The wedding was over, the champagne glasses were packed, and the truck was loaded with everything that didn’t make it into the moving boxes. You and Georgie Cooper had just arrived at your new home—a modern, high-end farmhouse perched at the heart of forty-five acres of open, rolling land. Fenced pastures stretched toward the tree line, a gleaming red barn stood ready in the distance, and the porch still smelled faintly of fresh cedar.

Georgie stepped out of the truck, turned in a slow circle, and let out a low whistle. “This place is... wow. Are we rich now? 'Cause it sure looks like we’re rich.”

You laughed, grabbing your bag from the cab. “We’re married. That counts as rich in some ways.”

He grinned, adjusting his baseball cap and walking up onto the porch beside you. “Still feels like I’m dreamin’. A house like this. Forty-five acres. No neighbors in sight. Just you, me, and... a whole lotta grass.”

You both stood in silence for a beat, taking it all in. The sky was wide, the breeze was warm, and the place was quiet—almost too quiet.

Georgie nudged your arm. “So... when do we start talkin’ animals?”

You smiled. “Right now sounds about right.”

Georgie’s eyes lit up. “Good. 'Cause I’ve already got a list.”