September 3, 2026

The Quiet Sunday Morning When I Returned Home and Found My Belongings Scattered with a Note That Simply Read ‘If You Want to Stay’

My weeks were filled with managing the small bookstore I had inherited, late-night inventory counts, and maintaining the modest apartment above it.

Routine was my comfort, my refuge.

This disruption poked a hole in that refuge.

The absence of my landlord, Mr. Halstead, weighed heavily on my mind.

He had been avoiding me lately—from missed calls to ignored messages.

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