Keeley skipped Ryan's birthday party, despite Valentina's texts asking for her whereabouts. Instead, she spent the day furniture shopping with Aaron and her father. The circumstances were somewhat unusual.

Aaron had asked for her help redecorating his apartment, as promised, but Keeley, concerned about her father, wanted to spend time with him.

"Why not bring him along?" Aaron suggested. "It would probably do him good to get out of the house."

Keeley couldn't deny the logic, but doubted her father would enjoy furniture shopping. Nevertheless, she texted him; to her surprise, he agreed instantly. Aaron, despite often being oblivious to others' emotions, could be surprisingly perceptive.

Thus, the three found themselves in a furniture store on a Saturday afternoon. Aaron, to Keeley's surprise, chose a nice, reasonably priced store, explaining that overly expensive furniture was impractical given Dinah, his cat, who had already damaged some of his couch cushions.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, Keeley felt lost.

"Remind me what you want again?" she asked.

"Furniture to fill the empty spaces and more art for the walls," he replied simply.

His apartment had a significant amount of empty space, especially on the second floor, which was intended for entertaining. Keeley couldn't imagine him needing that many extra seats, but the rooms undeniably felt lonely without them.

She put her hands on her hips, surveying the vast selection. Starting with something he definitely needed seemed wisest.

"Let's go to the outdoor furniture section," she declared.

Robert looked confused. "You have a yard in this city?"

Keeley snorted. "He has not one, but three terraces. It's insane. He needs to furnish them; they're the emptiest part of the house."

Aaron smiled indulgently. "Still convinced I need a hammock?"

"Yes! Follow me; I'll show you the importance of hammocks."

Impatiently, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, oblivious to the blissful expression on his face and the knowing smile on her father's. The outdoor furniture selection was limited—most city dwellers lack yards and terraces—but sufficient.

"You need seating on all three terraces, to mix things up. And tables for outdoor dining when the weather's nice!" A thought struck her. "Oh! Have you ever had a barbecue?"

"…no."

"That's okay, I'll teach you! You'll need a grill…ooh, and a fire pit!"

Her eyes lit up; she bounced excitedly. "You've never roasted marshmallows either, have you? You have so much to learn, young padawan."

"Nice reference," Robert chuckled.

Aaron looked puzzled. "What's a padawan?"

"It's a Star Wars thing."

"I watched all those movies, and I don't remember that."

Tilting her head, Keeley assessed his confusion. "Did you watch Episodes I, II, and III, or just the originals?"

"The originals."

"Ah, that explains it. The originals are good, but…"

Her father interjected. "No, they're terrible and shouldn't be considered canon!"

Keeley rolled her eyes. He pretended to hate them, yet he'd understood her reference. "Ignore him; he's a purist."

Clapping her hands, she resumed her search. Where were the hammocks? She found them tucked away in the back and raced towards them.

"Is she always this excited about hammocks?" she overheard Aaron ask.

"Son, she's always this excited about things she likes."

Keeley pouted. What was wrong with being easily excitable? Life had enough dreariness; finding joy in small things kept her sane.

The first hammock was narrow and deep; she struggled to get in and could barely see over the top. It wasn't enjoyable; hammocks were for sky-gazing.

"Dad! Help!" she yelled, stuck and unable to get out gracefully. He rushed over, offering a hand while Aaron steadied the hammock.

"Thanks," she said sheepishly. "I don't recommend that one."

Many hammocks were similarly designed. Why was that style so popular? It was a death trap!

She soon found the perfect hammock: wide, flat, with an attached pillow. It was cute, with blue, white, and green stripes.

Carefully climbing in and settling in the middle to avoid flipping, she found it delightful.

"Hey Aaron, try this one!"

He approached cautiously. "How do I get in without falling?"

"Crawl to the middle," she instructed.

As he did so, she briefly panicked—they'd both fall! Surprisingly, they remained balanced. Keeley scooted over to make room. It was a double hammock, perfectly sized for two.

"Well?" she asked, as they gently swayed. "Super relaxing, right? I could do this all day."

Aaron looked at her softly. "Yeah. Me too."

Robert chose that moment to speak, reminding Keeley of his presence. Embarrassed, she got off, causing Aaron to fall. She apologized profusely, but he brushed it off, stating he'd take her advice and went to speak with a sales associate.

(Note: I removed the NovelFire.net advertisement.)