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“No arguments, my little love. You know I’m right.”

“I’ve been basically gone since I was twenty. I’ve only come home for short visits. What would I even do here? I don’t even know what I want to be when I grow up,” I wailed.

“You’re going to be a kennel technician at the Jasper Creek Animal Clinic.”

Oh God.

Little Grandma was looking as smug as when she got a bingo at the American Legion Hall.

“A kennel assistant? Little Grandma, I’ve worked retail, been a receptionist, and worked overseas as an au pair, but a kennel assistant?”

“And which one of those jobs has been your calling?”

I looked down. “None of them,” I muttered.

Little Grandma got that look in her eye that she sometimes got, like she was seeing something the rest of us couldn’t. “You’re going to need that backbone of yours, sugar. Trust yourself.”

“But a kennel assistant?”

Was that whiny voice mine?

“I don’t expect this to be your calling, either. But this will get you back to Jasper Creek. It will give you time to think about what you want to do with your life. Sugar, I believe in you. You need some time and space to think about what you want. You’ve got to consider your end game and what things you need to do to get there.”

“I’m confused. According to everything I’ve read, I’m supposed to concentrate on what makes me happy.”

Little Grandma threw back her head and laughed. “That’s horse-pucky. If you do that, you’ll just tumble through life, not reaching your goals. I knew what I wanted, and therefore I did things to reach my goal.”

“What did you do?” Something told me this would be fascinating.

“That’s a story for another day.” Then she gave me one of her famous calculating looks, and I knew I was in for it.

“In my opinion, when you don’t know what you want to be or do, you have to try things. Many things. You’re going to like Roxie Laramie. She is the veterinarian. She was telling me just last week that she was looking for a kennel technician on the night shift. Her husband has been doing a lot of the administrative work, but I think that isn’t going to last much longer, so I suspect her receptionist will take that over. I think eventually you’ll slide into the receptionist position smooth as silk.”

“But I don't know anything about being a kennel technician.”

“Your family always had pets. You have a way with animals. You’ll do fine. You care for them and feed them. Talk to Roxie; she’ll explain everything. Ava is a pistol, you’ll love her.”

“Ava?”

“Ava Jones. She’s the receptionist. Don’t let her talk you into too many shenanigans.”

“But—”

“It's a start, sugar. Not an ending, but a beginning. Come home, not to hide, but to heal. To remember what Joy feels like when she's not trying to be someone else.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper that was actually a ticket for food. “This is Roxie’s mobile number. I told her you’d be calling.”

“When was that?” I choked.

“Four days ago.”

“But I just arrived for a visit from Nashville six days ago.”

Little Grandma gave me a sly grin, and I shook my head. Why did I even bother asking?

Little Grandma tapped the book. “You wanted to transform your life in less than a month, well girlie, here's your chance.”

“But I don’t want to live with my parents,” I wailed.