When Khizar answered the front door to his penthouse apartment that night, he found James waiting with another of his ubiquitous folders in hand. Khizar waved him inside, noticing that James looked around as he walked in.

“Something wrong?” Khizar asked.

James shook his head and pointed at the feminine jacket draped on the back of the couch, and the two mugs sitting close to each other on the kitchen counter.

“No. It just already feels different in here.”

Khizar laughed. “And a good thing, too.”

“Agreed.”

James gave the folder to Khizar, who took it but didn’t open it up yet.

Just then, Jacqui walked into the room. Khizar smiled at her and waved a hand at James.

“Jacqui, this is James.”

Jacqui held her hand out and lifted an eyebrow.

“I suppose I don’t need an introduction.”

James laughed, sounding a little startled. Khizar supposed the people his investigator talked to didn’t always have a chance to talk back, at least, not knowing who he was.

“You don’t. But I’m happy to meet you in person.”

She smiled. “Likewise. Thanks for looking for more information.”

The three of them sat down in the living room, and Khizar handed the folder to Jacqui. As she looked through it, James told them what else he’d found.

“Your great-uncle had his childhood home declared a historical landmark about twenty years ago. He also set up an endowment that provides funds to maintain the home and manage a small staff that keeps the house open for tours and private events.

“The house is over a hundred years old, so getting the historical designation wasn’t that big a deal, apparently. The Bauers built the house and lived there until Bill’s parents died. By then, Bill was living here. Your grandfather had also passed by that time, Jacqui, and your father had already moved to Wisconsin.

“The executor for the family noted that Alex Bauer didn’t want to keep the house, so it was put up for sale. Bill set up a trust, bought the house, and had it declared a protected landmark. He then left the trust to run it.”

Jacqui looked over James’ notes. “Can we get into the house?”

James nodded. “It’s all mapped out for you. The house is closed for tours right now; apparently they’re doing some standard maintenance.”

Khizar read over Jacqui’s shoulder.

“Any idea where we should start looking?”

“No. But I will note that Bill left instructions on exactly how the house’s interior and exterior were to be maintained. All the furniture is original, and the landscaping is exactly the same as when he lived there. Apparently, both Bill’s mother and grandmother were expert gardeners, so his requirements for the house indicate that the garden should have the same plants and structure as when he was a child.”

Khizar and Jacqui exchanged a look, thinking about Bill’s use of Jacqui’s middle name.

James continued, “The house looks exactly as it has since he bought it, and as best I can tell, most of it is original to his childhood.”

Khizar thought about that.

“So, hopefully, the clues we have will be clearer when we get there.”

James nodded again. “I think that’s likely the case. But if you run into anything questionable, let me know and I’ll see what I can find out.”

Khizar stood, James following him. Jacqui laid the folder on the table and also stood, reaching for James’ hand.

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to learn all this about my great-uncle.”

James shook her hand.

“I wish I knew more, but Bill Bauer focused on his work. He didn’t have a lot of personal connections.”

“It’s enough to know what I do.”

James gave her a small smile and then nodded at Khizar. “Good luck.”

Khizar closed the door behind him and held out his arms to Jacqui.

“We’ll figure it out, my love.”

She laid her cheek on his chest and looped her arms around his waist.

“I know. And I’m glad you’re with me to figure it out.”

Khizar felt a last knot of tension ease inside him. The woman in his arms felt so right, and he finally let go of all the past hurt and fear. He trusted her with his heart, and together, they could make anything work.

The doorbell rang, and Khizar left Jacqui to open the door again. His parents were there, and once again, they greeted Jacqui with hugs.

This time, though, there was a sense of family in the room that Khizar hadn’t felt before. His opening up to Jacqui was causing him to open up to his parents, too. He rather liked that feeling.

No one said anything about Jacqui’s abrupt departure from the restaurant, but Sonja said something quiet to Jacqui that Khizar didn’t quite catch. He didn’t think he was supposed to, and since it made Jacqui smile, he didn’t worry about it.

Khizar had offered to take them all out for dinner, a sort of do-over, but his mother insisted on cooking instead.

“It’s a good thing I brought over groceries,” she teased him lightly, as she started to prepare food.

“I’ve been out of town,” Khizar protested, more out of principle than anything.

Sonja handed him a knife and pointed at the pile of vegetables, which Khizar obediently began to clean and cut up.

Adil and Jacqui sat at the kitchen bar and watched the two of them work together. Khizar’s father leaned over and patted Jacqui’s hand.

“Would you like to hear some stories about your great-uncle?” he asked.

Jacqui leaned forward, eagerly. “Yes, please, I’d like that very much.”

Adil threaded his fingers together.

“I met Bill Bauer at his mine, just a year or two after he bought the land and opened it up. He’d found some gems he wanted an expert opinion on, so he called my office. He wouldn’t bring them into the city, though. No, even then, he was a stubborn old grump.”

He gave Jacqui a look that suggested he liked that quality in Bill Bauer and she gave him a smile in return.

“So, I trekked all the way out to the mine, and sat in his tiny, uncomfortable office. I asked him why he didn’t have a better set-up, something more comfortable, and he just looked at me and said, ‘Why would I care what my office is like when my real work is in the mine?’”

Adil laughed.

“Bill wasn’t happy unless he was out there with his guys, digging. I think if he had been born a hundred years earlier, he would have been one your California gold miners, out on the frontier.”

Khizar could tell that hearing about her great-uncle made Jacqui happy. His father had one more thing to say, though.

“I can see him in you,” Adil said thoughtfully.

“Really?” Jacqui asked, unsure.

He nodded. “Your eyes. And your determination. You may not have known Bill Bauer, but you are definitely his family.”

Khizar was grateful to his parents. They’d given him a gift, and another chance to show that he was serious about Jacqui.

And when they left at the end of the evening and Khizar and Jacqui went to bed so that they could get some sleep before their long day, he felt, for the first time, like he was really home.