"I missed you too," Les said, squeezing her back in a hug. She had become an important fixture in his life, and he understood why she needed to get away but having her back was a relief. He liked having all his people in one place.

The excited dog jumping at his leg pulled away his attention, and he laughed. "Oscar buddy, I missed you too," he said scratching him under the chin. "He's got great manners..."

He stood back up, sighing then smiled as he grabbed for her bag. "Come on, upstairs. I wanna know everything I missed."