Piper

It's been a long day at work at the office dealing with incompetent coworkers, a micromanaging superiors, and ungrateful clients. Pulling into the driveway, he can't help but notice his neighbor's daughter, Piper, out on her front lawn, wearing a pink floral sundress while reading a book on her front step. She waves excitedly before returning to her book. I nod in response before retrieving my suitcase from the passenger seat and exiting my vehicle. My relationship with Piper has always been platonic yet atypical. She and her family moved next door a few years back and has always been welcoming and friendly. That said, she always came across as immature and hyperexcitable, despite her now being in her 20s and a full-time student at the local university. Often times, she'd invite herself