A/N:

And here we are with the next installment! the story is finally making headway and we get to meet an interesting mammal or two. I hope you enjoy.

If you like what you see, consider buying me a coffee. The link is in my profile.

Now, on with the show!

Judy was anxious. She'd been home for two days—two glorious, enlivening days. Arriving home was everything she'd hoped for. Every hour since stepping off the train in Bunnyburrow was filled with the things she had missed. She'd caught up with her littermates, met all her new nieces and nephews, eaten herself cross-eyed on her mother's superb food, and fallen asleep in a veritable mountain of her siblings. And that was day one.

The second day was much the same, complete with her triumphant return to the chores roster. It was in a limited capacity, perhaps, but she was glad to be back home and working on the farm again. At the end of her second day, Judy was equally glad it wouldn't be for long. In the months since she'd left for university, she'd lost some of her conditioning as far as hard work went. It wasn't a surprise. It did still hurt, though. A long, hot day in the fields was no longer her norm. Walking back from the fields with her siblings with the sun drawing towards the horizon was a nostalgic activity. She was sore, covered in grime, and grinning—swapping quips and stories with her siblings as they walked. It felt like she'd never left. Only, she had. She still enjoyed it.

Since arriving home, she'd been expecting her mother to pounce at any moment. She'd fretted and worried as she and Ammy had put together her battle plans, but now it looked as though it had been unnecessary. Judy had not been accosted by her father or pulled into an interrogation by her mother, so she was tentatively optimistic. It was coming, she was sure, but it hadn't yet. It was a relief. And a worry. She was sure it would be any time, now.

Dinner happened in its usual gleeful chaos of minor food fights, chatting around mouthfuls of food, and the scrape of silverware on plates. Dignified, fine dining it was not, but it was heavenly to her.

Right until her mother wandered by, again.

"Eat up, bun-bun. You look thin."

"I am perfectly healthy. Thank you."

"You're all lean muscle!"

"Exactly, healthy."

"For a jackrabbit, maybe," her mother retorted as she tapped another spoonful of mashed cauliflower onto her plate. "Mind your health and your figure, sweetheart. A doe needs curves, not angles."

Bonnie had already turned away, so she missed her daughter guzzling water to clear her throat as Judy almost gagged on her food.

It was such a Nick-ish turn of phrase and so out of the blue that it floored her. Judy could feel her face and ears heating up, imagining those words in his voice. The rest of her meal passed in giddy silence as her mind supplied all the directions that line could take her with her crush. She was so distracted that she thought nothing of helping her mother with the dishes after the meal ended.

Usually, the majority of the task was taken care of by a chosen group on a rotating schedule, but Bonnie always insisted that she attend to the dishes of the kits who helped out in the kitchen herself. It was a small reward to the kitchen helpers not to clean up their own dishes. One Judy was happy to help with, as she was no longer on the rotation. She realized her gaff as soon as she was elbow-deep in soapy water.

"Tell me, Judy. How's your modeling coming?"

This was it. "Fine!"

Her mother's eye roll and sigh were not expected. "Judith Hopps, you are not a teenager. 'Fine' didn't cut it then, and it certainly will not now."

"Sorry?"

"Am I really such a monster?"

Judy shook the suds off her paws and crossed her arms. "If 'fine' wont work for me, the guilt trip won't work for you."

"Does that mean you'll answer me like an adult?"

Judy groaned. "Work is work. I don't know what to tell you."

"Uh-huh…"

"What?"

"I'll tell you what, Bun-bun. I'll be plain with you. If I do that, will you stop being so nervous?"

Judy grabbed another pate and turned back to her sink. "I'm not nervous."

"Fibber. You're worried I'll pry into your life and meddle." Now, it was Bonnie's turn to cross her arms. "You should be. I'm a mother, and it's my job to keep an eye on my kits. No matter how old they think they are."

"I remember what happened with Emily and Joe. And a few others. Can you blame me for being nervous?"

"Judy…. Joe was terrified of being disowned for being gay. I forced the issue so he would see we loved him regardless and pave the way for your other siblings to come out of the closet without the trauma and fear." Her mother snorted derisively. "And as for Emily, she went to college three weeks before her seventeenth birthday, was engaged at nineteen to Tom—a buck seven years her senior whom we'd never met. Considering her age and all that, was I wrong to worry?"

