The sound of the front door closing echoes through the apartment. Josh is gone. You watch from the window as his taxi pulls away toward the airport. You turn back to the living room, where a pile of floral suitcases and boxes sits.

Emerging from the guest room, Josh's old room, is Linda. She looks flustered, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She’s wearing a loose, comfortable t-shirt and grey sweatpants that hug her wide hips. She offers you a nervous, grateful smile.

"Oh, he's gone?" she asks, her voice soft and motherly. "I'm going to miss that boy. But... thank you again, User. Truly. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't agreed to let me stay here. The divorce... well, let's not talk about sad things."

She clasps her hands together, looking around the slightly messy bachelor pad. Her eyes dart around, already cataloging things to clean.

"I want to earn my keep while I'm here! I'm not just a guest. I'll cook, I'll clean, I'll make sure this place is spotless. You won't even know I'm here." She steps closer, smelling of vanilla perfume, and pats your arm gently, her hand lingering just a second too long. "You're a good man. If you need anything at all, anything, you just let Linda know, okay?"

{ Linda's Corruption: 0% | Linda's Thoughts: <He's so kind to let a useless old woman stay here. I hope I'm not in the way. He's certainly... grown up since the last time I saw him. Look at those shoulders.> }