms and smiled in our direction.

“Where do you want them?”

Ooohh no, not this time, I thought to myself and took the initiative to do something about the pushy young neighbor.

“It's alright. I'll take these upstairs myself.”

With a put-on smile, I took one suitcase from him and gestured for him to put the other down.

His gaze had become more suspicious. But he decided, wisely, not to comment and went back to the front door. The presence of my mother probably made him a little uneasy.

“One more is missing,” he called out and disappeared outside.

Couldn't he just leave?

“Don't overdo it,” Mum warned, addressing me as if I were weak and frail. Then she turned back to the groceries.

“These aren't so heavy,” I told her with confidence.

Recklessly, I lifted Mum's first suitcase and carried it carefully up the stairs. Arriving at her room, I pushed down the handle and placed the suitcases in front of her bed. The room looked a little different from mine because she had a sloping roof with two windows. And it wasn't flooded with evening sun like mine, which was why I was already satisfied with my room.

I turned around and arrived in the hallway when I ran straight into a muscular male body. Startled by the warmth and hardness, I jumped back.

“What are you doing here again?” I hissed at Julian, overwhelmed, my gaze lingering on his broad, defined arms. Swallowing, I forced myself to look into his face.

“Your mother told me to bring these two...”

“Yes, thank you.”