New Job?

Barbara found herself in a place she never thought she'd return to. "Barbara, dear, you're needed now," came the sweet, familiar voice of her mother. It was the same voice she had heard over the phone just a day ago, when she had broken down, confessing for the first time how desperately she needed help—since she had run away from home.

She stepped into her father's home office, a room that exuded quiet sophistication. The space was bathed in warm light filtering through tall windows. Mahogany shelves lined the walls, crammed with books that seemed to have traveled from another time, their spines worn and titles faded. A large oak desk sat in the center, polished to a gleam, with neatly stacked papers, an antique globe, and a brass lamp with a green shade casting a soft glow.