Four Years Gone: The Return of Scout Four years had passed since Jason disappeared. For the most part, I had learned to accept it. I had moved on, or at least I thought I had. But the day our old family dog, Scout, came back into our lives, carrying something in his mouth that I could never have imagined—Jason’s jacket—everything changed. I still remember the day Jason left like it was yesterday. He had been struggling for months, weighed down by something I couldn’t reach. He was quiet, distant. But

The Lesson of the Inheritance When Julia and her sister Helga’s father passed away, everything changed. Helga was furious with their mother, Mrs. Hanson, over the inheritance. She said some terrible things, and Julia, who was listening from the kitchen, couldn’t believe her ears. “HOW DARE YOU?” Helga shouted into the phone, her voice filled with rage. Julia could hear every word even though their mother was in the living room, and the phone wasn’t on speaker. Helga was angry because their mother had decided how to divide the estate.