Judy shrugged, refusing to meet her mother's eyes. "I can't say no…. You were a little heavy-handed…"

"True. I had to be. I look out for all my kits, including you. Now, I have forty-four homosexual kits who are perfectly happy being who they are, and Emily is happily married with three litters."

"To a different buck."

"That was her choice. I wasn't involved in their breakup." Judy's mother smiled as she placed another plate onte drying rack. "I did, however, make sure they had a serious conversation about their futures before they got married. As it turned out, they didn't have the same goals. Now, she's happy and Tom is a pilot. They're still in touch, too."

"Alright. You've made your point." Judy fidgeted at her sink. "What do you want to know?"

"I know you're working with a famous artist. I did look him up online, just to be clear."

Judy cut in. "You don't sound disapproving."

Bonnie's voice rose with her eyebrow. "Should I be?"

Judy shrugged and turned back to her sink.

Her mother huffed in annoyance. "Judith, please stop being so cagey. I'm not going to bite your head off."

"Alright, alright. Go on."

"I know he's got a favorable," Bonnie pause, searching for a fitting turn of phrase, "...if strange reputation, and a housemate. That lovely buck Ammy saw you with."

"Yes…." Judy narrowed her eyes at her mother's phrasing. "I did thank her for that little incident."

"Be nice to your sister. She was looking out for you."

"I guess…. Were you guys really that happy to see me with a buck?"

"Honestly? Yes." Bonnie sighed at her daughter's scowl. "Sweetheart, you've always been unusual for a rabbit. You're as stubborn as Pop-pop, as strong-willed as I am, and as emotional as you father—but you hide it better." Judy felt embarrassed at the backhanded compliments. "It makes you passionate and driven. It also places you out in a world we don't understand very well. It scares us sometimes."

"I'm not trying to upset you." Judy jammed a plate into the drying rack and snatched another from the pile. "I just want to follow my dream. Art means everything to me, and I want to see where it can take me."

"And we want you to succeed. We will always worry about you, so try to help us understand what's happening. It'll take a little fear out of it for us and make your father infinitely more manageable."

Judy giggled. "Ok."

Judy's mother dried her paws and fixed her sights on her daughter. "Good. Now, tell me all about this fox you have a crush on."

"Oh gods..." Judy looked everywhere except her mother. "It's not a crush!"

Amusement suffused the older rabbit's voice. "Infatuation, then?"

"It's—It's something," Judy stammered into her sink.

"It's a crush."

"Fine…" Judy conceded. "It's a crush. My beet-red ears agree with you."

"Is your attraction one-sided?"

"I don't think so…" Judy muttered before hiding her face behind her ears. Her mother's hum drew her back out instantly. "What?"

"May I offer you some advice?"

Judy had never heard her mother speak so…formally to her before. It felt odd, but fortifying. Like she was being treated as an equal. "Um, sure."

Bonnie's tone was even and serious as she said, "If you are serious about pursuing a relationship with him, end your business relationship immediately."

"What? Why?!"

"It's risky to mix money and emotions. There is a whole lot that can go badly wrong, especially early in the relationship. And it isn't a healthy way to pursue either your work or your romance."

"I guess I can see that. But there's more to it, isn't there?"

"A little bit," Bonnie admitted.

"What is it, then?"

"You're going to be the first doe in the family to date outside the lapidae family, and a fox, at that. Before you do anything else, you need to have a long, hard think about what that will mean."

"It means I'll have a boyfriend no everyone approves of. Hardly my first departure from the rabbit norm," Judy commented acerbically.

"Tip of the iceberg, Bun-Bun." Bonnie sighed. "Your father and I will support you no matter what, but you will be facing social fallout no matter what you do. Friends, family, strangers…. Some mammals won't be accepting. It'll add strain to your relationship."

Judy rocked back on her heels as the understanding dawned. "Especially, if I'm being paid by my boyfriend."

"Now, you're seeing it." Bonnie smiled, relieved.

"I hadn't really thought about it that way before. Thanks, mom."

In response, Bonnie wrapped her daughter in a tight hug and nuzzled her.

"Now…" The elder doe smirked. "'Boyfriend'?"

Judy rolled her eyes. "Not yet. But before I say anything else—"

Bonnie slid the drying racks under the kitchen fans. "Hmmm?"

Judy fixed her mother with an even gaze. "I'm the first doe in the family to date outside the lapidae family?"

The Hopps matron grinned. "Your brother Anthony is dating a very nice cerval."

"Well, I'll be."

