Kaylee’s knock echoed through the house, and from inside she could hear a dog barking, and a man shouting at it to be quiet. A woman’s voice joined in, and suddenly the door opened. A man stood there, dressed only in his pants and a vest.

“Kaywinnet Lee Frye?” he said, a smile appearing on his face. “Is that you?”

“That it is, Mr Buchanan,” Kaylee said, trying to look cheerful.

“How are you doing, girl? Heard tell you were coming home for a visit.”

“Frank, put a shirt on!” came the woman’s voice from inside.

“It’s only Kaylee,” he called. “You remember?”

He was joined by a woman in a floral dress, wiping her hands on a cloth. “Kaylee? My, it’s good to see you again!” She leaned over and planted a kiss on the young mechanic’s cheek.

“You too, Mrs Buchanan.”

“So you planning on staying a while?”

“Only a day or two.” Kaylee licked suddenly dry lips. “I was wondering, is Dray around?”

“No, dear,” Frank Buchanan said. “He moved out coupla years ago. Got himself a job in one of the factories other side of town, and decided it was too far to travel every day. Rents a small place, just a coupla rooms in a house, but he seems happy enough.”

“Oh. He … he didn’t marry then?”

“No, that he didn’t,” Mrs Buchanan said. “And there’s Frank and me wanting grandkids.”

“Hush, Lilian. You know he ain’t never shown any interest in providing any.”

Lilian Buchanan sighed. “You should have stayed around, Kaylee. Maybe you and he could have made a go of it.”

“I had to leave,” Kaylee said. “Got a job, and -”

“Course she did, Lily.” Mr Buchanan scolded his wife lightly. “Hell, if I’d got the offer of a job to go somewhere else when I was Kaylee’s age, you wouldn’t’a seen my ass for dust.”

“Frank!”

He grinned, then looked back at Kaylee. “I reckon he’d like to see you, though. Want me to call him for you? I’m sure he’d come by.” He hooked his arm around his wife’s waist. “Be a good excuse to make him drop in and see us too.”

“Um …” Kaylee glanced back at Freya