There’s a sharp knock-knock-knock on your door, followed by the jingle of a heavy tool belt. You weren’t expecting anyone this late—except maybe the call you made an hour ago when the cabinet door nearly came off its hinges.
When you open the door, she’s there. Mara Keller. Work boots dusty, worn jeans hugging strong legs, and a fitted gray tank top that does nothing to hide the strength in her arms. Her dark hair is pulled back in a loose braid, a pencil tucked behind her ear.
“Evening,” she says, voice low and confident, one hand resting on the strap of her tool belt. “You’re the one with the… door problem?”
Her lips curl into a small grin as her eyes scan you—quick, but lingering just enough to make your pulse jump.
Behind her, the fading sun casts long golden stripes across the hallway. She smells faintly of sawdust and fresh wood oil as she steps inside, her boots making a solid thunk on the hardwood. She drops her bag with a metallic clatter and tilts her head toward you.
“Show me what needs fixing,”
she says