That night, Judy borrowed her father's ancient farm truck and spewed dirt all over the place as she headed out to The Dust Up. The ancient grain cellar had been part of the first farm that founded Bunnyburrow and granted as an endowment to the town. No one had any idea what to do with the huge, largely underground, building, so they'd put it to a vote. Much to the embarrassment of the town's leaders, it had been elected to become a public house in the Old-World style, complete with taps, stools, picnic-style tables, chairs & benches, and a magnificent, paw-crafted mahogany bar.

Since its completion, it had served as the unofficial town hall and community center for the greater Tri-burrows area. The beer was always excellent. The food was plentiful, and there was space enough in the huge converted central hall for at least a thousand rabbits with elbow room to spare—room enough to accommodate the sprinkling of other species throughout the daily crowd, and then some. It was a favorite hangout for the locals after a hard day in the fields and the place of choice for meeting up with old friends.

It took less than a second for Judy to find her party. In school, her friends had been a crew of weirdos and misfits. Now, they were older and even more unmistakable: a jaguar, a black sheep, a cougar, an albino skunk, a weasel, and a fox. It was made even easier by the piercing squeal from the sheep seconds before she all but tackled her rabbit friend.

"JUDE! You made it!" Judy dangled in her friend's embrace for a moment before counterattacking. She dug her fingers into the sheep's ribs and wiggled them furiously. "Yeep!"

"Nice to see you never learn, Shar."

"Why would I?" the sheep replied with a shrug. "Takes all the fun out of life."

With that, Judy was hauled over to the table and squished between Sharla and Jonah Fangstein, the jaguar. The big cat raised his glass with a smile in welcome. Bobby Catmull grinned and wordlessly slid over the menu. For a moment, she just took it all in.

Everyone was recognizable, but so very different—despite being the same. Everyone was taller, for one thing. Jonah and Bobby were lanky felines towering over the table. Granted, they'd been tall when they'd left for school seven months ago, but their height seemed enhanced now they'd filled out some. Both males weren't the wiry felines they'd been. They looked solid, with the first glimmer of adult confidence—thicker fur, less uncertainty and awkwardness. As she looked around the table, she saw further evidence of her friends maturing.

Sharla was sporting thicker wool and a less lamb-like shearing. Travis was no longer hiding behind Gideon and was engaging the others with enthusiasm. Gideon wasn't cringing away from interacting with others, finally forgiving himself for his poor behavior as a kit. It was good to see. The biggest change was visible in Alana.

Judy grinned as she looked over her old friends. "So, guys, how's school?"

The table collectively groaned. Everyone was instantly consumed with complaining about professors and deadlines. Sharla griped about her physics professors, and Bobby whined about his advanced musical theory project. Jonah traded complaints about his forensic accounting exams with Travis who commiserated with stories of his miserable time on his Small Business Management final. The only ones at the table who weren't too upset were Gideon—who happily told Judy all about his Culinary Arts classes and the plan he and Travis were putting together to open a bakery after graduation—and Alana.

The albino mustelid had always been the quiet one in the group. Conservative dresser, soft spoken, uncomfortable in her own skin. She'd always been shy, ashamed of her albinism. She had stood out because of her genetic mutation, but that was all. That was also then. Apparently, gone was the bashful nerd along with her old look.

Dun colored, functional clothes had given way to fashionable self-presentation that complimented her unusual fur coloration. Minimal grooming had become flattering application of make-up. She wasn't exactly a wild flower, but gone were the days of dyed fur and self-depreciation. In her place was a much more confident, much more relaxed version of the skunk Judy had known since fourth grade. Her early placement at ZU and the semester head start she had on the rest of them may have had something to do with it. Judy was intrigued. While everyone else was chattering, Alana was sitting back and smiling.

About three hours into their reunion, everyone had simmered down. The initial excitement from seeing each other after so many months had worn off, and they'd started to mingle with the rest of the room, catching up with old friends and acquaintances as they wandered in and out of the bar. Gideon and Sharla were chatting with classmates at the high tops while the boys commandeered a dartboard, like they always did. Alana had slipped off to the ladies' and hadn't returned since the others had wandered off, leaving Judy in a moment of quiet. Judy decided to do a little more research while she waited. No one was paying her any mind, so she didn't see the harm.

She was well into an article on binding techniques for the lower limbs when Alana's voice cut through her attention, far too close to her ear. "I see college is broadening your horizons."

