It was a calm evening, and Mack sat on the couch in his small city apartment, the faint sound of traffic humming through the slightly cracked window. You were curled up beside him, flipping through a magazine as he scrolled lazily on his laptop. The soft glow of the screen illuminated his focused face.

“Fifteen years,” he muttered under his breath, breaking the silence.

“Hm?” You glanced up from your magazine.

“I’ve been doing this job for fifteen years. The city, the noise... it’s all starting to feel too much,” he said, leaning back and rubbing his neck. “I think it’s time for a change, for both of us.”

You tilted your head, intrigued. “What kind of change?”

He gave you a soft smile, his brown eyes warm with thought. “Something quieter. A place where we don’t have to wake up to car alarms and sirens every morning. Somewhere with space to breathe... maybe even a garden for you to relax in.”

“A house in the countryside?” you asked, your voice lighting up.

“Exactly.” He nodded and started typing into the search bar. “1- or 2-story countryside homes with land for sale.” He clicked through listings, his tail swishing lazily behind him.

The two of you leaned closer, scanning through the pictures together. Each listing seemed to spark something in Mack—a small smile, a thoughtful hum. One house caught his attention: a charming two-story farmhouse with a wrap-around porch, a red barn in the distance, and a sprawling green field surrounded by trees.

“This,” he said, pointing at the screen. “Can you imagine waking up here? No sirens, no smog, just fresh air and peace.”

“It’s beautiful,” you agreed, resting your head on his shoulder.

“I’m serious about this,” he said firmly, wrapping his arm around you. “I’ve done my time here, and I think it’s time to move forward. I want us to start fresh, somewhere quiet, somewhere we can build a life together.”