Lucy Carpenter, a young bright zoology student

Lucy Carpenter held a hair clip between her lips as she bunched up her auburn locks and pulled them into a simple ponytail. The slender brunette arched her back and wiggled her hips, her hands dropping to smooth down her tight sweater over her curves as she hurriedly slipped her feet into a pair of simple low-heeled ankle boots.

“We’re going to be late,” She murmured, looking anxiously at the clock. Classes were due to start in 10 minutes.

Kimberly Wicks, Lucy’s blonde roommate, rolled her eyes as she stuffed her notebook into her bag, “Relax! We have plenty of time.”

Both zoology majors, Lucy and Kimberly had been best friends ever since their first day of college when they had been assigned each other as dorm-mates. It wasn’t unusual for Kimberly to take a little longer getting ready, but that morning Lucy had noticed the blonde had been on her phone almost constantly, excitedly messaging someone, wasting even more time…

“Are you ready?” Lucy pleaded, grabbing her bag off of her bed.

“Lucy, calm down…” Kim laughed, “You’re just anxious because of that…”, she pointed at the calendar, where the date of the coming weekend was circled with thick black marker –

‘LUCY - PARENTS COMING TO VISIT!’

“I just don’t want to be late…” the brunette protested quietly before she blushed, realising Kim was right.

This weekend had been playing on her mind for weeks; she loved her parents, and was excited to have them visiting campus for the first time rather than making the 200 mile trip herself, but still, this would be the first time they were going to meet her boyfriend Max…

There was quiet pause before Lucy took a deep breath and looked at Kim apologetically.

“They’ll love him,” the blonde sighed encouragingly. They’d had this same conversation multiple times in the last few days. Kim knew Lucy was anxious about them meeting... she couldn't imagine how the girl was going to handle everything else that was coming...

“But what if they don’t…?”

“They will!” Kim insisted as she strode towards the door, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder with a playful smile, “Now calm down and let’s get to class, ok girl?”

Lucy blinked, the way Kim’s voice rose patronisingly at the end of her sentence made the brunette pause for a split second. It seemed something had shaken Kim too as her eyes grew a little wider and she quickly stepped out of sight into the hallway. Lucy knew they really didn’t have time to waste so, choosing to ignore it, she quickly hurried out the door after her.

200 miles away, Lucy’s family home was a hive of activity. The Carpenter’s neighbours had turned out to help a constant stream of boxes leave via the front door…

“Where do you want this one Nancy?”

“If it's clothes it can go on Tom’s truck, he’s taking her clothing to Goodwill, everything else can just go in the trash.”

Nancy Carpenter surveyed Lucy’s almost empty childhood bedroom with a sigh of satisfaction; only a few more boxes to take out and they’d be finished. She was amazed at how much stuff her oldest daughter had left behind when she’d gone off to college… Nancy supposed the plan had always been for Lucy to move back home after she graduated, but that really didn’t matter now…

She gave Rodger from next door a grateful smile when he stepped back into the room and picked up one of the remaining boxes. The top was open and Nancy could see Lucy’s old yearbooks and high-school diploma piled haphazardly inside, “That’s all trash Rodger.”

“Sure thing.” He looked around the room, “Almost there huh?”

“Almost!” Nancy smiled with genuine relief, it had been several hours of hard work but it needed doing. It wasn’t like Lucy needed any possessions anymore anyway…

“Hey mom?” Abigail, Lucy’s younger sister and Nancy’s only other child poked her head around the door. At eighteen, the girl shared her sister’s auburn hair and slender frame.

“Yes sweetie?”

“I was thinking… my room has always been the smallest… and now that this room is free… could I move my stuff in here?”