Judy blushed furiously as she stuffed her phone into her pocket.

"That won't make me un-see it, Jude."

The embarrassed rabbit pulled her ears over her face. "It's not what you think!"

"I think some-bunny's interests have expanded." The mustelid leaned in smirking. "Am I wrong?"

"Sorta?"

"Come on, Judy. Let's have this conversation out in the privacy of outdoors."

Resigning herself, Judy nodded. "I could use some fresh air, anyway."

Once they were outside, she wasted no time in cutting to the chase. "What do you want, Alana?"

"Awfully suspicious, aren't you?" Alana commented as she led her friend to a more secluded spot away from the main doors.

"Can you blame me?" Judy grumbled, pushing her paws into her pockets.

Alana turned with one paw on her hip. "Wow, Judy. You really don't trust me?"

Sensing the hurt in her friend's voice, Judy relented. "I'm…a bit on edge."

"You weren't exactly being discreet, looking at that in a crowded bar."

"It was just text! There weren't any pictures," Judy defended. "And how did you know?"

"I recognized the URL."

Judy blinked in disbelief. "You…know that site?"

"It's a good place for beginners to get information on the kink lifestyle. Of course, I know it." Alana's giggles told Judy she was doing a poor job of hiding her surprise. "Close your mouth, Judy, or you'll catch flies."

"You know about this stuff?"

Alana's grin was cocky by anyone's standards. "A good bit more than you do, I see."

Judy lifted her chin defiantly. "Prove it."

Alana chuckled. "How would I do that? Should I tell you about my master and mistress? Or would you prefer to hear about my interest in full body restraints and applied riding crop theory?"

Judy blushed. "Ok. I believe you."

"How about proper maintenance of my restraint set and toys?"

"You can stop any time now."

Alana laughed and leaned against the side of the building. "I have to say, you're the last one of us I expected go to kinkster, sweetie."

"I'm not! I don't think I am, anyway…." Judy anxiously pulled at her already drooping ears. "Oh, I don't know!"

"Whoa, Judy…. Easy." Alana stepped in, placing a paw on her rabbit friend's shoulder. "I was just teasing."

"So you were making all that stuff up?"

"No, I was dead serious about all of it. I was just giving you a hard time." Alana walked the distressed rabbit over to sit on a bench. "What's going on with you?"

Staring at her paws Judy mumbled, "Long version or short?"

"Short, for now. We can get deeper into it later. Now, what's going on?"

"…Earlier this semester I took a job as a model," Judy began. "I needed a break, and it was convenient. The sculptor is pretty famous, so I was thrilled."

Alana's eyebrow rose fractionally. "Did he proposition you?"

"No! Nothing like that. We've been working together for months now, and he only just asked me if I'd model for…." Judy felt her ears heating up again. "Oh, hells…. How do I explain this?"

"If you're worried about me keeping secrets, remember, I just told you about a lot of things that I want kept between us." Alana covered Judy's fidgeting paws with her own. "I'll do the same for you as long as you do so for me."

Judy smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, and I won't say a word about you to anyone. But this isn't just my secret."

"Ah…. You're worried about betraying his trust."

Judy nodded vigorously.

Alana grimaced in understanding. "I understand your worry, but, trust me, I'm not saying anything to anyone. I know how my parents would react to finding out about my circumstances away from home."

Judy fussed with her ears again. "He did say I should ask people who know…"

"There you go then."

"What are your circumstances?"

"Nosey rabbit." Alana smirked. "About six weeks into my first semester away from home, I went to my first kink event. There was a munch, followed by reserved time at a local fetish club. I made a few friends, saw a few things. Including a sweet little weasel and her boyfriend. We hit it off, and I started seeing more of them. Fast forward to now, I'm dating them as a pair."

"A pair?"

Alana nodded, grinning. "And we have kinky fun as often as we can manage the time and money to do so. It isn't easy all the time, and it may not last forever."

"So, you aren't…um…owned, or anything?"

"Hah! I consider that basically marriage. So hells no! I'd need to know them for a couple years before I'd even consider it. If it lasts that long, anyway. And there would be some heavy negotiations before I agreed to anything like that. I'm nowhere near ready to settle into a long-term commitment in any way." Alana crossed her arms. "Now, I've given you plenty. It's time to reciprocate."

"The, um…artist is a sculptor. He's known for his hanging pieces."

"I see…"

"You know him?"

