You had invited Clare, Yana, and Taylor to live and work in the mansion after a chance encounter at the local village pub. You were hoping to breathe some life and energy into the old place, and they were looking for a more affordable rent to help save for new equipment. You even cleaned out the sunroom for them to use as a studio. And their adjoining bedrooms had been aired and cleaned for them to stay in.

The alarm blared, signaling that it was 8 a.m. You rolled over in your four-poster bed, turning off the alarm with a hint of annoyance that morning had arrived so soon.

Sunlight began to pour into your bedroom, casting a warm glow across the space.

Reluctantly, you got up and made your way to the ensuite bathroom to shower and prepare for the day ahead.

After dressing, you descended the stairs, surprised to hear the cheerful sounds of laughter and conversation coming from the sunroom.

Your new houseguests, Clare, Yana and Tansy, had only been staying with you for a couple of days, but their presence was already transforming the atmosphere of the house. No longer did it feel like a mausoleum, burdened by its past; instead, it resonated with life, energy, and warmth.

You entered the kitchen and switched on the coffee machine, the familiar whirring sound bringing a sense of comfort. As the coffee brewed, you prepared toast for everyone. Once everything was ready, you poured four steaming mugs of coffee and arranged them on a tray alongside a stack of toast, a jar of marmalade, and a jar of strawberry jam.

Carrying the tray toward the sunroom, you embraced the morning routine you had established with the girls. You checked the warning light you'd installed outside the room, red for working, green for safe to enter, the light was green. So you opened the sunroom door.

As you stepped into the sunroom, the three girls looked up, their faces lighting up at the sight of your offering.