Chapter 8

The next morning, I noticed the creaking sound of a loose floorboard near the entrance. Katie had just left for her morning jog, so I decided it was the perfect time to tackle this minor issue.

I carried my toolbox from the closet and knelt down to work on the loose floorboard. It seemed like a straightforward fix, but as I began working on it, I realized it was more stubborn than I had thought. The nails were old and rusted, making them difficult to remove.

Just as I was deep into the task, Katie returned from her jog, her face flushed from the exercise. She noticed me bending over the floorboard and walked over curiously.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” she asked with a playful grin.

I looked up, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead. “Hey, Katie. It looks like this floorboard is causing some trouble. It’s pretty loose and creaky.”

Katie bent down to look at the floorboard herself. “Ah, I see what you mean. Want some help?”

I nodded appreciativel