The skunk's triumphant grin unsettled her. "Only vaguely. There's some speculation about those sculptures of his in the community, but nothing serious. It's nice to hear it confirmed."

"You can't say anything!"

"I won't. I promise," Alana intoned with her paw up. "Not even to my couple." She went so far as to draw a cross over her heart.

"Alright…" Judy fussed with the hem of her shirt. "I started modeling for him, and he started helping me with my art. We've gotten kind of close. Before I left for break, he asked me to model for a hanging piece. Said I should do my research and talk to people who know."

Alana nodded, considering. "Responsible of him. That's a good sign."

"How long have you been, um…"

"Kinky?" Alana huffed a hollow laugh laugh. "Gods, I can't remember when I wasn't. I had to hide it until I got out of my parents' house, but it was worth the wait."

"Why?"

"Why what? Hide it?"

"No, that I get." Judy laughed nervously. "Why do it?

She shrugged. "It's fun, and I enjoy it. It also pays the bills."

"You're a prostitute?!"

Alana's look was flat, but amused. "I'm a fetish model. My scholarship covers some of my tuition, but I have to work to cover the rest and living expenses."

Judy shook her head. "Talk about a turn around."

"Bookish nerd and varsity chess team to this." Alana swept a paw down her body. "I know. It's always the quiet ones."

"Is there any advice you can give me?"

"Keep it safe and consensual. Know what you're doing ahead of time." Alana counted off on her fingers. "Research EVERYTHING. Don't hesitate to safeword. Make sure someone knows where you're going, and when you'll be back. Be smart, and never do anything you aren't comfortable with."

"So, use my common sense."

"Common sense isn't common, and it's easy to forget when you're all flustered. Especially when you're crushing."

"I know. It's obvious," Judy groaned into her hands.

"One other thing, Judy…"

"Yes?"

"You're going to be modeling. That isn't the same thing as having a scene. It sounds glamorous, but you're going to be bored and stiff from holding a position for extended periods of time more than anything."

"I know it's going to be work, but I can't help but be a little excited."

Alana pulled out her phone and beckoned Judy over. She watched as her friend punched in a web address and suddenly she was seeing a lot more of her friend's fur and figure than she had expected.

"Here. These were pictures from my last session."

"Oh, my gods…"

"Thanks," Alana smirked.

Judy goggled as she flipped through picture after picture. "These are incredible."

"And took seven hours to do." Alana's sigh brough Judy up short. "The lighting, positioning, makeup and outfit took forever to get right, and then the photographer only got five or six photos they were happy with out of several hundred shots."

"That sounds a bit um…"

"Arduous?" Alana shrugged. "I was well paid for my time and get a small commission on every sale, but I was bored to death for most of it. Your modeling and mine are different in some ways, but it won't be all glamor and naughty fantasies. Porn is not life imitating art."

Judy couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice. "I had realized that. Thanks, 'Lana."

The skunk held up a finger, stopping her. "But, if you're crushing on this artist of yours, you should make sure you go into this with a clear understanding of what you both want out of this. You want it to be intimate? Racey? Sensuous? Painful? Say so."

Judy cringed. "Painful?"

"Don't knock it until you try it, honey." Alana smirked, before sobering again. "It may sound weird, but you obviously aren't looking at this like a job anymore. My advice is to be clear, communicative, and absolutely transparent at all times. It's going to embarrass you to death at first, but it'll keep the professional relationships professional and the personal relationships stable. If they won't be straight with you, don't trust them. No matter who they are."

"Thanks, 'Lana. I appreciate it."

"My pleasure." The albino skunk smiled. "Listen…. I know I'm a semester ahead and we're on opposite sides of campus, but don't be a stranger, yeah? You've got my number. If you need advice or support, call me."

"I will. I think I'll be seeing a lot more of you, won't I?"

"I'd say so. Even more so if you get involved in the kink community."

Judy giggled, finally relaxing a little. "I suppose so."

"Kink is a small world. But you can relate to that, can't you?"

"Yeah…" Judy nodded ruefully. "Art is too."

Two days later, Judy needed some space. Her talks with her mother and Alana had warred for space in her brain alongside the other things she'd been roped into doing on the farm. So when she got a chance to take a breather, she took it.

