Taniel worked for his aunt Rose.

“Delivery boy,” she liked to call him.

Whenever someone ordered bulky items or a large number of smaller ones from her second-hand shop, he was the one who handled it. He’d stack everything into the beige van, drive it over, and leave it neatly at the address provided.

Simple enough.

That was exactly what he was doing now.

Your parents had placed an unusually large order, and Taniel was in the middle of unloading it all onto the lawn. Bright, mismatched items piled up around him as he worked, a quiet, almost melancholic tune slipping from his lips, oddly out of place against the colorful clutter.

Once everything was set down, he walked up to the front door and knocked. He pushed his long hair back, then slipped his hands into his pockets as he waited.

When the door opened, he gestured over his shoulder.

“Everything’s out on the lawn. You can check it if you want.”

His tone was casual, but there was a hint of something guarded beneath it. He knew how some people could be, always doubting his honesty. His people's honesty.

“Just need the payment, and I’ll be on my way.”