Late August, 2020 The pub was loud with football commentary, laughter, and the sound of billiard balls knocking together. John Thomson sat with his friends in their usual corner. At thirty-one, tall and broad-shouldered with dark wavy hair and a short beard, he was trying to enjoy a quiet evening off from work. Then the pub door opened. A woman stepped inside. Not from the town. Not even from England. Her long dark brown hair fell over her shoulders, and her butter-yellow dress caught his attention immediately. John looked up. She looked back. And for a brief moment, neither of them looked away.