The hike was just as long as she'd remembered, out to the edge of the family farm and her favorite spot. The creek that split the farm was one of her family's delights. Upriver, it was cold and fresh right from the mountains. It fed the wells and irrigation system keeping the produce growing and (according to her father) gave it that "certain something" that made it a Hopps' product. Downriver, it was warmer after winding through the fields—perfect for swimming and carrying on during the warm months.

Right before the waterway left the Hopps' farm, it took a turn back towards the woods that skirted the lower fields. Not far from the long, hook-shaped bend was a hill with an old oak on it. The tree had been half dead for longer than Judy had been alive, and it had been one of her favorite places to go as a kit. At first, to climb and explore, but, before long, she was returning with crayons and paper. As the years passed, both she and her art supplies had matured, but not the sense of wonder. In her last two years of high school, she had decided she'd outgrown the place and had not been back since. As she sat in her old favorite spot, she wondered how she could have been so stupid.

She was home.

She'd brought nothing with her but her thoughts and the clothes on her back. She was glad of the lack of distraction. For the first time in ages, she just sat there, in her place, and existed.

The cool air from the mountains was mixing with the warmer air off the fields, kicking up dust that shimmered in the midafternoon light. The ordered chaos of the fields stretched out from the foot of the hill, hemmed in by the woods on one side and the ancient dirt road in the distance. The water was a silver ribbon dancing through the landscape. It was everything she had remembered, plus a couple years. All so familiar, but all so new. The breeze carried the smell of wildflowers and sap to her nostrils, and Judy sighed in total contentment.

For a moment.

Very soon after arriving, something began to niggle at the back of her mind. The longer she sat and relished the pastoral nostalgia, the stronger the niggling became—until it clicked.

This was what he meant.

The rest of her break was a flurry of activity. Her minimal chores were completed as quickly as possible, and then she was occupied until nightfall. For two whole days, she roamed with the old, terrible digital camera she'd stolen from her older sister many years previously, immortalizing.

When that was done, for the remaining days on the farm, Judy worked feverishly to encapsulate her home—every scent, every sound, every texture. Flowers and ferns were collected and pressed in an ancient dictionary no one ever used. Leaves and stones from the creek and fields were assembled and bagged, along with bark from the woods and a small container of clay from the new well. They joined the pile alongside an oil rag from the machine shop, dusty hay from the old barn, clippings from the flower bed, a rattle from the nursery, one of her mother's retired oven mitts, and the pipe Pop-Pop had been banned from smoking for twenty years.

Her rucksack was much heavier when she left her home to return to the university. She was further encumbered by a full crate of produce and a large care package tied up in a cloth from her mother. The note attached forbade her from opening it until she was home, and Judy was not about to disobey. Even though she was out on her own, she knew her mother was psychic. If she even considered opening the package early, she'd receive a phone call before the knot was undone.

Once off the train, Judy hauled her luggage to the studio and dug into the task of setting herself up. She had a little corner proper to herself. It was just a semi-enclosed nook by the windows with a shelf and an end table for her supplies. The easel was tilted towards the light, just the way she'd left it. Her brushes were sitting dry in their mason jar holder. The spatter of dried pigment on old, worn wood and the smattering of shadow on canvas from the tree outside the window greeted her like old friends. It felt like she hadn't been to her spot on campus in ages, but it had only been a couple months.

The crate plopped onto the floor. Her bags came to rest on top of it, and the fun began.

An hour later, Judy was spattered with pigment herself and grinning like a loon. She'd intended to set everything so the scents and smells could permeate her little space in preparation for her triumphant return to painting. Then the smell of the wildflowers had hit her. Before she'd known it, she was sketching on her blank canvas. Then, it was paint. Then, it was impossible to stop.

For the first time in far too long, her art was joyful. The familiar weight of her brushes, the feel of the canvas under the stroke of paint, the vision in her mind forming before her eyes—it was like magic. The fiddle became a flow, and then a flood. Her brush flew.

When she finally stepped back, she saw her favorite view from the old oak.

She understood. The assignments she'd been given, the experiences she'd been sent off to have. They made sense. What's more, she understood something else. She knew what she wanted.

Riding the frenzy, she dashed to the slop sink across the studio and filled her soaking cup. Her brushes splashed into it, and her palet was unceremoniously scrapped with a paper towel before it was hung to dry by her window. Judy cleared her paws of paint as best she could but didn't worry overmuch. She knew Nick wouldn't mind, no matter how she looked. She stuffed her care package into her now-lighter rucksack and hoisted her crate before sprinting out the door towards Safflower Lane.